Is the 2019 Honda Clarity the BEST Electric Plug-in Hybrid to BUY?

The Honda Clarity is a plug-in hybrid that is very unique. It utilizes electric motors and there is a 1.5L inline-4 under the hood, but just like the Chevy Volt the engine acts as a generator. Let me show you the ins and outs of this electric plug-in hybrid. With a range of 340 miles and lots of interior features, will more people jump at the chance to own an electric vehicle?
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[solarasfire]

I got my 2018 Clarity PHEV in March 2019 (new). I absolutely LOVE this car! Highly recommend!
Current tank of gas, I have 3/4 gas left and have 1000 miles on this tank. Sure I am charging, but that only costs me about $15-30 a month to fully charge daily. Great car!
*update* same tank, now I have 1/4 tank left and at 2802 miles on this tank of gas. 😍

[robbyu.]

You’ve certainly added a ton of hybrid/plug in vehicles in the 18-months since! That’s what makes you the best review channel on YouTube; your variety. I love that green color on this thing!

[mowcowbell]

I bought one of these in silver last week. My daily round trip driving is less than 30 miles a day, so far I haven't used any gasoline. I have a Level II in my garage, so I can recharge each night in less than 2 hours. Car is VERY quiet while running in EV mode. This vehicle also qualifies for a $7500 federal tax credit. I don't know if I'd say it is ugly, but it sure does look odd.

[stormtrooper]

Great video!

I bought my Honda clarity back in December 2018 and absolutely love it. Best car I’ve ever owned. If you’re in the market for a plug-in hybrid vehicle this is the car to buy. For the touring model, I paid $38, 000 out the door (with tax, license, dealer prep, window tint, etc. all included). After the $7500 tax credit my final cost was $30, 500.

I live in Phoenix Arizona (very little use of the heat or AC so far) and the car fairly consistently shows a 58 to 62 mile range after charging all night. My average daily commute is 35 to 40 miles per day so I drive in electric mode all the time (at a cost of about $.50 per day). I have not taken any long trips yet.

At 2500 miles I had only used 1 gallon of gas. So the way I see it… I’m getting 2500 miles to the gallon! LOL

Note: If you drive in the electric mode all the time like I do… The onboard computer periodically starts the gasoline motor to ensure that this engine is functioning properly and so you don’t end up with stale gas in the tank at the end of the year.

After four months of ownership and 4000 miles on the vehicle I’ve used 2 gallons of gas (7 gallon tank) so I guess my gas mileage has now dropped 2000 miles to the gallon.

[TurfSurf]

Yes, after 5 months I absolutely love it. I was picking between this, model 3 and RAV4 hybrid. I got the best deal on Clarity, so I went with it. For the next gen, I hope they will make it a true hatchback like Stinger and Panamara, add tire pressure sensors, add lane departure warning lights on both mirrors instead of one side camera.

[ScottThomasPhoto]

Have been driving a Clarity PHEV since last October. I live in upstate NY and the battery range will change based on the temperature. I have had range be as low as 28 miles to 48 miles. With my daily commute at about 24 miles, that still gets me back and forth without using the gas engine during the coldest days. Still, even if I need the engine, I am using way less gas then my previous vehicle. The ride and comfort is a bonus compared to the Volt which I was also considering at the time.

[Aschoolbusandsimulatorfan]

My first plug-in hybrid car! Nice video Joe.

[johnsavage]

I stumbled upon your reviews and love them...I'm heavy into research mode for a new car, due to 60+ mile commute each day, a hybrid or hybrid plug-in. Appreciate your views and reviews

[solarasfire]

And one thing I will mention, I drive on all EV on the highway and in my hilly home town. You can accelerate fast, but there is an area on the speedometer area that kicks in the gas engine, stay under that.. you can do all ev. The other is if you accelerate hard and push past a “click” on the accelerator pedal, it will kick in the gas engine.

