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Is the tech package worth it?

6079 Views 23 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  Slowcarfast
I'm curious what the consensus is on the value of the tech package. Do you find the package to be worth it?

If you ordered a tech package, was it driven mainly by the transmission decision or by the options included in the package? If the latter, what do you find the big selling points?

I personally opted for a "base" A-spec CVT. Since I had the choice with the CVT, I wasn't quite sold on the additional cost (I assume about 3k) for what you get. Hope I don't regret not springing for it :)
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Absolutely driven by the transmission, but I would probably go for the tech package anyway. I just wish there was a way to avoid the adaptive suspension... that's a major thing to have break a few years down the road.
Absolutely driven by the transmission, but I would probably go for the tech package anyway. I just wish there was a way to avoid the adaptive suspension... that's a major thing to have break a few years down the road.
Agreed. I wanted a manual, but I would have headed in the direction anyway. I had a hard time justifying paying more for an integra that didn’t have basic things that a loaded civic had. Even the Si had the 9 in screen, and Bose audio. I thought of it as all or nothing. And I can always cancel if they try to charge too much for a car with a 0-60 of 7ish seconds.
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I would def. want it for the memory seats and especially the ELS 3D stereo.
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My frugal nature may have made me cheap out had the base model been available with the manual. But I'm glad it's not so that I can treat myself to what I've long deserved. As posted elsewhere I've daily driven a manual Corolla Matrix xrs for 20 yrs.
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Honda has really been slicing this pie into too fine niches and there's not enough to differentiate the spread of models. The Si is badly under equipped in the US. And the sport touring civic hatch is better equipped than all but the top trim Integra at the cost of 20HP and adaptive suspension (and the hatch can get a manual too). Depending on your perspective Honda has made it so all of these look a good or bad value depending on your perspective in what feels to me like a rather infuriating way. I want more power and adaptive suspension, but at presumably a $5-7k difference I'm going to save my money and go with the sport touring civic hatch. Something, anything "luxury" (apparently $35K for cooled seats is too much to ask) or a big performance boost (its not like the motor can't make another 20HP) might have been enough to swing me back the other way.
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I went through the items in the tech package. Very few factored into my decision, but those that did are deal breakers if they weren't in the car. I actually would prefer not having the A spec package (other than the fog lights), but it is required for Tech and 6MT.

LED Exterior Puddle Lamps.Couldn't care less
Front and Rear Proximity Sensorsfactored into my decision
Individual ModeVery nice to have
Adaptive Damper System (ADS)Very nice to have
9-inch Touchscreen DisplayVery nice to have
Interior LED Ambient LightingCouldn't care less
16-Speaker ELS STUDIO® 3D Premium Audio SystemVery nice to have
Wireless Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™ Integrationfactored into my decision
Alexa Built-inCouldn't care less
Head Up Display (HUD)Very nice to have
Wireless Charging PadVery nice to have
Extra USB portsVery nice to have
12-Way Power Driver’s Seat with 2 Position MemoryVery nice to have
4-Way Power Front Passenger’s SeatCouldn't care less
Synthetic Leather Trimmed Seats with Microsuede InsertsCouldn't care less
AcuraLink™Couldn't care less
Close-ratio 6-speed manual (6MT) with Rev-Matching and Limited Slip Differentialfactored into my decision
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Honda has really been slicing this pie into too fine niches and there's not enough to differentiate the spread of models. The Si is badly under equipped in the US. And the sport touring civic hatch is better equipped than all but the top trim Integra at the cost of 20HP and adaptive suspension (and the hatch can get a manual too). Depending on your perspective Honda has made it so all of these look a good or bad value depending on your perspective in what feels to me like a rather infuriating way. I want more power and adaptive suspension, but at presumably a $5-7k difference I'm going to save my money and go with the sport touring civic hatch. Something, anything "luxury" (apparently $35K for cooled seats is too much to ask) or a big performance boost (its not like the motor can't make another 20HP) might have been enough to swing me back the other way.
I did the exact same thing. There's simply too much delta for the same set of features between the sport touring hatch and integra a-spec tech package apart from lumbar support, adaptive dampers and HUD. I put in a deposit for integra but also for a sport touring. Besides, for the performance, I think I can do a simple tune on the sport touing to equalize SI power output virtually without any hit to reliability. So apart from Acura branding, the tech package isn't a good value at all. You are getting at least an year or two years of free fuel worth with that delta depending on how you drive.
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I went through the items in the tech package. Very few factored into my decision, but those that did are deal breakers if they weren't in the car

