[mrazndead]

Hi, I need help deciding to buy asap. can get a deal for 28k out the door brand new. and get 13.8k in rebates and credits.

My round trip commute is 160 miles a day, 5 days a week M-F.
I can only charge at home at night. Does the clarity make sense for me?

If it only gets roughly 50 miles on EV, and i have to go 110 miles on HV/gas. that's about 2ish gallons of gas daily. but since the tank is only 300ish miles per tank, i would have to pump effectively, every other night. seems like a pain. driving in California, PGE. gas here is about $3.89 a gallon now for unleaded near me.

please let me know if i should buy this or not! other option is prius prime which is a 640 mile tank.

 

[4sallypat]

Tough one with 160 miles round trip and no charge at destination end.

You will still get the high MPG when you combine the gas and EV range for your daily drive.

You got a great deal being offered for a Clarity, that's for sure on a 2019.
Toyota is tiny compared to the Clarity - why ride a shorter wheelbase car, less room and all too common on the road ?

Plus you get the fancy purple HOV sticker for 4 years.
HOV sticker makes you in that top EV ranging cars...

I'd get it just for that...

 

[2002]

Either car will be very efficient for your commute. The Prius Prime would have a slight edge because even though it only has 25 miles EV range it has very high HV mpg. I am just using EPA numbers for combined driving here:

160 miles

Corolla 31 mpg
Fuel tank 13.2 gallon
Gallons used = 5.2
Round trips per tank = 2.6

Prius Prime 57 mpg
EV range 25 miles
Fuel tank 11.3 gallon
Gas miles = 135
Gallons used = 2.5
Round trips per tank = 4.5
Approx monthly kWh = 140

Clarity 42 mpg
EV range 47 miles
Fuel tank 7 gallon
Gas miles = 113
Gallons used = 2.7
Round trips per tank = 2.6
Approx monthly kWh = 280

Don't know if any of the other differences matter to you, Clarity is larger and more comfortable and also supports Android Auto and Apple Car Play, Prius Prime recently added Apple Car Play but still no Android Auto for 2020 model.

 

[obermd]

In your case I think I'd be looking at a Tesla Model 3. You're outside any PHEV's electric range by quite a large margin and to stay electric you'd need to go with a Chevy Bolt or any Tesla.

 

[Kerbe]

Having driven both the PP and the Clarity - if my choice were between the two I'd go with Clarity based on comfort and driveability, especially with spending 2-3 hours a day in the vehicle.

 

[rayclar]

I can prolly get you one of the best answers.

I commute 110miles one way 3-4 times a week, no charger at work, and slow charge at home which fills about 75% a night. 80% highway 20% traffic jam.

According to on board computer, i get 60 MPG. After 330 miles, low fuel light is on, which makes me refill every day/ every other day.

If you are not close to gas station prius prime may work better as stopping by gas station is for sure a hassle. Though Clarity has way bigger trunk, better ride that I will choose Clarity over Prius any day.

 

[jimandjo]

Clarity is my choice

the Clarity is by far more comfortable. Driving assist reduces driving stress. If cost of fuel is the main concern, look into the Tesla. It is totally electric and only requires maintenance every 2 years. Oil changes will be needed quite frequently with any other gas engine considering miles driven. This will not be a cost with the Tesla. Best of luck on your choice.

 

[altfuelcarguy]

I agree about considering a BEV like Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt, Nissan LEAF, or whatever other 200+ range BEVs there are. Or if you're in CA, the Clarity Fuel Cell lease at $400/mo is a great deal since it includes the fuel and 20k miles per year and you get a $5000 rebate. But you can't buy that one. The Prius does get amazing gas mileage. I just did a 2000 mile trip in a rental 2019 non-Prime and averaged 66 mpg.

 

[4sallypat]

I agree about considering a BEV like Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt, Nissan LEAF, or whatever other 200+ range BEVs there are. Or if you're in CA, the Clarity Fuel Cell lease at $400/mo is a great deal since it includes the fuel and 20k miles per year and you get a $5000 rebate. But you can't buy that one. The Prius does get amazing gas mileage. I just did a 2000 mile trip in a rental 2019 non-Prime and averaged 66 mpg.

^^^
A good alternative fuel sourced Clarity - FCV is a great idea if you are in CA.:grin:
I was seriously trying to get a FCV Clarity in 2018 but the wait list was so long it's not funny.

I ended up getting the PHEV but still long for the FCV.

Maybe the FCV Clarity will not be in such demand when my PHEV lease runs out ????:surprise:

 

[wizzl]

I'm curious, how did you get 13.8k in rebates? I got the 7.5k federal and 1.5k county rebate when I got my Clarity in California.

 

[telarsson]

Clarity is a nice ride.

I agree with others who post that the Clarity has a much better and more comfortable ride than the Prius. Having a hybrid is really useful when traveling far. The Tesla may not have convenient EV stations.

 

[mowcowbell]

I think I'd be looking at either a job closer to home or a home closer to the job.

Can't wrap my brain around spending 2-3 hours A DAY commuting. I think I do about 2 hours per week.

 

[60Hertz]

For you super high mile commuters, no great solutions. Access to charging at work would improve your situation greatly, so any chance of convincing your employer to install? That was the key to making it work for me.

 

[mrazndead]

Yeah you're right man no good options for super commuters. I can get a lot of rebates because i live in San Joaquin valley and they give tons of rebates, plus PGE rebate.

My issue is i'd have to still pump gas every other day with the clarity. and the prime doesn't fit 3 car seats across in a row.

my employer has a charger, but it's for the big wigs teslas... not for us small fries to use...

so i guess i won't be buying anything for now.

 

[mrazndead]

I think I'd be looking at either a job closer to home or a home closer to the job.

Can't wrap my brain around spending 2-3 hours A DAY commuting. I think I do about 2 hours per week.

its' 2-3 hours, EACH way, per day.... so more like 5-6 hours a day commuting....

it's for the $$$.... its worth it.

problem with tesla is that they seem to have reliability problems, and the range is 240 but that is using no AC no Heater, driving like a gramma on flat land.... i use AC and heater non-stop, and i drive like jeff gordon on lots of hills and turns... so tesla is out of the question as well.....

 

[2002]

My issue is i'd have to still pump gas every other day with the clarity

What kind of car are you driving now that you can drive 160 miles a day without filling up every other day?

 

[60Hertz]

As much as I hate to say it, with long miles and limited ability to charge a PHEV, you might be better off with a conventional hybrid. I test drove the Accord hybrid before buying the Clarity, and IMO the Accord is best conventional hybrid on the market. It's a comfortable full size car, and the hybrid drive train is smooth and seamless. It's rated 48 mpg and has a 13 gallon tank, so you might be able to stretch it to 3 days between fillups. You won't get the tax incentives, but window sticker starts around $26k and you can buy them anywhere.