2018 Honda Clarity Plug In Hybrid Review / Comparison - In 4K
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Date: 2019-05-30
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Comments and reviews: 10
Matt Adams
Hi Current Clarity PHEV (Touring) owner here - this video is one of the things that helped me make the decision between the available PHEVs available. I definitely like to drive my Clarity like an EV with a backup plan and find that I can drive to and from work and do some shopping fairly comfortably for 2 days on a single charge. As my apartment complexs EV charging station is about 1/2 mile away from my unit, Im glad to know that I can go without charging in inclement weather or when Ive got a lot of stuff to take to my room. As you noted, the regen is a bit weird, but Ive grown to like how Honda handled it. More on that below. I was primarily split between the Clarity and Volt as I know someone with an Optima Hybrid (2012. They take great care of their Optima, but the steering wheel material is flaking off, the seat cushion has gone flat, and the hybrid drive system (even after numerous firmware upgrades) is iffy at best. Ive also had issues with both Kia and Hyundais Infinity sound systems - Ive never been able to tune them to suit my tastes and the Bluetooth modules cant handle modern high-end audio codecs (and at least on the 2017 Santa Fe have some serious issues with WOW over Bluetooth. I was almost going to buy the Volt because of some of the safety features and its hatch style trunk, but the dealers nearest to where I live arent Volt certified and, due to Chevy regulations, cant purchase tools to service the Volt and they cant order Volts for sales or test drives. Since the local mechanics I trust wont touch a car with any form of electric drive, I dont feel comfortable driving a car that Ill have to take 90 miles for even routine service. Add to that Hondas legendary reliability and service (even flying Honda engineers from Japan to diagnose and fix an Insight that the American service teams couldnt figure out, and the choice was clear to me - if I want a PHEV that isnt likely to break down and leave me with the choice of Scrap it or tow it 90 miles, Ive gotta go with Clarity. In the 5 months Ive been driving my Clarity, I do miss having adjustable lumbar support and have had a few issues with Android Auto which I think wouldve been fixed by using the newer audio system. Those are my only gripes. I never use sun roofs since I get sun burnt quite easily and had to apply heavy tint to the sunroof in my last car to avoid getting burnt too badly. The cargo and seating space are big upgrades from my old Acura RSX (coupe/hatch, and due to my driving style, I get better than EPA rated fuel economy at least 70% of the time. More on the regen paddles and braking: I can drive my Clarity like a normal car, coast like a normal car, then up the regen for light braking to adjust speed or following distance. The regen adds a good bit of force to the brake pedal. Now, its second nature to up the regen merely feather the brakes until I need to come to a stop in situations like highway off-ramps and city driving. Ive had one or two emergency situations where Ive needed to brake hard and, with max regen + traditional brakes, Ive found the braking distance to be pretty good for a 2-ton car(long post is long - no apologies from me)
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Hi Current Clarity PHEV (Touring) owner here - this video is one of the things that helped me make the decision between the available PHEVs available. I definitely like to drive my Clarity like an EV with a backup plan and find that I can drive to and from work and do some shopping fairly comfortably for 2 days on a single charge. As my apartment complexs EV charging station is about 1/2 mile away from my unit, Im glad to know that I can go without charging in inclement weather or when Ive got a lot of stuff to take to my room. As you noted, the regen is a bit weird, but Ive grown to like how Honda handled it. More on that below. I was primarily split between the Clarity and Volt as I know someone with an Optima Hybrid (2012. They take great care of their Optima, but the steering wheel material is flaking off, the seat cushion has gone flat, and the hybrid drive system (even after numerous firmware upgrades) is iffy at best. Ive also had issues with both Kia and Hyundais Infinity sound systems - Ive never been able to tune them to suit my tastes and the Bluetooth modules cant handle modern high-end audio codecs (and at least on the 2017 Santa Fe have some serious issues with WOW over Bluetooth. I was almost going to buy the Volt because of some of the safety features and its hatch style trunk, but the dealers nearest to where I live arent Volt certified and, due to Chevy regulations, cant purchase tools to service the Volt and they cant order Volts for sales or test drives. Since the local mechanics I trust wont touch a car with any form of electric drive, I dont feel comfortable driving a car that Ill have to take 90 miles for even routine service. Add to that Hondas legendary reliability and service (even flying Honda engineers from Japan to diagnose and fix an Insight that the American service teams couldnt figure out, and the choice was clear to me - if I want a PHEV that isnt likely to break down and leave me with the choice of Scrap it or tow it 90 miles, Ive gotta go with Clarity. In the 5 months Ive been driving my Clarity, I do miss having adjustable lumbar support and have had a few issues with Android