Several things:

Right now the Clarity PHEV qualifies for the full $7500 tax credit. The 2018 and 2019 Volt only qualify for 50% of the tax credit, only until September.

The Clarify has better cabin appointments and a back seat that is roomier than the Volt. The Clarity sacrifices trunk space for the battery pack.

Right now GM is trying to clear out the remaining inventory of Volts so you can expect 20% off MSRP before any federal and/or state tax credits or rebates.

The Clarity has some quirks, i.e. if the situation demands that the Clarity start the ICE it will run for at least 10 minutes before shutting down to fully warm up the gas engine.

 

Assuming you can get past its, ahem, good looks... the clarity makes unholy noises, especially when the battery is depleted. The NVH isolation is not there when you mash the pedal. I observed this personally, and the reviews have backed us up.

Comfy, efficient car otherwise.

 

Given ACC is a must for me(premier with confidence package II for volt).
If I go with volt it would be 39,985 MSRP, 20% off means $32,000, 50% rebate (7500*0.5) reduces it to $28,250.
Clarity plugin base model is 33,400-7500 =25,900.
Is this the rough number?

 

You will find there are a limited number of new 2019 Volt Premier vehicles w/ACC available nationally. Most of the 2018s will be LT models or Premier without ACC. Not sure about prices for the 2019s, especially 2019 Premier w/ACC. Volts with ACC are in high demand and limited availability.

 

I strongly suggest you test drive both cars. There are pros and cons as people stated.

IMO, the main differences boil down to:

volt vs clarity
* half tax credit vs full credit
* discontinued car vs nondiscontinued car
* hatchback vs sedan trunk
* pure electric experience vs half-a$$ electric car (clarity turns on engine when you want more power regardless of enough battery is there or not.)
* cheaper interior vs luxury interior (clarity will at least give you luxurious feeling)
* 4.5 seat vs 5 seat
* tiny back seat vs much-roomier back seat
* less ride comfort vs better ride comfort (this one maybe subjective unless you test drive). I found myself I and other passengers get tired easily on long road trip driving the volt, due to not-so-comfortable seats and less headroom/legroom overall).

 

Another Forum member owns both a 2nd gen Volt and a Clarity. He prefers the ride and comfort of the Clarity. For those who must floor the accelerator, I can understand the dislike of having the ICE turn on.

My 2017 Volt lease expires this fall. I am very pissed at GM for ending production of the Volt after failing to promote this ground breaking car. Thanks to the Volt, I hope never to again be driving a 100% gas vehicle. But, given Chevy dealers apparent dislike/ignorance for the Volt I want my next PHEV to be from a manufacturer who intends to continue producing, supporting, and marketing the product. I have spoken to two local Clarity owners who both strongly considered the newest Volt but both chose the Clarity and neither noticed any Clarity noise issues. I'm hoping this fall that the 2020 Clarity might have a lift back instead of a trunk lid.

I like the fact that the Clarity ICE when called on (which is easy for the operator to determine) runs for 10 minutes which will help it stay cleaner and keep it from failing emission tests.

GM should have had a Voltec Equinox by now, which would have been my next car but, sorry to say, GM has gotten lost again and looks to be content letting all the other manufacturers capture what should have been GM market share.

 

...
...
GM should have had a Voltec Equinox by now, which would have been my next car but, sorry to say, GM has gotten lost again and looks to be content letting all the other manufacturers capture what should have been GM market share.

Don't necessarily want to hijack the thread but I agree with you 1000%. I'm on my 3rd Volt, 2019 Premier w/ACC etc..., and I found it to be much more usable than the Clarity whose looks and limited trunk space put me off a bit.

 

My wife and I have one of each. I prefer the Volt; she prefers the Clarity PHEV. The Volt is a sports car by comparison. I'm taking the Clarity through the Colorado mountains this weekend and I'll post a review of it over on ClarityForums.com. I'll put a link to that review as well as my review of my Volt in the high rockies early to mid next week.

 

From Consumer Reports:

The new Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid is great when running on battery power, but the loud engine noise and its annoying quirks, like confusing controls and fussy gear selector, may deter some buyers.

