Consumer Reports Auto Issue 2019

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Sandroad

Sandroad

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This is sort of old news, but reinforced now in print. Consumer Reports' annual April auto issue for 2019 ranks the Clarity PHEV last among 17 mid-size cars. It also rates the reliability as much worse than average, but for some reason does not have a detailed chart for reliability areas like it does does for other vehicles. That information is only available at CR on-line for the Clarity.
 
Consumer Reports can’t always be trusted. Remember in the late 90s when they named the VW Passat the best vehicle in its class? Well I bought one on their recommendation and it was constantly in the shop.

Knock on wood, but my Clarity has been worry free over three months of driving.
 
I've been following Consumer Reports since I was a teenager in the 50's, and have subscribed for many of my adult years. I usually have had confidence in their ratings, but I have great difficulty in believing or accepting their assessment of the Clarity PHEV. That current issue is sitting, unopened on my coffee table, and I really don't want to read the rating. I've had my Clarity over a year, and I'm happier with it than any car that I've owned before. I know my experience is just anecdotal, but I would like to see their raw data to convince me otherwise.

Surely, they have considered the minor, new technology, first-year issues, such as the EV mileage, and charger power sensitivity, etc, that were resolved with firmware updates, and treated them as equal to more serious, and costly problems.
 
So the questions I have really cannot be answered except for in time. Now if in 10-15 years we learn what Clarity performance actually is, it would be handy to return to the reviews. Nobody has a crystal ball. Obviously, myself and many others are betting that Honda Clarity will be a strong performer for years to come.

From about 5 months of ownership all I can say is it's hands down the best car I've ever owned.

In terms of hybrids more generally- we do not have data to say that hybrids as a class are less reliable than their gas mobile cousins. In fact, many uber drivers and the like prefer (typically Prius), and some have far exceeded 200,000 miles. So we'll see, but I don't believe our car will perform badly in the scheme of things. Like others I do suspect Clarity got a bad rap from some inconvenient software issues. But none of that is a big deal.

The only problem I've seen in these forums of real concern is the loss of power issue a few folks have experienced. That's a real deal, but I don't know how many instances of that have occurred. It's simply never happened on my Clarity-- although I do occassionally hit the louder than average high-RPM sound when EV range goes to zero. My handling has been to simply never allow EV range to hit zero -- and problem solved.
 
I know this is off topic but someone mention the best PHEV.... Well, I was over at the Honda UK site and they have a PHEV CRV. It has all the missing goodies that Clarity lacks, like heated steering wheel, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic, volume knob, sunroof, and AWD.

The steering wheel in the CRV brochure looks like the same one we have in ours Clarity. Wonder if that is swapable.
 
For their reliability ratings, Consumer Reports simply crunches numbers based on survey results they receive from their members. I have not seen the article yet, but have seen some online data they have reported on the car. If they do not show a detailed report on reliability, that is probably because they do not have enough responses to their survey.

I think the survey asks the owner for problems that required the car to be brought to the dealer. I had two relatively minor ones (HV milage display, phone connectivity) with my Clarity. Also had another that most people would have brought their car into the dealer immediately for (Emmission System Failure message), but that problem went away after a few days and never returned. There were also other issues I had that got solved by reading here (i.e. problems with auto-lock). I have definitely have had more "minor issues" with this car than with other newish cars that I have bought. How do I feel about the car overall? I love it. I think the reliability will be good overall. I don't doubt the data from Consumer Reports though. I think Honda needs to address the common issues up front. Many people use Consumer Reports as part of their car research process. The Clarity looks bad. I know of a co-worker that was considering the Clarity, and the CR information did worry him.

I am surprised to see how far down quality and reliability lists Honda has fallen. I always remembered Toyota and Honda at the top of the various lists. Honda has slid down quite a bit.

I think most of the Clarity problems are 1) electronics issues that need to be fixed by Honda, and 2) Lack of understanding of how and when the engine runs. IMHO, Honda should
1) Apply the numerous software updates before the car is sold. I think they don't do this now because it costs the dealership more to do it before sale.
2) Fix some of the issues that make problems out of non-problems (requirement to re-calibrate low tire pressure warning, auto lock walkaway issues, etc.)
3) Dealers need to explain to buyers the when the engine will run and how engine RPM is usually not directly connected to accelerator pressure.

