Observations after 2 months ownership

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dante
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 37
  • Views Views 5K
D

Dante

Member
Hello everyone - 2018 Clarity owner here passing along my unsolicited 2c - a very long post ahead so you've been warned.

My personal situation:
I have a 110 mile commute (round trip - 55 each way) in central part of New Jersey, with 99% of it being flat. 36miles (~1/3) are side roads with stop lights and stop and go - barely breaking 50, but no traffic jams. The rest (74) is highway miles with good flow of traffic and hardly any back-up.

Knowing the commute, I set out to purchase a hybrid of some sort, and after ruling out all SUVs and Prius/Volt (too small, mpg unimpressive etc), I made my short list of Camry Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, Clarity, and Malibu hybrid.

Ruled out Camry and Malibu after looking at them in person (didn't test drive) and realizing first was ugly (IMO) and expensive, and second was expensive for what they offered. Test drove Accord hybrid and Clarity, and set on Clarity for primarily two advantages: Size/space and Price due to $7500 rebate. Accord in my opinion is beautiful and if it really cracks 40+mpg as advertised, it makes for a solid commuter car.

My car cost $33000 out the door (0.9% Honda financing)- including ~$900 in transfer fee, ~$2600 taxes, and ~260 regs/tags. I chose the base, not touring bcs I am super accustomed to Waze and GoogleMaps, and I prefer the synthetic cloth over leatherette. Dealer offers unlimited carwashes, charges, and pays the last $1500 on the loan (described to me as an incentive to bring you back and try to sell you another car after 5-6 years).

I fully charge nightly using my regular outlet in the garage with the provided cable. Car stays outside - I'm not looking to baby it as it is my true commuter horse. Have a L2 cable but haven't used it until I install a 220v outlet.

I use EV for all my off-highway miles and HV (no charging) for the highway portion, and I mean, as soon as I'm merged I hit the HV button and reverse once off the exit. This approach has worked the best at getting some efficiency, but I have to charge nightly and I fill up every 4 days (6-6.4G of regular gas), so I cannot make the 5 day work week on a single tank and nightly charges.
Additionally, this car has changed my driving style quite a bit. I was a left lane cruiser (75-80+mph) prior and now I almost never crack 70mph. There are no abrupt accelerations or merges (say you want to pass a semi with a smooth merge into oncoming left lane traffic) and I wait for a descent gap to pass. The car can, but I'm trying to figure out where the sweet spot is in regard to efficiency and performance... so if you feel like saying, you're pinching the penny, I truly am not, but there's a reason I didn't go for an M6 to commute to work. I see a lot of people in CA in this forum and I have no idea how they can pull those numbers where the average in those freeways is 85mph - I used to live there.
With temps in the 30s...occasional 40s and 20s in the area, the EV gauge display in the dash is useless - honestly I wish I could change it to something else. I get to do the 36miles with the battery and manage not to fully discharge prior to getting home, but is very close - 1-2 bars left over the standard 2 bars.

With heater running set at 70F and occasional window defroster/defogger might as well forget it - the battery runs out at a 0.6-0.5miles per every e-mile on the energy info screen (the only reliable source), so my EV capacity would be halved if I continued to use those amenities as I did with the gasser. My wife's SUV is set at 74F - imagine if she was commuting instead. Doesn't help that the early portion of the road is EV and that's where most of warming up and defogging happens (Can't pre-warm with standard plug)

I've driven the car with the dashboard vehicle centered perfectly on the green cirlce with EV and HV modes and the numbers are on the money - I mean perfectly on with the road miles - with 45F weather, no heat, no radio and a very granny style driving to keep the green circle on. That style of driving would drive you nuts or get you killed out here - it isn't practical for all intents. BTW I have Blink stations at work that charge 25c/Kw, however there are far too few stations compared to cars so we (etiquette we say) decided to prioritize Teslas. Also, with gas at $2.30gl it makes no real sense to charge at that cost.