We test drove one and noticed the same - though I understand it is worse when the battery is depleted.

Honda just doesn’t have as much experience building cars like this.

 

It's all personal preference (mostly). The Volt carries what I have to carry, the Clarity doesn't (including a 65" TV), a hatchback vs trunk argument.

I can drive longer distances in a Volt without excruciating pain (I need lower back support). I have an portable adjustable support for the TR7. I didn't do a long term drive with Clarity so don't know about it's seats.

There is nothing I liked about the styling of the Clarity (what some call luxury, I see as garish).

All told, the Clarity was a no go regardless how cheap it was (it wasn't cheap).

It's personal preference.

 

Did anyone mention the Clarity is butt ugly? I don't get Honda's current design theme. I was followed my a new Civic today, it had a wing on the rear deck and hood scoop and fender ducts that would be at home on an airplane. It was just plain over the top goofy. Hell even the H badge in the grill was over sized and bright RED like a nose. No thanks.

 

"butt ugly" ???? Not to me. Sure you are not looking at a Bolt?

 

I too was considering a Clarity for a replacement to my Volt. But then I saw one in person, they look WAY WORSE in person than they do in photos. That rear wheel cover is just awful looking. I may never need to replace my Volt, but I have looked in to the Hyundai Ioniq and Kia Niro at possible options. I have a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and it's an incredible vehicle.

 

I don't mind the Honda Clarity's styling. If I needed a vehicle with a larger back seat the Clarity would be in the running. I recently pulled up next to a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The badge on the Outlander is so over sized it is like a participation trophy.

 

I took a Clarity on two demo rides. I really wanted to like it but couldn't. Nothing to do with the weird styling which is subjective but the noise the car made. My second demo only lasted until the first freeway exit and I gave up on the car. The road noise from the tires was the worst I have ever heard in a modern car---you had to crank up the radio to hear it at highway speeds. Couple that with the fact that after the battery is depleted the engine screams just to keep the car moving at higher speeds. The fuel economy is just so-so and with its tiny seven gallon fuel tank it has minimal range. The drive system is really basic with no actual transmission. Just a motor/generator and a single speed lockup clutch. If you are coming from a Volt you will be disappointed. Minor things like a clunky infotainment system added to my dislike. In my opinion, the car was so bad that I actually wrote a letter to Honda expressing my feelings about it---first time I had ever written about a car that I was really interested in purchasing. If you plugged it in all the time and never took it out of an urban setting you might be able to live with it. There are much better options out there.

 

If you plugged it in all the time and never took it out of an urban setting you might be able to live with it. There are much better options out there.

This is a key point with the Clarity. It's Honda's first attempt, and driving more than around town doesn't seem to be part of the primary mission of the car. They added the ability to go farther, but it seems like an afterthought.

Let's face it, the Voltec was a unique drive train that is going the way of the dinosaur (other than in China). It's sad, but you just aren't going to be able to get what the Volt offers anymore. After the Volt, I'm diving in and going full EV.

Forget about price -- plus or minus 10% shouldn't even be part of your equation.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder -- your choice.
Other than making sure you get specific options you want (like ACC), forget about the technology behind each car.
Drive both cars and see how you like them -- they are very different.
Sit in both cars for a while and play with them and see how you like them.

Then decide and pull the trigger.

 

One thing to remember about the Clarity PHEV - it started life as a Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle. Then Honda converted it to a BEV (89 mile range) and finally to a PHEV.

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell and BEV versions are using leasors in California and Oregon as beta testers for this technology. Only the PHEV is available for purchase in all 50 states and Canada.

 

I had two similar decisions to make. When the gen2s first arrived in NJ I considered trading my 2012 for a gen2 but found the rear visibility inadequate. I was lucky enough to find a leftover 2015. When I recently decided to give my 2015 to my grandson, I test drove a Clarity and, in addition to the quirks mentioned by other posters to this thread, again found the rear visibility inadequate. I am now happily driving a 2019 Bolt EV.

