I own an Integra, but I think the Civic might be a better deal for what you're looking for. The Civic is lighter which offsets the fact you start with a smaller engine somewhat. It also has better weight distribution. It's a little stiffer too. I can't remember where this was but the Civic TypeR had faster lap times over the Integra TypeR just for those reasons. It's also a lot cheaper so you can spend more money on upgrades and can learn how to install them all.