Mine's pretty much the same, except a few:

Front and Rear Proximity SensorsCouldn't care less
Adaptive Damper System (ADS)Wish it wasn't there
12-Way Power Driver’s Seat with 2 Position MemoryCouldn't care less
Synthetic Leather Trimmed Seats with Microsuede InsertsWant actual leather
Close-ratio 6-speed manual (6MT) with Rev-Matching and Limited Slip DifferentialRequired
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Mine's pretty much the same, except a few:

Front and Rear Proximity SensorsCouldn't care less
Adaptive Damper System (ADS)Wish it wasn't there
12-Way Power Driver’s Seat with 2 Position MemoryCouldn't care less
Synthetic Leather Trimmed Seats with Microsuede InsertsWant actual leather
Close-ratio 6-speed manual (6MT) with Rev-Matching and Limited Slip DifferentialRequired
I don't know if it is apples to apples, but my '86 Nissan Maxima had electrically adjustable shocks (soft, medium, firm). It was very new technology back then. I had 100K on it when I sold the car, and they still worked well. I don't keep cars more than 100K anymore, so fingers crossed.

But at the same time, my son has an M340i and one of the sensors for the adaptive damping stopped working. They wouldn't cover it under warranty because it looks like some road debris came up and hit it. Just replacing the sensor is $500.
I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off with the sport touring civic..... though there are several "very nice to have" items on that list. If cooled seats was one of them, that would easily tip the scales. The drivetrain is really the only major thing it has going for it, and it even has some things that are worse than the civic (like fake suede on the seats).
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I'm starting to wonder if I might be better off with the sport touring civic..... though there are several "very nice to have" items on that list. If cooled seats was one of them, that would easily tip the scales. The drivetrain is really the only major thing it has going for it, and it even has some things that are worse than the civic (like fake suede on the seats).
Yeah, its really just a merger of the Si and an appearance change. The Acura badge just isn't bringing a lot to the table. For me while the integra comes in two acceptable colors (blue and red), I can't get the red interior with either which is the only way that I think the inside looks better than civic, frankly. I also really like the boost blue so with so little difference the civic just makes more sense, this is my practical car too as i have a bike to go fast so the smaller hatch on the integra is another ding against the acura.
For me while the integra comes in two acceptable colors (blue and red), I can't get the red interior with either which is the only way that I think the inside looks better than civic, frankly.
If you want to trade interiors, I'm all for it. I want the liquid carbon with a black interior, and all I can get is red..... which I hate. Honestly, I'll probably go with the blue with white if I must have something other than a black interior.
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If you want to trade interiors, I'm all for it. I want the liquid carbon with a black interior, and all I can get is red..... which I hate. Honestly, I'll probably go with the blue with white if I must have something other than a black interior.
I ordered the blue/white too. I love the white interior, but the blue exterior would not be my first, second or even third choice. Black, Liquid Carbon, or Silver would be ahead of Apex blue, but the Orchid Interior is not available on all of those colors.
Here is a video on the base model, which I hadn't seen yet:

