There actually is no transmission at all.. The gas motor acts as a transmission so yes it only has one gear which does get a little loud in my experience test driving one of these but that could just be because the battery was low and it was trying to preserve it
Nice review! I bought one on 12/30/17. It's an amazing car, especially for the price. Around here, I rarely use gas. It goes about 47 miles (more when it is warmer) on pure electric, and then the gas engine starts, if you need it. Since I drive less than that each day, I just plug the included 110V charger into my garage electric outlet each night and its full by the next day. (There are also faster 220V chargers available.) I did go on a 600-mile long trip, and the car felt the same, even though it was running mainly on gas then. Also, don't forget that it gets a $7500 Federal tax refund.
Sports CF Note that the tax credit is only able to offset your federal tax liability and you don't get a refund if you don't use the while amount. For example, if you only owe $6000 in federal income taxes, you can only claim a $6000 tax credit and don't receive the remaining $1500 back as a refund.
Steven Baer yes, you are correct about the tax credit. But beware that to get the credit, you have to buy the car in the same state that you live in. For example, you can’t buy the car in NY yet live in CT. If you do this, you forsake the tax credit and the credit of $1,000 given by the state of CT. If you live in CT, you have to buy the car in CT. This applies to all states.
I test drove a Clarity Touring today. Even with the battery at only 2 bars, I found the engine noise quite acceptable, even with the engine holding rpm's while it was trying to charge up the 17kw battery pack. The leather seats in the Touring were some of the most comfortable leather seats I've ever tried. When the vehicle was able to go into EV mode, it was completely silent. At speeds under 45 mph, there was no noise at all in the cabin.
A few days after this, I drove a Clarity base model at another dealership. The base model is fairly well loaded... the only thing you don't get is leather seats, suede on the dash, built-in nav, and a leather wrapped steering wheel. For $3K less, the base model is a better bargain.
Great Vid. Hey Mike, not sure if you take requests, but ive been dying to see a night time showcase of the 2018 Platinum Ford Explorer. I really love the design of that car, and im also super into the led lights, low and high beams, turn signals/hazards, on the front and rear of the car, as well as the reverse lights and DRLs, if you wanna go all out. Just a thing Ive been really itching to see, no probs if you can't show. Keep up the sweet reviews man. Thanks
I love my Clarity. So smooth and quiet. The infotainment kinda sucks though. Mine doesn’t always hold my radio presets. Also I have had issues when I try to unplug my car before it’s completely charged. The car will no start until I have to reset it it. I do love the interior and Honda sensing. Wheels are awesome. It’s a beautiful car.
VoltecRules how do you reset it when this happens? Also, does it have heated mirrors? I know it has seared seats, but what about the mirrors? Thanks in advance.
Max Hansen how does the car perform on snow? Could you comment, please? I have crude winters here in New England, USA. I really need to know before purchasing. Also, does it come with heated mirrors?
If you make hand pointers with your logo on them I'll buy one. This is, besides high quality video, a signature of your chanel. ...or maybe a shirt with a yellow hand pointing up saying "triggered" lolol I would buy that for sure
I like it, makes more sense then all electric version which has poor range. Surprised no volume knob, just the finger touch control everyone seem to hate. And old school gas cap, instead of the cap less the new Accord has. Waiting on the Hybrid Accord, my lease is up in July on my 15 Accord.
Bextar636 yes, but not the point. Honda has been adding it to all the new models, except the Clarity for some reason. Wasn’t looking for history of capless cars.🙄
Bextar636 yes, but not the point. Honda has been adding it to all the new models, except the Clarity for some reason. Wasn’t looking for history of capless cars.🙄
R Switzer The reason it has a regular gas cap is to preserve pressure in the gas tank in conjunction with hybrid fuel efficiency. This has been covered in other reviews.
@@avecrux333 And I've noticed it can take a few seconds from when you press the gas release door until it actually opens. This is to allow time for the tank to depressurize.
Honestly September 2016 when I went to a fair I saw this car parked in the VIP all the way in the front, I was wondering what car this was and then BOOM, here it is!
How well would a paint protective film work with the black paint as far as keeping the car clean looking and for the ease of cleaning the car? I've had lots of cars but never had one with the paint protective film applied.
Thanks for your response. I'm going to test drive, probably buy, one tomorrow. I like white cars but I think the black paint with chrome trim will draw attention away from rear wheel wells.
Dealers offer paint protection packages but they typically do not ceramic coat cars. I recommend a high quality shop like this one: www.shineshopautomotive.com/
I've driven this car twice and I really like it. I like the Accord too and wish the hybrid version was out so I could test it too before making a new purchase. Here is a video on the regenerative braking paddles in case any one wants to know how to use them. The salesperson at my dealership thought they were paddle shifters too. th-cam.com/video/8OOwVl9ytMo/w-d-xo.html
@mikescarinfo sure appreciate the thoroughness of your review. It was helpful to see the bottom of the car-nicely done. One question: this car doesn’t have heated mirrors, does it? It has heated seats, but what about the mirrors? I live in New England, so this is a tremendously important feature to have with all the snow we get here. Please advise. Thanks!
