2019 / 2020 Honda Clarity PHEV | The Best Plug-In In America

Honda's Clarity line is best thought of as their line of Accord-sized green vehicles. We have a Hydrogen car that can't be filled outside of California, a short range EV that can't be leased outside of California and then we have the PHEV. Hands down the best plug-in hybrid sedan in America, but there's a catch: the Clarity PHEV will become a "order only" sedan outside of California shortly.

[steinervision]

I just bought a 2021 Clarity with 10, 000 miles. An absolute gem of a car, and I have driven Teslas and Lexus!

[OttKnotDew]

As an owner all I can say is: Damn this is a nice car! Large, comfortable, plenty fast, quiet, and roomy. My wife was skeptical at first because of the styling. Recently she has started saying, "That is such a beautiful car!." And she's right. I have been encouraging everyone to test drive one, which, unfortunately is difficult now, because, like us, they will fall in love with this car. We pay 6 cents a kWh for charging. Laughing all the way to the bank.

[lindamcnair]

Just bought one today and I'm thrilled. Alex, you're one of the reasons why we chose it. Your reviews are excellent and a public service. Thank you!

[mattmcneer]

I personally love the clarity's styling.
It looks like nothing else on the road. A lot of people complain that every car looks the same but the second an automaker designs something different, its deemed as ugly

[FOPEZ]

Just got one used 2018 30k miles!! First plug and hybrid!

[richardcoughlin]

I owned a Crosstour (2010-2015) and liked the car very much. I had the V-6 version which had great power but the gas mileage that left a lot to be desired. I was excited when the Clarity came out because I had been looking to get into an electric vehicle but still needed to have the back up of a gas engine for road trips. I’ve had my Clarity Touring for five months and have to say that I am really pleased. It’s not perfect — no car is — but I love the ability to plug-in at home and avoid filling up with gas for 75% of the driving I do. I bought a Clarity a few months after I had a robust solar system installed in my house, and negotiated a level 2 charger thrown into the deal. I have taken the Clarity on a couple of long road trips and have found it to be a very comfortable car despite my larger size (both height and weight). I think that your review was very fair and informative.

[lfeig]

The styling is beautiful because it is based on function that allows a 4000lb car to get 50-60 EV miles and 42 HV mpg.

[chadlawson]

I bought my Honda Clarity 2018 Touring in October of 2018. I am closing in on 30, 000 miles and I absolutely love the car. The car has plenty of room for my family (I'm 6'2 and I have two small children in child seats). The trunk is very usable and the interior quality is fantastic. I have had 0 issues with the car and I enjoy driving the vehicle. I upgraded from a Chevy Volt and the interior quality/ride quality are miles ahead on the Honda Clarity.

Great video! This is by far the best PHEV choice on the market today.

[guyko]

We’ve had our clarity for a year now, 15k miles with one service visit and it tells me my next service visit is 5 months from now. We buy about 5 gallons of gas every month. I can honestly say it is the best car i have ever owned. The style of a vehicle used to mean more to me than anything else; now comfort and efficiency matter.

[FrenchyHalloween]

After owning a Clarity for over a year now I have to say this car is honestly a dream!!! So comfortable, so roomy, so luxurious. Just wish the Touring Clarity matched the Touring Accord Hybrid with specs. Missing a sunroof, fog lights, heated rear seats, no front ventilated seats, no built in wi-fi (due to older Accord model), no heated steering wheel, no HUD. Many many features I would pay extra for and lose perhaps 5 miles of EV range for due to weight. Front looks are AMAZING. Love the DRLs and so distinctive, you know it is a Clarity coming down the road. Got used to the fender skirt, kind of like it now after knowing the purpose of it. The back definitely takes getting used to. I solely got the black model in order to hide that black glass panel on trunk lid. Wanted white model but thay black bar looked way too bizarre. Overall a great car though! In summer get about 58 miles on a full battery and in winter (upstate NY) about 28-30 miles on a full battery with heating cabin and driving regular. No compromise vehicle, and definitely beats the Volt in every way.

[chuckbauer]

Alex, you are BY FAR the most complete auto reviewer online! It's wonderful how you completely explain technology in an easily understandable manner! You're the best!

[johndonaldson]

This is the best car I've ever owned, driven, or ridden in. It is super quiet, rides smooth and comfortable, has all the power we need. We charge it at home driving where we need to for weeks at a time without using the engine or any gas. Then when we want to take a 500 mile trip there is no range anxiety or long charge stops that a pure EV would have to do. Great car. I'd buy it again.

[lynnslaterjr]

Great accurate review. One point for California buyers - having the car allows your house the better eva-2 PG&E rate plan. My energy bills FELL $125/month even with the overnight charging. Not $700/yr in power and fuel, more like -$1000!

[kbarabash]

Few comments from an owner (Feb 2018):
1. What is shown as a battery pack, is actually the gas tank. The battery pack is under the floor and extends all the way to the front seats;
2. The battery pack is 18.4 kWh, of which 17 kWh is useful;
3. The motors combination works differently from the description in the video: In hybrid mode, Clarity acts as serial hybrid at low speeds (motor charges the battery, battery runs the electric motor, the motor will go on and off, as a function of the battery charge) and as parallel hybrid at higher speeds (ICE rotates the wheels, battery recharging is done through the "regen" on the electric motor, the ICE stays ON all the time). If full power (212 HP) is required, both motors will work together, regardless of the speed.


There is some "bugs", but overall it is an excellent vehicle.

[gpgt]

I bought mine april 2018, great car, no regrets here, a test drive will convince most drivers...

[damonlee]

Definitely function over form, the rear side battery spaces, and wheel coverage for aerodynamics and better fuel economy, its big and a great commuter + passenger business car.

[jonschunke]

We recently bought a 2020 Clarity and love it. We live in Washington state in the Seattle area. There was only one dealership that had any inventory of Claritys to speak of. Still get the $7, 500 Fed rebate and Washington reduces the sales tax on electric vehicles. My only complaint is that there is no way to set the priority for which cell phone it connects to when there are two phones in the car. It always defaults to the last phone it connected to. In two months of ownership, I have put 7 gallons of gas in it, only because we made a round trip to Portland. In two months I have only seen one other Clarity on the road. Honda needs to start promoting this car. It deserves a bigger audience.

[HewroPreez]

I bought a touring model last year. Taking dealer/fed/state incentives into account, the car cost me just a hair over $20k. Styling stopped bothering me as soon as I drove it off the lot; creature comforts more than make up for the odd styling.
Seriously, from the plush ride, to the accent soft-white lighting throughout the cabin, this car oozes class. Also, I'm consistently exceeding 50mpg(after accounting for battery miles) and get roughly 55miles on the battery.
Not bad for a large car with decent pickup!
After nearly a year of owning it, I have zero regrets with this car. Absolutely love it!

[HemaBasha]

by the far one of the most informative reviewers in Youtube. Thanks

[TheCommonSenseProfessor]

I’m so glad we bought our Clarity before Honda pulled them from the car lots. We love this car and get so many comments on how great this car looks. All this and we got a new 2018 model for under $20k after federal rebate.