Is using a TVS diode better than using a parallel reverse-polarity protection silicon diode?
Without any statistical evidence for it, I think the most common solution for rugged industrial/automotive solutions is a P-MOSFET (with built-in diode) with zener + resistor for polarity protection. Then TVS after that for the sole purpose of getting rid of spikes. Example (component values may be tweaked):



simulate this circuit &ndash; Schematic created using CircuitLab
Optionally with a fuse before the MOSFET. N channel versions exist too if you are very picky with Rds(on).
For surges, a big bulk cap is usually good enough for most applications. For the more extreme scenarios with huge surges, there's specialized &quot;surge stopper&quot; power management IC you can use: https://www.analog.com/en/products/monitor-control-protection/surge-stopper-overvoltage-overcurrent-protection.html.