Is anyone else finding the Clarity handling a bit more ponderous/heavy as they drive the car over time? I didn't notice it much at first, but it definitely comes out more on winding roads. That was one of the issues noted in several reviews.
I find the Clarity to be surprisingly good at cornering. A local freeway interchange curve marked 40 mph could easily be taken at 50 mph in our 2015 Prius. The Clarity takes that curve at 60 mph effortlesdly. For a car over 4,000 pounds I'm impressed. I haven't noticed it getting better or worse. What I have noticed is I'm trusting the car more and more whenwhen corne.
It has a great ride and solid steering but it's not a sports sedan It weighs a bunch and doesn't like to be tossed around. That was what the reviews said and after 7 months I agree. Suits my needs at this time but I do miss the handling and especially the braking in my Infiniti M37. When I move to a BEV in few years I'll go for a more responsive option.
It may not have sports car handling but it has a very low center of gravity and hardly any body roll when cornering which is all I need. I have noticed that it handles the curve of an off ramp that I use frequently somewhat better than my old CR-V.
Just the opposite finding by me. I recently drove a 100 mile section of US 127 in northern TN and found the cornering fun and responsive. I don't know the actual center of gravity of this car but I would imagine (because of the battery) that it is a bit lower than your typical ICE luxury car that sells for less than $35,000. Sent from my SM-G955U using Inside EVs mobile app
The OEM tires are designed for maximum fuel efficiency. Green tires are known to be perform poorly for handling and braking. You can easily improve handling markedly by installing high performance A/S tires. The tire size for the Clarity is ideal for high performance tires. Even the standard tires on an Audi A4 (225/50R17) is less performance oriented. You could install summer tires but I think that'll be overkill.
To what are you comparing the Clarity, a BMW 5 Series? Are there other 4,059-lb family cars that handle as well on tires not designed for handling?
There is no doubt Honda engineers could have tuned the Clarity suspension to be sporty like the current Accord Sport or Touring, which have gotten rave reviews for handling. The issue is compromise. In order to get the longest EV range and HV mileage, they installed low resistance green tires, which by their very nature are not "sticky". If they tuned the suspension for sport, some drivers might push their Claritys, which would be a disaster because the reviews indicate that the Michelin Energy Saver tires installed have a tendency to lose grip abruptly. That is, you can take a curve feeling pretty good but the tires' poor grip can cause you to lose control. Instead, Honda engineered a sophisticated suspension (struts up front and multi-link rear) that favors a luxurious ride. In doing so, drivers are less likely to drive the Clarity like a sports car. What many of us have discovered is that the Clarity actually handles surprisingly well in the twisties, which is unexpected for such a cushy suspension. That could be due to the lower center of gravity and better weight distribution compared to typical FWD family cars. The steering, which is quick and precise like a sports car, also helps. For that reason, installing high performance A/S tires makes sense if you want to improve the handling because, unlike floaty Buicks and Cadillacs of old, the suspension can make use of them. You'll just lose some EV range and HV mileage.
I drive a mountainous road once a week. There are definitely some curves where the car would like to pull away if I took them much faster. That said, I've never felt like it wanted to plow through a curve, just that a light touch on the wheel would be ill-advised on some of the curves. I think a different set of tires might be helpful, but MPG will suffer.
It is a 4000 lb car. Not going to be zipping around like a car with aggressive tires and suspension. I particularly like the ride of the car. It is far more refined than my Gen 3 Prius and I prefer it to the Camry Hybrid. Either of these cars would likely out-corner it though.
I know the Clarity isn't a sports car but I'm going with summer tires in the spring, for winter I'm running winter tires. I had Michelin Pilot Super Sports summers on my old Lexus GS430 and loved its top performance in all conditions (except snow of course). For me, the shorter stopping distance and enhanced control is worth it from a safety perspective and the responsiveness is a bonus. These tires and the new 4S are amazing but pricey so I might go Yokohama Advan Sport V105 that are close in performance at a lower price.
