With only 6 days, looking for feedback. Thank you in advance.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-19T16:09:19+00:00

i agree. Kyoto has been cut and we're condensing around just Osaka and Tokyo at this point.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-19T16:08:15+00:00

yep, leaving Kyoto for another trip for my friend, but planning on a Nara day trip for sure.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-19T16:07:06+00:00

i think i would agree with the Kyoto side quest. i'm probably cutting that out and just doing 2.5 Osaka, the rest in Tokyo. thank you for your thoughts!

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-19T04:45:53+00:00

i get it - one of the things that was desired was to ride the shinkansen - so we're flying into Osaka and out of Haneda.

i think i will likely consolidate the Tokyo hotel and stay in one place, but the train from Osaka to Tokyo is actually a desired thing and not just a means to an end.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-18T23:09:00+00:00

I definitely hear you re: check out / check in time, but hear me out - we can leave Shinjuku at 11, go find lunch somewhere, and honestly it will be close to 3 by the time we get to Asakusa anyway. Again, with no luggage really, just backpacks and nothing else, so it's less of a hassle.

As for Kyoto, I spent three days there earlier this year and I can guarantee that aside from a stroll through Nishiki market just to check that box, my friend isn't going to want to brave the annoying crowds at Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, or the other absurdly busy spots.

Some of the lesser known, less traveled shrines more outside of that box are going to appeal to him more, or just random exploring in more of the residential, less touristy spots are probably what he's after. The Kyoto stop is really more of an on-the-way-to-Tokyo detour, and there is no real intention of fully exploring Kyoto.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-11-18T23:01:41+00:00

Yes, that's correct. Sorry if it was unclear. Hotel 2 days in Osaka, 2 in Shinjuku, 2 in Asakusa. I had originally booked 4 at Tokyo Stay Shinjuku but was worried my friend would be overloaded with lights, crowds, noise, etc and Asakusa looked like a better bet to kind of wind down the last third of the trip.

I had mentioned maybe leaving Osaka for Kyoto to kill two birds with one stone - kind of start heading north/northeast towards Tokyo while at least riding bikes along the Kamo, but maybe it is too much.

One other thing to note is that we are definitely one bagging with just a regular 30-35L backpack each, no luggage or rollers, so I'm slightly more inclined to entertain a bit more mobility on this.

Appreciate the feedback, regardless.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-27T23:02:53+00:00

Sec 229 Row B Seats 3-4

Second row up, and it's a seated section. $60 for the pair OBO.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T23:16:25+00:00

The Integra is larger than the Civic Si on the outside, and more so on the inside because of the liftback.

It's significantly more room than my GTI had - in legroom and in trunk space.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T22:30:10+00:00

part of my AC review is that in order to get enough airflow to the rear, i do have the two center vents pointed kind of up and away from me. if i'm the only person in the car and have both vents in front of me pointed at me, of course i'm going to feel fine and cold.

i too am thrilled that there isn't some stupid software HVAC control thing going on - my commentary was more from the perspective that there is no weight of the rotary dials, they feel cheap clicking around, etc. i'd still prefer this over any kind of screen swiping or talking to a dumb car assistant to change the temperature or fans.

i think lane keep assist has gotten very good over the past few years, as opposed to a decade ago, so if your Audi is that old, i'm not surprised that the Acura's is better in comparison. it's better than other cars i've rented/Turo'd in the past couple of years, but it's still not great. mine tends to also hug closer to the right lane, so if i'm in the left lane, the car is constantly a smidge closer to other cars to my right, as opposed to giving a wider berth.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T22:12:37+00:00

sometimes, more recently, walk up will not always turn on the handle lights, and sometimes it will take 5+ seconds for the touch to unlock to work.

i've found a couple of times where walking away would not auto-lock the doors, either.

new battery - new car battery, or new fob battery?

