Honda Civic Si goes head-to-head with new Acura Integra

The details

The 3,073-pound Integra is aimed at the luxury-car shopper, while the 2,961-pound Civic is a bit sportier and, as such, it gets summer performance tires. This means it has an advantage in our U-Drags format. Better tires mean a better launch from zero to 60 mph, better braking distances, and better handling. So, with the Integra sporting all-season tires and the Civic wearing summer performance tires, a win for the Civic was all but certain.

When it launched well, in the first and third races, the Civic Si won. In those races it went from zero to 60 mph in 7.7 and 7.5 seconds, respectively. But, when the launch wasn’t perfect and it had a zero to 60 mph time of 8.1 seconds, the Integra was able to keep up. The Civic Si had a maximum lateral g of 0.94 while the Integra was just a bit less grippy at 0.92 g. This contributed to the difference in cornering, and it gave the Civic an advantage on the return trip.

With one superior launch in the Integra, it was able to cross the finish line first in a single race. With the Civic winning two out of three, however, both our drivers said they’d prefer the Civic thanks to its inexpensive summer-tire option. The added traction in the corner, the additional braking power and, ultimately, the superior launch capability gave the Civic Si the advantage.