Clarity can handle corners!

I have a 110-mile-range MINI Electric for cornering and a Clarity for distance. I agree the Clarity's OEM tires don't do justice to its suspension. If cornering is the priority, range really doesn't matter, but have you noticed a difference in range?

 

I put these on. I don't care about range. With my driving anywhere it's a 1000 foot drop. Back up that hill destroys range. What I am concerned with is grip, quietness, and cornering.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=PureContact%20LS&partnum=445VR8PCLSXL

 

That would be my concern too. I am more interested in fuel economy than being able to take a corner at high speed. So far, I’m pretty content with its cornering ability with the OEM tires.

 

I don't believe anyone on this forum has reported finding tires that enable the Clarity PHEV to exceed the range it gets with the OEM tires. It would be nice if there were such tires and even nicer if those better-range tires offered more cornering power, but I doubt that combination is possible. Because my priority for our Clarity is distance, I'll be sticking with the OEM tires when it's time for a new set. When my driving occasionally gets a bit spirited and I hear a squeal, it reminds me I'm hastening the day that a new set of tires will be required.

 

I don't believe anyone on this forum has reported finding tires that enable the Clarity PHEV to exceed the range it gets with the OEM tires. It would be nice if there were such tires and even nicer if those better-range tires offered more cornering power, but I doubt that combination is possible. Because my priority for our Clarity is distance, I'll be sticking with the OEM tires when it's time for a new set. When my driving occasionally gets a bit spirited and I hear a squeal, it reminds me I'm hastening the day that I'll have to pony up the bucks for a new set.

 

Clarity's have independent multilink setup on the rear, while civics are equipped with a torsion beam

 

Clarity has nice steering and corners well as long as weight transfer is gradual. If you need left-right maneuvers like mouse test it get all kind of out of shape due to tires not having enough grip. But I also feel with stickier tires it will do much better.

 

I've written in another thread about my experiences with the Michelin Crossclimate+. I mostly got them because the OEM tires are really awful on snow. In my experience and that of another poster, we haven't noticed any significant reduction in range or mpg, maybe a smidge. I believe the OEM tires are the most energy efficient out there and hence their high price. For that efficiency, there are major compromises in performance. The CC+ (less expensive than OEM) is vastly superior in every other way. It really transformed how the Clarity drives. Like the OP, I didn't know the Clarity could handle and stop as well it does until I replaced the OEM tires. It also performed better in heavy snow than my AWD Outback (with regular all season tires). So much so that I'm installing Crossclimates on it tomorrow. BTW, the CC+ is the top rated high performance tire on Consumer Reports. It has a higher load and speed rating than the OEM tires too.

 

I think the mouse has to accept it made a fatal mistake in that test. For the moose test on the other hand...you want all the agility your car can muster.

 

Touché! Yep the old mouse had no chance whatsoever.

 

When I see this: " If you need left-right maneuvers like mouse test "
What is the mouse test?

Dan

 

There was just one letter wrong in the name of the test. Being a Canadian resident, you're more likely to be subjected to the moose test than I am in Michigan. The real "mouse test" involves checking your car's cabin air filter.

 

Now I got it

 

Previously had a mini and also have a model 3-- both of those corner very very well and set way too high of an expectation for my clarity. It does fine, but in comparison...

 

I doubt that you can buy a better-handling PHEV than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. I kept the high-efficiency OEM tires because our Clarity is for long-distance drives. Because I place a very high value on handling I bought the most nimble BEV for the fun drives (for which its very limited range doesn't pose a problem).

 

One of my hobbies is waving flags at racecars. If you're in Seattle area, plan on going to Pacific Raceways 4th of July weekend for the NW Historics, biggest vintage event in the West.

Going to my station usually involves driving the track. While the Clarity doesn't match up with what I used to drive (see photo) and I'm still finding the limits on the stock tires, I'm impressed with the cornering ability.

Gene 2020 Honda Clarity
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Inside EVs mobile app