I drove the car to where it showed 1mile left on the HV/gas side as I pulled at the gas station and it took 6.5gallons - I don't know where the 7gl capacity tank is, and before you say "well, .5-.7gl - no big deal), I say that's an extra 30miles or so on HV mode. By the way a full tank gets me 303 miles in HV mode.

Some last comments:

1. The rear wheel skirts are unsightly - I have no idea how much of an advantage that provides (aerodynamics) but it can't be much... wish they were traditional round fenders.

2. The car rides very well - I like that is on the heavy side as it makes for a comfortable drive. Could use a bit more road-noise insulation, but is not bad at all.

3. Speaking of the noise - the lawnmower engine under the hood ( I refuse to call it ICE or anything that hints at advanced engineering) is an embarrassment. To have that noise come out of the front and inside the cabin, when on EV mode (forget about if it needs to rev up on high - the angry bees should feel offended) just doesn't belong in this day and age. The camping Honda generator has a 47dbl noise rating - I'd rather have one of those under the hood than this thing. I hope they insulate or come up with an alternative somehow in the future.

4. I do wish I had a larger gas tank - for my situation I'd even take a 10gl one.

5. Trunk is impressive - by all accounts this is a full size sedan and it drives and handles that way.

6. The EV gauge mentioned already should not include the 2 bars of useless energy. The display should be programmed to show only the battery power that can be used for driving and nothing additional. Having a "live" more accurate reading based on outdoor temperature would be ideal - I believe it can be quite dangerous getting in the car and it shows 30ev miles to find out you only have 15-16 on a winter day. I don't think the driver should be the one to fudge the range each day, but I know is a pipe dream without some expensive AI implementation. At this point I pay attention to the gas range and anything EV is almost a bonus, because it fluctuates (slightly or severely) daily.

Bottom line as far as this goes, I feel like I got a full size, noisy hybrid, for a great price just over $20k that also allows me to play with EV and plug in stuff. If my work was 15-30 miles away, and there were no road races involved, it would be nothing but a super-fancy golf cart experience... ideal for that.

I know this is a very long post - I apologize and don't kill me for it, but I wrote something I wish was available when I was shopping for my car. I'll be happy to answer any questions if i can, and thank everyone for contributing to this very useful forum.

best regards
d
 
On mine, I ran the tank out of gas once. Then filled it to the top with 8.9 gallons. The low fuel light gave me exactly what the manual showed - 1.1 gallon.

When I did this experiment, I was showing 20 miles of EV left, and just happened to run out at an exit. This behavior is not recommended, and I have been appropriately scolded for this. :-)

At my secondary work location - 35 miles from my home, there are 5 dedicated 120-volt charging EV parking places. Paying attention, there are another 6-8 120-volt outlet scattered around the parking garage. I have used a couple of the others without any issue. Nice to be able to charge at work.

I've had mine for two months TODAY! I'm about 2,600 miles.
 
Weather this year has been very cold on the East. As the climate gets more mild, you may get a lot more consistent range. I wonder if running the engine early to get heat would help, since you are running the engine anyway. Rather than use electric for heat at the start.
 
I think given the fact that you in New Jersey with high electricity rates and given current low gas prices, and that you have such a long commute, the Clarity is not the ideal car for you given that the engine noise is so objectionable to you. Do you wish now that you got the Accord instead? Everyone has different reasons for wanting a plug in car. I'm in CT with also very high electricity costs and currently low gas prices. But our commute is short enough to use only EV for much of our driving.

