What to love or hate about the 2018+ Honda Clarity?

12093 Views 28 Replies 23 Participants Last post by obermd, Aug 13, 2021

Administrator

Discussion Starter · Oct 5, 2018

If you can share a few things about your ownership of the Honda Clarity, what would it be? The most liked or hated, share them with every one I am sure you won't be the only one.

1 - 20 of 29 Posts

Cruiter

· #2 · Oct 5, 2018

Getting a lot of questions like "is it electric or gas?", "How far can it go"?, "Did your electric bill go up"? Just for fun about once a week or so I go to the local Whole Foods for lunch and 'plug in'. Their Level II chargers are usually up front next to the Handy Cap slots and free to use. More than once I've gone out to people ogling, they seem to notice it more when it's 'plugged in' LOL. So far, no 'ugly' comments but many that seem to understand the styling and like it. I can become an instant friend that way :grin:

I'm the 1st and still the only person in my community to have a Level II in my garage. Works much better than plugging into 110v sockets.

Administrator said:
If you can share a few things about your ownership of the Honda Clarity, what would it be? The most liked or hated, share them with every one I am sure you won't be the only one.

pqdad

· #3 · Oct 6, 2018

So far love the car! However, sometimes the HondaLink smartphone app is a bit...ahh...quirky! I think some of it may be a problem with i live in a valley and sometimes cell connections are not so good but still I can do lots of other things on my phone without problem. If i try and set the charging timing to run and then try and save the update it spins and spins and after a long time it says there was a problem. But then if i kill the app and restart it, it all looks fine. So it mostly works it is just i keep getting these false warnings that it failed! Not sure what is up with that but otherwise loving it!

[email protected]

· #4 · Mar 13, 2019

I've had mine since February, 2018. We were close to the first to drive one off the lot from our dealer. We now have about 12,500 miles in and still love the car, although we had our first bad experience Tuesday, when we were traveling on I-5 from the Sacramento area to Oregon and had a flat tire, about 60 miles from home. The car had to be towed (Honda paid for it) to Chico, another 50 miles from home, and as the damage was irrepairable, we had to wait overnight for a replacement tire. I tried to pump and repair the tire with the included kit, but the hole was too large. The worst part of this situation was that the dealer didn't have a replacement tire in stock. Also, I would have bought a spare kit from them right there and then, but "sorry, we don't have one". Anyone with information about a kit? I would be happy to put a "throw-away" spare into the trunk for trips, to avoid being stranded again.
Likes:
Much smoother ride than our Accord V6
I think it looks great
Plenty of room for passengers, with comfortable seats. I don't miss lumbar adjustment
Plenty of useful power
Once you learn everything that's available, I enjoy the driving mode options
Can completely charge on 110 circuit, during off-hours
We saved well over $1000 this past year on gas from our 2013 Accord V6 trade-in (including the electric cost off-set)
Feds gave me a $7,500 tax credit and California is giving me a $1500 rebait
Dislikes
Mountain travel makes for some noisy gas engine struggles
No spare tire!
"You're on your own" attitude, as evidenced by the lack of a real manual with the car (I know it's available online)

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The Gadgeteer

· #5 · Mar 14, 2019

Lack of spare tire - hate
Looks - love
Lack of sunroof - hate
Smooth acceleration - love

BillM

· #6 · Mar 14, 2019

I had a sunroof on my Honda Accord, and in the 15 years I owned the car I think I may have used it twice. Living in Southern California, I just didn't need it. We get plenty of sun. But, having it as an option would certainly be okay.

If we are going to have a fancy roof what I would love is a solar panels set up! And I think it would be very harmonious with the phev philosophy.

I really don't have any deep hatreds, however, there are several annoyances I wish could be cleared up in future versions.
1.) The user interface lacks a bit of, ahem, "clarity". Twenty years of my working life involved me in among other things the design of graphic user interfaces. And the current design is a mess. I counted 7 blank place holders for buttons in the driver area of the American Base model.
2.) The documentation technology is not user friendly. It perhaps may do as a preliminary requirements document. But not as an end-user document. And as far as my expectations go, the graphics layout is very disappointing.

Neither of these two issues would be at all relevant if we could just convince someone to add "Clarity for Dummies" to that well-known series of introductory texts(!)

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Reactions: 1

4sallypat

· #7 · Mar 15, 2019 (Edited)

PROS / LIKES:

18" upgraded alloy wheels on a base trim.
LED headlights on a base trim
Amber turn signals
Auto brake hold (usually reserved for upper trim cars)
Quick off the line
Responsive steering without a center dead zone
Lack of torque steering for a FWD
Super quiet cabin and drive due to EV
Apple Carplay & AA standard (other brands make you pay extra)
High tech, smart and well engineered car
Seats that fit better on Asian bodies
Regen paddles & coasting regen
Free Honda link app without having to pay (like Onstar)
No sunroof (don't have to pay for an option that I never have used in 20 years)
120V L1 charging = super easy for any household
Longer EV range than advertised due to lack of climate control use (getting 50-60 miles per charge even in winter)
Good looking rear coupe style on a sedan.

