2015/2016 S60 vs TLX

You seem to have settled on one of these two cars. Based on that, I did a little research on their reliablity here on True Delta and Consumer Reports (you could do the same).

https://www.truedelta.com/Acura-TLX-vs-Volvo-S60-reliability-comparison,1286-288
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/volvo/s60/2016/ratings
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/acura/tlx/2016/overview/

Using the above data unforunately doesn't help all that much. TD says neither are terrible but that the Volvo has about twice as many problems. CR says the opposite- the Volvo is more reliable and has happier owners.

In general I'd say that "the street" reputations slightly favor the Acura but Acura's reputation for producing engaging, reliable cars seems to be declining over the last 5 years.

If you are willing to broaden you prospects I strongly recommend test driving the Audi A4 or Buick Regal. CR rates either of these much higher in the "Compact Luxury" segment than your two choices (sorry about that!) with the Audi getting their highest scores. The Audi's current reputation is the opposite of Acura with the A4 gaining more accolades and increasingly reliable. When most people think of the A4 they think Quatro (AWD). But actually the A4 is available as a FWD car but few dealers actually stock the FWD version.

Personally I'd go for the A4 FWD model based on previous experience, but you may have to special order it (that's a good thing as you can then get the exact equipment and color you want & no one else is gonna test drive your car!). We drove a 2002 A4 FWD for 4 years/50,000 miles. It was comfortable, performed well, got great mileage (30+ mpg overall) and gave us no problems. The advantage of the FWD vs AWD is lower initial cost and better fuel economy. The disadvantage is lower resale value. However after 10 yrs and 200K resale isn't gonna be great on any of the above.

Last but not least, bear in mind that the Compact Luxury segment cars generally have lots of bells and whistles which tends to make them more problematic. Keeping any of the above for 10 years / 225K is likely to have you spending some coin to keep them working properly. Hopefully not a "money pit", but going to cost you more than most Camry's, Accords, or upscale Kia's.

I always like to do some home work on a used vehicle. From the TLX forums is a list potential problems. These are TSBs and not recalls.



http://www.tlxforums.com/forum/tlx-recalls/7889-list-2015-acura-tlx-tsbs-usa.html#/topics/7889


S60
https://www.automd.com/tsb/volvo_m/s60_mm/2015_y/

"According to J.D. Power research data, 65% of TLX buyers are men, matching the average for the Compact Premium Car segment. They are slightly older than average (58 years of age vs. 56), and they're making less money than average, with a median annual household income of $128,676 (vs. $143,641).

Perhaps reflective of that lower household income number, 16% of TLX buyers identify themselves as price buyers, compared with 11% for the Compact Premium Car segment. Continuing along similar lines, 92% of TLX buyers avoid vehicles that they think have high maintenance costs (compared with 81%), and 63% strongly agree that their first consideration in choosing a vehicle is reliability (vs. 56%). Clearly, TLX buyers are seeking value.

Fewer TLX buyers consider themselves performance buyers (39% vs. 42%), and just 53% of TLX buyers strongly agree that they like a vehicle offering responsive handling and strong acceleration (compared with 61%). Only 60% of TLX buyers agree that friends and family think of them as someone who knows a great deal about autos (vs. 65%). Given Acura's marketing of the TLX as a "performance luxury sedan," perhaps these sentiments reflect a disconnect between the company and TLX buyers."

The TLX buyer is right below a Honda CR-V buyer at 58 years old. You're too young for this car! :)

Between the Volvo and Acura I would choose the Acura. There are better choices out there. Comparing the two, the Acura will be cheaper to fix when something does break, but neither are very reliable. The transmission in the Acura is rough and will probably have problems later on. Acura has lost their way in my opinion. The Volvo would probably be more reliable because they have been building that generation of S60 for around 8 years, so they have probably worked out the bugs. The Volvo, however, will be much more expensive to fix. The Acura is probably easier to fix since you said you do your own work. Overall, neither cars are very good. Their competitors have beat them in most aspects.

If you don't want to look older than you are, I would not buy a crossover it is often a person 70+ years old behind the wheel.

I agree with danlisahall that you should test drive the Audi A4 and Buick Regal. The Buick is tuned more for comfort and the Audi handles great and is comfortable. Both have been pretty reliable, the Audi being more so. The Audi has also been through its first model year, so there are likely to be less problems with the Audi than the Buick.

Lastly, I often recommend going mainstream as opposed to entry luxury or luxury because midsize sedans are very nice cars. The 2018 Accord beat an Audi A4 when they are priced similarly. Without a doubt I would pick the loaded Accord than a base A4. The Accord has all the features you like about the Volvo plus more. It drives very well and I can say that it is a much better car than the TLX, which some people may compare it to. The Honda is likely to be more reliable than the Acura and Volvo and repair costs will be cheaper for the Honda. The Camry is the other good midsized sedan and is more reliable than the Honda. It doesn't drive quite as well as the Accord, but its still worth a look.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/audi/a4/2018/2018-audi-a4-ultra-premium-vs-2018-honda-accord-20t-touring-comparison-review/

All those answers are good, I agree with danlisahall 100% and the others. Give them all recommended answers. Nice job guys.

I have a 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD and the service department always comments on my car that is much nicer and better made than the newer, comparible TLX. They give loaners for service and I am not a fan of the TLX either. Acura has gone down hill and that's from the guys at the dealership, not just me!! I can't speak on the Volvo.