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PHEV Help: Prius Prime, Honda Clarity, or Volt

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by rbrak29, Apr 25, 2018.

  1. PianoBench

    PianoBench Member

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    Sorry. Ill edit my words. I am just used to being able to adjust the air condition when needed.
     
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  2. rbrak29

    rbrak29 Junior Member

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    The i3 has been considered, but I do not think I could take it on a cross country road trip, especially over the Rockies (lawsuits over speed drop after battery exhaustion). Although you can pickup a CPO with under 20k miles for under 20k. I want to run electric most of the time in town, winter and summer. Tesla would be nice, but I live in a state almost totally devoid of superchargers. Any guesses?
     
  3. PCPrime

    PCPrime Member

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    You mean pressing these buttons?
    upload_2018-4-25_22-27-44.png
     
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  4. PianoBench

    PianoBench Member

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    Hm... sorry. My intent was not to incite the flames. You simply cannot turn off the air conditioning in reverse.

    There is a bonus on the Prime. You can remotely activate the air conditioning cooling, defrost, or heat from your smart phone. This is through a safety connect subscription service. You get safety connect for 3 years when purchased new.

    Here is the youtube tutorial link.


    You also get remote vehicle finder.
     
    #24 PianoBench, Apr 25, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
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  5. rbrak29

    rbrak29 Junior Member

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    I came on the Prius site for objective insight (no pun intended to Honda). One thing about the Prime: the cargo space 'appears' to be smaller than the Volts and the Clarity, but the Volts is smaller on paper. It may be the slope of the hatch and/or the raised cargo floor due to the battery. Filling the space will definitely obstruct the view out the back.
     
  6. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    It's easy to get that impression, but "definitely" isn't the case. It hasn't been for either of our Primes over the past year.

    What would you be putting in back that would have the potential to obstruct?
     
  7. Dale Leonard

    Dale Leonard Member

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    The Honda does not have blind side warning. I was told when I test drove one.
     
  8. rbrak29

    rbrak29 Junior Member

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    I can list, but weighting is my wife's strong suit and she just just wants me to make the decision.
    1. EV range (40 miles min, >50 miles preferred, winter: 60% summer range (40% reduction)).
    2. Quality materials
    3. Reliability
    4. Exterior/Interior 'Style'
    5. Engine MPG

    Price range 27-31K after tax rebate
     
  9. rbrak29

    rbrak29 Junior Member

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    Mostly groceries, suitcases on trips. I should go back with a measuring tape.
     
  10. PCPrime

    PCPrime Member

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    For safety measure, I would suggest keep your eyes on the surroundings when you are backing up than making any adjustments of something that can wait.
     
  11. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    I toss my luggage in the back when my wife drops me off at the airport. We carry groceries in the back on a regular basis. None of that has ever been an issue.

    For trips where we travel (1,700 miles from MN to WY and back), we just drop the seats. There is usually stuff we transport to family, so the back gets loaded up with quite a bit of stuff.


    Will you be purchasing & installing a level-2 charger? That can be expensive, depending upon your wiring circumstances.

    Keep in mind, the 120-volt charger for Clarity is only 8-amp. That means a full night of charging to replenish the pack for the next day.

     
    #31 john1701a, Apr 25, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
  12. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    We have two plug-in hybrids, a 2014 BMW i3-REx and 2017 Prius Prime. By coding the BMW i3-REx to European standards, 75% REx enabled and 2.3 gallon tank, the car cross country and mountain or hill routes are much improved. It still means stopping every hour and a quarter to hour and a half to refuel and keep the speed at or under 70 mph. This is where dynamic cruise control shines by following highballing trucks. The 72 mile EV range easily covers multi-stop errands and even reaching nearby cities, towns, and recreational areas:
    There are some 'edge cases' where the Prime can unexpected, run the engine. However, the community has investigated and documented these often avoidable cases. Still, the Prime is the cross country champion with enough range to drive through high-priced, gas areas. It easily drives beyond bladder range:
    Ultimately, you'll need to map your requirements, mandatory and the weighted options. Then ask 'she who must be obeyed' and be assimilated.

    No one mentioned the Ford plug-in hybrids so I will. When I looked at them the cabin was comfortable and the ride 'American standard.' Perhaps not the most efficient, they have good creature comforts.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #32 bwilson4web, Apr 25, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2018
  13. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Volt is the smaller vehicle vs. Prime by almost 10-ft3.

    Volt PAX Space 90.3-ft3
    Volt Cargo Space 10.6-ft3
    Total = 100.9-ft3

    Prime PAX space 91.5-ft3
    Prime Cargo Space 19.8-ft3
    Total = 111.3-ft3

    Now here's how to interpret the above numbers:
    GM Volt is correct as stated - GM is not over-stating cargo space (because if they did, PAX space would look tiny)
    Toyota is over-stating cargo space really closer to 12-14 ft3, and PAX space is really bigger.

    So basically Prime has a full sized 2nd rear area (but only 2 seats there)
    Volt has smaller 2nd row space but allows 3 smaller folks
    Prime is slightly bigger cargo space.

    Later I see what Clarity looks like volume wise:

    >>Here is Clarity PHEV
    Clarity PAX Space = 101.5-ft3
    Clarity Cargo Space = 15.5-ft3
    Total = 117-ft3

    So Clarity is probably correct as shown (because it is the liftbacks that have the flexibility shift space to quote bigger cargo space)...Clarity is bigger vehicle yet.
     
