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Alternatives to the Lucid Air

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acsing

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I am currently a little more than 2 years in to a leased Lucid Air Pure AWD with the lease ending in August 2026. It is the best car I've ever driven and my first electric vehicle.

However, I am considering other non-Lucid cars after the lease ends. Here are my thoughts on the general ownership experience of the car. I also recognize this is going to be a very Lucid-pro group. I am not closing the door on owning another Lucid in the future once many of these concerns get taken care of but I'm currently exploring other options.

Pros:
- I LOVE the driving experience. It's incredibly fun with a smooth ride/suspension and handles amazingly.
- I love the look of the car. It is legitimately beautiful.
- The kids love the backseat due to its spaciousness. They grumble when they have to sit in the back of my wife's Audi Q5 (first world problems).
- The range is great, although less than advertised. I would estimate real world range is probably 70-80% of the listed range. I have to drive long distances for work at times and I've only had to charge once on a day trip.

Cons:
- The software has been very glitchy. Granted, a lot of these have improved over the 2 years I've owned the car but they were, and continue to be, a source of frustration.
- The base sound system on the Pure was horrible when I first bought it. This was eventually fixed after a few months - turns out it was a software setting and now it sounds very good.
- Hey Lucid, the personal voice assistant in the car sucks. It used to be Alexa and was much better. I don't even use it because it's so bad.
- The car is very finicky with mobile phone entry. This has also improved somewhat over time but I still routinely have to stand outside the car waiting 5-10 seconds for the car to let me in. Yes I know about pushing the door handle in. I don't carry the key fob.
- Having to explain the valet card to valets is very annoying. I do forget to bring the key fob with me so that's probably on me.
- The mobile app connecting to the car can take a long time (20-30 seconds) and sometimes doesn't connect at all.
- Have had random instances where the display blacks out while driving and it only comes back on if I put the car into park (this happened after a recent software update but seems like it's been fixed with a new software update).
- Early on would have issues with Apple CarPlay not connecting although this has been resolved in recent updates.
- The CarPlay audio is annoying - there is a 2-3 second delay on the sound so I basically don't use it for phone calls since there's always awkward pauses during conversations. My wife's Audi CarPlay does not have the delay.
- Have had times where the audio in general doesn't work. Have to reset the car for it to start working again.
- Went through a weekend where the trunk would not stay shut. I would be at a stoplight, the trunk would open and I would have to get out to close it. Very dangerous. Would open again as I was driving. This stopped happening after a weekend. I still don't understand what happened.
- Electrify America charging has gotten a lot better compared to two years ago but the coverage and reliability of the CCS charging network still is not as good as Tesla NACS.
- The CCS->NACS adapter is a nice theoretical thought but due to differences in charging infrastruture, the Lucid Air maxes out at 50 kilowatts with that adapter. That's incredibly slow, basically rendering this as a last-resort backup option.
- The repair infrastructure is challenging. I live in DFW and there are only 2 body shops in the area (one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth, two cities that are 1 hour apart) that are authorized to work on Lucids. Parts took forever to get shipped from Lucid. A minor fender bender that probably should have taken 2 weeks max to get fixed took 5 weeks with most of the downtime related to waiting for parts from Lucid. This was a major inconvenience and made me realize the importance of having good support infrastructure in case of an accident. Bigger projects need to have the car transported to Houston because DFW does not have a hub location. Crazy.
- My wife and I have a joke that every time she sits in the car with me, something weird happens and I say, "Huh, that's never happened before."
- I have concerns about the long-term health of the company. They lose money on every car they make, stock price is trash (I bought it at $2.40 before the reverse stock split (so $24) and it's currently at $13.38 - must suck for those who bought when it was the $500+ range).
- The Gravity is a very nice car but has many of the same software issues as the Air. I also don't love the way it looks and not sure whether it's going to save the company.
- I'll still probably hold onto my stock since the cheaper sedans and SUVs are coming out in the next few years and all these new partnerships with Uber/NVIDIA/etc are intriguing. I guess at this point the upside is high.

So if I had to do it over again, would I get the same car? Do the Pros outweigh the Cons? Probably....? I intentionally leased as opposed to buying given the depreciation we are seeing with electric cars, the ability to benefit from the electric tax credit at that time still being available for leased cars versus purchased cars, and uncertainty surrounding the long-term health of the company and therefore support structure like repairs/mobile techs. However, financially, leasing is not a great choice so I'm probably going to buy the next car I drive. I still really enjoy driving the car but I'm interested in trying something else out given the issues I've described.


What are my baseline criteria?

- Electric
- Range of 275-350 ideally
- Somewhat similar rear space for the kids
- Luxury interior
- No Tesla for a number of reasons
- Open to SUV or sedan

Some options I've been thinking about are the BMW i5, i7, iX, Audi Q8 etron, Porsche Taycan, Cayenne. However, all of these have limitations (the range is a major deal) and so I'm curious to hear from those who may have owned or driven some of these other options and how they compared to the Lucid Air. For those who have switched from the Lucid Air, what did you choose and why? Are you happy with your choice?
 
