Honda Clarity vs BMW 530e

Thanks, I looked it up. I live in Canada and was not aware of this service. Explains the reason for the miles you drive as well.

I have appointment to test drive the 2021 BMW 330e next week as BMW dealership expects one to arrive at dealership next week.

Down to 2 final choices now, Tesla Model 3 or BMW 330e as both RWD and decent performance

Dan

 

I agree 100%. For the average commuter who is able to drive all or most of their daily miles in EV, this is the way to go. It would also benefit a driver, and particularly the battery, who travels 300-400 miles a day to have the battery charged to at least 50% prior to beginning one’s daily travels.

 

Interesting.
I do wonder why a black car is considered more desirable.
I had a black car once and didn't like it much !!

 

My main gripe with the clarity is how uncomfortable it gets around the 2 hour mark.

 

I think a clean black car looks good, but a black car stays clean for only a few minutes. A lot of people mistake our Moonlit Forest Pearl Clarity for a black car (the sun is often shy in Michigan). It's as much work to keep clean as a black car.

I thought I knew black until I saw this Vantablack (supposedly the blackest black) Ferrari online. What havoc a bird could wreak on the flat finish of this car!
https://www.motor1.com/news/507565/vantablack-ferrari-sf90/

 

Touring or Base? Huge difference. I sat in a base for all of 10 seconds at a dealer. Mechanically adjustable seats were a solid no go.

 

I have the touring. The electric seats do help to easily change position when uncomfortable.

 

I have the base model. I changed the position of driver seat to install a car seat. Now it is very comfortable. Before I didn't have major issue but it never felt like it is particularly comfortable. If the seat is adjusted properly you should feel the bolsters hug your lower back. Before the child seat I had it too far back.

 

A 2021 Clarity Touring has a sticker price of $37,495 and because it has a 17 kWh battery, it qualifies for a $7,500 Federal tax credit. After the Federal credit, the price before any state credits is $29,995 plus sales tax. A base BMW 530e has a sticker price of $58,195, but only has a 9 kWh battery. As a result it qualifies for a $5,836 Federal tax credit. The result is $52,359 before any state credits and before sales tax. The base BMW 530e costs a whopping $22,364 more than a Clarity. The 530e, that Car & Driver tested, stickered for $70,485! Tested: 2021 BMW 530e Gains an Extra Hybrid Boost (caranddriver.com)

I dare say that one could buy two new Claritys for the price of one 530e. Considering the price, I would hope the seats would be better!

As to the comfort of the Honda Clarity seats, there seems to be a significant difference between those in the base model and those of the Touring model. My wife and I have found the seats in my Clarity Touring to be very comfortable. They are among the best seats of any car I have ever owned. In contrast the owners of the base model frequently complain about their seats.

I'm very pleased with my 2018 Clarity and have no intention of letting it go anytime soon.

 

In Canada the 2021 BMW 330e PHEV is $44950 before taxes and the
2021 Honda Clarity is $44505 before taxes.

If comparing these 2 models , I feel the 330e is the closest to the Clarity

Dan

 

Also, I think the rear view camera is great. It is the same as my wife's 2017 Civic and she can now back out of our curved driveway without fear of hitting anything. I especially like the lines that track the steering and the various limit lines. I will often pull a bit forward in a parking space the use it to get the back end in exactly the right place. The picture is very clear but you have to remember to wipe off the lens. It gets covered in wet weather with stuff.

 

StickWare, since you have 150K miles on your Clarity, can I ask about your tire situation? As in, how long did the original tires last? What did you replace them with? How long did those last (assuming they have also been replaced)? If you are on your third set, what tires are they? Thanks…

 

I’m not trying to be argumentative or anything but I’m wondering why you would choose a PHEV when you drive so many miles and rarely charge it up? Why not just buy a regular hybrid?

 

If you do one full charge every single work day, that amounts to about 12K EV miles per year (36K in 3 years). @StickWare has driven 150K miles so even though he charges "every time he is home", he has a pretty small proportion of EV vs. HV miles. I suppose this means he is not saving much money over a regular hybrid (assuming electricity is cheaper than gas) but there are other reasons to like a PHEV.

 

Stickware,

In your previous thread “I hit 100,000 miles” you stated that you drove “most of the time” with 0 EV miles remaining. Myself, and others, may have incorrectly assumed that you simply didn’t bother to charge the battery, and drove the car as a hybrid.

There was some conjecture on that thread about your charging habits and the condition of your battery. We never heard back from you on the issue. Now you’ve mentioned charging at least twice a day. So, I’ll ask: Have you been charging the Clarity twice a day for 150K miles?
If so, did you then use the EV range first and then continue driving in HV until the next charging opportunity?

At best the Clarity will fully charge in ~2.5 hours. I can see an overnight/off hours/not working charge occurring, when did you find down time for a second or third charge?