Acura Integra A-Spec on display at Chevy Chase Acura in Bethesda (Photos)

There's no "Living in the 90s" CD in the CD player. There isn't even a CD player. But one of the most 90s cars of the 90s has returned at Chevy Chase Acura at 7725 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The 2023 Acura Integra A-Spec brings back an iconic name from the final decade of non-dystopian American history.

The display model is in Apex Blue Pearl, with Orchid interior. At an MSRP of $33,300, this Integra is sure to inspire mixed feelings in those who drove or coveted the original during the Bush 41 and Clinton administrations.

To state the obvious, the design bears virtually no resemblance to any iteration of the Integra's initial continuous run from 1986 to 2001. The front end...nope. The back end...not even close. As a 4-door hatchback, it does share its 5-door lineage with its 1987 Integra LS great-great grandparent. But Integra sedans weren't known for having hatchbacks during their more iconic years in the 90s.

Then again, the 90s Integra certainly didn't have Blind Spot Information with Rear Cross Traffic Monitor, Traffic Sign Recognition, Road Departure Mitigation or Collision Mitigation Braking. But for a nameplate whose sedan and GS-R coupe were considered the rich man's Honda Civic, or the poor man's Toyota Supra, respectively, the 2023 Integra design doesn't provide as much of that sense that you had gotten a steal for the relatively-reasonable 90s price paid. 

At least it isn't a crossover. And while there isn't much beyond the name to inspire nostalgia, the new Integra does provide a lot of high-tech bang for the buck. The 200 HP engine has more horsepower than any North American Integra ever did, and is only about a second slower 0-60 than the legendary Integra Type-R. Yet there's also plenty of room for your Trader Joe's haul. But in your post-90s Integra adventures, you won't find yourself behind Mike Tyson in the line to get out of the Apex Building parking garage.