If you’re lucky enough to have the funds to purchase a brand-new car, then you are spoiled with the luxury of being able to spec your new vehicle exactly the way you want it. Finding the right car when you have champagne tastes but a store-brand-cola budget like me, however, can be a lot tougher. I get spoiled by frequently testing out brand new cars that I could never afford on my own, and I experience their features like ventilated seats and upgraded sound systems. Once you experience these niceties, it becomes hard to go back to chronic SwampAss and a stereo that sounds like it’s paying the price of a Taco Bell feast whenever a song has bass. So it begs the question, what car is only worth it when it’s fully loaded?
We live in a time when a compact Kia K4 can be equipped with ventilated seats, and the top trim Mitsubishi Outlander offers massaging seats, so these features that were once reserved for the 1% are now accessible well below the $50,000 average new car transaction price. So why settle for less? Let us know in the comments what car you think is only worth it when it’s fully loaded.
I think the Acura TLX is only worth it when it’s fully loaded
It’s no longer necessary to upgrade to a ‘nicer’ brand just to get those fancy features you read about in our reviews. In the case of the Acura TLX, I think it’s only worth it when it’s fully loaded. That’s the downside of being related to the always exceptional Honda Accord.
A fully loaded Honda Accord Touring Hybrid costs less than $45,000, offers a similar ownership experience to the TLX, and comes with features like heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, a Bose premium sound system, and Google and Alexa built-in. A base Acura TLX Technology costs just over $45,000 without any extra options, and lacks a heated steering wheel, ventilated seats, a head-up display, and Google and Alexa built-in. Move up the trim levels though, and the TLX moves ahead of the Accord, especially if you choose to go for the TLX Type S. If you’re buying a base Acura TLX though, you’ll get more bang for your proverbial buck if you buy a loaded Accord. What car do you think is only worth it when it’s fully loaded?