Robert_Alabama
Well-Known Member
I drive rather aggressively, but I don't like accidentally tripping the ICE. I drive in ECON mode 100% of the time, but try to stay just shy of the accelerator detent.
Clarity on ECON/EV mode
- Thread starter melklim
- Start date
- Replies 69
- Views 10K
Fast Eddie B
Well-Known Member
Again, hitting SPORT is part of my starting routine. As is paddling in 4 chevrons of regen and BRAKE HOLD.
Driven with a light foot, the ICE virtually never engages, so I see no downside there. The persistent regen is a definite plus for me. I see no appreciable difference in EV range.
In all, the car feels more responsive and less sluggish with hardly any downside.
I have no need to convert anyone. But for anyone who hasn’t tried it, I would suggest driving a week or so in SPORT - I think you just might end up a convert.
Driven with a light foot, the ICE virtually never engages, so I see no downside there. The persistent regen is a definite plus for me. I see no appreciable difference in EV range.
In all, the car feels more responsive and less sluggish with hardly any downside.
I have no need to convert anyone. But for anyone who hasn’t tried it, I would suggest driving a week or so in SPORT - I think you just might end up a convert.
Robert_Alabama
Well-Known Member
Yes, if I could make the ICE start tie to the detent at about 3/4 of accelerator with the Sport Mode, I'd drive in Sport. I am pretty much the opposite of light foot. In Sport mode, I think I'd have the ICE running pretty much constantly.
KentuckyKen
Well-Known Member
So my Clarity Will seat four Normals, just not one behind the wheel?
The Service Bulletin for that will be released shortly.
David in TN
Well-Known Member
"Normal" is a setting on a dryer. There is no normal aside from that.
We're all "crazy" - just to different extents.
We all have MY normal; however, that may not match many other's normal! ECO, HV, Sport, big foot, soft foot, EV, ICE, use paddles or not -- MY normal is probably different than anyone else. But, then again, I'm unique, just like everyone else!
We're all "crazy" - just to different extents.
We all have MY normal; however, that may not match many other's normal! ECO, HV, Sport, big foot, soft foot, EV, ICE, use paddles or not -- MY normal is probably different than anyone else. But, then again, I'm unique, just like everyone else!
David Towle
Well-Known Member
I would agree with the exception of ACC use on the highway, similar to what some others have said.
Rather than "pretty good" I would characterize the car's ACC behavior in Normal as "awful", "horrible" in Econ, and "lousy" in Sport. Both Normal and Econ cause the car to jerk forward and the power gauge to go up to near 100% when starting up a hill, whereas in Sport its more of a surge to just 50-60%. I can't stand that jerkiness. Lousy is the best selection here so I stick to Sport in ACC, and that has now spread to other times so I'm in Sport probably 80% of the time overall.
MPower
Well-Known Member
I have never experienced this. Are we talking about ACC use other than on the highway? I generally have mine set for the longest distance from the car in front (which is how I drive without CC) and everything is very smooth.
Clarity_Newbie
Active Member
David Towle
I agree with MPower's post...I have never had a "bad" experience using ACC. I tend to use it not only on the Interstate but on major roads as well. Deactivate when vehicle traffic moderate to heavy.
Only difference vs MPower....I have ACC set on "one bar" distance from vehicle ahead of me which is the closest setting. Caveat: I am a sedate driver and maintain plenty of distance between other vehicles when appropriate so that may explain some of my perceptions.
I drive "normal" mode vast majority of the time...come to think about it...I do not believe I have ever tried Econ/ACC combo so can't really speak to that. Sport mode seems to be just a bit more aggressive but tolerable for me.
David Towle
Well-Known Member
This has nothing to do with other cars on the road. I only occasionally use ACC off highway. You must not have much in the way of hills.
If I have it set at my usual 72 (which yields 71 or 72 depending on its mood) on a typical downhill, as I go along the flat afterwards the speed drops in all 3 modes. Because Econ has the slowest response it gets down to a low 68 in that, a high 68 in Normal, and a high 69 in Sport. Because the speed has fallen so far in Econ and Normal, the engine and power usage have to go way up to try to bring the car back to the set speed just when the uphill is at its steepest so everything has to work very hard to recover. That includes always dropping out of gear drive mode. In Sport it has to over-power for awhile but its not near as aggressive or noticeable.
OTOH it holds speed pretty accurately as I transition from a flat to a downhill.
My guess is this makes Sport the most economical highway setting too since it doesn't have to floor the system to recover. Hard to prove though since its such a small fraction of the driving time.
My previous car never varied more than 1 mph off the set speed. I would like my Clarity to do the same and I will discuss it with the dealer but I don't have much hope. It needs much faster response than Sport provides. Or anticipation of the hills like my foot can provide when that drive mode is engaged.