I dumped my Audi E-tron GT because the car felt cramped, the range sucked, the service experience really really sucked. My AGT is better than my Audi was in almost every respect. I could list a bunch of minor (my opinion) problems with the Audi that would match your list for the Lucid.

But reading that list of your issues, I would suggest finding a mature luxury ICE vehicle.
 
acsing said:
I am currently a little more than 2 years in to a leased Lucid Air Pure AWD with the lease ending in August 2026. It is the best car I've ever driven and my first electric vehicle.

However, I am considering other non-Lucid cars after the lease ends. Here are my thoughts on the general ownership experience of the car. I also recognize this is going to be a very Lucid-pro group. I am not closing the door on owning another Lucid in the future once many of these concerns get taken care of but I'm currently exploring other options.

Pros:
- I LOVE the driving experience. It's incredibly fun with a smooth ride/suspension and handles amazingly.
- I love the look of the car. It is legitimately beautiful.
- The kids love the backseat due to its spaciousness. They grumble when they have to sit in the back of my wife's Audi Q5 (first world problems).
- The range is great, although less than advertised. I would estimate real world range is probably 70-80% of the listed range. I have to drive long distances for work at times and I've only had to charge once on a day trip.

Cons:
- The software has been very glitchy. Granted, a lot of these have improved over the 2 years I've owned the car but they were, and continue to be, a source of frustration.
- The base sound system on the Pure was horrible when I first bought it. This was eventually fixed after a few months - turns out it was a software setting and now it sounds very good.
- Hey Lucid, the personal voice assistant in the car sucks. It used to be Alexa and was much better. I don't even use it because it's so bad.
- The car is very finicky with mobile phone entry. This has also improved somewhat over time but I still routinely have to stand outside the car waiting 5-10 seconds for the car to let me in. Yes I know about pushing the door handle in. I don't carry the key fob.
- Having to explain the valet card to valets is very annoying. I do forget to bring the key fob with me so that's probably on me.
- The mobile app connecting to the car can take a long time (20-30 seconds) and sometimes doesn't connect at all.
- Have had random instances where the display blacks out while driving and it only comes back on if I put the car into park (this happened after a recent software update but seems like it's been fixed with a new software update).
- Early on would have issues with Apple CarPlay not connecting although this has been resolved in recent updates.
- The CarPlay audio is annoying - there is a 2-3 second delay on the sound so I basically don't use it for phone calls since there's always awkward pauses during conversations. My wife's Audi CarPlay does not have the delay.
- Have had times where the audio in general doesn't work. Have to reset the car for it to start working again.
- Went through a weekend where the trunk would not stay shut. I would be at a stoplight, the trunk would open and I would have to get out to close it. Very dangerous. Would open again as I was driving. This stopped happening after a weekend. I still don't understand what happened.
- Electrify America charging has gotten a lot better compared to two years ago but the coverage and reliability of the CCS charging network still is not as good as Tesla NACS.
- The CCS->NACS adapter is a nice theoretical thought but due to differences in charging infrastruture, the Lucid Air maxes out at 50 kilowatts with that adapter. That's incredibly slow, basically rendering this as a last-resort backup option.
- The repair infrastructure is challenging. I live in DFW and there are only 2 body shops in the area (one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth, two cities that are 1 hour apart) that are authorized to work on Lucids. Parts took forever to get shipped from Lucid. A minor fender bender that probably should have taken 2 weeks max to get fixed took 5 weeks with most of the downtime related to waiting for parts from Lucid. This was a major inconvenience and made me realize the importance of having good support infrastructure in case of an accident. Bigger projects need to have the car transported to Houston because DFW does not have a hub location. Crazy.
- My wife and I have a joke that every time she sits in the car with me, something weird happens and I say, "Huh, that's never happened before."
- I have concerns about the long-term health of the company. They lose money on every car they make, stock price is trash (I bought it at $2.40 before the reverse stock split (so $24) and it's currently at $13.38 - must suck for those who bought when it was the $500+ range).
- The Gravity is a very nice car but has many of the same software issues as the Air. I also don't love the way it looks and not sure whether it's going to save the company.
- I'll still probably hold onto my stock since the cheaper sedans and SUVs are coming out in the next few years and all these new partnerships with Uber/NVIDIA/etc are intriguing. I guess at this point the upside is high.

So if I had to do it over again, would I get the same car? Do the Pros outweigh the Cons? Probably....? I intentionally leased as opposed to buying given the depreciation we are seeing with electric cars, the ability to benefit from the electric tax credit at that time still being available for leased cars versus purchased cars, and uncertainty surrounding the long-term health of the company and therefore support structure like repairs/mobile techs. However, financially, leasing is not a great choice so I'm probably going to buy the next car I drive. I still really enjoy driving the car but I'm interested in trying something else out given the issues I've described.


What are my baseline criteria?

