2018 PHEV Comparison - Kelley Blue Book

[@antoniofauxuci174]

Wow, Clarity looks like a class above the other plug ins!

[@SteveKelly]

I love my Volt. I tested the ioniq and it is definitely a great value. One thing to consider is that the Volt and Clarity are the only two of the four with liquid cooled batteries. This means they will last longer and generally have more balanced performance though different weather conditions. Also since the Volt has been on the market for 7 years, the first gen has a proven reliability record and much of the power train engineering has been improved in the gen 2 tested here.

[@adamjcohn]

I have had 2 Volt leases in a row and I probably would have gotten a third as I loved it but in this evolving market of EV cars, I refuse to settle on one for more than 3 years. I was considering the Tesla which I could afford on it's own but my insurance rates are horrible making it not an option so I thought I was "settling" on the Clarity because of the fact that I thought it was only 47 vs the about 62 I was getting from the Volt and although I LOVE the way the Volt looks, still after 6 years, I liked the Volt better from an atheistic standpoint, OUTSIDE, I must say that after about a couple weeks of owning the Honda Clarity, it has something that separates it from everything and that's the Honda Sense, even though it has nothing to do with EV. First, on pure EV, it does a better job than my Volt, I still have one of them by the way, a 2017, but the 47 is really about 60 or more (depending on how you drive it) and I am talking about pure EV. If you FLOOR the Clarity in EV mode, it WILL use the gas. I've gone months and months (nearly a year once on one of my Volts) where I never went to a gas station (most of my driving is in city commuting) and I would imagine even with the 47 which I think is actually lower because it regenerates better than the VOLT or that might be an illusion as the Clarity, unlike the VOLT shows you the mileage to the 10th which is annoying and good. Good when you are charging up because it's nice to see it actually show the regeneration but it rarely regenerates a mile, I don't recall every seeing my EV number on either VOLT go up but again, never needed it to. I LOVE the Volt, so why did I get the Clarity? Because as I said, i want to stay in a lease. IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW and are about to lease a Volt and you are wondering why they want CRAZY amount of money is because AMAZINGLY since it was there number one seller in Cali by I was told 800%, it was canceled, I'm told to make way for a crossover EV and the sales of the pure electric Bolt are doing really well. Pure EVs are doing great which I don't understand because I never had to get gas with my Volt. I would find that it would often turn on the generator on it's own because it hadn't run for so long. ANYWAY, what I am saying is the residuals on the Volt are way down (meaning the car will be worth less after the 3 year lease) because it has been discontinued which means if leasing, it's basally impossible. A premium while before was about 369-379 (with nothing down), I got the Clarity at a much better price than the current lease on the Volgt which is not in the 500s for the premium and good luck finding one with the Tier 2 package on the market. They are hard to find now and they again, go for 500-600 bucks which is more than a Tesla 3 lease. If you want to buy it, the price went down so you are in luck if you are a buyer. Most EV people are not buyers though, unless on the super high end. I would only have purchased a Fusion car which is what I was waiting for with the Clarity. The Clarity has this Honda Sense which works SO MUCH better than the Chevy Assisted Cruise Control. Even at low speeds in the city it has "low speed follow" where it will slow down and speed up at a easily and pre-defined amount of space. I love this feature in Cali in the Valley as most of my driving is this way and while i still pay close attention for all the horrible drivers, it will slow down to a complete stop and if it only stop for a few seconds, it will just start right back up and if it does stop, you only need click "resume" button on the steering wheel and it will continue to follow the car unless the car goes faster than your predefined amount of speed. So I love everything about the base model (I like it better than the Touring) Clarity which comes standard with that Honda Sense, it's amazing. I'll update after a few months.

[@PubuduKarunarathne]

True.Volt & Clarity looks better on performance.Pricewise ioniq is not bad too but the Prius lost the battle.

[@mr88cet]

Steve Kelly, battery cooling is indeed important. I don’t know right off about the Hyundai, but the Prius Prime’s battery is forced-air (chilled if needed) cooled. I expect that to be sufficient for such a tiny battery (8.8KWh). The LEAF does it all wrong: It’s battery is up to 60KWh now, and it’s not even forced-air cooled.

[@pioneer7777777]

@@adamjcohn Did you ever drive a Volt with Adaptive cruise control (ACC)? Sounds like that's pretty much what you're describing with the Clarity.

[@adamjcohn]

pioneer7777777 Hey. No, there is a difference between the Adaptive on the Volt which is solely indented for the highway and slow sense from Honda is both highway and city. Quite useful.

