Talked to three different people at work today and none of them had ever heard of the clarity. Honda just isn’t advertising this car. When I was shopping only one dealer out of the four I visited even had one anywhere close to where a shopper could see it. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, but I’ll take my incentive money and free charging at work to the bank!
Honda Clarity was hit with the ugly stick...but net cost over looks!
- Thread starter LaCucaracha
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neal adkins
Active Member
The Civic looks like something from Mars imho. The clarity is not just a first generation phev. From what I have learned on this forum it has much of the proven technology of the accord hybrid. I think we picked a good time to roll the dice on this one. Honda has been making hybrid vehicles for around 20 years and have risen to the top on this one. Awesome car and great value.
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I love the look of my white Clarity with the black interior. Never thought of it as ugly. I thought it looked strange at first look through the Honda marketing pictures, but when I saw it in person it was fine.
Test drove it once (almost empty) and that was it.
Everyone I’ve shown it to like it, except my sister (who has not actually made any comments on it) but she’s got no taste in cars
How did you locate a White Clarity with black interior? All the ones I have found in white have the beige interior- which is a no-go for me!
Answer: Canada, we ‘suffer’ with beige interior with white exterior.
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V8Power
Active Member
Our Canadian white Clarity came with black interior and the brochure shows that too.
Yeah I really liked the dark interior as well over beige. I was glad that there weren't lots of options on the clarity, but dark interior + lighter exterior would have been good
. Didn't realize that Canada lucked out. I ended up with black/black because the dealer didn't have any more of the dark grey left.
Rajiv Vaidyanathan
Active Member
None of the auto places I've taken it to have heard of this car. Not the tire place and not the mechanic who rotated my tires.
Heck, when I call my local dealership for a service, I ahve to repeat the name three times. The receptionist at the Honda dealership that sold me the car said, "Wow, I've never heard of the Honda Clarity."
Bizarre.
Industrial
New Member
Nobody around me has ever seen or heard of my car either.
Me personally, I like the way the car looks. Black on black, it looks like some kind of futuristic caddy from any front angle. Admittedly the back and rear 3/4 is a bit ugly. The accord is gorgeous from every angle but it came down to whether an accord hybrid touring was worth $6000 more than a clarity touring. Which is just insane to me.
Me personally, I like the way the car looks. Black on black, it looks like some kind of futuristic caddy from any front angle. Admittedly the back and rear 3/4 is a bit ugly. The accord is gorgeous from every angle but it came down to whether an accord hybrid touring was worth $6000 more than a clarity touring. Which is just insane to me.
DVoran
Member
I’m thinking the bottom line is determining the publicity. If Honda is like most companies, each “brand” is in its own silo. The problem with PHEV’s is they are money losers for the company as they are probably priced below their actual cost. Think about it. Not only do they have to bear the cost of an ICE and a BEV but they have to have some pretty sophisticated software and transmission engineering to switch efficiently between the two power modes. My guess is the more they sell the less they make, ergo the soft sell or “no” sell.
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SThomas219
Active Member
Here in Syracuse (NY), one Honda dealership has sold a bunch. They are leasing them super cheap with 10% down on MSRP then take the federal and state ($1,700 for Clarity) to lower the lease cost. Got mine for $125/month. I see a few driving around the area. Hard not to see the DRL's on this car. I describe its looks as one only an owner could love. 
Hoping after the 3yr/36K lease runs its course, I will have more options for alternative fuel transportation.
Hoping after the 3yr/36K lease runs its course, I will have more options for alternative fuel transportation.
Here in Syracuse (NY), one Honda dealership has sold a bunch. They are leasing them super cheap with 10% down on MSRP then take the federal and state ($1,700 for Clarity) to lower the lease cost. Got mine for $125/month. I see a few driving around the area. Hard not to see the DRL's on this car. I describe its looks as one only an owner could love.
Hoping after the 3yr/36K lease runs its course, I will have more options for alternative fuel transportation.
Wow only $125/month?? Thats super cheap. Are you factoring in other things to get that low or is that your actual payment? How much down?
SThomas219
Active Member
$3K at signing (the percentage I referred to) plus another $600 for taxes, DMV, plates, etc. I declined all the dealer stuff like sealant, FOB replacement and one I never heard of where they would "pop out" any dents incurred over the lease. Just wanted the $125/month. I figured the gas I put in the vehicle it is replacing came to about $150 a month. Should be about a wash on my bottom line.
