Clarity Touring - Removing Seude on dashboard

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by livlife, Dec 12, 2019.

To remove this ad click here.

  1. livlife

    livlife New Member

    Has anyone had any luck with getting rid of the seude strip on the dashboard of the Clarity Touring model? I am in the market to buy a 2019 Clarity. Would love to get the touring model but the seude strip on the dash is a showstopper for me. I am now leaning towards the base model which has a wood finish on the dash.

    Has anyone tried to remove the seude strip? What is underneath it? And how difficult (or easy) was it to get rid of the seude...

    Thanks.
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    The suede is also on the doors. In the base model it's replaced with a soft-touch plastic that feels a bit like a diving suit. Both models have the fake wood trim. The only difference between the two models is the suede, the power seats and the leather upholstery - and the price for those three items seems to be about $4K...
     
  4. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    The leather steering wheel is so much better in the Touring. Also, you'd have to use your phone for GPS mapping in the base Clarity PHEV, but you could use Android Auto or Apple Carplay to put that info on the screen(s). The Garmin GPS software in the Touring doesn't thrill me. The Touring's upholstery includes more leather than the base, but there's still some Alcantara there, too.

    I was terrified that I'd find my greasy fingerprints on the light-colored suede of our Clarity's dashboard, but two years in and I still haven't had to try the special cleaning fluid I bought.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2019
    Kerbe likes this.
  5. Groves Cooke

    Groves Cooke Active Member

    I have a 2018 Touring. No problem with the "suede". 22,000 miles and no dirt that I can see. I can't imagine trying to remove it. I also cannot sit in seats without motorized adjustments.
     
  6. The door cards and seat inserts on my Chevy Volt had a similar material in light tan. After six years, I found no problem keeping the stuff looking good.

    I suspect that parts using the suede can be replaced with parts made for the base model. Perhaps a salvage yard could provide these parts.
     
  7. To remove this ad click here.

  8. LAF

    LAF Active Member

    ju
    just get the black interior then it is no problem and looks great.
     
  9. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    Do you change your seat adjustment frequently? I tend to "dial it in" over time and then just leave it that way - so manual seats work well for me. Also, I'm the sole driver of the vehicle so the settings never need to change.
     
    Mowcowbell likes this.
  10. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    Perhaps I'm a steering wheel Luddite but, having driven cars with leather-wrapped wheels, cars with pleather-wrapped wheels and cars with solid material (resin, plastic, wood) wheels I really find no great difference between leather and fake leather in terms of grip, slip or comfort. What, in your opinion, makes the leather wheel superior?
     
  11. Groves Cooke

    Groves Cooke Active Member

    I find the Clarity seats to as comfortable as any other care I have driven recently. I use the memory position and start from there, but some days my back is a little more comfortable in a slightly different position. And on a long trip, changing every hour or so helps relieve the strain.
     
    Kerbe likes this.
  12. To remove this ad click here.

  13. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    I’ve found the leather wrapped steering wheel on the Touring to be much better in the winter time. It just feels “warmer” or not so cold to the touch. For the rest of the year I would say no difference, but it might possibly be not as hot to the touch if left in the sun. Don’t know about that since mine is garaged.
     
    Kerbe likes this.
  14. The difference with the power seats is that the front and back of the seat cushion can be adjusted up or down independently, at least on the drivers seat. Why they cheaped out on the passenger seat I’ll never know.
    I have all those adjustments plus lumbar on a 20 year old GMC truck. Guess there wasn’t a check box for that on the customer satisfaction survey.

    I like the cushion high in front and low in back. Can’t get that with the crank up seats. We got in one car for a test drive at the Honda dealer. It didn’t have power seats. We didn’t even close the doors.
     
    Groves Cooke and jorgie393 like this.
  15. Passenger side https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~0~77247-trw-a01za.html

    Drivers side (I think) https://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~0~77227-trw-a01za.html
     
  16. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Maybe Honda used a particularly unpleasant covering for the base Clarity to help sell the more expensive Touring version (though doubtful, because it's not clear Honda really wanted to sell any Claritys). I have owned cars with non-leather steering wheels that I found completely acceptable, but I just don't like the feel of the base Clarity's steering wheel. The leather steering wheel in the Touring Clarity feels great to me and because it's what I'm always touching, that's important to me.
     
  17. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    I test-drove both models before purchasing a Base: I could not feel any difference between the two. I also think Honda did a very good job of making the matte-finished soft-touch material on the Base dash and doors visually resemble the suede of the Touring model.
     
    insightman likes this.
  18. Phil_Meyers

    Phil_Meyers Active Member

    not issues with the suede here. for me it's a non-issue.
     
    Groves Cooke likes this.
  19. bpratt

    bpratt Active Member

    In one week I will have owned my Clarity for 2 years. The suede still looks new.
     
  20. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Me too, even with the beige, although I don’t have dogs or kids. (Waiting on grandkids)
     
    Groves Cooke likes this.
  21. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Assuming you really do have kids if you're hoping for grandkids, you'll need more than just cream-colored suede on your car's dashboard. Try some expensive porcelain figurines on a low shelf.
     
    MPower and Robert_Alabama like this.
  22. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    LOL! Should have said no little kids. Got one grown son whose getting married next year, so I’m getting close to grandchildren. I give ‘em 1 year, and then I’m praying for an accident. And thank you Lord, he had been gainfully employed since the day he graduated college and has never lived in my basement.
     
    insightman likes this.
  23. May I ask what the Lord had to do with it?
     

Share This Page