[@altrey520]

So I’m still in my first week of Chevy Volt ownership and I got to say, so far it’s a wonderful little comfy, speedy, techie good looking car all around!!! Glad I chose the Volt!!!!

[@disciple15]

My wife loves her 2018 Toyota Prius Prime. She works about 12 miles away from our house. Along with extra miles for personal errands, and after owning this thing for 1 month, I went to the gas station to see how much gas was used. The car only took $5 of gas after driving it for 30 days. No joke. If you want to translate the price into gallons, it only took 1.6 gallons of gas. I figure we will only have to fill up the tank maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Great car.

[@bmbrabus]

Happy Clarity owner here, I got a brand new 2019 Touring for $29,600 and minus the $7,500 federal tax rebate, the $1,500 California rebate and Edison’s $1,000 energy credit it was too good of a deal to pass. It’s a phenomenal car that is a pleasure to drive on electric mode and does great on hybrid mode too

[@Raptorsquad-e4d]

Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage and Overlanding awesome!!! Thanks for the info

[@patrickobrien7953]

Where did you get a Touring trim for $29.600?

[@pioneer7777777]

@@patrickobrien7953 There are tons of deals on EV's in California that are not relevant to anyone outside of the state. A bit annoying to hear them all brag about how great the vehicles are because of their deals that are not available to most folks in the country. Right now the cheapest new Clarity PHEV in the whole country on CarGurus is $33k.

[@antoniofauxuci174]

I have both the Prime and the Clarity, Clarity feels like a luxury car, the Prime is very noisy and not comfortable, very cheaply made.

[@sterryshaffer5326]

I've owned my 2017 Volt for 22 months & 17,000 + miles, have not had any trouble at all. Love driving it every time I get in, with its 294 ft -lbs of instant torque - it's a blast to drive. During the spring/summer I routinely get 60+ miles of electric. I've only bought gas about five or six times.

[@whathappenswhen4767]

i got the Toyota prius. you cant beat that reliability. seen Taxi prius(s) with over 400,000 miles on it and counting.

[@rkalla]

I rode in a new 2018 Volt recently and was floored at the torque, it’s legit fast. Enjoyed it.

[@matthewlibanio8227]

@@whathappenswhen4767 actually Volt crushes Prius for reliability. Sorry. Since 2011, volt has been GMs best built and most reliable car.

[@pioneer7777777]

@@whathappenswhen4767 Toyota reliability zealots are sooo annoying. "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY BUY ANYTHING BUT TOYOTA!?" Give it a break already.

[@dontudude]

Have a bolt, consistently get 270+mile range even tho it’s rated at 238. Hauls ass and gets over the air updates like Tesla. It’s addicting to drive and my other ride is a silverado!

[@metrork1]

It`s volt! ihihih!

[@MylesV]

Ray Burns Nope, the Volt is a different car. The Volt is a PHEV and the Bolt is a BEV.

[@jerbsherb4391]

Does it make you feel better talking about it's features for overpaying?

[@brockshute4504]

Forgot to add the lifetime Hyundai battery warranty with the 10 year 100k Powertrain :) I have a Volt (Gen 1), it's all electric propelled power drive line (no wait to shift transmission). It drives like a golf cart on roids. In essence its a 100% electric car with on board charging system (generator). I get 150+ mpg driving a 40 mile commute daily and get 40 mpg when on long trips past 40 miles. 13-15 Volts with 40-60k miles can be had for $10-15k, a gen 2 16+ ranges $17-22k. Of all the cars.. the Volt is hands down the better driving car, if you need cargo or have tall people the Hyundai is the best bang for buck! Buy pre-owned when possible as the resale is low due to the calculation of the fed/state incentives. It makes a great buy after lease! - Hope that was helpful!

[@XenonJohnD]

Really liking my Ioniq plug in here in UK. I bought ex dealer demonstrator at 2/3 new price as nobody here seems to know what a plug in hybrid is. Preferred it to Prius because i) Plug-in Prius has even smaller trunk than regular hybrid version (battery is bigger). True for Ioniq as well but trunk volume still larger than Prius with seats down, ii) it has a regular gearbox with double automatic clutch not CVT, iii) cheaper to buy, iv) not as strange to look at, v) seats 5, vi) lower servicing costs, vii) EV-only range 37 (UK) miles, viii) low and wide, suspect it handles better too, viiii) sound system is also good. I drive about 30 miles a day with occasional long journeys at weekends so for me it is perfect so long as I charge it overnight. Regarding seats; on my old diesel Hyundai ix35 they were uncomfortable. On the Ioniq they are great, maybe they have made some changes. Will run at highway speeds with no problem in EV only mode. Yes, if you floor the pedal then the engine will kick in but there is a bar display on left side which shows you exactly how hard you can depress the pedal while staying in EV-only mode (the bars change colour). Mid-range acceleration for overtaking is faster than you might think, if you press the left paddle to make it change down a gear, then floor it, it will use both the ICE and electric motors together. The other big factor over here is that gas is around $6 per gallon.