For me, the reasons I value a plug in car are:
1) I love the feel of Electric Driving. I had a Leaf before I bought the Clarity, and fell in love with the quiet, smooth, quick performance of EV.
2) Cost Savings. This has become interesting. Bought our Leaf used (3 years old) because I was able to get a nice quality used car for $10,000. I also calculated that I would be saving money every month because my electricity cost was less than gas at $3 per gallon. Similar thinking with the Clarity. Up front price was really good. Very low lease rate, $2500 CT rebate, low residual purchase value. That still stands. I got a great deal on a family sized sedan, with a semi-luxury interior. However, now that gas prices are so low, I am saving no money monthly fuel wise vs. gasoline. Also, insurance costs are higher than I expected.
3) Love the ability to fill-up the car at home and not stop at gas stations. Before I bought EVs, I never really factored this in. Stopping at a gas station was just something that you had to do. But now, I really find not stopping for gas to be a real bonus. I used to always put it off until I was close to E.

That's the short list anyway. There are others, but I will keep it short.

I much prefer the EV drive mode of the clarity vs. HV mode, but HV does not bother me like it bothers you. I still love the Clarity, but with gas at $2.20 a gallon, I am not saving money like I had hoped. Although, I'm not sure what other 40 mpg car I would prefer.
 
Dante said:
I fully charge nightly using my regular outlet in the garage with the provided cable. Car stays outside - I'm not looking to baby it as it is my true commuter horse. Have a L2 cable but haven't used it until I install a 220v outlet.
Click to expand...

Do yourself a favor and install a 220v outlet so you can pre-condition the car during winter, so that won't bite as much into EV range. You'll be doing your wallet a favor in the long run, by using more electricity and less gasoline.

But that aside, I'm glad to see your report that you're using nearly all the battery capacity every day, which means you're saving about as much on using gas as you possibly can. You are the ideal customer for the Clarity PHEV!

Up the EV revolution!
:)
 
Last edited:
Dante said:
Hello everyone - 2018 Clarity owner here passing along my unsolicited 2c - a very long post ahead so you've been warned.

...<snip>...

Some last comments:

1. The rear wheel skirts are unsightly - I have no idea how much of an advantage that provides (aerodynamics) but it can't be much... wish they were traditional round fenders.
...<snip>...

d
Click to expand...

Maybe round fenders are more traditional, but if you look around you may notice how many rear fenders on today's cars are truncated at the top, above tire level, with a border parallel to the ground. Seems to be true especially with SUV's . What is a bit unusual about the Clarity's truncated border is that it is skew to the ground, and one can't immediately see how the angle relates to the general form of the car. By the way, I think literally they should be called "sightly" rather than "unsightly" since they have drawn yours and others attention(!). It would be wonderful if someone could find out how and why Honda chose that angle.

After a few sessions washing the car and noting its many angular planar surfaces, I find the best description of the car is that it is "multifaceted". And just as we do for people's faces, which we grow to find attractive as we grow fond of them, the same has happened for most of us who love the car.
 
I find those vestigial fender skirts are about the only thing that will someday let me spot another Clarity in the wild. There are at least a dozen Kias, Nissans, Toyotas, other Hondas and various other models that all have about the same shape.

I kind of like them, regardless!
 
Your experience (Dante) sounds familiar to me. I also have one of the Clarity's that make unusual sounds when EV range gets low (or zero). I also cannot retain 100% of EV range in HV mode. It drops down at a slow rate, but none-the-less it drops.

If I was you (this after driving for 4+ months- so still a relative newbie): I'd hit HV button the moment you leave, preserve the EV as best possible. If you like on the way home, and have 26 EV miles remaining, then at about 20 actual miles from home, tap HV again to go to EV only mode.

You'll get decent gas mileage with this car anyway, but the strategy I suggest may keep the car more comfortable to drive. i.e. HV mode on my Clarity is quiet (or reasonably quiet) if and only if I have say more than 5 EV estimated miles. That number gets low, or goes to zero, then I get loud and less powerful driving.

So long story short, for me, my only goal is to retain EV range as much as possible. Cost is irrelevant. It's still hugely cheaper than my old ride.
 
Dante said:
(Can't pre-warm with standard plug)
Click to expand...
Depends on your definition of "pre-warm". The preconditioning with a level-1 charger is quite lame. But it is worth doing. It won't raise the temperature of the cabin much, but it will heat the fluid so that when you begin your trip you won't be using EV range to do that. I don't know how much difference it will actually make and whether it's worth the hassle of turning it on, but you might want to give it a try.

