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2024 Acura Integra Type S First Drive Review: Have we got news for you!

If you were expecting the 2024 Acura Integra Type S to be a more comfortable, better-equipped and less-aggressive Honda Civic Type R, well, have we got news for you. As it turns out, that’s exactly what it is. You pretty much nailed it on the head. The Integra Type S is exactly the car we all expected after looking at the specs, seeing how closely its enhanced componentry mirrored that of HondaÂ’s halo car, and then extrapolating what a bit of polish, a bunch of equipment and slightly cushier suspension tuning might mean. If the latest Type R has been hailed for growing up in just the right ways, the Type S takes that concept further, sacrificing some go-fast potential for everyday drivability. If you like the Honda, thereÂ’s a chance youÂ’ll like the Acura even more. ThereÂ’s also a chance youÂ’ll like it less. Now, not surprisingly, the folks at Acura would rather shine the spotlight on how the Type S differs from the Integra A-Spec, which was previously the highest rung on the Integra ladder and the only way to get one with a six-speed manual transmission. Very well. Somehow, the visual jump between A-Spec and Type S seems much greater than Civic Si and Type R. When put side-by-side, the A-Spec Integra looks almost naked and a bit pedestrian. The 3.5-inch-wider front track wrapped in muscular fender flares stamped directly into the sheetmetal up front is the biggest difference. The rear track is 1.9 inches wider, and although it too gets widebody fenders, they are a shmish-shmosh of plastic pieces on the door, fender and bumper. But back to the front. The face is more aggressive in appearance, but the changes are as much functional as aesthetic. The shield grille is larger and fully open (versus partially sealed) to allow 170% more air to pass through on its way up a new vent in the aluminum hood that creates downforce. The large intake-looking areas forward of the wheels donÂ’t actually take in anything, but hidden openings on their inboard sides adjacent to the lower airdam channel air through three canards located behind those dud intakes. Air then exits behind those flared fenders, creating air curtains around the wheels. There is also a unique splitter up front, an almost-smooth floor and an enlarged diffuser, plus a lip spoiler that quite obviously wonÂ’t be creating as much downforce as the Type R's wing. That would be performance-oriented demerit No. 1, but also, grown-up point No. 1.

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.