Great video i like my clarity but every morning i notice my car starts to rev pretty high . Takes about half a block until it finds the EV mode or engine. Is this normal my caleity is a 2019 and only has 22k miles . Im a bit concerned dealer guy told me its normal ? 🤔
Make sure battery has a good charge. When you start it you should be in EV mode. Or select echo , then hit echo again to turn it off. If your rpms are reving then your battery probably needs a charge.
Dongi You may want to inform Honda they made a an error on the window sticker, website, and all media dispersments. They use the term Continuously Variable Transmission CVT. 32:53
Not sure why it is called a single speed... While it is not a traditional CVT design it still has variable speed ratios. Transmission speed ratios vary from 2.454 ~ 0.805 with a final drive ratio of 3.42. The only fixed single speed transmission I know of in a modern car is in the Tesla models. Some sources say eCVT (including the window sticker) others say single speed. Even this official release from Honda seems to conflict with the window sticker and say single speed then on the next line it shows the variable speed ratios. news.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=10083-en
Probably something Honda needs to clarify (no pun intended). I haven't felt the rubberband effect driving in gas mode ever. So it doesn't behave like a CVT in that sense.
Someone in the comments of this video literally asked if you could review this car.. 😂 In their defense, it doesn't say what specific model it is in the description.
Is it possible to do a review on the base trim? I cannot find a single video that reviews the base trim. Ok maybe Justin fuller but his video quality is no where near as good as yours.
Dear Mr. Mike I am a high school kid and old enough to drive.what car that you have reviewed will be great for high school kids. Also I'm really tall. Your critic Peyton
Excellent Review! The next time you have your hands on one can you review a 2018 Nissan Versa SL. I am currently looking into buying one and no one has one reviewed (any good car reviewers anyways) I really appreciate it! God bless! I really like it when you press the panic button on the vehicles. Keep doing that!
MikesCarInfo what color do car makers use as trims or grills etc? It's black btw. So right there's your answer for exterior flat effect of black on black. There's no contrasting visual color to help the eye divide the proportions of the car. Same logic for interior design.
Why is it that Honda always gets ONE thing so wrong every time that it prohibits me from buying the car. The interior, the one thing Honda never gets right, it does perfectly but this time they raped the back exterior half of the car
For me, the only thing that is making me NOT want this car is the "outdated" infotainment system.....I hope the 2019 version comes with the updated system..but, not sure I can wait till that model comes out. I am hungering for this car.
Paddle shifters on the Clarity are for progressive regenerative breaking. Great video, thank you!
Thank you for the correction :)
Love your videos, they are amongst the best reviews on TH-cam! Thanks again.
There actually is no transmission at all.. The gas motor acts as a transmission so yes it only has one gear which does get a little loud in my experience test driving one of these but that could just be because the battery was low and it was trying to preserve it
I had no idea what a Honda clarity was until I clicked this video. Thanks for another great review
I averaged 715 mpg on one tank of gas. I love my PHEV Clarity.
Thank you Mike!! Happy to partner with one of the best Car reviewers on TH-cam!
First time seeing a MikesCarInfo review and the little yellow hand made my day. Is this a regular thing? Hilarious.
Mikescarinfo I watched a whole ad for you. It was painful to watch but I hope it paid your TH-cam account.
As always, great In-Depth Look, Mike! The 2018 Honda Clarity sure is one cool vehicle! Thanks for this comprehensive and informative video.
Nice review!
I bought one on 12/30/17. It's an amazing car, especially for the price. Around here, I rarely use gas. It goes about 47 miles (more when it is warmer) on pure electric, and then the gas engine starts, if you need it. Since I drive less than that each day, I just plug the included 110V charger into my garage electric outlet each night and its full by the next day. (There are also faster 220V chargers available.) I did go on a 600-mile long trip, and the car felt the same, even though it was running mainly on gas then. Also, don't forget that it gets a $7500 Federal tax refund.
Thank you for sharing your experience Steven :)
What do you mean by the $7500 tax refund? Can you please expand on that because I am planning to get this car.
This car qualifies for a $7500 Federal tax refund in the year that you buy it. Just Google that.
Sports CF Note that the tax credit is only able to offset your federal tax liability and you don't get a refund if you don't use the while amount. For example, if you only owe $6000 in federal income taxes, you can only claim a $6000 tax credit and don't receive the remaining $1500 back as a refund.
