Compare the2023 Acura IntegraVS 2023 Kia Stinger

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura Integra have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Stinger doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Acura Integra has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Stinger doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Integra offers an optional Low-Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Stinger doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Both the Integra and the Stinger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Integra its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Stinger has not been fully tested, yet.

The Integra’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Stinger runs out after 100,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the Integra for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Stinger.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Integra’s reliability 20 points higher than the Stinger.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura 1 place higher in reliability than Kia.

On the EPA test cycle the Integra gets better mileage than the Stinger:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura Integra uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Stinger requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Integra has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Stinger doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura Integra higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Kia Stinger (3). This means the Integra produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Stinger every 15,000 miles.

The Integra offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Stinger doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Integra has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Stinger doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Integra stops shorter than the Stinger:

For better traction, the Integra A-Spec’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Stinger (235/40R18 vs. 225/40R19).

The Integra has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Stinger doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Integra A-Spec Technology handles at .87 G’s, while the Stinger pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Acura Integra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1050 pounds less than the Kia Stinger.

The Integra is 4.4 inches shorter than the Stinger, making the Integra easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Integra a Large car, while the Stinger is rated a Mid-size.

The Integra has .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Stinger.

The Integra has a larger trunk than the Stinger with its rear seat up (24.3 vs. 23.3 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 37% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Consumer Reports rated the Integra’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Stinger’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Acura Integra and the Kia Stinger, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Integra as the 2023 North American Car of the Year. The Stinger has never been chosen.

The Acura Integra outsold the Kia Stinger by 67% during 2022.