If you are getting pushback from HondaLink about preconditioning on level-1, ignore it. You need to stop charging if you are still charging and when you turn on preconditioning it will restart charging, although obviously it won't actually be charging since you're all full, but the power will be going into the preconditioning.
 
Dan Albrich said:
Your experience (Dante) sounds familiar to me. I also have one of the Clarity's that make unusual sounds when EV range gets low (or zero). I also cannot retain 100% of EV range in HV mode. It drops down at a slow rate, but none-the-less it drops.

If I was you (this after driving for 4+ months- so still a relative newbie): I'd hit HV button the moment you leave, preserve the EV as best possible. If you like on the way home, and have 26 EV miles remaining, then at about 20 actual miles from home, tap HV again to go to EV only mode.

You'll get decent gas mileage with this car anyway, but the strategy I suggest may keep the car more comfortable to drive. i.e. HV mode on my Clarity is quiet (or reasonably quiet) if and only if I have say more than 5 EV estimated miles. That number gets low, or goes to zero, then I get loud and less powerful driving.

So long story short, for me, my only goal is to retain EV range as much as possible. Cost is irrelevant. It's still hugely cheaper than my old ride.
Click to expand...


Hi Dan - The EV noise was a typo. I think once the battery is depleted, it switches to HV automatically and the "bees" come alive at that point. I try not to drain the battery to the last usable drop, so before it gets there I just switch to HV. It is definitely the most cost effective vehicle for me as well, without range anxiety.
 
Mark W said:
I think given the fact that you in New Jersey with high electricity rates and given current low gas prices, and that you have such a long commute, the Clarity is not the ideal car for you given that the engine noise is so objectionable to you. Do you wish now that you got the Accord instead? Everyone has different reasons for wanting a plug in car. I'm in CT with also very high electricity costs and currently low gas prices. But our commute is short enough to use only EV for much of our driving.

For me, the reasons I value a plug in car are:
1) I love the feel of Electric Driving. I had a Leaf before I bought the Clarity, and fell in love with the quiet, smooth, quick performance of EV.
2) Cost Savings. This has become interesting. Bought our Leaf used (3 years old) because I was able to get a nice quality used car for $10,000. I also calculated that I would be saving money every month because my electricity cost was less than gas at $3 per gallon. Similar thinking with the Clarity. Up front price was really good. Very low lease rate, $2500 CT rebate, low residual purchase value. That still stands. I got a great deal on a family sized sedan, with a semi-luxury interior. However, now that gas prices are so low, I am saving no money monthly fuel wise vs. gasoline. Also, insurance costs are higher than I expected.
3) Love the ability to fill-up the car at home and not stop at gas stations. Before I bought EVs, I never really factored this in. Stopping at a gas station was just something that you had to do. But now, I really find not stopping for gas to be a real bonus. I used to always put it off until I was close to E.

That's the short list anyway. There are others, but I will keep it short.

I much prefer the EV drive mode of the clarity vs. HV mode, but HV does not bother me like it bothers you. I still love the Clarity, but with gas at $2.20 a gallon, I am not saving money like I had hoped. Although, I'm not sure what other 40 mpg car I would prefer.
Click to expand...


Regarding energy cost, I'm not sure how NJ compares to other states, but I have solar panels and honestly do not pay for electricity when it's all balanced out over the year. For this reason it makes sense for me to charge at home and with gas prices low (it went $2.45 in the last 2 days in my area) is still more economic to HV than to charge at commercial charging stations.

I do however expect the cost of gas to climb as well as the cost of electricity from the grid, so the savings for Clarity owner can only go up at this point regardless which way you look at it.

Thanks for the reply
 
Pushmi-Pullyu said:
Do yourself a favor and install a 220v outlet so you can pre-condition the car during winter, so that won't bite as much into EV range. You'll be doing your wallet a favor in the long run, by using more electricity and less gasoline.