Auto which I think wouldve been fixed by using the newer audio system. Those are my only gripes. I never use sun roofs since I get sun burnt quite easily and had to apply heavy tint to the sunroof in my last car to avoid getting burnt too badly. The cargo and seating space are big upgrades from my old Acura RSX (coupe/hatch, and due to my driving style, I get better than EPA rated fuel economy at least 70% of the time. More on the regen paddles and braking: I can drive my Clarity like a normal car, coast like a normal car, then up the regen for light braking to adjust speed or following distance. The regen adds a good bit of force to the brake pedal. Now, its second nature to up the regen merely feather the brakes until I need to come to a stop in situations like highway off-ramps and city driving. Ive had one or two emergency situations where Ive needed to brake hard and, with max regen + traditional brakes, Ive found the braking distance to be pretty good for a 2-ton car(long post is long - no apologies from me)
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Jeff Pidot
Ive owned a Clarity PHEV since they were introduced in December 2017, and at this point have over 6000 miles on it. I like and even enjoy the car, but it does have its quirks and annoyances. The worst of them is the rough sounding gas engine that comes on when battery power is depleted. At high speeds it isnt noticeable, but at lower ones it is disconcerting, particularly when going uphill and especially compared to the serenely quiet ride one gets when running on electric. Other anomalies include the confusing infotainment system that needs updating with the one in the new Accord, the weak high beams, and the always badly overstated mileage range reading on the instrument panel for hybrid power. Honda is aware of all these issues, as the internet is replete with reports of them. That said, one anomaly that makes little difference but is much focused on by Alex and some other reviewers is the lack of a lumbar seat adjustment. This would be a serious drawback for me but for the fact that the seat has excellent lumbar support; its just not adjustable, but really so what? Until recently, very few cars had adjustable lumbar support. Sit in the car and see for yourself. Most people find it very comfortable. On this issue, it is just incorrect to say that there is no lumbar support. On balance, the Clarity is a refined car to drive and inhabit, especially when operating in electric mode. It has plenty of power. The interior is positively elegant, while the exterior is nice enough, a lot better to look at than the ubiquitous SUV. It is very efficient, especially given its considerable size and weight. It charges overnight off of a typical 110 household electrical receptacle found in every garage. It has excellent range on electric, up to 60 miles in warm weather, though the range of all electric cars suffers badly in very cold weather. Finally, and importantly, after the federal tax credit of 7500 which is available for this car (only half of which is available for the Prius PHEV while none is available for a standard hybrid, the cost ends up being considerably lower than a comparably equipped Accord or Camry hybrid that has no electric-only range; and that makes the Clarity a very good value.
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Ive owned a Clarity PHEV since they were introduced in December 2017, and at this point have over 6000 miles on it. I like and even enjoy the car, but it does have its quirks and annoyances. The worst of them is the rough sounding gas engine that comes on when battery power is depleted. At high speeds it isnt noticeable, but at lower ones it is disconcerting, particularly when going uphill and especially compared to the serenely quiet ride one gets when running on electric. Other anomalies include the confusing infotainment system that needs updating with the one in the new Accord, the weak high beams, and the always badly overstated mileage range reading on the instrument panel for hybrid power. Honda is aware of all these issues, as the internet is replete with reports of them. That said, one anomaly that makes little difference but is much focused on by Alex and some other reviewers is the lack of a lumbar seat adjustment. This would be a serious drawback for me but for the fact that the seat has excellent lumbar support; its just not adjustable, but really so what? Until recently, very few cars had adjustable lumbar support. Sit in the car and see for yourself. Most people find it very comfortable. On this issue, it is just incorrect to say that there is no lumbar support. On balance, the Clarity is a refined car to drive and inhabit, especially when operating in electric mode. It has plenty of power. The interior is positively elegant, while the exterior is nice enough, a lot better to look at than the ubiquitous SUV. It is very efficient, especially given its considerable size and weight. It charges overnight off of a typical 110 household electrical receptacle found in every garage. It has excellent range on electric, up to 60 miles in warm weather, though the range of all electric cars suffers badly in very cold weather. Finally, and importantly, after the federal tax credit of 7500 which is available for this car (only half of which is available for the Prius PHEV while none is available for a standard hybrid, the cost ends up being considerably lower than a comparably equipped Accord or Camry hybrid that has no electric-only range; and that makes the Clarity a very good value.
