Honda Clarity vs BMW 530e

Thanks. That clears up my misconception that the car was mostly driven with 0 EV range and rarely charged. Would a more accurate description be that it was mostly driven with 0 EV range and charged frequently, sometimes twice a day, for the first 2 years/100K miles?

 

Just noticed that there's a used, black 2019 530e IPerformance with 12k miles for sale near me for $38k.

 

I recently bought a 2018 530e msport from vroom for $31k, with 33k miles.

https://spins.spincar.com/vroomriverside/wbaja9c50jb033161

The only direct comp for that year is the mercedes e350e. While I see the clarity as the best of the non luxury phev bunch, the bmw is more of a super efficient version of the 540i. No virtue signaling styling changes, just a 5 series that can be much more efficient if you want it to.

I just ran through my first tank of premium gas with it, and averaged 65.18mpg over 712.4 miles (calculated manually). I have a 32 mile commute each way and charge on both ends.

I am amazed with this car, and how great it is for what it does. We rented a tesla model s while we were looking and the bmw seats, interior, and lack of road noise blow the tesla out of the water - and how much tesla can you get for $30k?

The extra weight makes it a little less nimble while driving aggressively, but I spend a lot more time in traffic than I do on curvy copless back roads so I consider it a fair tradeoff.

The clarity is more efficient, but the bmw produces many more grins.

 

Can you stretch the 530e's EPA 21-mile EV range to make your 32-mile trek? BMWs are fun cars but my grin would vanish when I heard the engine start burning that expensive premium gas. Some people on this forum remain unsatisfied with the Clarity PHEV's 47-mile EV range, but after nearly 4 years (and, shock, paying MSRP), I think the Clarity is an exceptional car and an unbeatable value.

 

I recently drove the 330e and X5 45e in a BMW PHEV drive event. The 330e feels like my old E90 328i, you feel at home the moment you get in the driver seat. I was underwhelmed by the range and accelerator response however. It is a great car as long as you don't mind running the gas engine. In EV mode it doesn't have the power of Clarity. The X5 45e is a different story and has a much more usable range and the 6 cylinder engine feels great. It is great if you can afford it, but even that model did not have the immediacy of my BMW i3, even though it is a faster car. Driving a sporty BEV will spoil you somehow so even a very fast ICE car feels sluggish off the line. Overall I think Clarity drivetrain could be better than those two models if they use a 2.0L engine like Accord hybrid, the current drivetrain is adequate as long as you don't have to drive in high mountains (above 4000 ft).

 

I want to thank you for posting your experience with the Clarity along with the BMW. I am approaching the end of my factory warranty and have most recently lost 5 to 7 EV miles. Similar to your new Clarity EV range. I used to get 54 to 56 now I am around 45 to 49 at 34k. Knowing your 154k Clarity still has over 50 percent range is a comfort. I hope to keep this Clarity for that many mile also If I can hold back from purchasing the Mustang Mach E....lol.

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If I was that stingy there is no way I would have ever considered a BMW. The tradeoff between efficiency/comfort/driving enjoyment in my 530e is perfect for me. If anything I'd rather have it be more powerful/sporty than more efficient - I wish the 545e was available here.

It's also worth noting that EV mode is a lot less efficient during highway driving (80+ in Atlanta) so I'm happy to use the engine for what it does best. Premium gas is $2.80/gallon here, it cost me $30 to fill up yesterday after having driven 712 miles. In efficiency no other car in this class comes close, especially for the price I paid.

 

BMW has different throttle maps for sport/comfort/eco pro, and they also apply in EV only mode. Did you try it in sport mode? It also changes the regenerative braking settings.

 

The electric motor in 330e has around 100 hp (don't remember the exact figure). Clarity motor has 180 hp along with a bigger battery. So in EV mode Clarity performs better than 330e. Once the engine kicks in 330e is much more powerful.

 

@StickWare.

I think you probably still hold the Clarity record.
Are you aiming for 250K? Are you planning to go until it dies?