KNS

 

Filled the Clarity this evening in preperation to go waterfall hunting this weekend. Estimated range with the full gas tank is 50 EV and 370 ICE. This is on par with my Volt's estimated range with a full tank and battery. I'll track the actual numbers this weekend and provide a report sometime next week.

 

It will be interesting to see your results. The limited range was one of the issues for me when considering the purchase. We all know "your mileage may vary" when talking about fuel economy but this might be a stretch. EPA on the Clarity shows 48 miles on electric and a total range of 340 miles with both "fuels". They also list 42 mpg combined when running on gasoline. To go 370 miles on the fuel in the seven gallon tank you need to average over 10 mpg above the EPA estimate. And this also requires driving until you are totally out of fuel (which you would never plan to do). To reach a driving range of 420 miles in the Clarity, your range estimator must be highly optimistic. BTW--in the Clarity I took on a test drive, once the battery was fully depleted, there was very little excess power available for highway driving and the engine was really revving to maintain the generator output to drive the traction motor. The only solution was to keep some reserve in the battery to calm everything down which again limits the effective range.

I hope everything works out for member obermd on his trip and I am certainly not saying that there is anything wrong with someone buying and liking the Clarity. However, it didn't work out for what I wanted and needed in a vehicle for my intended driving cycle.

 

The Clarity had a software issue that was patched last year. This issue was the Clarity's estimated ICE range was always wildly optimistic. I wonder if your car got the patch? I also considered a Clarity, but never got to test drive one. I bought my 2nd Gen Volt in December 2017, right about the time the Clarity had just come out. Since I came from a Gen 1 Volt and I was worried that the $7,500 tax credit might go away as part of the since passed tax cut, I bought a the Volt without much consideration for the Clarity. I do know someone at work who has one. His only complaint was how slow his infotainment system was. He said it wasn't hard to keep it in electric mode since the detent made it easy to know when to stop pressing the accelerator pedal. For me the Clarity is too big, I don't need the back seat and I also prefer a hatchback. Plus I like having full power on electric only drive. I did not ask they guy I work with what his electric range was (since it was winter), but I have heard the Clarity tends to under-perform the EPA rated 47 miles. I have not heard if the ICE mileage is on par with the EPA ratings, so I would assume it is. I would need to take a Clarity over a few day test do know for sure which one I would pick, I just know I am very happy with my Volt!

 

So what type of mpg's does the Clarity obtain on just gasoline when the electric battery is depleted in the real world. I know for a fact our 2016 Volt Premier has averaged well over 49 mpg (lifetime) for nearly 22,000 miles when running on gas. Now currently most of our trips on just gas with a depleted battery has been over 50 mpg.

Our Volt displays currently when filled well over 400 miles of range just on gas.
Here is the lifetime display for our 2016 Volt from voltstats.net. I'm pretty sure this is probably
a little better than our 2010 Prius for its lifetime. Also my wife and I don't drive with a parade of
cars behind us as well...

Location: Seaside, OR
Last Updated: 6/16/2019 11:32:03 PM CST
EV Miles: 42318.83 #677 / 73.5%
Total Miles: 64267.37 #663 / 74.1%
EV %: 65.8% #1661 / 35.0%
MPG: 145.34 #1266 / 50.5%
MPGe: 76.38 #941 / 63.2%
MPGCS: 49.64 #124 / 95.2%
Achievements

 

I'll post a full report, including driving impressions, over on ClarityForum.com tomorrow or Wednesday and link it here, but here's the efficiency report:

Tank 1: One full charge; 360 miles @53.7 MPG. This tank included I-70 over (rather through) the Eisenhower Tunnel (11,158 ft) and over Vail Pass (10,662 ft), the two highest points on the US Interstate system. It also include extended speeds of 75 MPH along I-70 between Vail and Glenwood Canyon. It also included the climb and descent over the 11,237 ft Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. I had about 50 miles of range left when I filled up.

Tank 2: 2 full charges; 287 miles @ 60.8 MPG. Tank included Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft) and Wolf Creek Pass (10,857 ft). I was an estimated 20 miles short of making it home so I stopped for a bathroom break and filled the tank at the bottom of Wolf Creek Pass.