MPower
Well-Known Member
I live in central Vermont. It's all hills except when it's mountains. I drive in ECON 100% of the time. My only complaint about ACC is the slow uptake on passing a slower vehicle. If it is not quick enough I just press on the accelerator. Then it resets the ACCwhen I pull back into the right hand lane and slows down to the set speed.
David Towle
Well-Known Member
I go to central VT most every weekend in the winter and it does the same thing there, but the hills are longer so it doesn't happen as often as in southern CT. So could you sometime try setting yours on the highway to 72 and see how much the speed varies as you go up and down the hills? Or tell me how much yours varies at some other speed and I will run a comparison to mine?
MPower
Well-Known Member
I am going to Burlington tomorrow. I will use the ACC and try to pay attention. I don't usually drive faster than high 60s. I have had tickets. Don't want any more.
Fast Eddie B
Well-Known Member
I’ve never had a car with ACC, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I’ve had none of the issue since with jerkiness that David outlines. I’m almost always in SPORT, and vary the following distance with traffic conditions. Overall, I’d rate it a simple quite smooth.
MNSteve
Well-Known Member
I own a CRV with ACC. Although they have the same components, controls, and options the actual operation of the system on the two vehicles is significantly different. The biggest difference is that with the CRV after I speed up past the set point by pressing the accelerator to pass another vehicle and then remove the pressure on the accelerator, the car simply coasts back to the set speed. With the Clarity, in the same situation, it applies significant braking to reduce the speed to the set point, undershooting the goal, then applies power to return to the desired speed. Even if I hold down the accelerator enough to keep it disengaged until I return to the set speed, as soon as I release the pressure on the accelerator and re-engage the ACC, it still allows the speed to drop 2-3 mph then applies power. This behavior is worse in ECON. Compared to how the same system works on the CRV, I find it quite annoying.
I usually just drive in Normal mode. My foot is naturally easy on the accelerator, so I don't have much need for ECON. I also usually use ACC on the highway. I like the fact that it doesn't work hard to keep the car right at the requested speed. I prefer it to vary a little more to keep the engine revving smoother. Biggest annoyance is how long it takes to pick up speed when passing. Maybe I will try sport mode to see if that is more to my taste.
I have wondered if it is just a slow system processor, or a system processor that previous to the Clarity, had fewer duties to carry out. On your CRV, it had the duty to maintain the speed. On our Clarity, it has the duty to maintain the speed and determine the most efficient balance of engine and motor torque to provide for every given millisecond.
MPower
Well-Known Member
Ok, today I drove to Burlington across the Greens. The car was in ECON/HV with the ACC set for 67 mph and the longest distance from the car in front. The speed of the car varied from 65 to 67 mph. There was no sudden slowing down or speeding up except when coming up on a slow vehicle. Variations in speed seemed very gradual. Frankly, I would not have noticed if I had not promised to pay attention for you. (I have to make a special effort to see the mph on the DII because the steering wheel is in the way because I am short--so irritating.)
Maybe my expectations are low because, like @Fast Eddie B, I have never had ACC before. I love it. But I agree with his assessment:
David Towle
Well-Known Member
OK thank you for the special effort! Next time I am on the highway I will it set at 67 and see if that changes the jerkiness. My guess is it will, and maybe the different speeds we drive at are the main difference in how the ACC works.
So with the seat at its highest position and the wheel at its lowest position you can barely see the mph?
Usually I cruise on the Interstate around 70 - 72 and, if there is traffic, I just follow a good driver at about that speed, gap 3 if no one's around, gap 2 if it gets a little busier.
Sometimes I do that with ACC set to 74, SPORT - HV, so that if I want to pass still in ACC, I just mover over, Clarity speeds up to pass, then I move back. If the car in front is doing 70-72, I leave ACC set to 74, if there is no one there, I move it back down. If I'm not getting around fast enough, I might bump it up to 75 to get around.
If passing in ACC, and there are other folks around, this way (74-75) I get out of the way before someone doing 75-80 tailgates me. Just going back to manual for passing is fine too, but sometimes I get up to 77 by accident without realizing it, and that's the beginning of higher probability ticket territory on the upstate, NY side (apparently 80 is okay sometimes on the MA side).
In local EV driving, I mostly do ECON these days, very occasionally pushing SPORT if I want to change my speed quickly.
Sometimes I do that with ACC set to 74, SPORT - HV, so that if I want to pass still in ACC, I just mover over, Clarity speeds up to pass, then I move back. If the car in front is doing 70-72, I leave ACC set to 74, if there is no one there, I move it back down. If I'm not getting around fast enough, I might bump it up to 75 to get around.
If passing in ACC, and there are other folks around, this way (74-75) I get out of the way before someone doing 75-80 tailgates me. Just going back to manual for passing is fine too, but sometimes I get up to 77 by accident without realizing it, and that's the beginning of higher probability ticket territory on the upstate, NY side (apparently 80 is okay sometimes on the MA side).
In local EV driving, I mostly do ECON these days, very occasionally pushing SPORT if I want to change my speed quickly.
Last edited: