Scale from 1 to 10?

With $7500 federal tax credits and other credits (depending on the state) I would say it is worth it. However, there is an inherent contradiction in the Clarity. The battery is larger than other PHEVs so it allows people to do most things without ever using the gas engine. So you end up paying for an ICE engine that you almost never use. Better to go fully electric in my opinion. I bought a Clarity just because of the tax credits and other incentives (like free charging) that took the effective cost down to around $20K or less.

 

Well I have a white 2020 Clarity Touring in California and I am going with 20% nano-ceramic tint on the rear, 35% on the front, and 45% on the windshield. I'll post some pictures when it is done!

 

We hear this quite often. I have a few questions.

What BEV would you choose for $20K?
If you can manage your daily driving with a 17kWh battery, why pay for and lug around a 75-90kWh battery?
Do you value the fact that you never have to schedule time or wait to charge the battery?
Do you consider it a benefit to be able to choose a source of fuel if one happens to be less expense than the other?

 

Kind of unbelievable, but a friend of mine just bought a $44k MSRP premier 2021 Bolt for less than $22k otd with no trade. He did have a GM card and got $3.5k directly from his card rewards and Chevrolet had an additional bonus of another $3k for the GM card use. Still, I couldn't believe the deal he got on the car. I think GM is trying to move the remaining Bolts before the newer ones (probably with improvements) and the Bolt EUV is released.

 

Would you choose a Bolt over a Clarity?

 

Not for me. But I was really surprised at the deal he got.

 

Put my 2 cents in, my wife and I both have a clarity, she has a 2018, I had a 2019 which I traded in for a 2020 (was basically a free upgrade) and wanted to transition from the dark grey color with black interior to white with tan interior (sunny cali makes dark clarity hot). My first Honda was a brand new civic hybrid 2003, which my nephew now drives. My experience with the 2003, Honda replaced the transmission for free (slightly out of warranty) and paid 70% of the cost for replacing the battery. At 120K miles, I changed the brakes once, the tires twice, and only oil changes besides that with no issues. This was a stark contrast to my volvo that I spent about 2k a year on for maintenance/repairs.

For the Clarity, wanted great range but didn't want to pay Tesla prices. 50 miles covers the vast majority of my driving (80%) and as long as you don't have highway in your commute 50 miles on charge is realistic (in the winter with highway driving I think I'm closer to 40 now). Had a child so the large back seats are great and comfortably fit larger adults. The price is completely unbeatable (16k after all rebates before TTL) - it is basically the cheapest car Honda sells (the Fit is similar cost). Great visibility at night (the headlights are awesome). Great acceleration on electricity. Lots of other benefits that have been covered.

Things I don't like:
The front seat is missing some sort of adjustment to help the lower back, a cushion seems to fix this, but annoying.
No backup sensors, if you have driven a car with these sensors - it is a very tough transition to not have them.
Manual says no chains (this makes Tahoe trips hard): Edit - apparently it isn't the manual but some additional form the dealer made me sign.
The car is wide, this is great for interior space, but makes parking a bit difficult sometimes (I like the space though, so not sure I would change it).
High revs when you run out of battery, think maybe this is more noticeable because you grow accustom to how quiet it is without the gas engine.
No memory of driving mode, or regenerative braking settings
No volume knob, after having it for a couple years I am now adjusted to using the steering wheel control but it is annoying.
Slightly lower underbody, I've scraped the bottom on curbs at the end of parking spots before the wheels make any contact...this is a poor design (somehow this didn't seem to happen on my 2019, but has occurred a few times with my 2020 so don't know if there was a design change or something).
I'm not sure if the backseat folds down, but this car could've been made even better if it was a hatchback, it actually has a very similar amount of space to the Tesla Y, it just isn't quite as usable.
The yearly recommended servicing with minimal gas engine driving is stupid, but if all I ever have to pay for is $150 oil changes once a year, that is an easy cost to swallow. For comparisons, replacing the alternator on my volvo was ~$600 because it was placed basically next to the bottom of the engine and impossible to get to.
Seems like a long list but really, they are all minor. The car is great and will tide me over until the full EVs get more affordable/longer range. I could not imagine owning a gas only car again.
I give it a 9/10, I need to get the windows on both of ours tinted so we can be fully stormtroopered.

 

Comments to @DanGest :

I've found the seats comfortable as they are, but haven't tried a cushion for lower back to see if it is better. Do love the heated seats for my lower back, though. Might try the pillow trick just to see if I've been missing something and not known it.

Never had backup sensors, so don't miss them. I use the camera when I'm close to something.