[@alextheromanian]

i own the volt. 3 years now and im coming up on my first oil change....i think i fill the gas tank maybe 5-6 times a year. not going back to a regular car.

[@Magnus-pm7ic]

You don't just change the oil based on mileage it is time based as well. You should strongly reconsider your interval changes

[@jpear]

@@Magnus-pm7ic use Mo bile 1 full syn

[@hectorespinoza3446]

@@Magnus-pm7ic kzbin.info/www/bejne/il7cpWiXZsiKmpY Awesome youtube channel that did a video on exactly this subject, apparently time doesn't have as big a factor as once thought.

[@dongidongi]

Own and enjoy the Clarity PHEV. I can live with the wheel skirt. I don't understand why they did not make it a hatchback. It already is a 4000lb sedan.

[@mattjones3257]

It would have been brilliant as a hatchback, but my speculative thinking is that with the size of the vehicle, the placement of the battery, and the thickness of the surround on the passthrough (which I have not seen in any other car), there was a structural need for that passthrough, likely to firm up the body and add some torsional stiffness.

[@connermorgan9223]

Would love a clarity, but the vehicle is significantly larger than the other 3 and it won't fit in my small garage very well. I believe I am going with the volt, but I'll have to get it used since it is discontinued

[@andrewl3847]

The fronts on all of them are much nicer than the rear

[@YourLocalUkrainianGerman]

No, only Hyundai.

[@Trades46]

The Volt and Clarity gets my nod due to their EV range. The Prius is mega efficient but 4 seats only hurts, and the Ioniq is bested by the availability of its pure EV sibling by only costing slightly more. Still after coming back to North America after 2 weeks in China, the Chinese market is swarming with great looking and long range PHEV choices that would best everything tested here. It is shame politics always comes in way of progress and the market demand.

[@BiffTannenBTTF]

Volt is the best kept secret in the Auto industry.

[@ro0ster648]

those "air curtains" on the rear wheels of clarity looks horrible

[@miniena7774]

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[@marc-olivierroux4311]

The VOLT is not a PHEV. It is a electric car with a ranger extender (bigger) like the BMW I3. The VOLT can stay in electric mode even if you mash the accelerator to the floor.

[@RisoSystems]

If you look on the EPA's website, the section talking about PHEV's actually uses a photo of a Volt. While the Volt emphasizes electric power, and it's true that you can keep it in electric mode, you can also put it in HOLD mode and use just gas. I have one, and I love it - but if you're talking definitions, it really is a PHEV. www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/explaining-electric-plug-hybrid-electric-vehicles

[@marc-olivierroux4311]

Joey Riso I also got a volt since 2 week ago. They just need to invent a new word because it is not a hybrid system that turns the wheel. What I don’t like is consumer wont know there is a big difference between a VOLT and these PHEV. Yes, these cars all work on gas and electricity. But the only car you can use only on electric is the VOLT. The electric motor has the full power of the car, the others work in tandem when necessary (fast acceleration, heating the cabin). I test drove a Prius Prime and an Honda before buying and the motor was starting because of the heating system or I press to hard on the acceleration. Speaking of acceleration, there is a world of difference between the Volt and these PHEVs. Don’t get me wrong, the PHEV are great cars, may better fit the needs of some people (Honda is way bigger). I’m not saying Volt is better but it is not the same and people should understand that before buying not to be disappointed by one or the other. Anyhow, the Honda and the Chevy are the only offering a substantial electric autonomy. If I was somebody doing long distances very often, maybe a Prius or a Hyundai would be a better choice because of the excellent hybrid system. Anyhow, I would be expecting KBB to explain the differences.

[@RisoSystems]

You make a good point. PHEV's which are limited in electric range have different utility from PHEV's which are designed to operate electrically most of the time. But it's hard to draw that line, isn't it? The average daily miles driven is a difficult number to nail down. The 2015-2016 AAA survey says 39.2 miles/day is the U.S. average. (aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/18-0019_AAAFTS-ADS-Research-Brief.pdf) Based on this, only a few PHEV's can haul around an average driver without dipping into their gas tank - or charging mid-day. But with fast charging, mid-day refreshment is an option. Not only that, but just because a vehicle says it will go, for example, 21 miles on a charge doesn't mean that a leadfoot on a cold day might run out of juice in 14, or a very skillful driver in moderate weather might get 30. So I think they just give up and say that a PHEV is a PHEV, and let the marketplace sort it out.

