I remember when the Integra first came out here in 1987. Actually test drove one, and may very well have bought it except that the seat didn't go back far enough to fit my 6'3" self.
Even the base model felt pretty "special" at the time: 16V DOHC engine! And disc brakes at each corner! 
It was certainly a noticeable step up from the Civic of the day.
Yes, this is what I should have said - much more succinct and more to the point than what I wrote. Integras in the past, right from the get-go, were notably different from Civics to drive in terms of feeling somewhat special and more capable. And that is what is not felt here. Honestly, it feels spongier and softer than the Civic in almost every way.
Again, as my earlier post, I really like the car - I just wish they hadn't built it up so much before the launch and I wish it had a different name. Did the GS-R and finally the Type R ratchet it up several notches? Yes, of course. But to me, and nobody needs to share this opinion obviously, the Integras (even base) of the past were special cars to drive. And this one is not.
Okay so part of that hype was self inflicted, mainly by people our age who lusted over the old Integra, which hasn’t been around in two decades. So there was quite a bit of built up nostalgia for such a car.
You stating that the Integra should feel more special than the Civic, again, over the past two decades, mainstream vehicles have ALL gotten so good that the spread between entry level luxury vehicles and good mainstream vehicles is quite small. It’s not the 90’s. You are disappointed in the Integra not being special enough, but what you should be acknowledging is how good the Civic has become since the last Integra era. It’s the same with the Golf and the Audi A3, the only difference is there hasn’t been a 20 year gap between models.
I totally agree on the price argument, and as AS said above it would have been nice if they gave it its own body style (coupe lift back) but the economics of it just don’t work. Much like wagons in NA, coupes are few and far between, in fact, what compact car can you get in a coupe anymore? I can’t really think of any outside of the BRZ/GR86.