I'd ignore the manual's "no chains" if I thought I needed the traction. Not a good idea to drive much in chains, but when you need them and feel comfortable installing and removing them, I'd use them. Just check to make sure you have enough clearance with the chains on (could be Honda is worried about the fender when wheel is turned if it is tight clearance). If you feel like it is tight, you could go with slightly smaller tires (of course, that will throw off the speedometer and odometer). Also, the cable type chains might lay closer to the tire if clearance is an issue. If you use chains, don't leave them on longer than you need them, always check for wear after use, and replace as needed. Also, slow down, remember you put the chains on because the roads are slippery. Chains shouldn't give you false comfort with speed. Again, I'd use them if I needed them, but I've never been one to follow rules I don't agree with.

Agree the car is wide. I love it being big. Usually not hard to find plenty of space to park in Alabama (lots here drive big trucks).

Concur that Honda should have given some memory options on both driving mode and regenerative braking in Econ (it remembers in Sport).

Don't miss the volume knob and wouldn't pay another dollar for one. I know that makes me a little of an oddball here.

After driving a first generation Chevrolet Volt, the clearance for the 2018 Clarity is great. But yes, it's lower than some cars. I never scrape the Clarity, but maybe it is because I am used to dealing with the low clearance of the first generation Volt.

Seats fold down, not the best design, but definitely helpful that seats fold down. I generally love the sedan design over a hatchback, but I hear you.

I have free maintenance from the dealer where I bought the car, so not a big deal to change the oil annually.

I agree that I cannot imagine buying another gas only car. Our last remaining gas car is a 2002 Tahoe that we bought new. It refuses to get unreliable and is still in pretty good condition with 230k miles. Still, we spend a lot of time thinking about an appropriate replacement that is primarily or fully battery powered.

 

The manual says you can use chains.

 

Might've been a dealer specific (CA specific?) thing then?
On my Volvo which also had wide tires, I couldn't use chains - this is because the brake line ran near the wheel and is exposed and there were instances of it being sliced by a loose part of the chain (not good to not have brakes where you need chains). Good to know the manual doesn't specifically state it

 

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. For the back cushion, I don't mean a full blown bed pillow, but more like a little pad (I got mine on amazon) - just want to make sure it is clear. I wouldn't miss backup sensors if I didn't have them, but once you have the beeping that lets you know proximity you become somewhat reliant on it and sometimes you forget you don't have them when they are gone .

 

The manual recommends the use of SCC Radial Chain SC1040.

 

Is this a year thing, as this is certainly not the case with my 2019 Clarity. My Prius Prime had an EV MPH Cap around 85 or so, can;t recall, but I've had the Clarity up over 100 without the gas engine kicking in.

 

Honda’s powertrain development document indicates the vehicle can obtain a speed of 100mph in EV mode. It seems that they underestimated their achievement.

 

I've had mine nearly two years,. I give it a 9 our of 10.
I really love this car. I continue to be amazed by how much.
Yes, there are things I'd like to see improved, but coming from a Tacoma, and Prius Prime, this car is superior in pretty much every way.

 

Our dealer installed the official Honda color-keyed back-up sensors before we took delivery in 2017. They weren't cheap--I think we paid more than $700.

Some people save a lot of money people by installing the back-up sensors themselves, but it takes time to remove the rear bumper cover, drill the holes in the right places, etc. The good thing to know is that the wiring is already there to plug in these sensors.

The rear sensors were worth the money IMO and had they been an option we would also have gotten front sensors like our compact, sporty BEV has. It's nice to be warned when you're getting close to the bumper block or the concrete pillar at the drive-through bank.

 

I would rate it an 8, mostly because a car like this Honda could have made even better. No TPMS is kind of surprising. I am not a fan of the infotainment either. Also for a car this wide, wish it had auto folding mirrors. I love the exterior design, although some hate it. The interior is very spacious and comfortable. I love the way it drives. And at this time having a gas backup has been a savior for long trips and MPG isnt so bad, getting about 45-50mpgs with HV mode. I also like the fact that you have the recharging mode so for long hwy trips it comes in handy.
If they made this with a longer battery range that would be just awesome.

 

My 2019 most certainly has TPMS - I just had to recalibrate mine the other day!

Fully in agreement on the mirrors - automatic folding would be so nice in my garage!


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The System doesn’t actually Monitor Tire Pressure. There is no indication as to which tire might have low pressure when an alert is displayed. We are shamed into getting out of the car and measuring the pressure in each tire because the vehicle is incapable of displaying individual tire pressures. This usually leads to the discovery that none of the tire are low. False alarms can be annoying.

The system doesn’t even qualify as a low tire pressure alert, idiot light.

What was the reason that caused you to recalibrate the system?