Scale from 1 to 10?

The biggest problem is the ads the car companies show on TV. They give the impression that driving skills are built into the car and any knucklehead can climb in and drive the way they see the pros do it. These idiots don't realize that it is THEY who have to have skills.

 

It means motor gets concurrent electricity from the battery and the generator (180 hp). At the same time the engine provides additional power via direct drive (30 hp). There is a narrow hypothetical range of operation where Clarity can provide this sort of power.

 

This is incorrect. When maximum power is requested the car will never be in Engine Drive Mode.

Try flooring the accelerator the next time EDM is engaged and watch how quickly it disengages.

 

The motor is rated at 180 hp, so it cannot possibly generate 212 hp.

The only way to generate 212 hp is in gear mode at very high speed (like 90-100 mph). It is a hypothetical scenario for the most part. Generally when you floor it you generate maximum torque. Maximum horsepower is generated at high rpm, e.g. near top speed.

 

181hp is the Continuous Duty rating for the motor. Such a motor would be able to provide 212hp for Short Duty Cycles.

 

OK. I'll give my two cents.
A recommendation and a scoring depend on how well the Clarity meets your expectations and driving needs. So the feedback will vary because people bought it for different reasons, I think.

For us, we wanted to cut our carbon emissions (so wanted an all-electric car or a close to it) without worrying about range and with the ability to fit adults comfortably in the back seat. And not requiring spending Tesla dollars. Our driving is almost always <40 miles /day with some local trips of 100 miles occasionally. And trips where we have a car full of adults. Based on those requirements, the Clarity scores a 10 for us. We really like it. All other options that I know of fall short (Chevy Volt too uncomfortable in the back; Hyundai Ionic, shorter battery range; BEVs not versatile enough for longer trips). I cannot think of another way to cut carbon emissions so drastically and so easily.

Also, everything about the car as had been reported by various driving reviews is true. No real surprises. Several quirks, of course. So to the question as to whether the Clarity works as expected, I'd also score it a 10. (I think it is surprisingly filled with lots of clever - but not perfect - engineering with all the various modes of operation, etc.) It is a fun car to get to know (I read the owners manual front to back - how often does a car interest us to do that?).

Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Especially if their use pattern is similar to ours. If the use pattern is much different, then one must be willing to change their mindset or driving expectations a bit.

The only fear I have is that here in New England Honda has forgotten about the Clarity and it could be a nuisance if all of a sudden all these sensors and complex engineering modes start to go haywire or cause problems. But, I have to put my faith in Honda engineering that that is not very likely to happen.

Would I like a longer range battery? Of course. Do I fret about the shorter range in winter? Yes. But that is the state of the art for today's Li-ion technology- it's not just a Clarity problem. Those things will only get better when the bulk of the buying public supports EVs in a bigger way. More than just us "early adopters". That means lots more people seeking to buy EVs (instead of SUVs and pickup trucks) and the general public supporting increased federal credits for battery research and for EV purchases and for investing in charging infrastructure; and for the general public to push for higher gasoline taxes.

 

For me, this vehicle is a 6. This is my first and last Honda.

 

Would there be a Toyota Rav in your future, perhaps?

 

Clarity for me is a 9/10. Most of the points made by Mass Clarity Owner also apply to me.

Cost: It can be had cheaper now, but I paid $35,000 for touring with $10,300 in rebates or tax incentives which I fully used. So in my mind I paid $25,000 (less the 10K). I save a minimum of $1000/year on gas, so I feel I really paid something akin to $15,000 (in my mind), and get a much nicer than economy-car experience. I am assuming I'll drive the car for 10 years so if I really save at least 1K a year, that's where the final "10K" of savings come from. I also received 0.9% financing when I purchased. So the loan cost is reasonable.

PHEV: Absolutely perfect for my uses. I have zero interest in anything that takes more than 10 minutes to refuel. To me having the ability to nix gas use on my commute is perfect. I have some months of the year, where I do not need gas, yet don't have to own (insure, maintain, store) a separate vehicle just for my long trips-- which for some times of the year are many, and I sometimes drive 10+ hours in a day.

Interior: The car seats 4 adults reasonably. I've seen the Chevy Volt, and it's great if nobody ever has to use the back seat.