CONS:

[*]7 gallon tank
[*]Lack of compact / inflatable spare tire
[*]Regen paddles that reset in ECON mode
[*]Weird multi beeping on closing last door - manually have to turn on alarm/lock
[*]Lacking tint on rear windows
[*]Missing fast DC charge ports
[*]Honda link app missing features (remote locking, remote camera view)

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jsymon

· #8 · Mar 19, 2019

Several people mentioned the lack of a spare. This is also true on the Volt I lease. Forget that stupid goop spray filler. I found an article on line that described in minute detail how to put a real (mini) spare tire into the Volt for a fraction of the cost of the official one. I'll be looking for a similar article for the Clarity I expect to buy. Or maybe I can just figure it out from what I did with the Volt. It works even better than the official one because when you remove the spare for more room you can remove just the protruding part of the hold down screw. Easy to put it back. We live on a gravel road which is hard on tires and I actually had to use the spare the other day. Everything worked fine and I drove to the shop and got new tires and the spare is back in its wrapper in the back. Takes up very little of the luggage space.

mikepaynter11

· #9 · Apr 24, 2019

IRS deduction

[email protected] said:
I've had mine since February, 2018. We were close to the first to drive one off the lot from our dealer. We now have about 12,500 miles in and still love the car, although we had our first bad experience Tuesday, when we were traveling on I-5 from the Sacramento area to Oregon and had a flat tire, about 60 miles from home. The car had to be towed (Honda paid for it) to Chico, another 50 miles from home, and as the damage was irrepairable, we had to wait overnight for a replacement tire. I tried to pump and repair the tire with the included kit, but the hole was too large. The worst part of this situation was that the dealer didn't have a replacement tire in stock. Also, I would have bought a spare kit from them right there and then, but "sorry, we don't have one". Anyone with information about a kit? I would be happy to put a "throw-away" spare into the trunk for trips, to avoid being stranded again.
Likes:
Much smoother ride than our Accord V6
I think it looks great
Plenty of room for passengers, with comfortable seats. I don't miss lumbar adjustment
Plenty of useful power
Once you learn everything that's available, I enjoy the driving mode options
Can completely charge on 110 circuit, during off-hours
We saved well over $1000 this past year on gas from our 2013 Accord V6 trade-in (including the electric cost off-set)
Feds gave me a $7,500 tax credit and California is giving me a $1500 rebait
Dislikes
Mountain travel makes for some noisy gas engine struggles
No spare tire!
"You're on your own" attitude, as evidenced by the lack of a real manual with the car (I know it's available online)

When I did my federal taxes I was in for a rude shock. If you owe them over $7500 you can deduct every cent. If you own them $100 then that is all you get and the other $7400 is wasted. You cannot roll over the remainder from the cars write off. Good thing I would have bought the car with out the write off. mike

Reactions: 1

Aaron

· #10 · May 2, 2019

Great overall, despite vexations

I've had a Clarity since August, 2018. It's a wonderful car, probably the best I've ever owned, and that includes a Volvo wagon, Subaru Outback, Ford C-Max, and two Priuses. The ride is luxurious, the EV range is impressive (except in the dead of winter), the silence in electric mode is awe-inspiring, and the convenience of a gas engine for longer trips is much appreciated (and will continue to be until our country puts a proper charging network in place). All that said, I have several small complaints, all of which could be easily rectified by Honda:

1. The center screen and HondaLink system are quirky at best. Screen very occasionally freezes. Honda said they won't replace it till I can take several iPhone movies documenting the problem. The absence of a volume knob is just plain silly, although I'm able to make do with the volume control on the steering wheel. The transition between ApplePlay and HondaLink is usually wonky. I find I have to use the steering wheel control to toggle back to FM. I'm sure Honda has fixed all these problems with newer screens in other models. Why not update the Clarity as well?

2. No rear wiper! This is a safety problem, and, I think, one Honda should fix retroactively on all our cars, regardless of the expense. In snow or heavy rain, you simply can't see out the back window. And the back-up camera is no substitute for visibility, since in winter it is often occluded by slush or road grime.

3. Personally, I'd much prefer a hatchback version of this car. It looks as though it could be easily adapted. That would vastly increase functionality.

Other than those issues, the car is wonderful, and probably one of the best values on the road today. Sometimes I marvel at how few have been sold. The more I drive it, the more I love it.

