Alright... i have a regular intake on my civic, and someone i know, with an acura integra, is looking to get rid of their cold air intake... he only wants like $25 for it and i need to know the advantages of cold air over a regular system. Is it actually better, and why?
thanks

 

Well, I think I'm pretty much required to say "search and you'll find the answer". That being said, what kind of "normal intake" are we talking about? If you already have an aftermarket short-ram intake, there isn't going to be much of a difference. If you have a stock intake, by all means, get the cold-air intake.

Stock Intake
The good:
-you don't have to pay for it
-quiet (for those of you that don't like engine noise)
The bad:
-Restrictive
-quiet (for those of you that like engine noise)
-vtec crossover is harder to hear if you have a vtec motor

Cold Air Intake
The Good:
-The best horsepower gains (though not by much)
-Pronounced intake noise
-You can hear the vtec crossover better if you have a vtec motor
The Bad:
-The cost
-Horsepower gains aren't enough to justify paying $300+
-Hydrolock (though you have to completely submerge the filter)
-Throttle response is slower (though not very noticeably)

Short-Ram Intake
The Good:
-Inexpensive
-Good power gains (probably a 1hp difference between SRI and CAI)
-No risk of hydrolock
-Throttle response is better than stock
-Very pronounced intake noise
-You can hear the vtec crossover better if you have a vtec motor
The Bad:
-Power gains are slightly lower than CAI