But that aside, I'm glad to see your report that you're using nearly all the battery capacity every day, which means you're saving about as much on using gas as you possibly can. You are the ideal customer for the Clarity PHEV!

Up the EV revolution!
:)
Click to expand...

Once the weather gets a bit nicer I'm going to get that outlet installed. I agree with your suggestion and from what I've read on other posts that would make pre-conditioning the car a welcoming possibility.

I do believe that Clarity was the best option for my commute - all around pleased!
thanks for the post
 
Dante said:
Hello everyone - 2018 Clarity owner here passing along my unsolicited 2c - a very long post ahead so you've been warned.

My personal situation:
I have a 110 mile commute (round trip - 55 each way) in central part of New Jersey, with 99% of it being flat. 36miles (~1/3) are side roads with stop lights and stop and go - barely breaking 50, but no traffic jams. The rest (74) is highway miles with good flow of traffic and hardly any back-up.

Knowing the commute, I set out to purchase a hybrid of some sort, and after ruling out all SUVs and Prius/Volt (too small, mpg unimpressive etc), I made my short list of Camry Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, Clarity, and Malibu hybrid.

Ruled out Camry and Malibu after looking at them in person (didn't test drive) and realizing first was ugly (IMO) and expensive, and second was expensive for what they offered. Test drove Accord hybrid and Clarity, and set on Clarity for primarily two advantages: Size/space and Price due to $7500 rebate. Accord in my opinion is beautiful and if it really cracks 40+mpg as advertised, it makes for a solid commuter car.

My car cost $33000 out the door (0.9% Honda financing)- including ~$900 in transfer fee, ~$2600 taxes, and ~260 regs/tags. I chose the base, not touring bcs I am super accustomed to Waze and GoogleMaps, and I prefer the synthetic cloth over leatherette. Dealer offers unlimited carwashes, charges, and pays the last $1500 on the loan (described to me as an incentive to bring you back and try to sell you another car after 5-6 years).

I fully charge nightly using my regular outlet in the garage with the provided cable. Car stays outside - I'm not looking to baby it as it is my true commuter horse. Have a L2 cable but haven't used it until I install a 220v outlet.

I use EV for all my off-highway miles and HV (no charging) for the highway portion, and I mean, as soon as I'm merged I hit the HV button and reverse once off the exit. This approach has worked the best at getting some efficiency, but I have to charge nightly and I fill up every 4 days (6-6.4G of regular gas), so I cannot make the 5 day work week on a single tank and nightly charges.
Additionally, this car has changed my driving style quite a bit. I was a left lane cruiser (75-80+mph) prior and now I almost never crack 70mph. There are no abrupt accelerations or merges (say you want to pass a semi with a smooth merge into oncoming left lane traffic) and I wait for a descent gap to pass. The car can, but I'm trying to figure out where the sweet spot is in regard to efficiency and performance... so if you feel like saying, you're pinching the penny, I truly am not, but there's a reason I didn't go for an M6 to commute to work. I see a lot of people in CA in this forum and I have no idea how they can pull those numbers where the average in those freeways is 85mph - I used to live there.
With temps in the 30s...occasional 40s and 20s in the area, the EV gauge display in the dash is useless - honestly I wish I could change it to something else. I get to do the 36miles with the battery and manage not to fully discharge prior to getting home, but is very close - 1-2 bars left over the standard 2 bars.

With heater running set at 70F and occasional window defroster/defogger might as well forget it - the battery runs out at a 0.6-0.5miles per every e-mile on the energy info screen (the only reliable source), so my EV capacity would be halved if I continued to use those amenities as I did with the gasser. My wife's SUV is set at 74F - imagine if she was commuting instead. Doesn't help that the early portion of the road is EV and that's where most of warming up and defogging happens (Can't pre-warm with standard plug)

I've driven the car with the dashboard vehicle centered perfectly on the green cirlce with EV and HV modes and the numbers are on the money - I mean perfectly on with the road miles - with 45F weather, no heat, no radio and a very granny style driving to keep the green circle on. That style of driving would drive you nuts or get you killed out here - it isn't practical for all intents. BTW I have Blink stations at work that charge 25c/Kw, however there are far too few stations compared to cars so we (etiquette we say) decided to prioritize Teslas. Also, with gas at $2.30gl it makes no real sense to charge at that cost.

