Made a trip to Marysville this morning on business - sadly I was 15 minutes away from where my car was born but was unable to drive over and visit!

I can tell you I noticed a lot of Honda's and Acura's in the area - including the parking lot I was in.

So - what's interesting about the trip is we took my colleagues wife's brand spanking new Cadillac SRX for the road trip. Fully loaded with every option available - tipping the scale in the mid 40's. So - what's interesting about that? Well - quite frankly the interior had more hard surfaces than the TLX, the seats were downright uncomfortable after a few hours (less cushion than the TLX) and the wind/road noise was worse in the Caddy (although not bad) too.

While the SRX isn't a direct competitor of the TLX I found it interesting to see how the TLX stacked up against a new luxury Caddy - frankly the TLX interior wins this battle.

 

I can tell you first hand that all Cadillac interiors are inferior to any Acura. After driving only Acura's (never been a fan of Cadillac), I purchased a 2012 CTS Coupe. Beautiful exterior, but the interior had cheap plastic everywhere (and this was the top of the line Premium model).

 

Wow I was thinking Caddy was making strides.

DIdn't realize Acura > Caddy

 

Caddy is making strides, but the comments don't distill down to "Acura > Caddy" unless you're only trying to provoke a response.

 

I was talking to ZDX who posted:

 

I agree with Colin that Cadillac is making strides. My comment was strictly about the interior materials as compared to Acura and I stick by that. Hands down, Acura has some of the nicest interiors. Cadillac still has a long way to go.

 

I can't speak to the SRX, but the 2014 Cadillac ATS interior is extremely luxurious and comfortable. I'd have to rate it a bit higher than the TLX (we have both). I think you'll also find that the new generation CTS is also quite nice.

Just my opinion, of course.

 

The Honda Heritage Museum opened up this year. You still need to call for an appointment though. I have to make a visit one of these days:

Welcome to Honda Manufacturing of Ohio - Honda of America Mfg.

Honda?s new Marysville museum highlights its manufacturing savvy, vehicles made in Ohio | The Columbus Dispatch

 

I still have my 2008 Caddy CTS sedan and I would have to say that the new TLX is nicer, but it's also 7 years newer. The TLX feels more refined and without a doubt the cabin is much more quiet. The other features are similar except that the TLX has so many new tech and safety features it's not truly comparable. I've enjoyed driving my caddy for the last 7 years, so I really don't want to bash it. It's been a great car, but I look forward to the new TLX.

 

The 2G CTS was quite good for its time, but the TLX is for sure better.

The 3G CTS, though, that's the best GM interior I've seen, ever. Quality everywhere you touch. Not a fair comparison though, because the new CTS is no longer in the same class as the TLX.

That's the ATS' job and I'd call the interiors equivalent but with a slight edge to the TLX. Just IMHO and FWIW, having sat in both at the Cleveland Auto Show yesterday.

 

The seats were the worst part of the SRX - they were downright hard IMO. They did heat up pretty quickly though - and they have an actual button for turning them on and adjusting the temp!

What does Acura have at the show? I may try to trick the missus into going next Sunday.

 

Remember, the current gen SRX is 6-7 years old and has barely been updated.

Acura had nothing of import at the Cleveland Auto Show this year. NO NSX. Booooooo! They did bring the 2016 ILX. Oddly, they brought a RLX Sport Hybrid even though the Acura website and accessory eStore have been scrubbed of all mention of the beast.

 

If the Cleveland show is anything like the Fort Worth or Dallas shows, the majority of cars come from local dealerships, with local salespeople patrolling. The dealers are just trying to push whatever the can out the door, so a good place to show the RLX Sport Hybrid hoping to find a buyer. Great exposure. I guess anything behind the ropes must come from the manufacturer. One can usually find a factory rep or two as well.