After the second fill up I went over the 9,010 ft Poncha Pass, 10,051 Red Hill Pass, and the 10,000 ft Kenosha Pass before finally descending into Denver.

Total Trip: 3 full charges and two gas stops over 874 miles @ 61.2 MPG. I ran out of battery less than half a mile from home. There's still roughly half a tank of gas in the car.

 

I am assuming you are including the miles driven on electricity and the gasoline burned to come up with the "tank" MPG numbers. Did you break down how many miles the vehicle drove on electricity alone and what the MPG on the gasoline engine was without adding in the electric miles? Sounds pretty good so far. Running out of battery 1/2 mile from home is good planning and great utilization of the battery. Sounds like you are happy with it.

 

Unfortunately Honda doesn't give you the ability to do this breakdown. I do know that I got over the EPA's 47 EV miles on all three charges, and in fact saw a Guess-O-Meter range of 60.8 miles when I got in the car yesterday morning.

When I made a similar trip in my Volt last fall (single day and 388 miles) I got 53.6 MPG combined. That trip is detailed at https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?326679-Mountain-Mode-not-needed-(Gen-2). The big difference between that day trip and day one of this trip is the ending altitude on this trip 7,760 ft. I live at 5,700 ft so even on the day 1 the Clarity was more efficient.

 

So with the Clarity when climbing those mountains if your battery is completely depleted
is there enough power in the gas engine alone to climb those high mountain passes at
speed?

 

I ascended Grand Mesa at 46 MPH (posted 45 MPH limit), so I suspect the answer for the ascents to Vail Pass and the Eisenhower tunnel would have been no. The Clarity does have a HV Charge (Mountain Mode), however, that will recharge the battery to 52% while you drive. The Clarity's drive train looks a lot more like the Gen 1 Volt's drive train than the Gen 2 Volt.

The Grand Mesa climb started when I got off I-70 at 4,950 ft and peaked nearly 6,300 ft higher at 11,237 ft. The engine started screaming as I passed Mesa, CO at 5,600 ft elevation.

After the experience going up Grand Mesa I was very careful to not deplete the battery until I knew I was done with the long hard climbs.

Also, I've driven other cars that were louder on these climbs so remember that "screaming" is relative to the car's normally very quiet drive train. The Clarity in HV (Hybrid Vehicle) mode is generally quieter than my Volt in charge sustaining mode.

 

With our 2016 Volt on extended trips we like to keep at least 1/2 charge in the battery, hold mode, to have that extra reserve in their for climbing those higher than normal mountain passes.

 

As promised, the Clarity's trip report is at 2018 Clarity PHEV Hunting Colorado Waterfalls.

 

Thanks for your review on your Clarity. I don't know why Honda did not make the Clarity a hatchback. As you know the Volt, like our 2016 Volt, can run just on electric even up a steep mountain pass and floored and the gas engine will not fire up as long is there is a charge in the battery. You would have thought that Honda would have done the same as well if they tried to compete with the Volt's propulsion system. The gas engine firing up for extra propulsion power is somewhat of a turn off, at least for me.

I bet that Honda's next generation of plug in's, if they continue, will have 100% electric power (AKA Volt), a hatchback for more cargo, larger gas tank, say 10+ gallons of reg. 87 octane. In addition 75 miles of 100% pure electric range with a full charge without the gas engine firing up, and it will be a winner.

Here is a trip my wife and I took last year with a little extra charging along the way. You can see gas only mpg's is pretty decent.

 

I have not followed Honda since I sold the old Insight, but for the longest time they had awesome ICEs for their hybrids (lean burn mode for the win), but the Achilles heel was always the batteries. For whatever reason, they never were able to secure a good supplier for any length of time. I think they partnered with Panasonic for the original Insight, but that relationship fell apart (I think Toyota and Panasonic are working together now).

I don't have any inside knowledge, but my history with Honda is that they are more comfortable leaning on their area of expertise (ICEs), and only rely on batteries to the extent necessary.

Again, this is just my observations.