I drove the car to where it showed 1mile left on the HV/gas side as I pulled at the gas station and it took 6.5gallons - I don't know where the 7gl capacity tank is, and before you say "well, .5-.7gl - no big deal), I say that's an extra 30miles or so on HV mode. By the way a full tank gets me 303 miles in HV mode.

Some last comments:

1. The rear wheel skirts are unsightly - I have no idea how much of an advantage that provides (aerodynamics) but it can't be much... wish they were traditional round fenders.

2. The car rides very well - I like that is on the heavy side as it makes for a comfortable drive. Could use a bit more road-noise insulation, but is not bad at all.

3. Speaking of the noise - the lawnmower engine under the hood ( I refuse to call it ICE or anything that hints at advanced engineering) is an embarrassment. To have that noise come out of the front and inside the cabin, when on EV mode (forget about if it needs to rev up on high - the angry bees should feel offended) just doesn't belong in this day and age. The camping Honda generator has a 47dbl noise rating - I'd rather have one of those under the hood than this thing. I hope they insulate or come up with an alternative somehow in the future.

4. I do wish I had a larger gas tank - for my situation I'd even take a 10gl one.

5. Trunk is impressive - by all accounts this is a full size sedan and it drives and handles that way.

6. The EV gauge mentioned already should not include the 2 bars of useless energy. The display should be programmed to show only the battery power that can be used for driving and nothing additional. Having a "live" more accurate reading based on outdoor temperature would be ideal - I believe it can be quite dangerous getting in the car and it shows 30ev miles to find out you only have 15-16 on a winter day. I don't think the driver should be the one to fudge the range each day, but I know is a pipe dream without some expensive AI implementation. At this point I pay attention to the gas range and anything EV is almost a bonus, because it fluctuates (slightly or severely) daily.

Bottom line as far as this goes, I feel like I got a full size, noisy hybrid, for a great price just over $20k that also allows me to play with EV and plug in stuff. If my work was 15-30 miles away, and there were no road races involved, it would be nothing but a super-fancy golf cart experience... ideal for that.

I know this is a very long post - I apologize and don't kill me for it, but I wrote something I wish was available when I was shopping for my car. I'll be happy to answer any questions if i can, and thank everyone for contributing to this very useful forum.

best regards
d
Click to expand...
 
"I feel like I got a full size, noisy hybrid, for a great price just over $20k"

you should get your car checked out- I have taken many long highway trips in HV in NE on cold weather for the past 12 months and the engine can not be heard at 70 or 80mph. The only time it is noisy is if I run out of EV and run HV on local roads and have to climb a hill.

"With temps in the 30s...occasional 40s and 20s in the area, the EV gauge display in the dash is useless

Mine correlates exactly with what I have left- even on the highway where the EV range in lower because EV power is more efficient at low speeds.
 
LAF said:
"I feel like I got a full size, noisy hybrid, for a great price just over $20k"

you should get your car checked out- I have taken many long highway trips in HV in NE on cold weather for the past 12 months and the engine can not be heard at 70 or 80mph. The only time it is noisy is if I run out of EV and run HV on local roads and have to climb a hill.

"With temps in the 30s...occasional 40s and 20s in the area, the EV gauge display in the dash is useless

Mine correlates exactly with what I have left- even on the highway where the EV range in lower because EV power is more efficient at low speeds.
Click to expand...
That seems unbelievable. I can hear the engine in my Clarity virtually any time its on if the radio is off, even at 30 mph. At 80 mph it is quite intrusive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top