[@williamerazo1685]

It was but they change it from serial hybrid like before to parallel hybrid

[@markplott4820]

the VOLT is a Dirty Little ICE car nothing more.

[@chaostheory2219]

I love my volt such a great and very underrated car.

[@kiyoshim9593]

Because its US$7,000 more expensive

[@gamestar8180]

Volt and Ioniq are the best looking. Best value and practicality goes to the Ioniq because of 5 seats and trunk space.

[@herozero12th]

I want the Clarity..totally distinctive with Honda badge. The best bang for your bucks.

[@antoniofauxuci174]

totally, best car of these plug ins

[@thomasandrews4672]

I own a 12 Volt, 135k miles and no issues! Best car ever! My next car will be either another Volt or a Bolt! Chevy Plug-ins FTW!

[@TheCommonSenseProfessor]

I own the PHEV Clarity and love it. Especially since we were able to buy it new for under $19K.

[@pioneer7777777]

Which state?

[@TheCommonSenseProfessor]

@@pioneer7777777 Kentucky, so not extra tax incentives. I bought it right before Honda took all the inventory to California. I think they were giving incentives at the time. It is the base model, but we bought it out the door for a little over $26,000. That, minus the $7,500 we just received and it was just under $19K. It would have been really sweet if KY had a tax incentive on top of that.

[@Forge17]

I really am curious about the volt’s reliability. Not the first gen, this one.

[@horizon42q]

You forgot the Ford Fusion Energi

[@Chb1812]

They also failed to mention the size and energy used to charge. Ioniq will be one of the most efficient in range vs energy storage

[@gp2003gt]

Bought the Clarity, no regrets here, love it.

[@loctite222ms]

Clarity's not a bad choice, especially if you need a larger 5 seater.

[@whathappenswhen4767]

I got the prius due to the insane reliability ratings. Most people reached 400k miles on it.

[@willptech7565]

Just test drove one today, love it already, gotta finance soon

[@antoniofauxuci174]

Same here, can't wait to get rid of the Prime junk

[@BradOnCars]

Late to this video but I've had my Clarity since April of 2018. Biggest reason for my purchase was the longest range (at the time) for a PHEV. 17kWh battery pack. In my near 2-years of ownership I have run 75%+ in pure EV (having a level 2 charger at home has helped a lot with this). Nearing 27 000 miles and the only non-ICE maintenance cost? $159 for a "brake inspection." And just about to do my 3rd (almost completely unnecessary) oil change... The Clarity is everything I expected it to be: comfortable, quiet, huge, and a few that I didn't! It is surprisingly fun to drive for a big sedan. And the convenience of it quick to warm up (I'm in Canada) is another perk! At the cost of range of course... Thanks for the video! -Brad

[@TheCommonSenseProfessor]

Bought a Clarity and love it! I drive a Volt at work and the Clarity drives so much better!

[@ljpr360]

It makes sense that: "The Common Sense Professor" got the balance of the longer EV range and Japanese Reliablity. Makes sense to me, Mental Clarity for getting the Clarity!

[@edogwatch]

The volt looks the best and most natural of the bunch. I hate the stupid wheel cover on the Honda

[@BDOC99714]

They aren't covers it's the actual rim.

[@msbgone]

I wonder if snow will get jammed in the skirts and cause issues?

[@Masterahsoka]

The only thing I dont like about the Volt is the horrible grill.

[@jesusf.2600]

Honda CLARITY ALL THE WAY.

[@jesusf.2600]

@@Masterahsoka and its poor reliability.

[@robertvitale5263]

what about ford fusion plug in?

[@JMK2JCK]

The Honda Clarity is a winner, followed closely by the Volt. The Prius is an electric Jellybean. Too small.

[@kiyoshim9593]

Because its US$7,000 more expensive

[@Veryspicyunsalted]

So Clarity can take gas also? Even it's electric?

[@LookingGlass24]

sh00k yt yep. It’s a plug in hybrid, meaning both modes. It drives like a dream.

[@RisoSystems]

I noticed one small "oops" in the video review - the Generation 2 Volt started out with Apple CarPlay only, but a software update some time ago added AndroidAuto to the mix. It also improved Apple CarPlay stability. My personal experience is that a shorter and high-quality USB cable mitigated problems substantially.