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Paul best
HONDA wins yet once again. I told everyone for yrs, Honda is #1, and will remain #1 for a long time to come. Congratulations to Honda for bringing the world the best hybrid auto. Poor Toyota and Nissian. ,They will always be #2, 3, always. Smart folks drive H, and they know it, = that they are the smarter. ///We have a 2017 CRV, Copper color, the darker copper, not that bright orangy color of 2016, It is pearl. and you can note the pearl in the sun. I prefer this copper over the wine color. .Runs a tiny rough at idle, that is because they ramped up the torque over the 2016, more power drain, all you have to do, is at a red light, put it in neutral. other than that, shes a winner over T and N. also the AC ciould have been a tad better here in the blazing sun of New Orleans, one member told me all I need to do to correct the weak AC is to have windows tinted, I have 20%, and that is not enough, has to go 40% + back passanger to limo, perhaps rear to limo, if wife will allow it, it is her car, if I owned it, Id have limo in rear, and the AC would cool like a freezer. anyway that s my review of the CRV, sadly H does not offer the copper color any longer, H s colors are all OK, nothing great, But then we do not buya car only for color, but performance.
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HONDA wins yet once again. I told everyone for yrs, Honda is #1, and will remain #1 for a long time to come. Congratulations to Honda for bringing the world the best hybrid auto. Poor Toyota and Nissian. ,They will always be #2, 3, always. Smart folks drive H, and they know it, = that they are the smarter. ///We have a 2017 CRV, Copper color, the darker copper, not that bright orangy color of 2016, It is pearl. and you can note the pearl in the sun. I prefer this copper over the wine color. .Runs a tiny rough at idle, that is because they ramped up the torque over the 2016, more power drain, all you have to do, is at a red light, put it in neutral. other than that, shes a winner over T and N. also the AC ciould have been a tad better here in the blazing sun of New Orleans, one member told me all I need to do to correct the weak AC is to have windows tinted, I have 20%, and that is not enough, has to go 40% + back passanger to limo, perhaps rear to limo, if wife will allow it, it is her car, if I owned it, Id have limo in rear, and the AC would cool like a freezer. anyway that s my review of the CRV, sadly H does not offer the copper color any longer, H s colors are all OK, nothing great, But then we do not buya car only for color, but performance.
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Brian Norfolk
Honda, GREAT JOB on the Clarity. Clearly, your data points and market research are spot on for the western market You have found a great balance in performance, features, and design to ease people into the 21st century and the realities associated with peak fuel. As has been shared by many reviewers you have ingeniously cloaked hybrid tech in a package that makes that tech confidence inspiring and imperceptible in all the best ways. And, as a designer myself, I appreciate the finesse applied to (re)introduce drag reduction in a way that is purposeful and forward thinking, yet approachable. It is commendable how you are walking the consumer subtly into the future and the realities that are sure to come with, not in a dystopian or science fiction way, but instead in a way that lends familiarity and maybe even some hope. I look forward to watching vehicles like the Clarity PHEV evolve to adapt to some of our cultural norms, and simultaneously evolve the minds of consumers that will surely line up to purchase them Keep up the good work
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Honda, GREAT JOB on the Clarity. Clearly, your data points and market research are spot on for the western market You have found a great balance in performance, features, and design to ease people into the 21st century and the realities associated with peak fuel. As has been shared by many reviewers you have ingeniously cloaked hybrid tech in a package that makes that tech confidence inspiring and imperceptible in all the best ways. And, as a designer myself, I appreciate the finesse applied to (re)introduce drag reduction in a way that is purposeful and forward thinking, yet approachable. It is commendable how you are walking the consumer subtly into the future and the realities that are sure to come with, not in a dystopian or science fiction way, but instead in a way that lends familiarity and maybe even some hope. I look forward to watching vehicles like the Clarity PHEV evolve to adapt to some of our cultural norms, and simultaneously evolve the minds of consumers that will surely line up to purchase them Keep up the good work
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arizona doowopper
Has serious computer error issue. Purchased car in January. The car has now been in the dealership for 14 days. On the dash screen up pops a continually rotating series of major component system failures including BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. The dealer tried resetting the computer but the error reappeared. The dealer states HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NO FIX FOR IT YET. We were given a loaner car while our 40k Clairity PHEV sits in the dealership awaiting a fix. Contacted Honda corporate to find out what is going on & was told our case worker would call us back. That was over 4 hours ago, no call back. Please consider not buying this car until Honda has a cure for this problem. Honda should pull the car off the market until the problem is solved. How can any manufacturer sell a vehicle they know has a serious safety issue? Because Ive not been informed of anything being done by Honda, other than going on every website I can to warn people about this car I am also going to file a complaint against Honda with the NHTSA.
