Design
Both vehicles have their strengths on the design front, and beauty is always a subjective matter. The German sedan has been redesigned in 2017, while the 2018 Acura TLX didn’t have any major changes since 2015. Some might think this element is a plus for the vehicle offered by the competition, but it’s not our conclusion: the reality is that Acura’s design is so distinctive that the manufacturer would be hard pressed to substantially change it without tampering with something customers voted for with their wallets. If the German sedan is undeniably a nice-looking car, there is a sense of familiarity in shared elements of design on Acura vehicles that are here to stay.
Reliability and Resale Value
The vehicle sold by the competition is probably reliable, but then again, how can you be sure of it? The radicalchanges made last year leave us with no concrete data on this model’s long term reliability. The same argument could have been made for the 2018 Acura TLX if the manufacturer was not already known for the reliability of all its models, which is actually the case. It’s more than likely that, like its predecessors, the 2018 Acura TLX will keep an exceptional resale value year after year.
Safety and performance
The vehicle offered by the competition is safe, that’s a given, but the 2017 Acura TLX received a perfect grade in this department and one can only assume than the 2018 edition is at least as good. In terms of performance, both vehicles come with several choices of powertrains and tractions, but let’s take a look at base models to compare apples with apples: the German competitor comes with a 2-liter turbocharged engine that produces up to 190 HP. There is certainly worse than that on the market, but the 2018 Acura TLX brings a 2.4-liter engine to the table, which can generate up to 206 HP.
Oh, we almost forgot: the 2018 Acura TLX is cheaper than most vehicles in its segment, including the German sedan we just compared it to. With all this in mind, the right choice is clear: go to your dealer on the North Shore, Chomedey boulevard, to sit behind the wheel of a 2018 Acura TLX.