    #33 wjtracy, Apr 26, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2018
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  14. rbrak29

    rbrak29 Junior Member

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    I probably will have a L2 charger installed eventually. I will have my electrical engineer brother-in-law do it.

    How does the i3 ride? Quiet in EV mode? Is the two banger noisy?
     
    #34 rbrak29, Apr 26, 2018
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 26, 2018
  15. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    No BSMS, Clarity only has LaneWatch which is a camera on the right side mirror, it is activated whenever a right turn is signaled. It can also be activated at any time by pushing the button at the end of the stalk.

    Clarity only has two trims, standard and touring. No difference in safety features between the two.
     
  16. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    It rides and handles like a rear wheel drive: precise steering and with windows up, quiet to a fault. It is very easy to exceed speed limit which encourages driving on cruse control.

    The relatively short wheel base makes driving and parking a joy. However if your highways have ‘joints’, you can get a rocking motion. Change the speed a couple of mph and it goes away.

    The two cylinder ICE is quiet compared to the traffic around the car. Only at speeds around or under 20 mph do I notice it. Below 6 mph, it stops.

    Bob Wilson
     
  17. SHDL

    SHDL Junior Member

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    Before doing in-depth homework and test drives last December, I was sure I would be buying a Volt. I really wanted to be patriotic, and "buy American", and I wanted the larger battery capacity (along with the accompanying larger tax credits). After digging deeper, however, I chose a Prius Prime. The main reasons were:
    • The Prime had much more room in the hatch area than the Volt. I frequently have to transport boxes of books or other things, and often make longer trips with my wife with all our luggage. While the Prime's cargo area is reduced from a standard 2017 Prius because of the raised floor for the battery pack, it is still seems wider and longer (from the back of the rear seats to the hatch) than the Volt's.
    • The Prime gets significantly better gas mileage when the gas engine is needed. Many of my trips are 200+ miles in a day with no opportunity to re-charge, so I would need to use gasoline with either the Volt or the Prime. Cost number games can be played to give either car an advantage, but, for me, the simple difference in MPG was the number that meant the most.
    • The Prime's total range on a charge + full tank of gas is vastly better than the Volt's. That will only be an issue for me a couple of times a year when we take longer vacation trips, but we know it will be important to us when we do go on vacation.
    • The Prime has a "charge mode" to charge the EV battery from the gas engine. The Volt, as best as I could determine, can only charge the EV battery by plugging it in. This is very important to me. I am often in an area where I cannot conveniently plug in for days at a time. While I could run either the Volt or the Prime as a gas-powered car, I feel that the Prime's hybrid mode when not able to plug-in for several days is vastly superior to the Volt's gas-powered mode. Add to that, is the Prime's ability to self-charge the EV battery means I can charge up when driving relatively steady speeds on a highway, and benefit from pure EV mode when driving in town, all without ever plugging in. The Volt cannot do that (at least I could not find a way to).
    • I found the Prime seats for the driver and front passenger to be more comfortable than the Volt's. That's purely subjective, so others might feel the opposite is true. We seldom have rear seat passengers, so that was not a concern, but my wife and I did sit in the back of both cars, and also preferred the Prime's rear seats to the Volt's. Giving up the middle passenger position in the rear seat was a non-issue for our needs.
    I did not look at the Honda Clarity in detail. It does not have a hatchback model, which eliminated that car for my needs and preferences. I also ruled out looking at the Tesla 3 because of availability and not having a gas-engine mode for longer trips. I did take a close look at the Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid. it is also a hatchback. I liked it better than the Volt for space and comfort, but still not find it to be as good as the Prime's space and comfort (even with the raised floor in the Prime's cargo space).

    The car I was replacing was a 2005 Prius which we had bought new in 2004. That has been a fantastic car, and it was not an easy decision to let it go (but our daughter and son-in-law needed a car, and our old Prius was a perfect choice for them). My wife and I have found the '17 Prime to be even better in almost every way from our '05 Prius. It rides better, is quieter, gets even better gas mileage in hybrid mode, and it is fantastic in EV mode. However, we very much miss all the little nook-and-cranny storage spaces that our '05 Prius had. Toyota made a big mistake when they removed all the little storage spaces in the Prius Prime.

    BTW, we also own a 2012 LEAF, which we bought new. That is also a great car, but it is strictly an around-town errand car, and not for our frequent longer trips. We have considered replacing the LEAF with another pure BEV that has a greater range, but our old LEAF is adequate for how we use it, and it depreciated so fast that the cost difference to replace it just doesn't make economic sense. We will probably keep it as a second car for many more years. A used first-gen LEAF is so inexpensive now, that it might be a great second car for lots of people to consider.

    Those are just my thoughts and opinions, but I hope it helps others who are comparing Primes and Volts.
     
    Mayank Jain likes this.
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The Volt's cargo area is more cubic. The Prime has a large floor area. Basically it depends on the type of cargo you're carrying. I think most people would prefer more floor area than volume as I rarely see people load luggage standing up (it's usually laid down).

    Also, Toyota and GM are giving out different measurement as there is no standard for listing cargo volume for a non-sedan. (so that goes for SUVs, wagons and hatchbacks). It's up to manufacturer whether they want to include all the space up to the roof/glass or whether they want to list usable space (using boxes) or whether they want to list all the volume that's below the beltline/tonneau cover.
     
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    doesn't #1 eliminate prime?
     
  20. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Yea .... & standard safety drive features & 5-star crash worthy-ness is apparently chopped liver too

    .