Loved my Prime, but battery range pushed me to Honda Clarity

It looks like there is some interest in hearing about my comparison with the Prime Vs. Clarity. I am happy to oblige.

COSTS:
First, I want to clear up the "$10K" cost bump I mentioned. I bought the Prime in Fall 2017, base model, for $25K with an incentive from Toyota. A few weeks (days?) later the Clarity was announced for 2018 with MSRP of approx $35K for the base, and more for the touring.
None of this takes into account any federal tax or other local credits. Prices paid for Prime vs. MSRP for Clarity.

I just got my 2019 Clarity for a little under $32K (base, not touring)
I was able to get $20K trade in for my Prime. Then I will get the $7,500 tax credit. So with the larger tax credit due to the Clarity's bigger battery range and prices coming down, the difference are less than they were (or I understood that they were) back in Winter 2017 when Clarity first was available (or "hard to find" actually, but supposed to be available)

In some areas, my own included, the demand for the Clarity is far less than the Prime and other Prius models. Toyotas proven track record and rep may be part of this, but it's weird. One dealer could not keep up with Demand, another had 7 SEVEN 2018 models sitting on the lot unsold and not able to move them. I could have done very well with one of those if the dealer did not creep me out. Nationally people are finding 2018 models on the lots for well under $30K

COMPARISONS:
Now onto the differences I am seeing after just over a months ownership with the Clarity vs. close to two years with the Prime.


I'll start with the short list, of what the Prius does better than the Clarity, because it does have some objective (and subjective) advantages.

- Autopilot/Cruise control Stopping and starting: Prius Primes' "auto pilot" braking and cruise control is vastly smoother in use. In the Prime, it slowed down as I approached oncoming vehicles gently, then it would begin to roll again gradually, all almost as if a conscientious hybrid owner was driving and applying the brakes and accelerator. In the Clarity this is not smooth, It's as if it's being driven by a new teenage male driver, herky jerky on the brake and accelerator.

- MPG: Highest rated Hybrid mode MPG.

- Range: Longer combined range (like nearly 600miles vs 350 or so.)

- Hatchback: Subjective of course, but there are times (and people ) where the preference is for the hatchback. This "advantage" is mitigated by the fact that the Clarity actually has very good trunk space, so it really is a sketchy "advantage" Perfect world would be if the Clarity hinged above the rear windshield as a hatchback. In the Prime I was able to use it to carry a LOT of 8' lumber by folding seats down.

- Information: The Prius Primes' multitude of information display settings are not only prolific, but easily and massively customize-able. One can set the various LCDs to provide exactly the info you want all the time. Again, this is subjective, and again mitigated by the fact that the Clarity's display is much more elegant, looks more like a car, is positioned in the right place, and just overall more pleasing and less "weird". But with the Clarity, so little of the possible info can be displayed at a time., It is always info on a menu you don;t have displayed on the one screen cluster that you want to see. Perfect world would be if the Clarity allowed us to customize it's display more, with and it had at least two separate sections for multiple things to see at once.

- Mag Wheels: Remove the Primes ugly arse plastic hubcaps, and you get a VERY stylish set of alloy rims. For Free!
Removing the ugly plastic from the Clarity reveals even more ugliness!

- Center Console: Prime has larger storage in center console.

- Volume Knob: Prime has one. Clarity does not. Nothing else need be said. I can't understand not providing a volume knob!

Okay, now that's out of the way, let's move on to the Clarity's advantages.

- Longer Battery Range: this was THE reason I was unsatisfied with my Prime, and once the Clarity was announced I started plotting the trade in. If not for this, I never would have even looked at the Clarity. I am glad I did!

- Autosteering/LKAS: Unlike the stop and go advantage the Prime has, here the Clarity is far better at keeping the car on the road when you doze off. I hope that Honda will update the cruise control/braking to make it smoother.

- Seating: Clarity Seats 5 comfortably. Very comfortably. Of course the Prime can only seat 4. No you can't even fake it,. it just can't seat 5. The seats are more comfortable, and I don;t have the leather touring with power seats. Just the basic fabric with manual adjustments.

