The 2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT Is the Best Manual Transmission Sedan at $40K New - Call Me Wrong

This week, we tested the 2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT. This vehicle has a lot going for it. It occurred to us that, at about $40K, this is a sedan we are darn near certain is the very best manual-transmission sedan you can buy in America. We’re willing to be proven wrong, so jump down to the comments section and tell us if you know of a better car. Let us lay out our case.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Price
The Integra A-Spec with its 6MT starts at $40,395, and that price does include the Destination and Delivery charge and the optional Technology package. So, if you’re gonna bash us in the comments, please configure the stick shift sedan you think is better and tell us the price.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Stick Shift
Well, duh. It’s got a stick and it’s a sedan. No need to jump down to the comments and tell us a Toyota GR86 is better. We own one, and it ain’t a sedan. It’s a coupe. Mazda’s Miata is a convertible or a fast-back retractable hard-toppy sort of coupe thing. We’d listen to arguments if this were about cars in general. We’re posting this about sedans. With sticks.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Audio & Infotainment In Class
Stick or no stick, you will not find a $40K sedan with a better audio system than the Integra A-Spec. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a perfect accompaniment to the bazillion-watt, gajillion-speaker setup of the ELS Studio sound system. It’s got it all. Crisp, sharp, loud, and deep thumping bass. If you throw down a challenger, ante up some specs.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Powertrain to Fuel Economy Ratio
We drove the A-Spec Integra like it belonged to the roommate we suspected of stealing our gal. Hard launches, jack-rabbit starts. Our point is, 39 MPG is danger-close to hybrid fuel efficiency, and the A-Spec’s turbo is quite happy drinking 87 octane fuel. Here in Metro Boston, this thing has a cost per mile of energy not that far off from an EV.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Sedan Interior at $40K
Look at the seats. Check out that dash. Gorgeous. Sumptuous. The infotainment is just big enough, but not super-sized. It’s got a volume knob. It’s got actual buttons for HVAC divorced from the screen. A heated steering wheel. It’s perfect is what we’re getting at. What sedan at $40K is better?

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Warranty at $40K
What warranty beats Acura’s 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty paired with a 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain limited warranty? None that we can think of for $40K. Except for Hyundai and Kia. But does either brand offer a better stick-shift sedan for $40K? Hmmm. They do have sedans.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Seats
Look at the beautiful blue piping on those white seats. Acura calls the color combo “orchid.” Hello, Acura? Yeah, we’re available if you need help naming stuff. How about “Parchment Swallows Azul at Sunset?” We can tell you that they fit a 6-foot, 190-lb tester perfectly. Or maybe a 203-lb tester. Check back in a few weeks, the GLP-1 is starting to work.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - Best Exterior Styling
This is completely subjective, so we can’t lay any tech specs down, but we think the $40K Integra is the best-looking sedan of its size at any price point. We’re open-minded here if you like pretend kidney-shaped grills, but Acura finally nailed the front fascia after trying literally everything else. Give them a little credit, will ya?

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec 6MT - OK, What’cha Got?
So what do you have to lay at the feet of the Integra A-Spec for consideration? We want some conflict here. Tell us what you think is a better $40K-ish sedan with a stick. We’d love to be proven wrong on this. The comments section awaits. 

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.