Honda Clarity, the Volt Challenger

I think the Clarity's styling makes it look smaller than it actually is. That's the reason I always thought it wasn't a competitor to the Volt, Niro, or Prius Prime (all much smaller cars), it's the competitor of the Kia Optima PHEV, BMW 530e, Ford Fusion Energi, and Mercedes 350e. In fact, the Clarity's got more interior space than any of those and more trunk space. In terms of EV range, those four don't even come close. Clarity is in a class by itself.

 

So Clarity Touring vs Chevy Volt Premier - I carpool daily since July 2017 in a Chevy Volt and spent some time agonizing over the choice of a new car before buying a Clarity, as an all electric BEV was veto'ed by my home management so I had to agree to a PHEV (which I now see was the better choice.)
What I like about the Volt: hatchback, heated steering wheel (nice!!!), rear cross traffic alert, parking sensors and blind spot detection (although you need it, as it has a high beltline and rear visibility is poor), nice displays showing kw consumed and regenerated, regen button on the back of the steering wheel which decels you strongly, intuitive audio/nav system.
What I like about the Clarity: much better visibility, slightly higher seats and larger door opening (so I don't hit my head getting in). Much more upscale and much larger interior. Better (IMHO) mechanical arrangement - no transmission just one gear for direct mechanical drive (Volt has two epicyclics) so less to go wrong. Faster charging (approx 2.5 hrs on on level 2 charger vs 4.5 hrs on the Volt)

 

Why does the Volt take so much longer to charge? Doesn't it have a similarly sized battery?

 

Yes, but the Volt's onboard charger (which converts AC from the wall to DC for the battery pack) is apparently pretty weak. Maximum 3.3-3.6 kW for the Volt, while the Clarity's onboard charger is rated at 6.6 kW. GM really should have upgraded to a 6.6 kW (or better) charger when they changed from Voltec 1.0 to Voltec 2.0, but they didn't.

Score one more for Honda engineering!
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We are probably beneficiaries of the charger that was specced out for the BEV. That would explain the 6.6kw

 

Great thread here. Thanks for all those posting such great information here. I can't believe there is no option for a heated steering wheel in the Clarity! Is this really true? I thought a heated steering wheel was no big deal until I got a car with one.

 

Very true. It wass probably my biggest disappointment. However, the texture on the wheel seems to stay kind of temperature neutral. It’s hard to explain, but it’s not like a hard plastic or stiff leather that is uncomfortable when cold. Its more soft and textured. It’s not as good as a heated wheel, but it’s not awful either.

 

I just dumped 2 1/2 months of charge data from my JuiceBox Pro 40 into an Excel spreadsheet.

The longest charge time has been 2 hours and 6 minutes.

 

Cheers to all here, Great info!

New owner of a silver Touring here as my daily. Came from a Cadillac ELR..........
Learning lots about the Clarity. Options are the Door guards, Chrome door liner, all weather floor mats, window tint and rear trunk liner.

 

How did you like the ELR? I almost went that route but the trunk opening was too small for my hockey gear to fit. The used prices are tempting, though, considering what they went for new.

 

If I told you this you won’t believe me,,,,,the trunk in the ELR is almost the same size!

 

I test drove one and brought my hockey bag to test it out. The trunk may be about the same size but the trunk opening is much smaller. I still always wanted a sporty Cadillac and the ELR looks sweet! But soon after my test drive I found the Clarity which had just been released and that was all she wrote.

 

Am very interested in the Honda Clarity PHEV.

1. Was wondering which of the many accessories you all recommended getting for it. There's a bunch listed for exterior, interior, and electronic. See https://automobiles.honda.com/clarity-plug-in-hybrid#build-price-app

Particularly curious about moldings, appliqué, splash guards, and the Backup Sensors package! Are they worth it?

I'd be building it from the base model rather than the Touring.

2. The other question was whether it would make more sense to wait a year, as first-year models tend to have issues and consumer ratings of reliability for Hondas have slipped in recent years.

 

As to the accessories you mentioned, several have posted that the back up sensors are not worth the high price and all the modifications and potential for cosmetic damage that may occur during dealer installation with no experience on a new model.
I think splash guards are helpful extra protection for not much money. They’re rather small and don’t stand out like a sore thumb.
The appliqué for the top of the rear bumper is good protection from loading/unloading the trunk but you can order 3M film for less than half the price and DIY. You can also use this approach to put clear film on door sills and door handle cavities. Keeps high heels and that Hope diamond you bought your wife from scratching the paint! The Honda appliqué is nice and thick though.
Check other threads on forum for what options and mods are being posted.

For #2, I thought about it but did not want to wait a year to drive a hybrid and get all the safety benefits of going from older CRV to Honda Sense.
Also, there is no guarantee that any major changes will take place. And the tax incentives might not be around then. Also financing is now 0.9% and that probably won’t go any lower.

If you’re really worried about reliability and plan on keeping the car longer than 3 yrs you can buy an extended warranty. I keep cars a long time so I got the Honda D80 8yr/100,00m Warranty for $1,304 on line. Probably would not have if it hadn’t been a brand new model with no history. Not worth regular dealer price here of $2600!

 

Thanks, Ken!

Helpful information...

 

Honda is far away from hitting the 200k car limit on EV tax incentives. Have there been changes to the existing rules?

 

No changes yet but no guarantees that it won’t one day be reduced or even rescinded.

 

Have anyone try to install a subwoofer to improve the base quality?

I'm thinking of using a low profile sub like this https://www.crutchfield.com/S-Ti8q2b5JOYc/p_130TSWH500/Pioneer-TS-WH500A.html

 

Hoping you all are OK with the Redding fires going on. Be safe..... P.S. I have the same exact color and Touring. Do get 18-069 and 18-079 patches appled by the dealer. You will probably have a rattle near both of the small tweeters on the A pillars (where the A pillar light colored moldings (covering the airbags and tweeters) meets the black dash moldings.