1987 Acura Integra RS review from North America

The usual Integra stuff:

A/C went out.

Normal service items such as CVs, muffler, rear wheel bearings and struts.

Original clutch, getting worn but still functional.

Never failed to take me where I needed to go.

Well-designed and reliable electrical system and very solid drivetrain. Typical small Honda engine, smooth and powerful when revved frenziedly but grossly lacking in bottom-end torque.

The worst problem was the structural corrosion, which developed rapidly from tiny arch spots into a serious underbody problem. Wheelarches, sills and sections over the exhaust system rotted through completely. Soon the road was visible to rear seat passengers through sections of the floor... Even on the intact panels the paint was thin and insubstantial. I wouldn't have wanted to be involved in an accident with this vehicle by the end of my tenure with it.

You'll notice my previous (and subsequent) car was a VW. This manufacturer's products offer diametrically opposed characteristics - super-solid non-rusting bodyshells, strong suspensions and great paintwork but unreliable electrics, transmissions and cooling systems.

If only there was a hybrid Acura-VW with VW shell and engine and Acura electrics and transmission...