[@theelectriccarchannel1497]

I've never experienced 53 miles electric on a Chevy volt. It's always been 56-70 miles, all climates, all roadways.

[@mattjones3257]

The Electric Car Channel I have one. I overinflate the tires to 40psi and don’t exceed 65 on the highway. I try to stay on the right lane below 65 when possible. I’d say 56-65 is achievable in spring, summer and fall. Winter in southeastern PA with very limited heat use drops me to 48-52 depending on how cold it is.

[@paull7937]

Honda Clarity is the best but is the most expensive. Toyota Prius Prime has the highest MPG but with the least ev range but is still good enough for most people. I also like the styling of prime and the second less expensive of the group with the predicted most reliable of the group. Also, the 2021 model has 5 seats and Apple and Android play. I will take Prime.

[@JuliusPeoples]

Should've included the full range of each car as well

[@bmbrabus]

Julius, I agree. I’m getting close to 350 miles on my Honda Clarity with a 7 gallon tank and the electric battery fully charged

[@notosure2148]

Did they stop making the Sonata Plug-in? I guess that was a stop gap until they rolled out the production of the Ioniq.

[@jackfroste]

Great summary. Can you do a longer 30 min more detailed comparison?

[@colonelkfc33]

Give me the Volt's range and overall design with the reliability and gas MPG of the Prime

[@SHOREHILLEYEWEAR]

I drive a Volt - 163K miles and zero maintenance other than tires and once in a blue moon oil change

[@spencerschneider9115]

We just bought the 2018 Prius Prime. It's our first PHEV and we are loving it. We've put 980km on it so far and have only used a half tank of gas (and this includes two significant road trips of 240km, and 490km). It's costs less than $1 to charge and we are averaging 50km/charge. I would take Toyota's 20+ year hybrid vehicle track record and reliability any day over the experiment that is Hyundai or the less-than-stellar repair record of the Volt (source: Consumer Reports). I'm not a huge fan of the Prius Prime styling, but have received many unsolicited positive comments about it. Go figure...

[@mscolli3]

If you are using that little gas, I would recommending adding some fuel stabilizer and only fill it with ethanol free/marine gas. Gasoline expires after awhile, its why some lawn equipment doesn't start after it sits for a few months.

[@cincocharms1233]

Hyundais are not built to last. They look nice, but are cheaply made.

[@ShellymanStudios]

The rear of the Prius Prime is hideous.

[@metrork1]

WOW! Glad you like it, I love it too!

[@ShellymanStudios]

Ray Burns lmao get out.

[@jackfroste]

Was designed to reduce drag coefficient.

[@mekj2008]

I ve 2016 chevy volt with 30k miles on it. My average mpg is 54. I just tried the clarity for about 2k miles and i'm averaging 74 mpg. It's more comfortable than the volt and handling is better as well. The volt on the other hand has a more practical trunk with seats down. Also, it has a much better phone app. The hondalink app is near useless.

[@joeboxter3635]

Is the volt a hatchback?

[@jxmsn.w]

@@joeboxter3635 a "liftback", if you will. I'm not sure about the volume but it definitely can fit taller things than a sedan.

[@mullaisrinivasan7758]

Can you do a 2018 compact suv comparison with the Honda CR-V Nissan Rogue Mazda CX-5 Toyota RAV4 Ford Escape And Chevrolet Equinox please

[@voltecrules624]

I get 58 miles on a charge in Los Angeles commute. Clarity hybrid is better than my 2014 Volt.

[@dubasciver3234]

One thing that is rarely, if ever covered, is overall reliability. How long will brand A last versus brand B. Personally, I’d take a Toyota hands down. They are bullet proof.

[@Windmill97]

Same here. I am looking to get a Prius Prime as the Prius brand is notoriously reliable and easily hitting 200K+

[@austing4321]

The only cars here that aren't embarrassing to own are the Volt and Ioniq. I don't trust Chevy's reliability due to recent experiences so I would go with the Ioniq.

[@user-zb1pc7ec9b]

Austin Rice I trust it and I have been buying Chevy all my life and not problems. Maybe you should rethink your comment

[@nouploads8050]

D “This doesn’t apply to me so you’re clearly wrong”

[@bladerunner556]

The Volt has had surprisingly good reliability ratings. It’s probably the best car in the GM stable.

[@austing4321]

That still can't say how reliable it will be ten years from now. When I'm buying a car and I find a model I want, I go and look at consumer reviews of previous years of the car going back even ten years to see if it can truly be a reliable car. GM has been known for constant cost cutting and cheap build for ages and they had the ignition switch scandal a couple of years ago so I don't see how anyone can defend them anymore. I remember when they put cheap, hollow plastic on the doors of Saturn and some Pontiacs and made a "feature".

