Ridiculous Review of the Clarity

[LAF]

Has anyone else seen this ridiculous review of the Clarity by Andrew Ganz?

https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/andrew-ganz/

So many absurd statements like

"the Honda Accord Hybrid’s 48 mpg combined makes the Clarity a tough sell"
At $37,530, our test car is a decent value, though Honda’s own Accord hybrid strikes a sweeter spot for those who aren’t insistent on a tailpipe emissions-free commute.

Duh-.Does he not know that after rebates the Clarity is cheaper by a lot than the Accord Hybrid. And he basically adds nothing in value to be able to drive all EV most of the time.

He actually implies the Prius is a better value

The Toyota Prius Prime offers about 25 miles of electric-only range, which is offset at least in part by a 54 mpg combined rating from the EPA, and a list price that’s about $5,000 less than an equivalent Clarity.

Duh- you get half the car in a Prius.


Then he complains about the size, but recommends the Accord which is essentially the same!

If your commute is less than 50 miles, you’ve got enough room to park the nearly 193-inch-long sedan, and cargo space isn’t essential, it’s not a bad choice.


I can't find a place for comments, but I am tempted to write to Digital Trends to ask for space to refute his review.

 

[cokeb5]

Honestly it seems like he is not very familiar with the car. I think it's a massive point that he doesn't seem to realize there's a $7,500 tax credit on the car - his big point is basically that the Accord and Insight are better value because they're cheaper, but that's not really true with the tax credit. Seems like he didn't do his due diligence.

 

[Mowcowbell]

And he makes is sound like a lot of drivers commute more than 50 miles per day. It's probably closer to 80% of drivers commute LESS than 50 miles per day.

 

[craze1cars]

Well I will go contrarian here again. I think ridiculous is strong. I own the car and agree with the majority of his review. It’s not like he tears it apart. He says the good things too. And his bullet points of pros and cons at the top address most of the deficiencies in his review you point out.

All are entitled to differing opinions, and everyone uses their cars differently. A lot of people don’t commute. And some don’t qualify for the tax credits, or choose not to consider any car that does on principal/political persuasion. I am opposed to the credits, but admit I took it. But as a fiscal conservative I’d be happier if the whole program was cancelled. Feds and state should do better things with tax dollars than making large down payments on brand new cars for people who don’t need the financial assistance. And all the credit does is cause instantaneous depreciation of the car value anyway...so for some there not as much gained as it seems.

I like my Clarity, but it’s not all that and a bag of chips. Many times I have thought an Insight or Accord hybrid may have been a slightly better choice for me. Agree length of Accord is same as Clarity, but in weight and secure handling there is no comparison...Clarity is nearly 800 lbs more, and the suspension and tires simply can’t handle it. This has been my biggest complaint about this car from the start. Reminds me of driving a 10 year old Buick Park Avenue. And if that’s what you like, it’s a perfect car. But this is not a drivers car. His complaints are similar to Consumer Reports and I know a lot of people here got bent out of shape over that review too.

But I have to admit I find a good amount of fairness and reality in both of these reviews.

 

[Landshark]

Yes, he doesn’t appear to be very good at his job, but that no longer seems the be a requirement to maintain gainful employment.

There is the Federal credit, if applicable, many state and power company rebates, or incentives, and the $4K Honda incentive. The 48 mile range is much more appealing than 25 for the Prius. It certainly reduces the need to seek out a charger when making a 40+ mile round trip. How much EV range will the Prius offer in freezing temperatures?

The Accord Hybrid will never be able to achieve 1500 miles or more on 3 gallons of gas. It may get better mileage as a hybrid, but it always uses gas. 95% of my driving can be accomplished in EV mode. That probably holds true for 95% of drivers. For someone who regularly drives 300 miles or more per day the small fuel tank and less than class leading mpg could become a minor annoyance.

Many who read that review will most likely dismiss the car as an option, going by his “No” recommendation. That may not be a big deal since the car is not readily available.

 

[Landshark]

And some don’t qualify for the tax credits, or choose not to consider any car that does on principal/political persuasion. I am opposed to the credits, but admit I took it.

Groucho Marx had principles. He had others in case the original ones weren’t acceptable.

I’d like to see government interventions eliminated as well, but what isn’t subsidized in one way or another?