They have been advertising the deal on TV, online and newspapers all month. Had to take delivery of a Base Clarity PHEV from dealer stock or, in my case, one en route to the dealer by the end of October (2018). Will pick up the car tonight as it came in over the weekend.
Awesome! East coast seems to have way better deals than west. Here it is just under $300 per month with $3k down.
petteyg359
Well-Known Member
And in return we all shake our heads in disgust and pity for you. There's a reason you got the county/state/federal incentive rebates, and it's not because people's backyard compost piles are decomposing.
Careful, don't get pulled into a silly argument with someone who calls themselves LaCucaracha. That's Mexican for troll (OK, I know it isn't, but it's close).
Today's Autoweek newsletter lists "The Coolest 25-Year-Old Cars You Can Import Into the United States in 2019." The third car on the list is the 1994 Maserati Quattroporte 2.8. I noted something familiar in Marcello Gandini's design for this exotic Italian car:
Then I recalled Gandini's most famous design, the groundbreaking 1974 supercar, the Lamborghini Countach LP-400:
Marcello Gandini is only 80 years old. Could he have consulted with Honda on the design of the Clarity?
Then I recalled Gandini's most famous design, the groundbreaking 1974 supercar, the Lamborghini Countach LP-400:
Marcello Gandini is only 80 years old. Could he have consulted with Honda on the design of the Clarity?
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I found cockroaches rather pretty in appearance and I often observe them grooming themselves excessively so I know they are clean animals. If I ever found one roaming inside my house, I would carefully pick them up and hold them in my hand and transfer them outside so they can strive.
On the other hand, I found clarity rather good looking and amazing for city commute. I think it looks better than my old 15' accord V6 or my wife's new mustang, or my Z1000 (which I sold alone with my accord to get my beautiful Clarity)
On the other hand, I found clarity rather good looking and amazing for city commute. I think it looks better than my old 15' accord V6 or my wife's new mustang, or my Z1000 (which I sold alone with my accord to get my beautiful Clarity)
David Towle
Well-Known Member
Gandini copied the rear wheel spat from a humble economy car, the Citroen GS Break, which was first sold in Sept. 1971. Of course that's not generally uncommon in the auto industry, but going from an economy car to a supercar probably is unusual. Of course this was also a groundbreaking car but in different ways.
Here's mine which although its a 1983 still has the same body lines.
Here's mine which although its a 1983 still has the same body lines.
David Towle
Well-Known Member
I should have mentioned the GS designs were from the pen of Robert Opron, a designer who should be better known than he is.
KentuckyKen
Well-Known Member
I hate to rain on the automotive artist’s parade, but the rear wheel covers or spats or whatever you call them are there for aerodynamics and not stylistic beauty.
The only way the Clarity works is because of its aerodynamics, light weight (yes I know it’s a 2 ton car, but it could be worse), and regenerative braking. It’s a very involved and complicated calculation and trade off between all the factors of weight, engine size, battery capacity and cost, overall price, etc. Not to mention designing one platform for BEV, FC, and PHEV.
Thankfully for all of us, Honda got it right.
And if that takes having covers on the rear wheels, then I don’t mind. Personally, the Clarity is growing on me visually. I think it looks quite sleek and very unsedan like. As I’ve posted earlier, the Prius says beat me up and take my lunch while the Clarity says come fly with me. I also like that it is still unique and I have one of the very few on road here in coal country.
The only way the Clarity works is because of its aerodynamics, light weight (yes I know it’s a 2 ton car, but it could be worse), and regenerative braking. It’s a very involved and complicated calculation and trade off between all the factors of weight, engine size, battery capacity and cost, overall price, etc. Not to mention designing one platform for BEV, FC, and PHEV.
Thankfully for all of us, Honda got it right.
And if that takes having covers on the rear wheels, then I don’t mind. Personally, the Clarity is growing on me visually. I think it looks quite sleek and very unsedan like. As I’ve posted earlier, the Prius says beat me up and take my lunch while the Clarity says come fly with me. I also like that it is still unique and I have one of the very few on road here in coal country.