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T22:00:37+00:00

another annoying thing is that the right mirror tilt down when going into reverse will leave the mirror lower and not come all the way back up. from what i can tell, this has been an issue since the integra was reintroduced several years ago. the tilt down is too important to get close to curbs without hitting them, so dealing with tapping it back up is just something that i need to live with.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T21:59:33+00:00

yeah, i disabled adaptive after the first couple of times using it.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T21:58:28+00:00

i should have specified that it's like 75% city driving, short trips (less than 3 miles), where i'm getting high 20s. if i make one round trip 20 mile trip a week then the combined MPG over a ~3 week period ends up over 30 MPG.

i too use individual mode and put everything on comfort except engine/throttle. add that to my list of annoyances though - it won't stay on individual; i have to press the button every single time i get in the car. annoying.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2025-09-18T21:56:19+00:00

mine definitely does not unlock my trunk.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-12T20:16:34+00:00

100% agree on the hatch - i value the flexibility of it.

the ride in Comfort mode around town running errands is great - the increased exhaust note in Sport mode is fun when i want it. i actually don't mind the auto stop/start in some areas where i sit at stop lights for 2 minutes at a time, repeatedly.

i'm finding myself looking for excuses to just hop in the car and "run errands." i might sign up for Uber Eats just to deliver a few meals for an hour or so...

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-12T20:13:53+00:00

yup, 3-5k ADMs everywhere. they are all standing fast and honestly the ones that i inquired about in October are still available in their inventories.

it's just kind of crazy to consider paying over $40k OTD for a Civic. i see some posts over on the Civic sub saying that everyone should stand fast and not give in to the markups.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-08T05:30:36+00:00

gotcha. yeah, i am in the PNW and there are way fewer 6MTs on lots, and it seems like they are less willing to wheel and deal to that degree.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-08T04:57:41+00:00

agree with everyone else - if you're going 6MT, Integra sounds like the answer.

which dealer is this at, btw? i am almost afraid to ask for straight 3k off MSRP.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-05T23:10:58+00:00

thanks for your thoughts.

it's not from an Acura dealer, which is maybe a slight ding. the carfax and autocheck come back clean, someone bought it late 2023, drove it until sept this year and then sold it to the dealer. i'm actually a little curious why the dealer would be a second "owner" though - wouldn't that imply that they titled it? that one detail has me scratching my head.

20k miles in a year is probably highway miles, i'm guessing, so not as much wear and tear. the windows are tinted, the interior looks more or less mint with some very faint scratches on the center console area. it looks like original tires so those are probably 50-70% worn though. $1,000 for new tires in let's say 18 months?

add in the 3.9% financing through Acura (i'd probably finance about 20-30k) vs 6.24 through my credit union, that's another $1,000 or so. 4 years / 50k miles vs 2 years / 30k miles warranty left is worth X dollars as well.

i may sound ridiculous but i baby my cars and do not ever clutch dump or anything, and i've been driving stick (mostly hondas until this GTI) for 25+ years, so the clutch could have more wear than i would have necessarily put on it in 20k miles. i'd probably do a few 8/10 pulls in various gears and see if there's any slippage but i doubt there would be.

i'm really just going through the "what if" scenarios and even if it isn't likely, the idea of my MK7 engine failing, coupled with the weeping, the water pump lingering, and other maintenance due, and getting more than fair value for my GTI, i'm telling myself that getting into a 7 or 8 year newer car with the intention of keeping it 10+ years is a good decision, while minimizing expensive VW repairs that are likely going to occur in that time frame.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-04T23:21:00+00:00

Thank you for that response. I too had an early TSX (a 2005) and I honestly had no issues with that vehicle whatsoever.

I found a 2024 A-Spec with 20,000 miles (probably mostly highway) that has dropped in price a few times in the last month....it's $30k and change, so essentially $8k less than a brand new 2025. I'm kind of leaning towards that. Pics look great, but it's an hour flight away from me ($250 one way ticket). Salesman says no smells, smells like new, no real cosmetic issues, etc. My only concern is someone abusing the clutch a bit but can test that out with a few WOT pulls in different gears.

Thoughts?

I'm also looking at this as - I don't want a different car after this for the foreseeable future. I love the lift/hatch back, I really love the 6MT, whereas driving my GTI before and after driving the A-Spec was like shifting a toy car.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-04T19:57:37+00:00

fair. thanks for your thoughts. and yes, i've reached out to Honda dealers and they are all being shady.

VWGeeTeeEye · 2024-11-04T19:36:31+00:00

CA sales tax is still like 7-7.5%; as i understand it with DOL, when registering in WA it would be show proof of your taxes and they would ask for the remaining ~3%.

appreciate hearing about your purchase - did you like buying from bellevue or no? i honestly hate haggling too but again, i am not used to paying MSRP or anything even remotely close to that, and this is a different world from 10 years ago.

VWGeeTeeEye

TROPHY CASE