Steven Baer yes, you are correct about the tax credit. But beware that to get the credit, you have to buy the car in the same state that you live in. For example, you can’t buy the car in NY yet live in CT. If you do this, you forsake the tax credit and the credit of $1,000 given by the state of CT. If you live in CT, you have to buy the car in CT. This applies to all states.
The best hondas are made in japan.Like these
I test drove a Clarity Touring today. Even with the battery at only 2 bars, I found the engine noise quite acceptable, even with the engine holding rpm's while it was trying to charge up the 17kw battery pack. The leather seats in the Touring were some of the most comfortable leather seats I've ever tried. When the vehicle was able to go into EV mode, it was completely silent. At speeds under 45 mph, there was no noise at all in the cabin.
A few days after this, I drove a Clarity base model at another dealership. The base model is fairly well loaded... the only thing you don't get is leather seats, suede on the dash, built-in nav, and a leather wrapped steering wheel. For $3K less, the base model is a better bargain.
Great Vid. Hey Mike, not sure if you take requests, but ive been dying to see a night time showcase of the 2018 Platinum Ford Explorer. I really love the design of that car, and im also super into the led lights, low and high beams, turn signals/hazards, on the front and rear of the car, as well as the reverse lights and DRLs, if you wanna go all out. Just a thing Ive been really itching to see, no probs if you can't show. Keep up the sweet reviews man. Thanks
I love my Clarity. So smooth and quiet. The infotainment kinda sucks though. Mine doesn’t always hold my radio presets. Also I have had issues when I try to unplug my car before it’s completely charged. The car will no start until I have to reset it it. I do love the interior and Honda sensing. Wheels are awesome. It’s a beautiful car.
VoltecRules how do you reset it when this happens?
Also, does it have heated mirrors? I know it has seared seats, but what about the mirrors? Thanks in advance.
In Canada i get only 59 kms EV charge. That is 36 miles per charge when it is below 0C ( 32F)
Max Hansen how does the car perform on snow? Could you comment, please? I have crude winters here in New England, USA. I really need to know before purchasing. Also, does it come with heated mirrors?
If you make hand pointers with your logo on them I'll buy one. This is, besides high quality video, a signature of your chanel. ...or maybe a shirt with a yellow hand pointing up saying "triggered" lolol I would buy that for sure
Excellent presentation. The paddle shifters control the degree of regenerative braking.
Thanks Mike, for imprinting "Black Water" by The Doobie Brothers in my head for the next 8 hours....lol.
Mike has there been any changes in the Clary for the 2020 year?
I like it, makes more sense then all electric version which has poor range. Surprised no volume knob, just the finger touch control everyone seem to hate.
And old school gas cap, instead of the cap less the new Accord has. Waiting on the Hybrid Accord, my lease is up in July on my 15 Accord.
My 2013 Ford Escape is cap less..."nuttin new" !
Bextar636 yes, but not the point. Honda has been adding it to all the new models, except the Clarity for some reason. Wasn’t looking for history of capless cars.🙄
Bextar636 yes, but not the point. Honda has been adding it to all the new models, except the Clarity for some reason. Wasn’t looking for history of capless cars.🙄
R Switzer The reason it has a regular gas cap is to preserve pressure in the gas tank in conjunction with hybrid fuel efficiency. This has been covered in other reviews.
@@avecrux333 And I've noticed it can take a few seconds from when you press the gas release door until it actually opens. This is to allow time for the tank to depressurize.
Honestly September 2016 when I went to a fair I saw this car parked in the VIP all the way in the front, I was wondering what car this was and then BOOM, here it is!
This is how car vids should be done! Sub’d
How well would a paint protective film work with the black paint as far as keeping the car clean looking and for the ease of cleaning the car? I've had lots of cars but never had one with the paint protective film applied.
A high quality ceramic coating will keep it looking great.
Thanks for your response. I'm going to test drive, probably buy, one tomorrow. I like white cars but I think the black paint with chrome trim will draw attention away from rear wheel wells.
Dealers offer paint protection packages but they typically do not ceramic coat cars. I recommend a high quality shop like this one: www.shineshopautomotive.com/
I've driven this car twice and I really like it. I like the Accord too and wish the hybrid version was out so I could test it too before making a new purchase. Here is a video on the regenerative braking paddles in case any one wants to know how to use them. The salesperson at my dealership thought they were paddle shifters too. th-cam.com/video/8OOwVl9ytMo/w-d-xo.html
Thank you :)
@mikescarinfo sure appreciate the thoroughness of your review. It was helpful to see the bottom of the car-nicely done. One question: this car doesn’t have heated mirrors, does it? It has heated seats, but what about the mirrors? I live in New England, so this is a tremendously important feature to have with all the snow we get here. Please advise. Thanks!