[@metrork1]

Why is everybody doing that!!!

[@edwardz5975]

Anyone knows the background music? It brings me back to 90s.....

[@anthonyc1883]

When the car's plug-in battery is depleted, and the vehicle then begins operating like a regular hybrid, does the plug-in battery ever get recharged by the gas engine, like on a long road trip, or does the plug-in battery stay depleted and ONLY get its charge by plugging it in?

[@Zephyre1982]

Honda Clarity has an "HV Charing" mode, in which the engine charges the battery until it reaches 57% capacity. Not sure about other cars. However, in most scenarios, you may not want to do this.

[@toyotaprius79]

I can't but help remember the same music from the i-MiEV test drive video, from like 6 years ago!! It's so CHEERY!!

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Well done. Short and sweet video., just enough to stir some interest.

[@ryanfrisby7389]

Finally, another comparison. Great review as always. Love you.

[@ryanwingate2204]

In my order of desirability: 1. Volt 2. Clarity 3. Ioniq 4. Prius Prime Although I'd probably take any of them right now over my current junker.

[@flamingspinach]

Man, it sucks that three of the four cars shown in this video have been discontinued by their respective manufacturers since the video came out... :/

[@jaanru10]

Chevy volt hands down

[@dymondkilla4946]

Where’s the suv outlander phev 2018? Kelley Blue Book

[@funnycomments6081]

Unfortunately, some cities have no more tax credit programs

[@kmckenzie2461]

I think I would go for the Prius Prime in that nice Aqua Blue Color with the White and Black Interior.

[@gabbogabbo]

Interestingly, my 2000 Toyota Echo, while being smaller then these, regularly got 50+ mpg.

[@notosure2148]

Wow, what's its range with no gas?

[@AlejandroArchila1]

Where is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV?? 🤔

[@williamerazo1685]

EclipseDude4g yelp it should be in the review

[@AlejandroArchila1]

William Erazo I know Right

[@ytytyt2516]

What's the Best one from all these???

[@antoniofauxuci174]

I own a Prime and a Clarity, Clarity is feels and drives like a luxury car, the Prime drives like a Corolla or worse, very noisy

[@brendanh3952]

Out of the 4, I would personally choose the Hyundai.

[@geigerzoola6642]

Ofcourse you would

[@toyotaprius79]

Lovely! Although, especially in Europe the all-electric version is the better pick. And out of observation of older Hyundais sold here, it may be wise to avoid the hybrid or plug-in hybrid (if you don't charge it). It's strictly a one-motor parallel hybrid like Honda IMAs. But there's a dual clutch semi-automatic attached to it. Considering that it's a well known fact that DCTs and those in Hyundais are garbage, that Tesla nearly went bankrupt replacing 2-speeds for single drives in 2009, and electric-conversonists are experienced of sheering transmissions to pieces; the fossil fueled Ioniqs may run into reliability issues down the road.

[@brendanh3952]

toyotaprius79 so true with the DCT. It sucks because I really like the Elantra GT sport and Sport Sedan but they have a DCT. May have to get them with the manual in the future. DCT’s aren’t designed well for some reason. My neighbor had a focus and the dct in it always shuttered and got recalled. She has a Forte now. Much better car

[@toyotaprius79]

True. Everyone knows and feels it, but it's not at all easy to put it out there given the response that'll get. DCTs are supposedly the god send that dispels pneumatic torque converters for two clutches that tear each other to pieces. They're mainly used wrong, they're good to get going but not optimal for slow speed traffic and creeping, and suffer from absolutely embarrassing reversing. DCTs should stick to +$60,000 cars for those who can easily repair it. I just hope I'm wrong regarding the Ioniq plug-in, and others such as Mercedes' and BMW's hybrids. The Volvo XC40 T3 system will be very similar too.

[@brendanh3952]

toyotaprius79 I agree. I think they are more of an “enthusiast” kind of transmission men’t for fun driving and performance instead of regular daily driving.

[@Slim1986]

Honda and volt seems like the best bet

[@johnd6287]

It would be nice to know the EV acceleration rate. Are these vehicles (esp the ioniq and Prius prime) actually capable of accelerating to highway speeds in EV mode?