We don’t make the rules, we just play by them. When one pops up that works to my advantage, I’m more than happy to use it. Pretty sure I’m still behind on the big scoreboard. So I’ll take back what I can get, rather than wait for the Fed and State to do better things with taxpayer dollars.

 

[BeMurda]

I like my Clarity, but it’s not all that and a bag of chips. Many times I have thought an Insight or Accord hybrid may have been a slightly better choice for me. Agree length of Accord is same as Clarity, but in weight and secure handling there is no comparison...Clarity is nearly 800 lbs more, and the suspension and tires simply can’t handle it. This has been my biggest complaint about this car from the start. Reminds me of driving a 10 year old Buick Park Avenue. And if that’s what you like, it’s a perfect car. But this is not a drivers car. His complaints are similar to Consumer Reports and I know a lot of people here got bent out of shape over that review too.

But I have to admit I find a good amount of fairness and reality in both of these reviews.

The suspension uses heavy duty components and design that make Motortrend reviewers refer to the ride as "spectacular", along with many other superlatives stated in many other reputable reviews. The idea that the suspension is overloaded is simply false and may be due to a problem with your unit. Or perhaps you just don't like a compliant ride. Certainly there is body roll and handling won't be as good as the Accord, but that's a whole different topic from ride and handling is still fairly average according to most reviews.

 

[LAF]

Well I will go contrarian here again. I think ridiculous is strong. I own the car and agree with the majority of his review. It’s not like he tears it apart. He says the good things too. And his bullet points of pros and cons at the top address most of the deficiencies in his review you point out.

All are entitled to differing opinions, and everyone uses their cars differently. A lot of people don’t commute. And some don’t qualify for the tax credits, or choose not to consider any car that does on principal/political persuasion. I am opposed to the credits, but admit I took it. But as a fiscal conservative I’d be happier if the whole program was cancelled. Feds and state should do better things with tax dollars than making large down payments on brand new cars for people who don’t need the financial assistance. And all the credit does is cause instantaneous depreciation of the car value anyway...so for some there not as much gained as it seems.

I like my Clarity, but it’s not all that and a bag of chips. Many times I have thought an Insight or Accord hybrid may have been a slightly better choice for me. Agree length of Accord is same as Clarity, but in weight and secure handling there is no comparison...Clarity is nearly 800 lbs more, and the suspension and tires simply can’t handle it. This has been my biggest complaint about this car from the start. Reminds me of driving a 10 year old Buick Park Avenue. And if that’s what you like, it’s a perfect car. But this is not a drivers car. His complaints are similar to Consumer Reports and I know a lot of people here got bent out of shape over that review too.

But I have to admit I find a good amount of fairness and reality in both of these reviews.

First- he said DON'T BUY IT". That is tearing it apart to me!!!
Second- I am sure some drive more than 50 miles a day and don't qualify for a tax credit, but the the vast majority of people use it less than 50 miles away and pay at least $7500 to the Fed govt in one year. And if that is the case, why does he like the Prius better.
Third- If you are opposed to tax credits, are you also opposed to credits for mortgage interest??. That is used by the super rich isn't it????? I would argue that most Clarity owners are not super rich and it is more in the public interest to stop producing CO2 than it is to get people to buy homes.
Fourth- both you and the reviewer don't seem to appreciate the feel of driving EV, which the hybrids to not allow (keeping aside the benefits to the environment)- most due, which is why the Tesla is so popular. This is the most affordable way to get that feel.

Fifth- He and you complain about the handling, yet he implies one should by the Prius instead- Driving a Prius makes the Clarity feel like a BMW.

Sixth-He also complains the trunk on the Clarity is small yet it is only 5% smaller than the Accord which he says he prefers.


Of course everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I think he included a lot of misleading, if not false, statements in his review, which deserves calling out.

 

[Lowell_Greenberg]

Should you get one?

"No. Honda’s Accord and Insight hybrids are ultimately better values for most buyers."

This is kind of moot since the car is only stocked in California-and apparently hard to get elsewhere.

The beauty of the Clarity is that most drivers can primarily rely on it as an EV- it is primarily an EV, with the ICE an adjunct to supplement its battery- and occasionally drive the wheels. This, the rebates/credits and all the positives Ganz points out make it a compelling buy- that many can't buy (easily).

