Congratulations Clarity owners

One of the most interesting reports from the workshop illustrates the potential for what the EV infrastructure can be. The Minnesota team, Road Trip Recharged, drove a Tesla Model S sedan 1,200 miles to Salt Lake City, taking advantage of Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network and the car’s integrated software. Drivers Amanda Groethe and Whitney Ditlevson didn’t have to plan their charging stops—the car’s navigation system told them when and where they needed to go, and exactly how much time it would take to charge the vehicle at each location.
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That one paragraph tells why Tesla can't fail.
 
Yes. I hope that Tesla does very well and that others follow their lead. I see Teslas here regularly now.
For my use, however, a 50 mile PHEV like the Clarity is perfect. I have not bought gas since February, yet have anxiety free long range (and 3 minute gas stops) for those 3-4 times per year when I need it. Plus it has a reasonable amount of luxury for $30k or less delivered after rebate.
I am really surprised that the Volt is the only other car in this class at the moment. I considered the BMW 530e and Ioniq, but their ranges were too short.
 
So - my sister bought the Clarity Touring PHEV and 3 weeks later, it died for no apparent reason. Gardena (CA) Honda sent over a tow truck to scoop it up but refused to give her a loaner car while they repaired it.

In the mean time, I'd bought the standard PHEV and sent the following observations to Honda. Please excuse anger, naive comments, and improper terminology usage; I'd only had the car for a few weeks...

re: Mileage
My first MAJOR disappointment came during our drive from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon, AZ. We started with a full charge and full tank. The "Range" was supposed to be just under 400 miles but at 250 miles we were running on fumes and had to stop at a mom+pop gas station for 2 gallons of $6.50 emergency gas. It barely got us to the next major town where we filled-up again.

We ran in Economy Hybrid mode on highways and utilized the charge paddles to slow down and stop whenever possible. The only time we were able to run in Hybrid OFF mode was after going down a long hill with the charge paddles at 100%. That gave us a few bars which we used later on, on surface streets.
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re: Power
Our second MAJOR disappointment came during our drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, NV. Although MPG was okay (but not great at 40 MPG), the Clarity was so embarrassingly under-powered while going up the "El Cajon Pass," I had to move into the truck lane where 18-wheelers were passing me. Switching to the more "spirited" Sport mode helped a tiny bit but not enough to take me out of the truck lane. The engine was so loud and straining, I was embarrassed as Hyundai IONIQs, Toyota Prius', and Nissan Leafs flew past me.
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re: Taking Responsibility
I don't know exactly what the problem was, but my sister (who'd bought the Clarity Touring edition two weeks before me) had something disable her Clarity. Not her fault. Honda picked it up so she was car-less for a few days. Any other company would have given a loaner but not (Gardena, CA) Honda. They do not do loaner cars.
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re: LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System)
(my original opinion about LKAS has since changed)
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re: (ACC) Adaptive Cruise Control
I like the ACC
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re: (CMBS) Collision Mitigation Brake System
I hate CMBS. Even in it's shortest setting it brakes like a lead-footed Asian woman (I'm Asian so I can say that) whenever it approaches another automobile. It doesn't SEEM to matter if it's set near or far. Seems like it puts me in danger of being rear-ended myself because of sudden, illogical braking.
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re: Tire Pressure
I've driven nearly a dozen cars to Las Vegas over the past 40 years; VWs, Toyotas, Fords, Mitsubishis, Nissans, Hondas, Isuzus, Subarus...and I've never experienced what happened yesterday on my way back from Las Vegas. It was an early morning 91° f and as soon as we got onto the highway the "Low Tire Pressure" light appeared. I unpacked the Clarity's tire pump and checked all the tires' pressure. They were all 45-52 psi ! ! ! I was never able to get through to Roadside Assistance (which I will address in a separate "re:") but finally got through to someone via a back door. The girl was helpful and after checking with someone, said there could be (up to) a "6° rise in tire pressure because of the extreme heat. Of course, my tires were (up to) 16 psi over the recommended pressure but she recommended continuing to drive and checking the pressure every 60-90 minutes. I did not stop every 60-90 minutes and made it home without incident.

