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 I had to agree to a PHEV (which I now see was the better choice.)Why does the Volt take so much longer to charge? Doesn't it have a similarly sized battery?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
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)
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.
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.
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.
No changes yet but no guarantees that it won’t one day be reduced or even rescinded.
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.We bought the first Honda Clarity off the truck Tuesday December 5th. We absolutely love the car. It's not perfect, but its the nicest and quietest car we've ever owned.
We've driven it 206 miles without using a drop of gas. This car was perfect for us. We live in the small remote city of Redding CA. The city is only about 7 miles in diameter so round trips are well within the 47 mile EV range. We daily take our son to school which is in a suburb 12 miles away. If my wife drops him off, goes to church, then to a store, and home, using the heater on cold mornings she'll use 30 miles of range. This coming weekend we will visit relatives 150 miles away so the hybrid mode will finally use some gas.
I'll be glad to answer any questions about the car. We bought the Touring model.
