Difference between zurechtkommen, auskommen, and klarkommen

Question

Is there a difference between these three words? For example:

1. Ich komme mit meiner Schwester gut aus

2. Ich komme mit meiner Schwester gut zurecht

3. Ich komme mit meiner Schwester gut klar

Is there a difference in the meanings of these sentences?

For example, if a store employee asks me, "Are you getting along alright?" while I'm shopping, could he/she use any of the above terms, say, "Kommst du gut klar?"

Answer 1

I will conduct more careful analysis over time. But I shall point to two important caveats:

Auskommen

In the sense of getting along, auskommen can only refer to people. It presupposes some mention of people:

Kommen Sie miteinander aus? / Do you get along with each other?

If we use it with objects, the meaning will usually change profoundly:

Kommen Sie mit dem Auto zurecht/klar?

refers to your ability of handling the car and your level of comfort in doing so.

Kommen Sie mit dem Auto aus?

asks whether the car is enough for you. It might be directed to a company's boss, wanting to accommodate five people. This is due to a meaning of auskommen which I would translate as make do.

Kommen Sie mit dem Geld aus? / Can you get through (the month, year...) with the money?

Therefore, the shop employee from your comment will not use:

"Kommen Sie aus?".

I will conduct investigations into dialects and regional customs after the end of the exam period here. Unless some users come along to inform us of different usage.

Klarkommen

This is far too colloquial to always be used in a professional context. It is safer for the employee to choose:

Kommen Sie zurecht?