The right badge on a car makes all the difference…
Looks great… My second to last car was a DC5 Integra. The biggest issue I had was the wide turning circle, and the steering felt too heavy. Being a 2.0L, it never really had the punch I wanted. Still, it was a fun coupe to drive.
@Rory
Thanks! Yeah, the turn radius is definitely wide. I think the steering feels heavier because of the hydraulic power steering and the front suspension design. Plus, the car itself isn’t exactly light. But I still love it.
@Ocean
I drove mine up to 500,000 km before switching to a 2008 Honda Accord Euro L Mugen. The K24A in that one made a huge difference—it’s more powerful and the steering feels way lighter.
Rory said:
@Ocean
I drove mine up to 500,000 km before switching to a 2008 Honda Accord Euro L Mugen. The K24A in that one made a huge difference—it’s more powerful and the steering feels way lighter.
The K20Z3 is basically a little race engine. 11.0:1 compression ratio (same as the F20C1), great for NA but can handle light boost, helical LSD, VTEC on both intake and exhaust cams, strong rods and a forged crankshaft, 8k RPM redline, and an RBC intake manifold. The K24Z7 improved torque, which people liked, but they had to cut a few things to get there. The K20Z3 is still a top pick for a lot of builds.
@Finch
Gotta disagree on that. The K24A is a big step up from the K20. Higher top speed, much better torque, and the Accord just feels lighter and more responsive. The Integra’s steering is way too heavy, and it just doesn’t have the power to match the look. My Accord easily outperformed my old DC5. Also, my Integra needed a second engine, while my Accord’s has been rock solid.
@Rory
The heavy steering on the Integra comes from its geometry—there are two couplings linking the rack to the column, plus an angled intermediate shaft. That’s just a front-wheel-drive issue. If you want super light manual steering, you need a direct connection with no angle changes.
And race cars run high in the rev range. That’s why the K20Z3 revs up to 8k—it’s meant to live there. Low-end torque wasn’t the goal. Honda put the K24 in because people wanted more torque, but from an engine-building perspective, the K24 is a step down.
Also, needing a new engine doesn’t mean much without context. What oil were you using? Did you remove your undertrays? Running a hot air intake? Did you warm up the engine properly, or were you redlining it from cold? There are K20Z3s out there with 400k miles, and others that failed before their warranty expired just because of bad maintenance.
@Finch
Still gotta disagree. The Integra understeers, has a terrible turning circle, and its top speed isn’t great. The K24A just does everything better. I’ve owned both, and my Accord was an upgrade in every way. The Integra looks good, but it’s too heavy and too slow for what it should be. My Accord wiped the floor with it every time.