Black does look great. Great shots
Great video i like my clarity but every morning i notice my car starts to rev pretty high . Takes about half a block until it finds the EV mode or engine. Is this normal my caleity is a 2019 and only has 22k miles . Im a bit concerned dealer guy told me its normal ? 🤔
Make sure battery has a good charge. When you start it you should be in EV mode. Or select echo , then hit echo again to turn it off.
If your rpms are reving then your battery probably needs a charge.
Paddeles are for regens. Honda clarify that the clarity dont have a cvt is all clutch drivetrain
Great review as always 👉MIKE👈. Really like this car but will wait for the 2018 Accord Hybrid. Then I will make my decision!
This car does not have a CVT. It has no transmission in the traditional sense. It is a single speed direct drive. How do I know? We own one :)
Dongi You may want to inform Honda they made a an error on the window sticker, website, and all media dispersments. They use the term Continuously Variable Transmission CVT. 32:53
You are right - they call it an "ECVT", but it essentially is a single speed transmission.
Here is another review for reference th-cam.com/video/SVM90rtuLnI/w-d-xo.html - this was at a Honda press event and they were told this apparently.
Not sure why it is called a single speed... While it is not a traditional CVT design it still has variable speed ratios. Transmission speed ratios vary from 2.454 ~ 0.805 with a final drive ratio of 3.42. The only fixed single speed transmission I know of in a modern car is in the Tesla models.
Some sources say eCVT (including the window sticker) others say single speed. Even this official release from Honda seems to conflict with the window sticker and say single speed then on the next line it shows the variable speed ratios. news.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=10083-en
Probably something Honda needs to clarify (no pun intended). I haven't felt the rubberband effect driving in gas mode ever. So it doesn't behave like a CVT in that sense.
holy cow my new dream car!
Can you do the new Ford expedition any trim level when you can this car is really nice like it
Mike can you do the Honda clarity plug in hybrid ?
Yeap Hong Tham You got your wish. This is the Clarity Plug-in hybrid
Yeap Hong Tham That is what this one was about, do you mean the base version?
Yeap Hong Tham Haha
Someone in the comments of this video literally asked if you could review this car.. 😂 In their defense, it doesn't say what specific model it is in the description.
How many gallons of gas does it hold? I was hoping for longer range.
Fuel tank capacity: 7.0gal.
Info in description.
Great video, thanks Mike.
Thank you... Please share this video if you can :)
What color is it?
1:18 32:51
Besides an excellent reviewer, you are a Yellow Hand Pro!
Honda has dent problem on c pillar.
Is it possible to do a review on the base trim? I cannot find a single video that reviews the base trim. Ok maybe Justin fuller but his video quality is no where near as good as yours.
Dear Mr. Mike I am a high school kid and old enough to drive.what car that you have reviewed will be great for high school kids. Also I'm really tall. Your critic Peyton
Peyton Stephens A Prius!
Peyton Stephens prius all the way
The paddles control the regenerative braking not the CVT.
Thank you for the correction :)
Want review of jeep wrangler jl sahara (fully option)
Me too :)
Am 6'5 and am confy in the driver and front passanger seat ! (Did not try the back seats yet...(Am the driver).
Excellent Review! The next time you have your hands on one can you review a 2018 Nissan Versa SL. I am currently looking into buying one and no one has one reviewed (any good car reviewers anyways) I really appreciate it! God bless!
I really like it when you press the panic button on the vehicles. Keep doing that!
They didn't let you drive it did they?
Nope
@@MikesCarInfo Bastards!
You forgot to tell us the reverse lights! They’re powered by led
My pipe dream!
Only review to show the bottom
Good video. Great car indeed! More car for your money
Thank you... Please share this video if you can :)
What a nice video I might by it
I hate that chrome bar on the grill honda is using today.
No MUTE on the RADIO ?
It looks like the new Pontiac Aztek 4 door sedan AKA it's hideous.
Ha ha funny that the gas tank they don't make capless as civic
Almost never review a black car. or black on black interior. because the clolor blends in flat.
It might have something to do with the device you are using to watch the video. It looks great on my PC screen, tablet, and phone.
MikesCarInfo what color do car makers use as trims or grills etc? It's black btw. So right there's your answer for exterior flat effect of black on black. There's no contrasting visual color to help the eye divide the proportions of the car. Same logic for interior design.
Ok I think I understand what you are saying.
Why is it that Honda always gets ONE thing so wrong every time that it prohibits me from buying the car. The interior, the one thing Honda never gets right, it does perfectly but this time they raped the back exterior half of the car
For me, the only thing that is making me NOT want this car is the "outdated" infotainment system.....I hope the 2019 version comes with the updated system..but, not sure I can wait till that model comes out. I am hungering for this car.
Nice Renault Talisman lol
the bnew toyota avalon is gonna destroy this
randomrazr ,is it a plugin hybrid? How many electric miles?
Not their greatest design
Great vid, bad car