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I did the exact same thing. There's simply too much delta for the same set of features between the sport touring hatch and integra a-spec tech package apart from lumbar support, adaptive dampers and HUD. I put in a deposit for integra but also for a sport touring. Besides, for the performance, I think I can do a simple tune on the sport touing to equalize SI power output virtually without any hit to reliability. So apart from Acura branding, the tech package isn't a good value at all. You are getting at least an year or two years of free fuel worth with that delta depending on how you drive.
Welcome to the forum. Had a chance to drive any of the new Civic models yet?
I did the exact same thing. There's simply too much delta for the same set of features between the sport touring hatch and integra a-spec tech package apart from lumbar support, adaptive dampers and HUD. I put in a deposit for integra but also for a sport touring. Besides, for the performance, I think I can do a simple tune on the sport touing to equalize SI power output virtually without any hit to reliability. So apart from Acura branding, the tech package isn't a good value at all. You are getting at least an year or two years of free fuel worth with that delta depending on how you drive.
Is it going to be a matter of which car comes first you'll buy @castlepeak? What would convince you to go with the Integra?
Welcome to the forum. Had a chance to drive any of the new Civic models yet?
I did. I test drove the sport touring hatchback. It was really nice. Handled pretty sharp. Expected a little more bass out of the bose audio system. I liked the tech, interior quality was good, quite not accord level though (test drove them back to back). Accord had a more cocooned feeling and gives you a sense of something more solid. Civic also had higher NVH levels than Accord. I really needed BSM, and accord sport 2.0 and ex-l were well in 30k territory. So civic just made more financial sense, given its active community, resale value and I don't have a family yet.

Is it going to be a matter of which car comes first you'll buy @castlepeak? What would convince you to go with the Integra?
That thought did run my mind to be honest. I was initially looking for a civic touring sedan and wanted it preferably by end of April or May. But either civics are in extreme demand or honda has a lot of supply chain issues, and cars simply aren't available for the next 3-6 months, especially more true if you want a color of your choice. A few dealers had sport tourings coming in and I went with the dealer marking it up by least (500) and have availability by the end of april in red color which is what I wanted. Build was supposed to be done between 29 Mar and 1 Apr but no VIN yet probably due to mfg delays.

Coming to integra, it really looks sharp, much better than civic. I wasn't really around for the integras of the old so nostalgia factor isn't one for me haha. I really love this look, much aggressive looking compared to the toned down 11th gen civic. I thought I wanted an integra mainly because I loved the civic and here was a chance to get a better looking version of that for around 30k. But when they announced the specs and the interior, it was practically the same as civic but watered down features compared to a top end civic around the same price. Kinda like copy my homework but change it enough lol. The interior was what lost me. They literally have the same knobs and even the same steering wheel! If they would have made slightly more effort to distinguish the interior in design with something unique to Acura, I think I probably would have considered it more. I also was really impressed by the red color they showed in unveiling, but sadly it wasn't available in the reservation system. At this point, if they have improved the driving feel particularly on the NVH, I might still give it a chance provided my civic doesn't arrive first. I really want to enjoy the spring and summer so in the end it might actually boil down to what actually come first.
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I did. I test drove the sport touring hatchback. It was really nice. Handled pretty sharp. Expected a little more bass out of the bose audio system. I liked the tech, interior quality was good, quite not accord level though (test drove them back to back). Accord had a more cocooned feeling and gives you a sense of something more solid. Civic also had higher NVH levels than Accord. I really needed BSM, and accord sport 2.0 and ex-l were well in 30k territory. So civic just made more financial sense, given its active community, resale value and I don't have a family yet.
This thread made me go check out Civic Sport Touring Hatchback's near me with 6MT. The only one I see in stock is listed on cars.com for 42K (various dealer installed things + market adjustment). I can get a BMW 330e for that price ($48K MSRP - ~ 6300 in tax breaks) At that price, Integra all the way for me!
I'm in the same boat as @castlpeak I have a $1K non refundable deposit down on a sport touring hatch in white, and $500 down on the Blue/Orchid Integra. I'm driving a 2002 Accord with 190K that leaks oil. I live in NM and it gets hot in the summer and therefore white is a better color for a car, but not with a black leather interior... I would like cloth off white seats and a light exterior color. I'm not getting either of those. If I could be more patient I would wait to buy a white/orchid.
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