[@mattjones3257]

They are all capable of maintaining highway speeds in EV, but will probably have to dip into the gas to get up to ~60mph on an on-ramp half the time, especially if at all uphill. Hard to get exact EV acceleration figures on them because it's hard to control when they're EV versus gas, but I would guess about 15 seconds give or take. People tend to overestimate the importance of this generally (i don't know many who floor even modestly powered vehicles to merge on the highway). Generally you're probably OK if you have a long on-ramp and medium to minimal traffic. However, I wouldn't want to be slowly accelerating to 60 with a long line of cars behind me. In contrast, I'd say the Clarity and the Volt are fully capable of getting up to and maintaining highway speeds in EV mode. The Clarity likely takes 9-10 seconds to 60 in EV, while the Volt is around 7.5. Before everyone jumps all over me, yes -- I'm estimating. It's very difficult to measure 0-60 in EV in most of these cars, particularly with the impact that grade has on electric efficiency.

[@mhill0425]

I just purchased a prime and I find it had better acceleration in EV mode. I have no issues getting up to highway speed in EV mode at all.

[@GrotrianSeiler]

Great video. I’m impressed with the strong value of the Ioniq.

[@0ttoman]

why do some hybrids get $4500 vs $7500 tax credit? what is the determining factor?

[@BTC909]

"The size of the tax credit depends on the size of the vehicle and its battery capacity." www.energy.gov/eere/electricvehicles/electric-vehicles-tax-credits-and-other-incentives

[@arkk1]

The tax credit you get with the vehicle, is that deducted from the total bill or your income tax?

[@narphizoid]

Your income tax - but only to the limit of your tax bill: If you pay only $3000 in taxes you get that much rebated - you can't apply the remaining balance of the rebate to the following year or years.

[@notosure2148]

@@narphizoid I don't think that's right. You could also pay nothing in taxes, get a refund and a rebate.

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

When will there be a PHEV that has AWD?

[@manishvalakonda]

Kia Niro plug-in hybrid is missing!

[@narphizoid]

Not yet released.

[@richicamacho7989]

Can't wait to see when he says "it's a Toyota"

[@12skits63]

Hmm, I definitely don’t “love Chevy” but I’d take the volt out of all these vehicles.

[@forrest225]

Personally I would avoid the Hyundai. While they have improved the overall quality of the vehicles, they seem to have some issues with the fit of small injection molded parts. The brake light bulbs on the models I have worked on were nearly impossible to change. It should be easy, they used a fairly standard quarter turn to unlock design, but the sockets are incredibly difficult to remove from the housing. And once they are out, it's even harder to get them back in. I seriously think they must use a rubber mallet or something at the factories. Several recent Hyundai and Kia vehicles are like that.

[@turbo311]

forrest225 doesn’t surprise me. But most people who buy a Hyundai aren’t going to change a bulb themselves. The Ioniq is very tempting, but I’ll be looking at the Prime myself. It may not be pretty, but it’s not ugly like the regular Prius.

[@californialove4316]

MORONS

[@Magnezone962]

Excluding the air curtains on the rear wheels. Out of the 4 I would pick Clarity for the size and technology.

[@coolsideofthepillow]

So can someone ELI5 here? The Honda Clarity for example, if I am in ECO mode driving, I could drive 47 miles without using any gas correct? And then the gas takes over?

[@mikedasilva4158]

Yes.

[@dingdongchingchong8659]

Howcome usa has all this rebates and australia doesnt have none of this rebate at all?

[@narphizoid]

The previous US administration wanted to support the growth of electric vehicles in the marketplace. I understand that the government of NZ feels the same way, but the Ozzie administration does not.

[@TreyH2253]

I LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq!

[@funnycomments6081]

I noticed that Honda is faster than that 18 wheeler, which is good 😆

[@GaryKetchum808]

The manufacturers purposefully underestimate the electric range so that reviewers and customers are pleasantly surprised when they get more range.

[@mattycheeze4131]

Sometimes when I am lonely I will shave one leg so it feels like I’m sleeping with a woman 👩🏼

[@MrTytalus]

Don't sit in the centre of the Cheviot if you're human! Hahahhhahhahhaaha :)

[@npaladin2000]

So you guys couldn't get your hands on a Niro PHEV either, huh? Too bad, it would have been nice to see here, though maybe it belongs in a comparison with the Pacifica and Outlander PHEVs?

[@mattjones3257]

It should have been here. Much smaller vehicle than the Pacifica or Outlander. The comments on the Ioniq should really translate well to the Niro as it has an identical battery/motor/engine setup, just in a slightly different form factor. The Niro's more upright position makes it about 10% less efficient than the Ioniq, but otherwise they should drive almost identically.

[@yanb.193]

The Clarity is hindered by it's 7 gallon fuel tank, meaning you have to stop every 250 miles or so when traveling.

