The Acura Integra: A Legend In Its Own Mind

Stemming back to the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Acura was a brand that was changing the game. Much like Lexus, which came online and moved the luxury goal posts, Acura was building stellar products.

We've talked quite a bit about the Legend but there was another car we were reminded of just today. And it rocked our world.

The Integra.

Everything about the Integra was great. It had panache, its performance was just right and it was affordable. With a luxury cachet to it, it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill Honda Civic. It was something..special. Seeing one on the road today, I just had a great longing for an excellent Acura car like that again.

While the RDX and MDX are doing great business for the Japanese automaker, I just don't foresee people lusting for one of those 20 years from now; however, if you were to ask around today in the right age demographic, people STILL talk about their love for their Integras and Legends.

Am I ALONE here? Would YOU like to see Acura return to making iconic vehicles that will stand the test of time 20 years down the road?

t_bone - 7/3/2018 12:34:29 AM

+11 Boost

Loved my gen 2. If it was even remotely possible to find an unmolested example these days...

TomM - 7/3/2018 6:42:51 AM

-3 Boost

The fact is - the ONLY way Acura will ever rise again to prestige status is to produce some truly Outstanding cars

THeir problem is that they have been FAR TOO CONSERVATIVE - so much so that even the Alt-right people don't buy them anymore.

jameswisrik - 7/3/2018 7:04:18 AM

+3 Boost

still buy a acura over any euro pos!

its in euro dna and heritage to make diarrhea pos vehicles that are market well to their opied, diabetic, fat, aging, debt ridden, ignorant buyers!

MDarringer - 7/3/2018 8:10:43 AM

+6 Boost

Like the Legend, the Integra was a vehicle that Acura should not have stopped building. The Integra brought Acura a performance image, one that they are trying desperately to pretend they have today. The Vigor was the dumb move and when the Vigor crashed and burned for sales, Honda assumed that the names of Acuras was the issue. So they torched the Legend and the Integra and never saw the sales of their replacements do well.

I that that replacing the RLX and the TLX with a new Legend, and bringing back the Integra would be a good move. Get rid of the alphabet soup.

valhallakey - 7/4/2018 11:27:20 AM

+1 Boost

100%,Some automakers have the legendary names for their cars (no pun intended), Cadillac being one and Acura being another. Funny neither seem to understand it.

MDarringer - 7/4/2018 12:47:35 PM

+1 Boost

Can you imagine a Legend sized like an RLX and priced at or below the TLX while replacing both?

Lincoln's mistake with the Continental was not using it to replace the MKZ at the MKZ's price. "Look at this big car you can have for a not-big price" would have been the ticket for success. The Continental is an enlarged Fusion just as the RLX is a very haphazardly enlarged Accord.

Park a last-gen Accord next to an RLX and the RLX quickly begins to look like a crudely expanded mule that was put on sale. Like the Continental, no one was fooled.

As for the Integra, it should be their WRX.

Truthy - 7/3/2018 9:25:50 AM

+5 Boost

I agree with the two comments above. The alpha-numeric worked for the Germans as they have used this forever. With everyone emulating this approach - and Cadillac and Infiniti rearranging their's = it gets muddled.
There is a lot of brand equity that was discarded with the Legend and Integra names. RLX ?!?

mre30 - 7/3/2018 10:31:48 AM

+2 Boost

My first new car in 1990 - just got my offer letter for my job as an accountant at Price Waterhouse out of college - future shining brightly - 1990 Acura Integra LS Silver 5 speed.

Had to sell it 3 yrs later when I moved from NJ to NYC. I miss it, though I will admit that even at 3 yrs old when I sold it, there were little buds of rust starting to appear! Doesn't surprise me that none of these survive.

After a few years in NYC, got my still all time fave - used 1990 325i - hence my "MR-E30" name.

Truthy - 7/3/2018 12:43:01 PM

+4 Boost

How many cars today will have their owners remembering them fondly 20 years from now (maybe 30 yrs)?

dtmwtch - 7/3/2018 2:19:43 PM

+5 Boost

first car was a used 86 3 door integra. It could have used 30 hp but loved it for 8 years.

templar19d - 7/3/2018 5:49:33 PM

+5 Boost

The 2door Legend was a handsome, composed car. WTF have your done Acura.... My boss had a Type R, awesome!

systemBuilder - 7/4/2018 4:38:54 AM

-1 Boost

Integra was a souped up Honda CIvic - my first car. Oh how I wished that I had waited 24 months - I would have bought my integra. They don't have to do much to recapture that greatness. A 30-year old prestige car buyer doesn't need all the crap they dump into these cars these days. They just want 30% more horsepower and something that looks REALLY cool, and maybe an ability to start a family with the car - that's it. Today's Acuras are stodgy cars for the 60+ crowd.

senft - 7/4/2018 1:45:35 PM

+2 Boost

Delightful cars in its time. We had one of each and I'd still take a 3rd generation GS in a second.

fishin - 7/4/2018 5:38:20 PM

+1 Boost

I still miss my gen. 3 Integra; yes it was still an excellent car '94-'01. I hold out hope of one day getting my hands on one that has not been "destroyed" by its previous owner(s) and putting it back together.

I believe one day there will be an automaker that will produce cars "you can feel/connect will and not go broke paying for." I only hope I'm still here to see it happen.