Back from Vegas, I checked the tire pressure and all the tires were still 45-52 psi. I used a full size Slime pressure gauge and set the pressure to 40 psi, then reset the TPMS using the instructions provided by the girl on the phone.

The saga continues. A day after resetting the TPMS a new message appears: I'll bet I have to leave the car at the dealer and walk home.
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re: Roadside Assistance
If I had been stranded on the side of the road in 120° temperatures I would be dead because the procedure for getting through to your Roadside Assistance is ridiculous.
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re: Promises, Promises
Let me count Honda's BROKEN promises:
1) State + Federal rebates.
2) Great gas mileage.
3) Powerful hybrid engine.
4) Quiet performance.
5) State-of-the-art technology.
6) Excellent sound system.
....The more we drive, the more we're discovering.

I'm so disappointed in Honda that I'd return this Clarity if I could...and wish we'd gone with the IONIQ instead.

BTW - here are some MINOR annoyances:
1) No "freebie" incentives like free maintenance, Honda rebates...you know, like every other car manufacturer in the world offers - tho I did get free popcorn at the dealership.
2) No GPS? Really? I have to get the Touring model to get GPS?

Please let me know if I've made any outstanding errors so I can correct them before posting this on blogs.

(end of first email to Honda)

(Honda's reply:)

Thank you for reaching out to us with your concerns. We appreciate the opportunity to document your feedback, and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience experienced with your new 2018 Clarity PHEV.

Your various comments and complaints regarding the features of the 2018 Clarity PHEV have been documented, and we appreciate the thorough review you provided of your experience. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. utilizes customer feedback in the development of new models, trims, features, and accessories, and your valuable input is essential to this process. As stated on page 415 of the Owner's Manual, the Lane Keep Assist System may automatically become suspended if it does not sense that your hands are on the wheel, and is not to be used as a substitution for your vehicle control.

The 2018 Clarity PHEV's range is affected by the outside temperature, and extreme hot or cold climates may decrease the available range of the vehicle. We encourage you to have your vehicle diagnosed at a Honda dealership if you feel that there is a malfunction with your vehicle that affects the range and power. The dealership service technicians are in the best position to address any potential issues, and provide the proper repair procedure. Please note that loaner vehicles are provided at the discretion of the servicing dealership, and are dependent on available dealership inventory. Dealership incentives, such as maintenance promotions or coupons, are also provided through the dealership service department itself; for details and inquiries regarding these programs, we recommend speaking with the Service Manager of your preferred Honda dealership.

We would like to gather additional information on your complaint regarding the state and federal rebates. At your earliest convenience, please describe what issue you are experiencing in participating in these programs. We look forward to your prompt response, and thank you for being a Honda customer.

Kind regards,
Honda Automobile Customer Service
 
I get 40 mpg at 80 mph, that is plenty good efficiency. You needed to reserve some charge in your battery for the mountain passes. Either use HV mode near the beginning of the trip or HV Charge mode 20 minutes out from your pass (although this can vary as it can take a while to charge the battery at 80 mph if it doesn't have spare power).

The spec sheet advertises the engine HP at 100 and that is going to be a problem on a mountain pass with a dead battery in a 4000 lb car at 80 mph, so this is all known going in, but still I can understand overlooking this. However, instead of complaining about the car, maybe figure out how to use it correctly. The Ioniq wouldn't work at all for me, it isn't big enough and has no electric heater, which immediately takes it off my list, plus a uselessly short EV range (for me).
 
I hope you'll continue your story after you've lived with your Clarity for a while.

Where did you learn about the promises that you listed in "Honda's broken promises?"