[bwilsonweb]

Last year, I test drove the Honda Clarity and it is much improved over the Insight but we bought two, plug-in hybrids in 2016. The first, an end-of-lease, 2014 BMW i3-REx, remains our primary and a great ride. The second, the backup 2017 Prius Prime is being traded in for a Tesla Model 3. We'll keep the BMW as backup for the Tesla.

[j-robertdrouin]

I've had a Clarity for 4 years now, and I've discovered that the "Sport" mode enables one-pedal driving; in other words, regenerative braking is automatic when the gas pedal is released. And the braking level is adjustable with the left-hand paddle just to the rear left of the steering wheel. It remembers the level set. I love this car. I love this car.
80% of my mileage is in town, so I use very little gas. Except when it's very cold (I live in Quebec City, where winter temperatures can exceptionally reach -32 Celsius). Below -10, it starts the gas engine. Getting back to the electric motor, there's a trick. At a red light, when the engine is warmed up, you turn off the car and 30 seconds later, you turn it back on and the electric motor comes on. Over 4 years, I used 30% of the petrol I would have used with a Honda Accord. That leaves $1600 in my pocket for, 1400km a year. At 60, 000km, my brake discs and pads are 20% worn. The regeneration motor does 75% of the braking. The savings on the brakes cover the cost of oil changes and additional tire costs. It's a comfortable, practical and economical car.
When I travel, it runs as a hybrid. Before I leave, I charge the battery. I let it drain during the journey (300km). This reduces fuel consumption to around 4.5 litres per 100km for this trip. That's about 25% to 30% less than a Honda Accord, even though my car weighs 1, 000 kilos more than the Accord.

[anthonymichael]

This is my first car and I am so incredibly in love with it I'm considering just paying it off. Not sure if I can even look at gasoline fueled vehicles the same again!

[pettigrewroyal]

I really like this Honda Clarity and I think this was a great, honest review. I have owned a Chevy Volt for 5 years and I'm happy with the car. However, if I was given the choice between these two vehicles in 2014 I would have picked the Honda Clarity. A friend of mine has asked me about PHEV vehicles because he's in the market. I'm going to suggest he looks at this review and buy the Honda Clarity. Another thing is that Chevrolet/GM was never fully committed to the Volt. But I think Honda is fully committed to the Clarity and that means fully committed to the happiness of its customers.

[jmeastro]

good review, looks like a good car maybe ill get to try one someday. I chose the Volt over this and dont regret my decision.. both great cars though and are about the same price. Thanks for the review

[TurfSurf]

Really nice, I would’ve bought it if it was a sportback/hatchback with more cargo space, I agree with you, if the back wheel flat line cover was lower would’ve looked better, but the overall side profile of this car really reminded me of Citroen CX, one of the most famous cars of its time. Interior is cool except the touch screen looks like someone just glued a iPad onto the dash afterwards.

[htnowpro]

I just bought mine. I think it checks off all the boxes. I have been Ford Hybrid certified for years but this vehicle pushed the limits. I'm over the looks. It just works.

[Thebusdriverandgamermorefan]

I'm thinking of buy a used 19' Honda Clarity.

[chelsealynn]

Great Review! Just love your energy! Love this car! Love all the tech stuff. The only thing I wish they would put in there is self charging for your phone. I know the accord has that and I believe the civic does too. For being electric you think they would have put that added bonus in there, instead of the USB ports. All in all great video! Good job 👍🏻

[VISUALTREATS]

I wish you had also covered how many airbags it has, whether its sun visor has a vanity mirror with a light or not, whether it has a spare tyre, what kind of electric charger comes with it, what functions can be performed through its key case, how much ground clearance it has, what kind of infotainment system it has etc... For someone looking at this review for buying it, these are missing points worth a lot of value. THANKS

[johnnyViDeO]

Dude, you are a dinosaur if this is the first hybrid review. I've been driving a hybrid Volt since 2013, and averaging 144 MPG and 40 MPC with high reliability and low maintenance. It's quiet and silky smooth, too, so you can really hear the Bose sound system. No range anxiety as well. BTW, what's all that awful noise at the beginning of the video?