Brand: It's not a Tesla. I basically think Elon Musk is an arrogant jack ***, happy to buy my tech from anyone else. That issue aside, I am cost-conscious and not rich.

Hybrid Fuel: To me Clarity gives folks all the options. If you just want a fuel efficient gas hybrid, you got it. Hold down HV charge to get some electric charge periodically, forgo electric charging completely if electric is expensive where you live. Where I live (Oregon), electric is $.11/KWh so break even would likely be about $1.60 a gallon, and we literally never see that. Our gas cost is always above $2, even under the best circumstances. No matter, if electric is cheap use that, if electric is expensive use gas. It's nice to do which-ever makes sense.

Comfort/Luxury: I'm not a luxury guy. The Clarity is the most luxurious vehicle I've ever owned (by far). I find its amenities more than what I require in every regard.

Power: My last car was a 4 cylinder subaru station wagon. gutless wonder doesn't begin to say it all. Anyway, the Clarity is way more powerful than I'm used to.

"Philosophy" I'm interested in transportation and not in cars. I do notice things that are well designed and appreciate them, but I really don't need a long list of specific factors beyond things like- does it get me efficiently from point A to B. Is it comfortable? What is my current and likely ongoing cost to operate? If those boxes get ticked, not a lot else matters. Note that many cars do fail the "is it comfortable?" test when looking at economy. I'm a large person, so there's a bunch of vehicles I would never consider based on interior space alone.

Environmental: Perhaps was in the back of my mind, but really I bought the car due to making financial sense for me. See my "Cost:" description above. After I bought the car, I realized a no-compromises low-emissions car is possible. It is unlikely I will ever buy a pure gas-mobile again. That being said, I do not foresee me buying any pure-electric vehicle. Like I say, PHEV is the gold standard for what I care about, and I can't improve on that. If in say X years, I can get 1000 mile range from an over-night charge, and rapid charge for about same timing as gas, then that will be fine (not holding my breath).

 

Would love to hear more on what went wrong, because that doesn’t sound good.

 

One must be very lucky, very wealthy (and willing to part with Tesla Y bucks), or very well-connected to get a RAV4 Prime into their garage (assuming, based on the website hosting this forum, you were referring to the RAV4 Prime and not the easy-to-buy versions).

 

I wouldn’t spend a dime or a moment of effort to acquire a RAV4. Just making light of the handle. @whatever y’all refer to.

 

Whoosh

 

HAHA, Good one! But no, I won't be getting any RAV4. Perhaps 3 or 4 years ago but not now. I will be going 100% EV.

 

Are you sure they tinted the front windows?

 

I just traded a 2019 Clarity Touring for a 2021 RAV4 Prime. I liked the Clarity. I give it an 8. Here is why:I really think that even though it said the range was 40 miles...It never truly got that. Secondly, When driving the car when the engine switched from electric to gas there were time that I would press the accelerator and nothing would happen. Scared me to death specifically when this happened on an expressway going 60 mph, Also, the engine on gas raved so high. The car was so loud. Lastly, the battery would fluctuate so much with the temp. Very rarely saw 49 miles. This is absolutely not the case in the RAV 4 prime. So far every day 42 miles on the battery. Hopefully this holds true.

 

If I was to make a change, RAV4 Prime would be it. I'd be curious what your net cost was -- total cost of upgrade so to speak. All cars are so expensive my budget doesn't generally tolerate a new car more than once every 10-15 years, but just the same I'd be curious if you calculated the total cost of the upgrade- and yes OK to include the 7500 tax benefit etc. Anyway, no worries if you don't want to compute it, but my guess is you already know what your net cost of change was.

 

Hi Dan,
So I broke even on my trade. My clarity had 24k miles on it and I got 19k for it. The price of the RAV4 XSE was 46,300. There is the 7500 tax credit plus in New York we get $1700 point of sale discount. Not counting tax the car the car will be $37100. That sounds like a lot of money because it is. But I am definitely an SUV girl. For sure. As much as I liked the clarity, it definitely was not me. The clarity after the rebates was $25800. Is the RAV4 worth 12k more?? Is is for me.

 

Thanks Michelle. I cannot afford 10K more. I'm not saying its not worth it. Thank you.