Allow me to address the broken promises.
Did Honda promise you state and federal rebates? I thoroughly investigated the federal tax credits before purchasing our Clarity so I would be sure to do everything to qualify for them. We have no state tax credits in Michigan. Have you driven other 2-ton cars that can get more than 40 MPG? I don't believe Honda touts anything about a powerful engine--it's very weak. The power comes from the 181-hp electric motor, but only if you have electricity stored in the battery for it to use. Likewise, the little engine that could does the best that it can, but unless it's getting help from the 181-hp electric motor, it's gotta work very hard to move this 2-ton car--under all other circumstances the Clarity PHEV is the quietest car I've ever driven.

With the bad start to your Clarity experience, it will take quite a car to change your mind. I believe the Clarity is up to the challenge.
 
Sorry you’re not happy with your Clarity and that your sister had a problem. Please let us know what was done to her car to fix it. Almost all is us on this forum are very happy with our Claritys.

I don’t understand most of your Promoses Broken list since my experiences have been very different
1) State + Federal rebates?
I will get all mine and I don’t know of any that the Clarity doesn’t qualify for.
2) Great gas mileage?
I’m beating the EPA numbers (110 MPGe/42 mpg) on the Mulroney sticker by quite a bit. I’m gettin 135 to 145 MPGe (using EPA calc, $0.09/kW) with ac on and 75/25 city/hwy. I also got 49 mpg on a 500 mile round trip in HV. (Speeds 60-75)
3) Powerful hybrid engine?
I got all the power I need in EV and on some significant hills on HV trip had plenty of power too. It drove just like a gasmobile. However it can’t perform with no charge in the traction battery.
4) Quiet performance?
Mine is so quiet, I can’t hear the ICE come on when it’s at low rev and on Interstate HV, I have to really try to notice it all. On the steep hill climb I had, it reved up to only a moderate hum. Not bad at all. I’ve never heard any of the angry bees high reving. (Just don’t try to climb hills with no usable charge.)
5) State-of-the-art technology?
Only the central head unit has old technology; the rest of the car is very high tech.
6) Excellent sound system?
You got me on this one. The audio is average or good but definitely not excellent.

I think if you learn how to use the various drive modes (esp on hills), you’ll have a very different and more pleasant experience. If you start your HV trips with a significant charge, you’ll find even hill climbs are no problem power wise and can be quiet at reasonable elevations.
 
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With regards to the tire pressure, the stated proper inflation for all tires is 36 psi. What happens is that dealers over inflate them to avoid flat spots as the cars sit on the lot. At delivery, the dealer is supposed to set the tires to the proper pressure. I had my tires set to 50 psi at delivery.

With regards to power, I have a feeling you may not be clear on the different driving modes. HV mode will give you about 45mpg and it's meant for highway use. This will use the batteries and charge them when possible. HV charge mode, will use the engine to recharge the batteries to about 58%. In this mode, expect 30-35mpg and you will hear the engine bees.

Regarding rebates, the web site lists you can get a federal rebate up to 7500, and also lists the different regions and states that can get additional state rebates. But you need to do your homework to see if you can actually get any rebates.

Oil changes, loaner cars, etc are all things dealers offer. Some are better than others. Honda Care includes rental reimbursement.

Yes, the car is not perfect and has some software bugs but not sure it's as bad as you put it.
 
I've seen one in my work place. In fact, quite often. Maybe i should leave a sticker to say hi?
Another on street too.
 
The first time I took a trip past the end of the battery (120 mile trip), I was disappointed when the battery died and the engine went to high rpms. I have learned that long trips should be started in HV mode, and switch to EV mode for the end of the trip. I just push the HV button once to get to HV mode. How do I get to HV charge mode?
 
After holding down the HV button you will get a confirmation on the driver’s display on the left. “CHARGE” with a box around it will illuminate.
 
I haven't seen another one in central Vermont yet, but our local Honda dealer says they have been averaging about 2 sales per month.
 
I drive between Orange County and Los Angeles/Burbank daily and I’ve seen 2 others aside from my own. A lot of dealers in Orange County still have a number of them on the lot, but with the current HOV sticker program expiring at the end of the year and the Clarity PHEV being one of the cars that qualify for the program that starts next year, I expect to see them more often.
 
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