[Djpdx1]

Hi Everyone,
I just bought new 2018 Clarity PHEV Touring from a Midwest Honda dealer. I’m not thrilled with black exterior/interior but price was too good to pass up. I paid $30,900 and after $7500 fed and $2500 local rebates, net will be $20,900. Flying out Monday to drive it back to Portland. Currently own a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi with 50k miles. Last straw was failure of electric rack and pinion system at cost of $3400. Well known problem on C-Max forums. It is a great car otherwise but too many problems. I decided to research a replacement and found the Clarity. I had previously owned a 2013 Volt and a used BMW i3 which also had numerous problems that had me spending weeks in the dealership before I decided to unload after watching resale value plummet. I’m looking forward to owning and driving the Clarity and hopefully enjoying Honda quality and resale value.

 

[4sallypat]

Welcome aboard!

Can you tell us why you bought from a midwest dealer instead of from your Oregon dealer ?

Oregon gets the best deals and incentives from Honda as they are a ZEV and CARB state.

 

[2002]

Welcome aboard!

Can you tell us why you bought from a midwest dealer instead of from your Oregon dealer ?

Oregon gets the best deals and incentives from Honda as they are a ZEV and CARB state.

There are zero cars in Oregon. Not just figuratively, literally as in the number zero. That has been the case for awhile which is ironic since it is one of only two states that Honda currently offers a (now) $5,000 incentive, California being the other state, but at least you actually have cars there. Now whether some people have been able to special order one I don't know, I just know that anytime in the past couple of months that I checked there were none, well there was one in Bend, OR for awhile, a bit distant from the population centers.

 

[Rob43]

DJ,

Welcome to Clarity Forum !



Rob43

 

[4sallypat]

Can't OR dealers trade with CA dealers ?

I am sure there are lots of CA dealers who would rather get rid of their Clarity and gain a more popular Accord, Civic, etc...

 

[Djpdx1]

Agreed, no cars new or used

I did look around and could never find one even to test drive. I did sit in a new one still parked at American Honda after being unloaded from the ship. I was impressed and decided it would be for me. Leaving soon to drive it back which will be the ultimate 2000 mile test drive.

 

[obermd]

Congratulations and smart move on dumping the C-Max. At a certain point it simply doesn't make sense to dump more money into a car. Make sure you don't allow the Clarity to exhaust it's main traction battery. The car is heavy and it really needs both the electric and gas motors to cross the Rocky Mountains without screaming.

Good price too.

 

[4sallypat]

Ask the dealership to plug in your new car before you arrive so that you get a full EV charge before you make your way back.

 

[Kerbe]

Ask the dealership to plug in your new car before you arrive so that you get a full EV charge before you make your way back.

Be certain to explain that you mean "plug it in with the big cable in the trunk" and that you want it plugged for at least a day. I've visited several Honda dealerships that simply didn't understand about plugging and charging - they thought it was some sort of extra gimmick added to a regular parallel hybrid and that plugging was unnecessary.

Three times I've arranged for test drives days in advance and explained that I wanted be certain that the car was fully-charged only to arrive and find the traction battery empty. One dealership had the hood open and showed me that they had a trickle-charger connected to the 12v battery...

One salesperson explained to me that the "fan" on the fob was a Japanese symbol meaning "remote start" because every time he pressed it the ICE started: The battery meter showed 1 bar...

 

[dabovskiy]

Ask the dealership to plug in your new car before you arrive so that you get a full EV charge before you make your way back.

Be certain to explain that you mean "plug it in with the big cable in the trunk" and that you want it plugged for at least a day. I've visited several Honda dealerships that simply didn't understand about plugging and charging - they thought it was some sort of extra gimmick added to a regular parallel hybrid and that plugging was unnecessary.

Three times I've arranged for test drives days in advance and explained that I wanted be certain that the car was fully-charged only to arrive and find the traction battery empty. One dealership had the hood open and showed me that they had a trickle-charger connected to the 12v battery...

One salesperson explained to me that the "fan" on the fob was a Japanese symbol meaning "remote start" because every time he pressed it the ICE started: The battery meter showed 1 bar...

I can’t stop laughing at the last part!!!
Just WOW!