I also think that Honda needs to make some software changes to lessen the cases where hi-engine revving occurs. That's a whole other thread though :)
 
megreyhair said:
I know this is off topic but someone mention the best PHEV.... Well, I was over at the Honda UK site and they have a PHEV CRV. It has all the missing goodies that Clarity lacks, like heated steering wheel, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic, volume knob, sunroof, and AWD.

The steering wheel in the CRV brochure looks like the same one we have in ours Clarity. Wonder if that is swapable.
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I checked it out and could not find a PHEV, only a hybrid. Its definitely only a hybrid since it weighs only 3700 lbs. Where did you find the PHEV?
 
I know this is off topic but someone mention the best PHEV.... Well, I was over at the Honda UK site and they have a PHEV CRV. It has all the missing goodies that Clarity lacks, like heated steering wheel, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic, volume knob, sunroof, and AWD.

The steering wheel in the CRV brochure looks like the same one we have in ours Clarity. Wonder if that is swapable.
 
David Towle said:
I checked it out and could not find a PHEV, only a hybrid. Its definitely only a hybrid since it weighs only 3700 lbs. Where did you find the PHEV?
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I believe the upcoming Pilot PHEV is the only PHEV Honda has announced at this point. The CR-V Hybrid is not a PHEV.
 
To elaborate on the reliability data from CR……..

They collect reliability data on 17 “potential trouble spots” for cars their subscribers own in their annual auto survey. The ratings go from

much better than average
better than average
average
worse than average
much worse than average

For the Clarity, 15 of the 17 trouble spots rate as “much better than average” in reliability. The other 2 trouble spots (drive system and body integrity) rate as “ better than average”. From this, CR calculates the 2018 Clarity PHEV will be “much worse than average” in reliability. Go figure.

“Drive System” problems reported to CR are likely related to operation of the ICE, as discussed on this forum in several threads. “Body Integrity” problems reported to CR may stem from the door and trunk closing issues some have noted on this forum.

I wrote to the CR auto test director last year and asked about the reliability algorithm used for the Clarity because it went from a predicted “average” reliability to “much worse than average” reliability in just 3 months. I never heard back.

I researched their reliability algorithm some myself and discovered it takes a very small change in percentage of owners reporting a problem to have a car go from average to much worse than average. For example, in their description of how the numbers are crunched, they write that an additional 3% of owners reporting a problem will change a rating in a specific CR trouble spot from average to much worse than average. Or, if 3% fewer owners report a problem, the trouble spot will go from average to much better than average. Given the very small sample size they had for the Clarity, that shift (of less than 3% in this case because the shift was only to “better than average” from “average”) was likely caused by only a few owners at most.

The Clarity does rate “above average” in “owner satisfaction”, another data point from their annual survey.

I try not to be obsessed by the CR rating of the Clarity PHEV as much worse than average in reliability and the CR ranking of dead last among mid-size cars. But, that information does not represent my experience at all. Sadly, given the influence of CR in the marketplace, their ratings and rankings undoubtably affect value.
 
Sandroad said:
To elaborate on the reliability data from CR……..

They collect reliability data on 17 “potential trouble spots” for cars their subscribers own in their annual auto survey. The ratings go from

much better than average
better than average
average
worse than average
much worse than average

For the Clarity, 15 of the 17 trouble spots rate as “much better than average” in reliability. The other 2 trouble spots (drive system and body integrity) rate as “ better than average”. From this, CR calculates the 2018 Clarity PHEV will be “much worse than average” in reliability. Go figure.

“Drive System” problems reported to CR are likely related to operation of the ICE, as discussed on this forum in several threads. “Body Integrity” problems reported to CR may stem from the door and trunk closing issues some have noted on this forum.

I wrote to the CR auto test director last year and asked about the reliability algorithm used for the Clarity because it went from a predicted “average” reliability to “much worse than average” reliability in just 3 months. I never heard back.

I researched their reliability algorithm some myself and discovered it takes a very small change in percentage of owners reporting a problem to have a car go from average to much worse than average. For example, in their description of how the numbers are crunched, they write that an additional 3% of owners reporting a problem will change a rating in a specific CR trouble spot from average to much worse than average. Or, if 3% fewer owners report a problem, the trouble spot will go from average to much better than average. Given the very small sample size they had for the Clarity, that shift (of less than 3% in this case because the shift was only to “better than average” from “average”) was likely caused by only a few owners at most.

