Aside from the NSX, Acura these days feels all kinds of “meh.” That wasn’t always the case, as today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Integra proves. Let’s find out if this sporting sedan can still get you revved up about its price.
You good folks don’t like to make my job very easy do you? Yesterday’s custom, and parsimoniously-equipped 1991 Chevy Caprice longroof toddled along most of the day with a frustratingly close 51/49 vote. It even dipped into the negatives for part of the morning. In the end, the yeas prevailed for its $4,995 price, and that whale of a wagon squeaked by with an RCH-close 50.52 percent Nice Price win.
We don’t see big wagons all that much any more. Those who live outside of the U.S. may have never actually seen one in the metal. Today it’s all about the crossover, and the wagon isn’t the only victim of their onslaught, the traditional sedan is starting to fade from glory too.
Acura still builds three sedan models, but I’ll bet you can’t picture all three AND assign each their appropriate three-letter monikers. That’s because they’re all sort of… well to be honest, dull as dishwater. Hell, their smallest model, the Civic-based ILX, isn’t even offered with a manual transmission.
You are right to clutch your pearls in that manner at that revelation.
That wasn’t always the case. At one point in time Acura’s smallest offering brought some serious cojones to the table. We even looked at an Integra GS-R coupe earlier this year, over which we all purred in appreciation.
That’s all well and good, but it seems that the sedan edition of Acura’s former small sporting entry has never received the same love as its three-door compatriot. We’re about to change that.
Here we have a 2001 Acura Integra GS-R sedan, in Titanium Metallic over a two-tone beige and brown leather interior. As it’s the head of the class GS-R it rocks a 170-horsepower B18C1 four. That’s 1,797 ccs and a VTEC head in case you were wondering. Matched to that is a five-speed stick, and of course the front wheels do the talking.
There’s 171,000 miles on the car, and those, plus its age, show in the paint-chipped rear bumper and the faded/abraded black window trim. It should be noted that this generation of Integra has frameless windows which open up the greenhouse appreciably on the four-door.
This one also comes with aftermarket wheels, and you know what, they don’t look too bad. The seller says that the headlamps are aftermarket as well. He says they’re “angel eyes” if that’s important to you.
The interior looks pretty clean, and if the pictures are anything to go on, heavily ArmorAll’d too. It’s being sold by what looks to be a small used car dealer so that’s to be expected. A few of the trim pieces are a little wonky in here, and there’s a bolt cap in the handbrake well that’s gone missing. Pretty much everything else looks to be in fine fettle, save for some staining on the carpet.
The car comes with a ton of trim, including a moonroof and nice looking leather. Of course there’s power door locks and mirrors, and even the factory radio.
The engine bay is a nice contrast to yesterday’s dog’s breakfast, although we don’t get any detail on maintenance other than the addition of newish plugs and wires.
Overall this is a handsome, and probably very eager sport sedan. Yes the newer ILX outguns the GS-R by 31 horses and even though a good bit heavier than the Integra, it’s still quicker to get to speed. It’s still not as much fun, and at over thirty grand it’s a lot more expensive than this used model.
How much more? The dealer is asking $4,433 for the car, an odd number if you ask me. That gets you a car that you won’t see on every corner, and one that looks to have some life left in it.
What’s your take on this hot Acura from a bygone era and that $4,433 price? Does that seem, you know, accurate? Or, does this GS-R’s price miss the mark?
You decide!
Yakima, WA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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