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[coutinpe]

Has anyone else seen this ridiculous review of the Clarity by Andrew Ganz?

https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/andrew-ganz/

So many absurd statements like

"the Honda Accord Hybrid’s 48 mpg combined makes the Clarity a tough sell"
At $37,530, our test car is a decent value, though Honda’s own Accord hybrid strikes a sweeter spot for those who aren’t insistent on a tailpipe emissions-free commute.

Duh-.Does he not know that after rebates the Clarity is cheaper by a lot than the Accord Hybrid. And he basically adds nothing in value to be able to drive all EV most of the time.

He actually implies the Prius is a better value

The Toyota Prius Prime offers about 25 miles of electric-only range, which is offset at least in part by a 54 mpg combined rating from the EPA, and a list price that’s about $5,000 less than an equivalent Clarity.

Duh- you get half the car in a Prius.


Then he complains about the size, but recommends the Accord which is essentially the same!

If your commute is less than 50 miles, you’ve got enough room to park the nearly 193-inch-long sedan, and cargo space isn’t essential, it’s not a bad choice.


I can't find a place for comments, but I am tempted to write to Digital Trends to ask for space to refute his review.

Some lucky people just land a job like this on any media outlet and suddenly they become "authority gurus" of whatever and feel entitled to tell people what to do. Unfortunately, many people buy whatever writing from any of these lucky guys they read on print (either paper or digital) as absolute truths. Sad state of affairs... IMHO, I don't pay attention for any review except maybe the ones from Kelley Blue book, but in the end no review replaces the good ole test drive and would have never heard about this Ganzo guy hadn't you mentioned him ...

 

[MPower]

I don't usually fuss about reviews--"whatever"--but this one did seem subpar both in reference to the Clarity and the other cars he mentioned.

The fact that a person could talk about PHEVs and their relative cost and not even refer to the possibilities of tax credits is eye watering. To compare the Clarity to the Prius Prime without mentioning that the Prius takes only 4 passengers, whoa!

To leave the impression that the best way to run the car is to drive down to 0 EV and then let the ICE come on and then complain about the engine noise, nah. (I did that for the first time this evening because I underestimated the distance on EV -- had plenty to get there, but after recharging I forgot that there was an over alll up hill tilt going home. So it was noisier, to get it going again after dropping of my car pool and it complained on the rest of the short drive home from the park and ride.)

 

[Teslawannabe]

He missed the point of PHEV's, like most of the auto manufacturers.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Inside EVs mobile app

 

[Landshark]

Clarity is nearly 800 lbs more, and the suspension and tires simply can’t handle it. This has been my biggest complaint about this car from the start. Reminds me of driving a 10 year old Buick Park Avenue. And if that’s what you like, it’s a perfect car. But this is not a drivers car.

The tires are capable of handling the GVWR of ~4900lbs at 36psi. They are rated to a maximum psi of 44 which would support a load of ~5900lbs.

How did you conclude that they can’t handle the weight?

The tire compound is more suited to provide low rolling resistance and high mileage than it is to providing a sticky grip at the track or while canyon carving. Few would choose a Clarity as a race car or sports car.

I’d describe the ride as almost luxurious, in both urban and freeway conditions. It is a pleasure to drive and never feels “floaty” or uncomposed when driven in a reasonable manner.

 

[Tek_Freek]

I wrote to an editor at Digital Trends. Also clueless.

2019 Honda Clarity review: Not the hybrid you’re looking for

The Honda Clarity packs small-car economy in an ungainly package
By Andrew Ganz October 7, 2019 3:00AM PST

Me:

Your entire website loses credibility when a "reviewer" doesn't know what they are talking about.

Source: Me. A Honda Clarity owner.

Response:

Hey Roger - our reviewers give a fair shot to every product they evaluate, and in the past we've given both positive and negative reviews to Honda vehicles. We stand behind our review.

Thanks for reading!

Matt Katz
Associate Managing Editor
Digital Trends

 

[craze1cars]

To all who quoted me and asked questions...real simple...

I simply expressed my opinions. I understand others will and do differ. I see nothing to gain in starting a back and forth of differing interpretations and understandings and opinions. Nothing will be resolved, we will still have different opinions.

I very much like the car. We are keeping it. I also find it has some shortcomings.

Much like the reviewing company states it stands behind the review they wrote, I stand behind mine, and I still don’t have any qualms with theirs either. When Honda puts me on their payroll, I will ignore the negatives and only state the positives about the Clarity. But that hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll state both whenever discussing the car, online or off...

