Honda Clarity was hit with the ugly stick...but net cost over looks!

Hello all, I work for an electric utility in Northern California. Many of my coworkers have all electric or plug-in electric cars, as the bastion of save-the-earth, carbon dioxide is killing the world, liberals. I pretty much laugh at their mankind is sending Mother Earth into oblivion, because organic respiration and decomposition is somehow a 21st century phenomenon. It is hilarious to see the Tesla and Leaf owners parked at our 480v fast charger, reading a book for an hour just to get enough juice to get home!

As a capitalist and pretty much cheap guy, I’m always looking for the deal to take advantage of the system, how does that go, “if you can’t beat them join them!” For the most part, I like Honda’s and have purchased several new ones over the years.

I was trying to decide on what to buy as a new commute car for my 130 mile round trip. I retired a 2005 Civic Hybrid with 323k miles (several years with the yellow HOV stickers!) and recently gave my 2013 Civic LX to my daughter. I was thinking of a new 1.5l turbo Civic at 42 mpg highway or the nicely redesigned Accord at 38 mpg. I visited the local Honda dealer and looked at these and the new Insight at 55 mpg. Off sitting by itself, covered in dust and with a sun bleached window sticker was this thing called a Clarity plug-in hybrid; my God it was butt ugly: front end of a Civic, sides of the old Insight, and the rear of a 2003 Prius!

Unfortunately, I could only look in the window, Why?, the battery was dead... The internet/fleet sales guy even said, “yeah we call this car the ‘cockroach’,” (hence my forum name). The manager said Honda dealers were ‘forced’ by the factory to take these cars based on sales volume.

They, as most Honda dealers, do not know what to do with them or how to sell them. From what they told me they sold a few the first few weeks at the beginning of the year but now they just sit tucked away in the corners of the lot. Probably a combination of shale oil, competition from other good fuel economy Honda’s, and styling that’s ready to be an extra in the next Logan’s Run sci-fi remake.

After doing some research in my liberal, think tank of an office, I found out employees get to charge their electric vehicles for free at work! (To my knowledge, out of 200+ personal and corporate EV’s and PIEV’s no one has a Honda “Cockroach.”) This got me thinking, well how much does one of these weird cars cost in comparison to a Civic, Insight or Accord, particularly comparing 2018 premium and nice to have features?

So after doing some homework, research, and dealer arm twisting...

I just bought a Clarity plug-in hybrid Touring, 8/24/18, here in California. Contacted 40+ dealers, paid $32,480, with no dealer add ons.

I was going to by the base, but the dealer only had Touring models, so they knocked extra off to, “please buy one!”

This cost while higher than the sales prices for other vehicles is then minus the following rebates/incentives:

-$500 Honda college graduate (used my daughter)
-$500 PG&E rebate
-$1500 CA State CARB rebate
-$2000 local San Joaquin Valley air district rebate
-$7500 Fed tax credit for 2018

Net cost to me $20,480 (not including tax, Lic, and the ‘required’ $80 doc fee)

$10k down.

Honda 0.9% financing at 60 months, required for college rebate, will cash flow payoff in 4-6 months.

+$22 for CA red HOV stickers through 1/1/2022.

I’m pretty happy with the deal! In the end, I bought this car because the net cost was about what a regular plain Civic LX or EX-T would have cost with far fewer extras...and I get my carpool stickers back! If I close my eyes as I get in, I just pretend it looks like the redesigned Accord. From the inside, it is not too bad, not great, but better than a Civic.

I have no illusions that this first generation car and first Honda plug-in Honda will not be without issues similar to the first Civic hybrids (a class-action or two always seems to provide some financial remedy ). This car seems like a technology nightmare, but for the net cost I’m willing to take that risk and beat the heck out of it for a couple of years...especially with all that free money...I’m happy to take some of that back!

I will keep you updated on the progress of La Cucaracha!

 

No, several in California had the base model, but it was all about negotiating the best price. Most dealers either want to sell at the MSRP or slight discount, but then add dealer installed options that bring the cost back closer to the MSRP.

I found Southern Califonia, which has the most dealers and Clarity’s, had several large dealerships with the same lowest price $30,418/base, $33,480/Touring. However, some dealers would add in wheel locks, splash guards, door trim, magical paint and interior sealant, etc. The San Francisco Bay Area didn’t really want to negotiate or compete on price. Northern California was hit and miss on dealers wanting to negotiate.

In the end, my Central Valley dealership, where I have negotiated several Honda’s was going to trade for a base to sell me one. They lowered my best offer on a Touring to buy on the lot by $1000. For a difference of $2000, I decided to go for the full leather and memory seats...

The Touring at $32,480 without dealer add ons, seems to be the lowest price you can get one of these and I spoke or emailed all sales managers in California and Nevada.

For me, it was all about the price...

 

I know, but it’s so ugly it’s cute!! Actually who cares what it looks like as long as it is dependable, fuel efficient, safe and fun to drive. So far it works for me! I’m going to be putting about 750 miles per week on it, all in the carpool lane!