as one of your local paint advisors, a well finished acrylic job will look almost identical to a 2k finish, however it envolves a hell of a lot more work.
acrylic does not give a good gloss off the gun. period. low/mid gloss is the best you'll get.
acrylic needs to be buffed heavily, often with a wool pad to give good shine.
the advantage: a flat finish, however 2k gives the same result if flow coated.
personally, id prefer to flow coat a car then cut the entire thing.
2k is durable, however acrylic is solvent sensitive and will dull off, meaning it needs to be buffed regularly to maintain the gloss.
there is a good reason the industry moved to 2k. it wasnt for no reason.
as already said, chips are the result of poor preparation or heavy paint film thickness, however 2k can be repaired similar to acrylic, ie. touchups can be rubbed back and buffed and you would never know.
as for waterbourne, the technology for basecoat is well on the way. with the airdriers, flashoff time is reduced, and the slow drying of the waterbourne helps reduce mottle.
if applied correctly it is easier to use than solvent base. prehaps a little slower.
the clear is still the obvious restriction.
And as you can see, this is not Seany-boy - my user name has been pinched by your paint advisor ;]
