One of the most interesting car rivalries involves the 2023 Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra. These corporate cousins share many of the same features and are priced within a few thousand dollars of each other. However, U.S. News recently listed the standard Civic and the Integra in the same roundup. Is it fair to pit a mainstream car against a luxury sports sedan? Let’s compare the Civic and Civic Si to show how the latter is better suited than the standard Civic to compete against the Integra. 

How is the Integra similar to the Civic Si?

Both models are made by the same parent company, Honda, so expect similar features from both. In fact, both sedans pack the same 1.5-liter turbo-four engine producing 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. Each gets about 34 mpg combined. 

Also, the 2023 Acura Integra and the Civic Si include a six-speed manual transmission, something most vehicles don’t have nowadays. A slight notable difference is that this gearbox is standard on the Civic Si but is an optional upgrade on the Integra A-Spec trim. Otherwise, the Integra gets a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). 

Because these compact cars have the same powertrain, they perform similarly, with only a slight speed difference. When Edmunds tested the two, there was only about a 0.1-to-0.5-second difference in three runs. The Civic Si came out on top in two of the three races, but only with a minimal lead. 

Should these models compete?

The Integra and Civic Si are corporate cousins and marketed as high-end vehicles, so we can see how they would compete. However, U.S. News has put the Integra and the standard Civic in first and second place on its “Best Small Cars for 2023” list. 

The Acura Integra is a luxury sports sedan, while the Honda Civic is a mainstream compact car, so it’s rare to see these two models in the same roundup. In fact, no other luxury cars appear on the U.S. News list.

It’s also important to note the 2023 Acura Integra appears on another U.S. News list, “Best Luxury Small Cars.” That’s where the sedan belongs, competing with other luxury vehicles. It earned the top spot there too. But a standard Civic-Integra comparison isn’t really fair. 

What are the differences between the Civic Si and the standard Civic?

There’s no denying the 2023 Acura Integra is an excellent small car that deserves to top lists. But it isn’t really fair to pit a luxury car against mainstream models like the Civic. Better would have been to replace the standard Civic with the Civic Si. That way, it’s more of a competition between two similar models. 

The standard 2023 Civic sedan offers two engine options. The base 2.0-liter inline-four produces 158 hp. And an available 1.5-liter turbo-four makes 180. The base can go from 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, while the turbo can handle that run in about eight seconds. With its 200-hp turbo-four, the Civic Si can hit 60 mph in 6.8 to 7.7 seconds. 

Fuel economy numbers for the 2023 Honda Civic are 33 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway. The Si gets 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, per Honda.

The most noticeable difference between the standard Civic sedan and the Si is that the latter is a sporty performance model, while the Civic is a typical daily driver. The Si also adds 18-inch black alloy wheels, sportier seats, and sport-designed pedals.

Though the Honda Civic is a great small car, it can’t keep up with the 2023 Acura Integra. So trying to pit them against each other really isn’t fair. Instead, keep the comparisons between the Integra and Civic Si.