I researched and researched and finally made a decision and am so glad with it. No car is perfect. I think for most, the Honda Clarity PHEV is the best and most versatile choice for overall value, practicality and comfort. You get so much for your money. I think it’s the best kept secret for PHEV. Until BEVs get better range and availability of FAST recharge, there is no better overall option. Here’s my recent general review: A new car is always anxiety provoking. More so with each review you read. Everyone has an opinion. I decided on the Clarity PHEV after research and, most importantly, driving and owning it. Any negatives I read were highly OVERSTATED, and most of the positives were understated. For example: “Handling is mediocre.” Bull! It’s not a sports car. So what? It handles well enough. Quite well! Negatives I read: Piddly criticisms like “it doesn’t have lumbar support or a volume knob.” If this is a major problem you should throw out the baby with the bathwater or buy a back roll and figure out how to use your left thumb on the steering wheel volume control. Who buys a car based on a volume knob? The styling is “different.” “There’s a partial covering on the rear wheel!” How petty. What a dumb reason not to buy a car. Bottom line. This car is comfortable, reliable, a GREAT VALUE, and extremely enjoyable. It makes me excited unlike any other car in that it is a practical look at the future of getting us off gasoline with the confidence of range. Why cry that the wiper fluid reservoir is small when you get unbelievable versatility in a LARGE, extremely comfortable, and amazingly fuel efficient purchase? The criticisms are so petty, really. I am 10/10 pleased. There is no “perfect” car. For ME, this car is far more than I could have hoped for at the price, especially considering the $7,500 federal tax credit. The Prius prime can’t touch the range and luxury of this car. The Leaf is a cramped box with no range compared to the Clarity. The Tesla is so overpriced and who wants to sit at a recharging station for hours anyway? This car will be a joy to own even 10 yrs from now. By then I hope other manufacturers will focus and surely will improve upon on the winning combination this car has: VERSATILITY, LUXURY, COMFORT, RELIABILITY, ECONOMY AND JOY. No sacrifices. The Clarity isn’t the “Best” at anything. But it’s the best combination of everything right now! Drive it and see! Until a BEV can go 600 miles and recharge in 20 minutes and sell for 25-30 grand with comfort and reliability, the Clarity is the best choice for the money right now!!!
I appreciate your enthusiasm and wish you luck. When I had to make my choices in 2016, dynamic cruise control and emergency braking was just becoming standard across the Toyota lines. If offered by others, it was a costly addition on top of a premium configuration. I'm glad Honda made theirs standard too. BTW, the 2019 Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 were listed as superior in pedestrian accident avoidance. GOOD LUCK! Bob Wilson
I'm glad you like your car! It is a long, taxing process to research and purchase a new car. I think you are right that for most people (in the US at least) a PHEV is the most practical choice at the moment. However, if a household is going to have more than one car anyway, I believe that one of them should be a BEV. If you have more than one car, the currently shorter range of an inexpensive BEV isn't a problem. Based on my budget, I chose an off lease 2015 Nissan Leaf. I paid $11,500 off the lot, and that will drop to $9000 after my state rebate check arrives. I charge at home with Level 1 charging only, and I'll use public charging once in a blue moon. I get about 90 miles in the summer and 80 miles in the winter of range. That covers 2-3 round trips to town per charge. For my standard usage, I charge for 6 hrs per night every other night or so, at Level 1 (120V). This car is saving me nearly $100 per month compared to my old ICE-only driving patterns. For long distance driving I have a 2008 Toyota RAV4 (ICE, not EV), which is a great and comfortable road trip vehicle that I've had for about a decade. With this combo (Leaf + RAV4) I can cover pretty much any driving scenario that I need, and I only have to drive the ICE vehicle about once per month. An SUV or CUV style PHEV would also work for well for me, but it would cost a lot more, probably $10k+, than the combo I currently have. In coming years I plan to replace the RAV4 with a used BEV SUV or CUV, such as the eNiro. My primary concern with PHEVs in general is maintenance. Since you have both BEV and ICE components, in theory at least the car costs twice as much to maintain. If it is your only car, then that might not be a problem, but if you have multiple of them then it can add up. It also allows you to be 'lazy' and just use gas if you can't be bothered to wait for a charge. I like that BEVs force you to plan ahead. If my budget were higher, I would probably get a mid range Tesla Model 3. I believe I could replace both of my current cars with that one, as it is a great long distance vehicle as well as a daily driver. I would just need to rely on someone else (or rent a truck) if I needed to move a piece of furniture or something. There's some massive safety advantages to Teslas as well, and that's a big selling point for me. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Completely agree. We love our clarity. The niggles are minor and the benefits of ownership greatly outweigh them. Volt, Bolt and Tesla3 were also considered but Volt was relatively unavailable, Bolt was too small and felt relatively “cheap”, and Tesla3 prices were too high. Clarity is my wife’s car and she routinely drives on battery alone. We also own a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Diesel which makes a great distance driver when needed, but we still drove our Clarity on the 1400 mile (700 one way in one day) trip to visit family for the Xmas holiday and it was an enjoyable ride, though a bit loud at times when ascending mountain passes. It was certainly more frugal than the truck would have been. Tesla charging times would have turned that one day drive into an overnighter. I am not too concerned about maintenance as modern ICE motors are quite reliable and low maintenance these days, and the one in the Clarity is not seeing heavy use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Repairs have been a big issue for me in the last 3 months with my Sonata PHEV. So far, they have replaced the crankshaft sensor and one ignition coil. One can pretty much guarantee that the other three ignition coils will go out going forward. All of these repairs have been with the gas engine! I do agree with you in that a used BEV can work out great as a second car for a lot folks.