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Has serious computer error issue. Purchased car in January. The car has now been in the dealership for 14 days. On the dash screen up pops a continually rotating series of major component system failures including BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. The dealer tried resetting the computer but the error reappeared. The dealer states HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NO FIX FOR IT YET. We were given a loaner car while our 40k Clairity PHEV sits in the dealership awaiting a fix. Contacted Honda corporate to find out what is going on & was told our case worker would call us back. That was over 4 hours ago, no call back. Please consider not buying this car until Honda has a cure for this problem. Honda should pull the car off the market until the problem is solved. How can any manufacturer sell a vehicle they know has a serious safety issue? Because Ive not been informed of anything being done by Honda, other than going on every website I can to warn people about this car I am also going to file a complaint against Honda with the NHTSA.
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Shawn Key
I am a 2018 Clarity PHEV owner, and I find your review spot on. I drove a Sonata PHEV prior to purchasing the Clarity and the trunk space was the deciding factor. The Sonata cabin was superior, electric range inferior; but the trunk was terrible. No pass through or fold down and a small space. My previous car was a 2011 Sonata HEV and the trunk space was an issue for me. The 2017 Sonata PHEV was a huge improvement on my 2011 Sontata HEV in terms of luxury and driving experience, they had addressed all of the issues I noticed with the Sonata PHEV except trunk space. With the Clarity my combined mileage (electric and gas) over 4300 km is 3. 2 l/100 km and my highway mileage (cruising at 100 km/h) is around 5. 0 l/100 km. What really impresses me about the car is that if you try hard to get good fuel economy, you are rewarded. Using the paddles and your driving habits have an effect on your mileage; more so than with my Sonata HEV. So far, very impressed with the Clarity. and the seats are OK by me.
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I am a 2018 Clarity PHEV owner, and I find your review spot on. I drove a Sonata PHEV prior to purchasing the Clarity and the trunk space was the deciding factor. The Sonata cabin was superior, electric range inferior; but the trunk was terrible. No pass through or fold down and a small space. My previous car was a 2011 Sonata HEV and the trunk space was an issue for me. The 2017 Sonata PHEV was a huge improvement on my 2011 Sontata HEV in terms of luxury and driving experience, they had addressed all of the issues I noticed with the Sonata PHEV except trunk space. With the Clarity my combined mileage (electric and gas) over 4300 km is 3. 2 l/100 km and my highway mileage (cruising at 100 km/h) is around 5. 0 l/100 km. What really impresses me about the car is that if you try hard to get good fuel economy, you are rewarded. Using the paddles and your driving habits have an effect on your mileage; more so than with my Sonata HEV. So far, very impressed with the Clarity. and the seats are OK by me.
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Ted Green
The Chevy Volt still remains a top choice for me, I prefer to have that longer ev range. Its a shame that Consumer Reports shows a low reliability for the car, I admire GM for pioneering this PHEV system that it did with the first Volt. I do hate the Volts interior, but prefer the infotainment system over the Prime. The Clarity does have the best EV and MPG, and can actually fit 3 people in the back unlike the Prime and Volt. The only thing that I dont like about the Clarity is that its really long. One of the benefits about EVs is that they are better in the city, however if the car becomes too long and wide, it starts to become less city friendly for finding parking (my opinion. Still I agree that the Clarity is probably the best PHEV right now on the market, but I am still very curious of what future PHEVs will look like coming from BMW, Chevrolet, and Volvo, I expect more potential from these companies when it comes to styling
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The Chevy Volt still remains a top choice for me, I prefer to have that longer ev range. Its a shame that Consumer Reports shows a low reliability for the car, I admire GM for pioneering this PHEV system that it did with the first Volt. I do hate the Volts interior, but prefer the infotainment system over the Prime. The Clarity does have the best EV and MPG, and can actually fit 3 people in the back unlike the Prime and Volt. The only thing that I dont like about the Clarity is that its really long. One of the benefits about EVs is that they are better in the city, however if the car becomes too long and wide, it starts to become less city friendly for finding parking (my opinion. Still I agree that the Clarity is probably the best PHEV right now on the market, but I am still very curious of what future PHEVs will look like coming from BMW, Chevrolet, and Volvo, I expect more potential from these companies when it comes to styling
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Earl Chase
I got a Clarity just before Christmas. It is a good car but Honda made many mistakes with the Clarity. First, much of the tech in this car is 2016 model year tech. You would have thought that a high tech car that is put out as a 2018 model year car would have 2018 tech. Additionally, the infotainment unit has very little information for the electric usage and the Android interface is a nightmare. It is just better to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The HondaLink app is absolute garbage. The app is very slow to update, you can not lock or unlock the car. Sending the command to precondition takes so long to get to the car that you minds well not bother. Preconditioning only occurs if it is plugged in to a Level 2 charger. After 3 months with the Clarity, I traded it in got a Tesla Model S for my wife and I drive her 2014 BMW i3 Rex which has more tech and is more fun to drive.