The Clarity does rate “above average” in “owner satisfaction”, another data point from their annual survey.

I try not to be obsessed by the CR rating of the Clarity PHEV as much worse than average in reliability and the CR ranking of dead last among mid-size cars. But, that information does not represent my experience at all. Sadly, given the influence of CR in the marketplace, their ratings and rankings undoubtably affect value.
Click to expand...
"Sadly, given the influence of CR in the marketplace, their ratings and rankings undoubtably affect value."

The answer to that problem is to drive it for 10+ years. Which I hope to do.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Inside EVs mobile app
 
Richard_arch74 said:
"Sadly, given the influence of CR in the marketplace, their ratings and rankings undoubtably affect value."

The answer to that problem is to drive it for 10+ years. Which I hope to do.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Inside EVs mobile app
Click to expand...

Since Clarity is year to date the second best selling plugin in the US beating the CR recommended Toyota Prius Prime I wouldn't assume CR is all that influential short or long term. CR has tried so hard to 'normalize' their rating criteria they've washed out a lot of the specifics of each model. They're also falling farther and farther behind the rapid tech evolution of autos in general and becoming less and less relevant. A few software patches are barely worth mentioning yet represent almost all the Clarity 'issues' to date. CR just can't keep up and publish ratings based on years old data.

12 month anniversary coming up next week. Zero trips back to the dealer. Zero problems. I'll have the A01 service performed Monday and patches applied. Only the HV range issue is noticeable. Great car.
 
For the last 20 years I've paid attention to CR for vacuum cleaners, washers etc. but not cars. They really do not seem to know what they are doing on cars.
 
David Towle said:
For the last 20 years I've paid attention to CR for vacuum cleaners, washers etc. but not cars. They really do not seem to know what they are doing on cars.
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Well.........I bought their top rated upright vacuum cleaner a couple years ago and it was such a poor handling machine I sold it within a month on Craigslist. The replacement I bought, based on user reviews from commercial sites, has been wonderful. I also recently replaced a CR top-rated washing machine because it couldn't keep itself clean, let alone clothes. The replacement is outstanding and was also purchased based on commercial site user reviews. It's as though CR forgets to actually use their tested products in a real-life situation for more than just a short test cycle. I think they are going to struggle to stay relevant, given their lack of depth and expertise. Heck, they even wrote that the Clarity has a standard CVT.
 
Gearhead said:
Since Clarity is year to date the second best selling plugin in the US beating the CR recommended Toyota Prius Prime I wouldn't assume CR is all that influential short or long term. CR has tried so hard to 'normalize' their rating criteria they've washed out a lot of the specifics of each model. They're also falling farther and farther behind the rapid tech evolution of autos in general and becoming less and less relevant. A few software patches are barely worth mentioning yet represent almost all the Clarity 'issues' to date. CR just can't keep up and publish ratings based on years old data.

12 month anniversary coming up next week. Zero trips back to the dealer. Zero problems. I'll have the A01 service performed Monday and patches applied. Only the HV range issue is noticeable. Great car.
Click to expand...
But, keep in mind CR had not tested the Clarity in time for the 2018 annual auto issue, so this year's April issue is the first time the Clarity has been seen in print from CR with such a dismal ranking and rating. I do suspect they are losing influence because of all the other places to get review information now.
 
The only thing I hate is the glare from the screen under direct sunlight, it does not improve much even after I applied a glare reducing screen protector!
 
JulianClarity said:
The only thing I hate is the glare from the screen under direct sunlight
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It has only happened to me a couple of times. (Both my Priuses had this problem as well as the Prius I test drove before I bought the Clarity.) I decided that if i find it bothersome too often, i will get some boxboard and make a little hood for it that i can pop on and off as needed.
 
I was a faithful follower of CR for years. I made about all of my major purchases based on their ratings. Then they started reporting actual purchasers' ratings of the products they tested. I was amazed at how far the ratings (usually bad) by actual users of the products were from the CR's ratings. I lost faith in CR.
 
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