MM38

The one thing I miss from my 95 GS-R is the shifter action. I don't think I've been in another car That had such a tight positive mechanical feel.
I drove my gsr and a A4 back and forth several times before choosing a 1.8tqm Avant. Here in Colorado the performance between the two were about nil. Some a4's seemed a tad slower, one red 1.8 sedan seemed somewhat quicker. The ride, fit and finish was no comparo twards the A4. The biggest consern for me was to be able to get up my street in Golden, CO. through the winter. To many times last year I had to leave my gsr at the bottom of our hill and walk the rest the way home. Not any more!

Denver J

Have you tried the UUC short shifter? Gives the A4 that sweet quick shift action like the Integra

Peter

I too had an Integra GSR. And I loved every moment I spent in that car.
I could even say that I enjoyed driving it more than the A4 -- but that is for the simple reason that I beat on it a hell of a lot more (it was leased). And that 8000rpm redline was FUN !!!
Also quite necessary to make the car go.
The A4 has much more usable torque in all ranges.
Especially with a 1 bar chip. :-)

I also agree about the Integra's shifter.
It is the "holy grail" of shifters as far as I am concerned. I thought that a Honda Prelude would be a nice upgrade from the Integra. WRONG.
The Prelude's shifter doesn't even come close.

I will probably put the UUC shifter into my car.
It is definitely nice. But still not quite as tight as the Integra's. I would love to check out the Neuspeed short shift kit, to see if that comes closer to the Integra's action.

The A4 is a much better car in all respects.
The Integra is quicker off the line than a stock 1.8t. But the A4 is faster on the highway.
And if you add a chip, the A4 is quicker off the line.

Have fun !
-- Peter

PS I still believe that Honda makes the most reliable cars in the world.

Peter

I especially hated the fact that the belt line rose up towards the rear of the car. Made it very difficult to turn around and check my blind spots.
Front visibility is better than the A4, but not by much.

-- Peter
98.5 1.8tqms 1 bar

CraigB

entee

Johnny

I used to own a 94 Integra GS-R. It was a great car and it served me well for 4 years. It was fun to drive (if you keep it above 6,000 rpm) and extremely reliable. At WOT it certainly was faster than an A4 1.8T. However, where the Integra fell short was in the area of build quality. Not that Acura did a poor job screwing its cars together. It's just that Audi's, and just about every other German marque, have a tremendous feeling of solidity about them. Doesn't seem like anybody out there can match that.

Besides, you don't have to rev the heck out of the 1.8 turbo to have fun with it!

Denver J

hey that's not fair, I never saw your car today, see me on maplewood ave?

CraigB

I saw it in your parking lot, when I was leaving a bit after 4pm.

KraTOR

My wife owns a 98 GS-R and I own a 99.5 1.8tqms. Here are the differences I've discovered:

Quality of workmanship: Honda products in general have amazing first-time quality. The Integra is almost 2yrs old and has not seen the shop for anything other than routine maintanence.
The A4 is 6 mths old and has been in for 3 small problems. I went from a 92 Accord EX-R which again was flawless up until it reached 7 yrs of age (160,000 km) when it needed exhaust and CV joints. Between my wife and I, we have owned 7 Honda products. One of the reasons I went to something else is I wanted a change. Fit and finish and paintwork go to the Audi though.

Driving experience: This is what won my heart with the A4. The only thing Honda makes that comes close to the A4 regarding handling is the Prelude SH. I just can't get enough of driving the Audi not to mention the Quattro with snow tires is incredible. The Integra is a nice car to drive until you get behind the wheel of an A4 or 3 Series. Then there is no comparison. The Integra seems more like a go-cart and the front end seems lighter, especially at highway speeds.
The Audi feels alot more "planted" on the road. Especially when there is a cross wind.

I'm planning on keeping the A4 for a number of years and I'm hoping it holds up. The Lemon-Aid book claims it is.

JEFFT

95 GSR to a 30v 2.8. THe audi is much better but my acura was very tuned. Still audi is faster