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I got a Clarity just before Christmas. It is a good car but Honda made many mistakes with the Clarity. First, much of the tech in this car is 2016 model year tech. You would have thought that a high tech car that is put out as a 2018 model year car would have 2018 tech. Additionally, the infotainment unit has very little information for the electric usage and the Android interface is a nightmare. It is just better to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The HondaLink app is absolute garbage. The app is very slow to update, you can not lock or unlock the car. Sending the command to precondition takes so long to get to the car that you minds well not bother. Preconditioning only occurs if it is plugged in to a Level 2 charger. After 3 months with the Clarity, I traded it in got a Tesla Model S for my wife and I drive her 2014 BMW i3 Rex which has more tech and is more fun to drive.
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Paul best
I am definetly buying a clarity one day, after I sell my home this year, i may get the 2019, perhaps H will do some adjustments and make the C even better. I may wait til late in 2019, and see how the 2020 modle looks, if the 2019 is about the same, ill get the 2019 at year end close out price. and save some Ks. I can forsee all car sales tanking in 2020 due to this H Clarity, everyone will want a H Clarity, why? lets say the islamics finda way to attack oil supply, gas lines at the pumps will be 1 mile long. I will be OK as I will have 3 5 gal gas cans in my shed + will drive like a little old lady and get my 55+ miles a gal. HA, while you guys are waiting in 1 mile gas lines. HA I win Honda wins You lose HA Chevy Tahos now sell for junk at metal yards. HA, all car prices tank 50% HA Honda can not keep up production. Demand is going crazy. This will happen one day.
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I am definetly buying a clarity one day, after I sell my home this year, i may get the 2019, perhaps H will do some adjustments and make the C even better. I may wait til late in 2019, and see how the 2020 modle looks, if the 2019 is about the same, ill get the 2019 at year end close out price. and save some Ks. I can forsee all car sales tanking in 2020 due to this H Clarity, everyone will want a H Clarity, why? lets say the islamics finda way to attack oil supply, gas lines at the pumps will be 1 mile long. I will be OK as I will have 3 5 gal gas cans in my shed + will drive like a little old lady and get my 55+ miles a gal. HA, while you guys are waiting in 1 mile gas lines. HA I win Honda wins You lose HA Chevy Tahos now sell for junk at metal yards. HA, all car prices tank 50% HA Honda can not keep up production. Demand is going crazy. This will happen one day.
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peterdaniel66
There are several deal breakers here for me with the clarity. Number one from 5 miles of the range that he gives up to the Chevy volt is really more like 10 and possibly even more when the weather changes and its colder outside. 2nd, The instrument appearance is ugly and looks like an afterthought. 3rd. The music system should be top notch and not a design several years old. 4th. It should be a lift back. Ruins all the true functionality with just a trunk. 5th. Its ugly. 6th. When Im in ev mode thats where I expect to be not half ass ev and gas because it thinks I pressed too hard on the gas pedal 7th. The Volt is a proven design. I dont know about the claritys battery management system. Is it heated AND cooled by liquid like the Volt is or is it air cooled. BIG difference in longevity and range consistency
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There are several deal breakers here for me with the clarity. Number one from 5 miles of the range that he gives up to the Chevy volt is really more like 10 and possibly even more when the weather changes and its colder outside. 2nd, The instrument appearance is ugly and looks like an afterthought. 3rd. The music system should be top notch and not a design several years old. 4th. It should be a lift back. Ruins all the true functionality with just a trunk. 5th. Its ugly. 6th. When Im in ev mode thats where I expect to be not half ass ev and gas because it thinks I pressed too hard on the gas pedal 7th. The Volt is a proven design. I dont know about the claritys battery management system. Is it heated AND cooled by liquid like the Volt is or is it air cooled. BIG difference in longevity and range consistency
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