[@adnanjusic4890]

YES.. BUT U STOP FOR 5MIN OR SOO

[@mariofortier6899]

big deal 5 min to fill up and so economical

[@antoniofauxuci174]

Clarity goes for around 350 miles, how many times you drive 350 miles non-stop? I get around 50mpg on HV mode on fwy

[@jasperblake4718]

Thank you. I've been waiting for this video!

[@denvergaza3284]

Where's the kia niro

[@MavHunter20XX]

But what is the miles per gallon!? What if I have to go cross country!?

[@narphizoid]

The video listed the "combined MPG" for each vehicle. These are gasoline-powered cars - they can still be driven even if the traction battery is depleted.

[@EV6CrashCam]

The most normal looking hybrid is the Volt which is the only one I’d actually consider, and I don’t even like hybrids or electric cars! Of course if I had to have an electric car it would be a Tesla but still the Volts not bad

[@alexanderthankacable]

Clarity...clarity....clear clarity

[@coiladdict]

What about the Ford fusion energi

[@gerardogonzalez8076]

What about Fusion?

[@jesusf.2600]

Honda Clarity RATED AT 42 MPG BUT ON THIS TEST BETWEEN 0-65 MPH THE TESTERS AVERAGED OVER 56.2MPG. WAY MORE THEN WHAT THEY AVERAGED ON ANY OF THE 3 OTHER CARS. TO HONDA.

[@antoniofauxuci174]

I get about 50 mpg on HV, most I got was 52 on a long drive

[@BroccoliBeefed]

Why do they have to be so ugly? This is what has made Tesla so successful. They know electric or PHEV doesn't have to equate to ugly.

[@loctite222ms]

Kinda glossed over the fact that IIRC, the Chevy is the only one that doesn't need to turn on the gas engine for full acceleration. Until you use up the battery charge, the engine stays off.

[@gieslebt]

Depends on the mode. I have a prime and in ev mode flat out it doesn't kick on the engine.

[@mullaisrinivasan7758]

They would have a Mazda 4 hybrid and Nissan ellure and Subaru G-R2 plug in hybrid

[@mo4everable]

The normal pruis get same mpg what the point of the plug in if its not getting way better mpg

[@PahaVlogs]

mo4everable That’s what many ppl would assume, it’s actually very different in reality, while regular Prius will get you in around 54mpg combined,my Prius Prime gets me around 67mpg combined, (if I don’t plug it) you will ask why and how, it’s basically because the battery is bigger capacity and by doing up hills and down hills it can charge and recuperate more energy back in order to run more EV mode, in city such as L.A with crazy traffic that’s a huge plus, usually I plug my car overnight it gives me around 28 EV miles, I travel around 100miles every day, my average combined mpg to date is 82mpg, Prime is really making sense to me, since non of other PHEVs would cover all my commute in full EV mode at least the hybrid gas milage is decent.

[@mo4everable]

PavelTune ok that makes sense

[@XenonJohnD]

If you do less than about 35 miles per day, you will use no gas at all if you charge the car overnight, only when you do longer journeys. It all depends on your driving patterns but for those people who most days do

[@mindspinn311]

Hyundai meh, Clairty WTF but Honda sure why not, Chevy Volt is very nice but small and same sad hybrid numbers as Clarity, Prius Prime wins it for me on balance.

[@muserussell2377]

I'm interested in the Honda insight and chevy malibu

[@ljpr360]

Go Honda Insight for reliablity and fuel economy.

[@brandonho6174]

What about the bmw 330e?

[@kamallb4650]

Wheels on Toyota are awfully small.

[@antoniofauxuci174]

same the interior

[@justindavis5983]

the clarity looks sexy compared to the others...

[@baddriversofcolga]

Rebel Rouser I think it looks heinous.

[@Rocheman79]

The clarity looks terrible lol

[@conceptcs]

Prius prime looks the best. Very futuristic looking, but the EV range is a bit too short.

[@ShellymanStudios]

Rebel Rouser I think the Hyundai Ioniq looks the best.

[@Rocheman79]

Mahmood Y.H I think as far as looking the most normal the Hyundai wins. The Prius has an interesting look but the range should be at least 40 or 45 Miles! Personally I like the volt the best I like the look and I like the colors optional interiors

[@brandonwright2067]

I like the volt but as a Prius owner 400k miles is average for Prius owners I don’t see the rest doing that consistently.

[@johndaviscarroll]

Kia Niro PHEV is available in more states than the Hyundai Ioniq PHEV.

[@dylbeentheplotagonistandra2811]

Where’s the Nissan Leaf and Ford Fusion Energi