- Trunk Space: Oh you want truck space? Well, then don't bother with the Prime. The Clarity? It's got it in spades. Where the heck did they put all those batteries? The Clarity not only has ample trunk space, again unlike the Prime, it also has a sizeable secret hidy-hole for other uses*. (*see next entry) This is where the Prime designers really show the lack of thought that went into making the Prius a plug in with EV range. No attempt to fit the (minimal) extra batteries in a way that was unobtrusive. No they took your trunk space and gave it to the batteries. (worse, they took some of it and gave it to empty space between the batteries!) You give up all that space and only get 17-30 miles (depending on season/temp) of battery only range. On the Clarity you get more storage space, AND more batteries.

- Audio Upgrade-ability: I am a bit of a audio junky. I've put very good to "high end" audio systems in the vast majority of the cars I've owned, starting all the way back in the 1980's running audio cassettes. For the two years I drove the Prime, I was plotting HOW I would shoehorn a good system into the Prime without compromising the limited storage space even further. I never did it. The Clarity has this wonderful space below the trunk floor where a jack and other tools might go (mine came with none of those?) Instead, it's housing the DSP, and a pair of amps to power the new door and column mounted speakers, and the removable sub-woofer that fits in yet another "part" of the trunk that isn't the main compartment. Combine all that with the Claritys' amazing front tweeter placement and you are set for a VERY nice platform for an audio upgrade!

- Styling: Prime looks fine, Certainly better than the standard Prius. But it still looks quite a bit "eco/green". Clarity just looks good. If you can accept the aerodynamic throwback to the first plug in electric cars' rear wheel covers,. then it's a damn fine looking car. The front end is simply gorgeous IMHO, with THE. BEST. (full stop) driving lights in existence! It's great looking from any angle with the possible exception of the rear 3/4 view, (but to me the wheel wells are not an issue.)

- Climate Control: AC is faster, better, settings are better/more accurate (I set mine between 70-72 and forget it) With the Prime, on very hot days, the temp I had it set too, would not seem as cool as it did the day before when the outside temp was 15 degrees lower, I'd have to lower the temp setting or override the "auto" and increase the fan speeds to get it back to comfortable. On the Clarity, we just went through a few days of high 90's and very hi humidity, and inside the care after a few minutes it felt exactly the same as it does when it's high 70's outside. Also the Clarity just PUMPS out the AC on start up. I don't even mind forgetting to preset the AC before getting in on HOT days.

I have yet to need to try heat, but I can tell you that vs. my previous Toyota Tacoma, the Prius Primes' lack of ability to comfortably keep me warm on a half hour commute was legendary. For two winters I wore a "lap blanket" because my legs would ALWAYS be cold, regardless of what the Prime's settings were. I am a cold blooded red headed viking that is always too hot. Not in my Prime in Winter! I have high hopes that the Claritys' heat will equal it's AC. (Clarity owners are telling this is the case)


- Auto Glass: The Clarity has a very moderate, almost unnoticeable tinting to all the glass. In these hot moths I can not tell you how much of a difference this minimal shielding helps. I can even make it a few blocks without remembering to don my sunglasses. I would never be able to do that with the Prime's perfectly clear glass. I have not noticed it impacting my night vision.

- Comfort: Clarity is more comfortable. I have the base model.

- Quiet: An even quieter ride than the Prime, more insulated.

- Ride: So smooth. It's like a true luxury car. You'd need to move up to Lexus to get something this smooth in a Toyota, and likewise, the Clarity is longer heavier and more "solid" than any current Honda model. It's frame and body are closest to a model they called the "Cross Tour", larger then the Accord. It feels like a dream driving this car.

In short, right now I am in honey moon mode. This is the best car I've owned since my 1969 Cadillac I owned in the late 1980s. It is the most comfortable, quiet, stylish luxurious ride. I am really looking forward to the next year commuting to work.

 

In some ways better, in some ways not. The Prime did look better, but the Clarity offers 3, count them 3 different viewing angle options. Normal, ultra wide, and straight down. It also "wiggles the lines" when you turn the wheel. Not sure I like that, but it does it.