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shelant

· #11 · May 2, 2019

mikepaynter11 said:
When I did my federal taxes I was in for a rude shock. If you owe them over $7500 you can deduct every cent. If you own them $100 then that is all you get and the other $7400 is wasted. You cannot roll over the remainder from the cars write off. Good thing I would have bought the car with out the write off. mike

Are you sure about that? Isn't it suppose to be $7500 Tax CREDIT (not Deduction), which means Uncle Sam should just give you the full amount of the CREDIT regardless of your tax obligations...

altfuelcarguy

· #12 · May 2, 2019

The only things I don't like about my Clarity are the lack of solidity in the dash area--too many buzzes and creaks when the pavement is imperfect, and the ACC/LKAS, both of which are really bad, almost dangerously so. Fortunately those features aren't important to me--I like to control the car myself. Otherwise, it's the best car I've ever had, and I've had many.

DucRider

· #13 · May 3, 2019

shelant said:
Are you sure about that? Isn't it suppose to be $7500 Tax CREDIT (not Deduction), which means Uncle Sam should just give you the full amount of the CREDIT regardless of your tax obligations...

It is categorized as a non-refundable credit and any amount you cannot use (exceeds your tax liability) in the year of purchase is not refunded - nor can it be rolled over into subsequent tax years.

Sometimes people confuse tax liability with the amount they owe (or are refunded) when they file.

If your tax liability was $9,000 (before the EV tax credit) and your withholding was $8,900, your "balance" would be -$100 (you owe Uncle Sam). If you purchased a Clarity, your tax liability would be reduced to $1,500 ($9,000 - $7,500) and the IRS would refund $7,400.

If your tax liability for the year was $6,000, that is the amount of the credit you would be able to apply. The remaining $1,500 would not be applied to any refund nor could it be applied to next years taxes.

Reactions: 2

shelant

· #14 · May 3, 2019

Thanks! I appreciate your explanation!

shelant

· #15 · May 3, 2019

altfuelcarguy said:
The only things I don't like about my Clarity are the lack of solidity in the dash area--too many buzzes and creaks when the pavement is imperfect, and the ACC/LKAS, both of which are really bad, almost dangerously so. Fortunately those features aren't important to me--I like to control the car myself. Otherwise, it's the best car I've ever had, and I've had many.

In what way are ACC/LKAS really bad? I find them actually very helpful... I've test-driven a few Teslas and I don't find Clarity's implementation lacking. Lane Keep Assist is awesome and precise in city traffic and on the highway. ACC is good too, it stops fully when needed and helps in other situations...

GJCummings

· #16 · May 3, 2019

BE ADVISED: TAX CREDIT: The $7500 tax credit is NOT applicable to offset self employment taxes. Be advised that if you are self-employed check with an expert before assuming the credit will apply to your total tax bill.

BillM

· #17 · May 3, 2019

shelant said:
Are you sure about that? Isn't it suppose to be $7500 Tax CREDIT (not Deduction), which means Uncle Sam should just give you the full amount of the CREDIT regardless of your tax obligations...

Yup. But It is a one year tax deal. AFAIK the only way you are going to get credit for all $7500 is if your accumulating tax for the year is greater than $7500.

BillM

· #18 · May 3, 2019

The $7500 is not a deductible; it is not subtracted f4om income, it is subtracted from the tax you will have owed.

2002

· #19 · May 4, 2019

There are couple things that some people do if they don't have enough tax liability. If you have a 401K and are able to withdraw from it without penalty then you can do a Roth conversion, which means transferring money from the 401K to a Roth account. The amount that you transfer then becomes taxable just as if you had taken the withdrawal as a payment. And there isn't the same limit as a normal Roth contribution so you can transfer as much as you need to create the tax liability amount that you need. Of course check with a tax advisor for assistance on this as it can be done wrong and it's not reversible, but it's a very common procedure. If that option isn't available some people simply lease the car, the lease company gets the $7,500 credit in that case since they are the original purchaser, and many times they will apply that to the lease. And at the end of the lease you can purchase the car. With a good lease the end result may not be exactly the same as purchasing and taking the credit yourself but I have heard that it can get pretty close.

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altfuelcarguy

· #20 · May 7, 2019

ACC: does not follow steadily. It will accelerate toward the car ahead and then brake, fall back,
then accelerate again and then brake--and the car ahead is moving at a steady speed. I recently rented a VW Passat and this feature worked perfectly--followed the car smoothly and steadily, with no unnecessary sudden braking or acceleration.

LKAS: gets confused by freeway offramp striping. I'm not planning to exit the freeway, but the LKAS follows the right hand stripe and tries to steer the car onto the offramp. Then it seems to realize the right hand stripe also continues straight ahead, and goes through a series of indecisive jerks of the wheel, some to follow the exit stripe and others to follow the straight ahead stripe. Again, the rented Passat, and my 2018 Chevy Volt, did not get confused by offramp stripes or try to steer me onto the offramp when I didn't want to exit. It seemed to understand that its mission was to keep me on the road, not to decide my route.

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