 

[Walt R]

I don't put much credibility in this review for the same reason I stopped reading most reviews: I don't drive, nor live, like a single, 25-year-old wannabe hotshoe. Long before I got my Clarity, the constant refrains about how "no one can come close to the EPA ratings" and "people care about the minute differences in plastic hardness" lost their relevance for me.

This reviewer makes typical biased mistakes - says a car with over 200 hp is underpowered (I remember when sports cars only had 140 and normal cars had 90-100), gets "just" 40 mpg (probably while being driven so hard that he admits he activates the ICE every time he accelerates to pass), and immediately after admitting that the 48 mile EV range makes it a good commuter car, dismisses that as if it's not a typical use of any car ("The Honda Clarity only works for commuters who rarely need to use its gasoline engine.").

The problem with the review is not the statements of fact. It is the lens of what the reviewer thinks matters in a car, which appears to be far from what the cars target market values.

 

[Landshark]

I simply expressed my opinions.

Opinions are fine.

A comment about the tires being unable to handle the weight of the vehicle is simply a false statement. The same may hold true for the statement about the suspension as well. Information on the suspension is not as readily available as it is for the tires.

This is just my opinion, I don’t believe Honda would engineer suspension components that are not capable of handling the the loads and forces they will be subject to while put to use. Another opinion, I don’t believe we will see an epidemic of premature failures with the tires and suspension components on the Clarity.

There is a difference between saying “I don’t like the way the tires squirm when I put the car into a drift.” and “The tires can’t handle the weight.”

 

[craze1cars]

My tire and suspension comments were intended to be subjective.

Implying that I drift my Clarity is more asinine in my opinion than the way I worded my tire and suspension comments, fwiw.

Seemed obvious to me when I reread my earlier post that I was referring to JUMPING my Clarity. Not drifting. Sorry I wasn’t clear. When the Clarity lands any jump exceeding 13 feet in height the suspension bottoms out and the tires all pop. Not only is the whole system overwhelmed but it also sucks that Honda doesn’t provide 4 spare tires.

I will submit that we could both benefit from thinking a bit more about how we choose to word things.

 

[LAF]

To all who quoted me and asked questions...real simple...

I simply expressed my opinions. I understand others will and do differ. I see nothing to gain in starting a back and forth of differing interpretations and understandings and opinions. Nothing will be resolved, we will still have different opinions.

I very much like the car. We are keeping it. I also find it has some shortcomings.

Much like the reviewing company states it stands behind the review they wrote, I stand behind mine, and I still don’t have any qualms with theirs either. When Honda puts me on their payroll, I will ignore the negatives and only state the positives about the Clarity. But that hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll state both whenever discussing the car, online or off...[/QUOTE

The reason I and I assume others find the reviewer's "opinions" upsetting is that as we all know the car is not selling well and this review can make it worse. This is despite that fact that almost everyone (including craze1cars) really likes that car on top of the fact that it helps the environment, which if not addressed is going to be devastating.

 

[Bender]

It has shortcomings.

However...
Price is not one of them. There is no vehicle that comes close in performance, utility, EV, or interior at $19k before ttl, what I paid for my new 2018 clarity touring after the $7500 technology enforcement tax incentive. In CA, its still around $20k for brand new 2019 touring after fed and state incentives.

EV range vs price is not one of them. The volt is the only similar range, but a much smaller car, low quality interior, and $$$$ even if it were still in production. The used Volt I looked at was more expensive than the Clarity. Full EVs start around double the price (~$40k Model 3, $40k Kia Niro EV although that's 32.5k after tax credit on the Kia).

Low Hybrid mode MPG is not one of them (insanity to compare with a tiny compact car that barely gets higher gas efficiency and say it's "bad". Comparing with a Camry or plug-in Fusion would be more sensical.). Hilarious to then turn and say performance is also terrible, right after comparing to one of the worst performance vehicles available (Prius).

"Noisiness" is not one of its shortcomings either, although I don't find it as super- quiet as some do. Even the 'angry bees' is less noisy than any ICE ive been in. I haven't figured out the angry bees though, happened to me one time but the one other time I ran down battery it was distinctly quieter. Additionally, even the angry bees is not loud at highway speeds due to baseline road noise, which is where the reviewer chose to complain....

What's funny is compiling the list of strengths and then claiming they're all weaknesses.