2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid consumer reviews

Very good car but needs certain improvements such as a better stronger engine, and needs to be made with a hatch back. All in all the Clarity is a good car but still needs improvement.

A new car is always anxiety provoking. More so with each review you read. Everyone has an opinion. I decided on the Clarity PHEV after research and, most importantly, driving it. Any negatives I read were highly OVERSTATED, and most of the positives were understated. For example: “Handling is mediocre.” Bull! It’s not a sports car. So what? It handles well enough. Negatives I read: Piddly criticisms like “it doesn’t have lumbar support or a volume knob.” If this is a major problem you should throw out the baby with the bathwater and buy a back roll and figure out how to use your left thumb on the steering wheel volume control. Who buys a car based on a volume knob? The styling is “different.” “There’s a partial covering on the rear wheel!” How petty. What a dumb reason not to buy a car. Bottom line. This car is comfortable, reliable, a GREAT VALUE, and extremely enjoyable. It makes me excited unlike any other car in that it is a practical look at the future of getting us off gasoline with the confidence of range. Why cry that the wiper fluid reservoir is small when you get unbelievable versatility in a LARGE, extremely comfortable, and amazingly fuel efficient purchase? The criticisms are so petty, really. I am 10/10 pleased. There is no “perfect” car. For ME, this car is far more than I could have hoped for at the price, especially considering the $7,500 federal tax credit. The Prius prime can’t touch the range and luxury of this car. The Leaf is a cramped box with no range compared to the Clarity. The Tesla is so overpriced and who wants to sit at a recharging station anyway? This car will be a joy to own even 10 yrs from now. By then I hope other manufacturers will focus on the winning combination this car has: VERSATILITY, LUXURY, COMFORT, RELIABILITY, ECONOMY AND JOY. It isn’t the “Best” at anything. But it’s the best combination of everything!!!! Drive it and see! Until a BEV can go 600 miles and recharge in 20 minutes and sell for 25-30 grand with comfort and reliability, the Clarity is the best choice for now for the money!!!

Overall I'm completely satisfied with this vehicle. Has a lot technology, touring package makes it comfortable, mpg & mpge are excellent, sport mode is effective. The federal tax credit and a Texas rebate make this purchase a no brainer. My modified for off-road 4Runner gets 14mpg so this commuter pads my wallet a bit and practically pays for itself. Plan to keep this thing for 10 years and it's a Honda so I know it will last.

I live 30 miles from work and after 1250 miles I have yet to put gas in the car (the gauge shows the gas tank 3/4 full). I plug into a 120v outlet when I get home and plug into a Chargepoint station at my place of work. I love the adaptive cruise control...relieves driving stress. When i take it on a long drive I will obviously have to get gas but for now I'm lean and green.

We test-drove several Honda models, and were intrigued by the Clarity, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Reviews said it lacked performance. Not sure how the reviewers like to drive, but for us, the car drives and handles wonderfully. Good handling and steering, plenty of pep, very quiet and comfortable...and the economy!! We are averaging 90+ mpg. We currently use 110v charging...costs about $1.25 to charge overnight. It is almost unbelievable. We are paying about 1/4 (gas+ electricity) what we were paying to drive our 2010 Ridgeline.

Amazing acceleration. Great electric range. Super safety and reliability. Great value. Much bigger and seats higher. center of gravity lower and so much safe. Super good

I've owned the base model Clarity for 4 months and 5k miles now and I'm very pleased with how smooth, efficient and smart the vehicle is thus far. I bought the car significantly under MSRP even before the 7,500 Federal and 1,000 state tax credits and this made it a no-brainer to purchase. After I claim my credits, it will end up being slightly cheaper than a new Prius Prime plug-in with mid-level trim after its tax rebate. The Clarity is twice the car that the Prius prime is. The Clarity is pretty much a full-sized luxury sedan with a lot of class and comfort, but missing some odd-ends like no power seats in the base model. The seats are pleasure to sit in though for the 2 hours of driving that I do per day. I've gotten 51 miles on a full charge, around town. If it's very cold or I'm driving too fast, I think 40 miles is the least I've gotten. The gas hybrid motor gives me between 41mpg and 45 mpg, even if the electric battery has no charge. There can be a drone from the engine when it's cold out or when the gas engine is charging the battery, which is normal I've been assured. With snow tires it gets the same mileage. I find that I only hit my brakes 1/4 of the time as I use the regenerative braking paddles on the steering wheel to slow down. The apple play package works ok but it is a little clunky, especially without physical controls next to the touch screen.

A Perfect hybrid vehicle. Roomy and comfortable with a great ride. Handles perfectly in all weather, even snow. Has great features and is an enjoyable car to drive.

When I started looking for a PHEV, I tried out the BMW X5e, 530e, Audi eTron A3, Mitsubishi Outlander, Chevy Volt, and Toyota Prius Prime. What set this Honda apart was the huge cabin interior, quiet ride, 47 miles per charge, and a responsive ride. Then when I found out that the $34K Clarity is more affordable than any other brand with: $7600 lease incentive + $500 employee discount + dealer discount + $1500 state + $1000 local utility rebate = $20K car. Super affordable and super low payments with zero gasoline so far. The original tank of fuel from the dealer is still full! Love having to not fill up every week - saving me $200 in gasoline costs. Electricity has only gone up $20 per month which is spectacular! The factory supplied level 1 charger is perfect as I leave the car overnight in the garage to get a full charge. Southern California is best for this type of vehicle because the range is not diminished by low temps. I usually get 45-53 miles per charge daily. Definitely a high tech car to have and makes my commute fun with the regenerative shift paddles to save on break wear! With the low residual value (RV), this lease might end up as a keeper at the end of 3 years. The buyout price is $14K so if the car does not give me issues, I will keep her!

Stupid... it's just stupid how cool this car is. 40-50 miles of EV cruising before you need to switch to hybrid mode. Even if you just run Hybrid, you're still getting 80-90 MPG's. That's stupefying and Pious, er um, Prius smashing. I can even schedule the Clarity to warm up before we drive in the morning, or connect via the app and start a warm up whenever. I guess, if I had to, I could even use the remote to do that. :) The interior design is well thought out and easy to use. I know many people complain about the knoblessness (I may have invented that word) of the radio, but seriously, does your smartphone have a knob? Plenty of power ports and places to hide carry ons AND a phone pocket in the back seat. The woodgrain trims are convincing. I still don't know if it's wood or plastic. Features like brake hold, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, and slow speed follow are incredible. Let's talk about those paddles on the steering wheel. Many reviewers dislike them because, honestly, I don't think the understand their purpose. If used correctly, you can bring the car to near stop and continue on without touching the brake peddle. Each tap of the left paddle increases your generator induced slowing effect, and if you misjudge you can squeeze the right paddle to let off the regen braking to coast a little farther. Whenever you can stop without using the physical brakes, you're increasing your range and MPG's. Ok, I'm winded. Get a Clarity, it is Accord money but with so much more.