Who wants a PHEV in 5 years? No one. Beside mpg saving, it’s a boring car. When I see a car with combustion engine, I’ll pass! JT
"Who wants a PHEV in 5 years? No one. Beside mpg saving, it’s a boring car. When I see a car with combustion engine, I’ll pass!" A 2014 Nissan Leaf now sells for about $12,000. New it cost about $35,000. Subtract the Federal $7.5k tax credit and it was $27.5k. That's a depreciation of over half in 5 years. A 2014 Toyota Camry hybrid XLE cost about $28k new and now goes for about $16k. $4k more than the Leaf. Percentage wise a Tesla S does better than the Leaf, $70k new, no options, to about $40k to $45k. However, the total loss in value is some $20k! The Clarity is a "Jack of all Trades". Although it is perhaps not best at anything, it is better than at most things than any one of its competitors. Not one BEV can drive 880 miles in 14 hours. (Sorry, even the longest range Tesla will require hours of recharging along the way.) I did that in my Clarity on a trip back from Ohio and I got 43.3 mpg. Not one hybrid can be driven as a EV. I enjoy reading about people's experiences with their vehicles. Again though, "best" is subjective.
One should not assume that everyone shares their tastes and needs in a vehicle. PHEV is a great choice for this transitional period, a period that will last much longer than 5 years. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Drive a Clarity. 13,560 miles. 51 total gallons of gas. Level 2 charger at home and work. Use gas voluntarily at speeds over 75 mph as it’s more efficient from a power management standpoint. Roomy interior, very big trunk. Quiet. Neighbors with a Lexus like taking our car because back seat room has more leg room. Did I say quiet? Complaints? Would like blind-spot warnings and parking assist ... but hey, in a car that netted me $27K you can’t get everything. Has just about everything else needed for a commuter car that is essentially electric but can drive from here to eternity without electricity if need be. Oh, gas mileage at 80 mph is around 45 mpg. Sent from my iPad using Inside EVs
I suppose we somewhat agree. I'm trading in my Prius Prime ... for a Standard Range Tesla Model 3 someday. Bob Wilson
I agree, if more than one car/household, one should be BEV, which is why I am looking for a used Leaf for a commuter vehicle when my 2003 Prius finally gives up the ghost. Our other car is 2017 Prime.
Kevin writes, "The Prius prime can’t touch the range and luxury of this car." He means electric range which is 47 vs. 25 for Prime. (My Prime gets 25 mi range winter, up to 38 mi summer.) But I'm mainly concerned with carbon footprint. Prime gets 25 kWh/100 mi EV, 1.85 gal/100 mi HV, according to EPA. Figuring a nominal 90% charging efficiency, and the carbon intensity of my local utility (1.24 lb CO2/kWh), that equates to 34 lb CO2/100 mi EV, 36 lb CO2/100 mi HV. At that point the environmental effect of EV vs HV is minimal -- Prime is just a damn efficient car. Clarity has EPA estimated 31 kWh/100 mi EV, 2.38 gal/100 mi HV, which equates to 43 lb CO2/100 mi EV, 47 lb CO2/100 mi HV. Darn good compared to an F-150 (88 lb CO2/100 mi), but still considerably higher than Prime. As far as luxury, I have not been inside a Clarity, so can't comment. Prime meets my needs, except for brain-dead Nav, I use my phone instead.
AMEN!!! I'm trading ours in for a Standard Range, Model 3 only because Tesla has made such serious advances. I've done a requirements analysis and there is only one segment between Little Rock AR and Tulsa OK where the Model 3 will have a 274 mi problem. Yet my BMW i3-REx studies have revealed there is a NEMA 14-50, 30A @208VAC, at Ozark AR that can bridge the gap in ~2 hours, $3. Alternatively, I could take back roads at 40-45 mph. Bob Wilson
[QUOTE="Mark Miller, post: -- Prime is just a damn efficient car.[/QUOTE] The Clarity weighs 4059 pounds and is a larger car than the Prius Prime, which weighs 3375 pounds. Adjusting for weight, the Clarity is just as efficient as the Prime in EV mode. (4059/3375 = 133MPGe/110MPGe) It can also be driven twice as far before the engine comes on. The Prime is less expensive at about $30,000 for a top model versus $37,000 for the Touring Clarity. However, after the Federal tax credit the Clarity Touring is slightly less than $30,000 and the top Prime is $25,500. Both the Clarity and Prime can be had at less expensive trim levels and there are manufacturer discounts/finance deals. In contrast, the mid-range Tesla 3 is $42,000 and there are no discounts. ($37k - $7.5k; $30k - $4.5k; and $45k - $3.7k) Each situation is different and the choice is an individual one. The Clarity can be driven as a BEV more than the Prius Prime. It can seat 5. On those rare occasions that I take mine on a long road trip, it is a pretty fair hybrid at 42 mpg. For me, my Clarity has proven to be a very good choice based on cost, comfort, and efficiency.
I bought my clarity just in time in dec 2018 to qualify for Fed tax credit and My state also gives $2500 on top as refund. I negotiatiated $37500 car for about $32k. This is by far the best car I have ever owned. For long distance driving (600 miles in one day); it is perfect! All the negative reviews were just comments. Flat-linerear mudguard, heavy noise when shifting to HV mode, volume knob missing etc. They are all meaning less comments. And hardly noticeable. If any improvemntns can be made then I will wish ) bigger gas tank(day 20 gallons) BT CarPlay and left side camera display while shifting lanes. This car is a no brainer. I gave up on Tesla model 3 after test driving it and the horrible experience for rear passengers in long drives.