- Electric
- Range of 275-350 ideally
- Somewhat similar rear space for the kids
- Luxury interior
- No Tesla for a number of reasons
- Open to SUV or sedan

Some options I've been thinking about are the BMW i5, i7, iX, Audi Q8 etron, Porsche Taycan, Cayenne. However, all of these have limitations (the range is a major deal) and so I'm curious to hear from those who may have owned or driven some of these other options and how they compared to the Lucid Air. For those who have switched from the Lucid Air, what did you choose and why? Are you happy with your choice?
Click to expand...
Tesla Model S or X is the only real competitor. It smokes Lucid on software (they all do), but Tesla interior and luxury is a joke compared to Lucid. Actually I guess you could say Tesla is superior in every single category you mentioned, except ride quality, luxury and not being Tesla. The obvious contended for build and luxury is Etron and Taycan, but they are not even close on range or interior space.
 
TAYCAN…….
Although the Tesla software is superior, it’s the best looking of the EV segment along with the Air. MS still looks good but getting long in the tooth ( like 911 design) those are 3 good choices
 
I'd say a fully operational Gravity fits the OP's criteria.
 
EVCar said:
I'd say a fully operational Gravity fits the OP's criteria.
Click to expand...
He said he doesn't like the looks of the Gravity.

My suggestion would be the BMX Neue Klass sedan that will come out after the iX3 is released in the US next year. But not sure on the timing of that, as it may not be out in time.
 
L-Dude said:
I dumped my Audi E-tron GT because the car felt cramped, the range sucked, the service experience really really sucked. My AGT is better than my Audi was in almost every respect. I could list a bunch of minor (my opinion) problems with the Audi that would match your list for the Lucid.

But reading that list of your issues, I would suggest finding a mature luxury ICE vehicle.
Click to expand...
Alas, once you go electric, it's hard to go back. You're right though, a lot of these issues would have been non-existent to a certain degree in a car that has been around for a long time.
 
socktucker said:
Tesla Model S or X is the only real competitor. It smokes Lucid on software (they all do), but Tesla interior and luxury is a joke compared to Lucid. Actually I guess you could say Tesla is superior in every single category you mentioned, except ride quality, luxury and not being Tesla. The obvious contended for build and luxury is Etron and Taycan, but they are not even close on range or interior space.
Click to expand...
Yes, I looked at the Model S when I was debating the original lease but the models I drove had pretty crappy suspension where I felt every bump in the road. I do believe I read Tesla has improved the suspension on newer year models though.
 
MJAir23TheGoat said:
TAYCAN…….
Although the Tesla software is superior, it’s the best looking of the EV segment along with the Air. MS still looks good but getting long in the tooth ( like 911 design) those are 3 good choices
Click to expand...
The Taycan is indeed enticing. Only downsides I can tell are probably the range and the semi-cramped rear for the kiddos. I suppose what I'm looking for is a car like the Air but with better software and a more stable long-term financial outlook...it does sound sort of like the Model S...
 
TahoeMichael said:
He said he doesn't like the looks of the Gravity.

My suggestion would be the BMX Neue Klass sedan that will come out after the iX3 is released in the US next year. But not sure on the timing of that, as it may not be out in time.
Click to expand...
I was looking at the Neue Klass sedan but I believe it was going to be modeled after the 3 series so a bit of a size downgrade. The range is definitely enticing and having the BMW infrastructure to support the inevitable problems would be reassuring.
 
acsing said:
I am currently a little more than 2 years in to a leased Lucid Air Pure AWD with the lease ending in August 2026. It is the best car I've ever driven and my first electric vehicle.

However, I am considering other non-Lucid cars after the lease ends. Here are my thoughts on the general ownership experience of the car. I also recognize this is going to be a very Lucid-pro group. I am not closing the door on owning another Lucid in the future once many of these concerns get taken care of but I'm currently exploring other options.

Pros:
- I LOVE the driving experience. It's incredibly fun with a smooth ride/suspension and handles amazingly.
- I love the look of the car. It is legitimately beautiful.
- The kids love the backseat due to its spaciousness. They grumble when they have to sit in the back of my wife's Audi Q5 (first world problems).
- The range is great, although less than advertised. I would estimate real world range is probably 70-80% of the listed range. I have to drive long distances for work at times and I've only had to charge once on a day trip.

Cons:
- The software has been very glitchy. Granted, a lot of these have improved over the 2 years I've owned the car but they were, and continue to be, a source of frustration.
- The base sound system on the Pure was horrible when I first bought it. This was eventually fixed after a few months - turns out it was a software setting and now it sounds very good.
- Hey Lucid, the personal voice assistant in the car sucks. It used to be Alexa and was much better. I don't even use it because it's so bad.
- The car is very finicky with mobile phone entry. This has also improved somewhat over time but I still routinely have to stand outside the car waiting 5-10 seconds for the car to let me in. Yes I know about pushing the door handle in. I don't carry the key fob.
- Having to explain the valet card to valets is very annoying. I do forget to bring the key fob with me so that's probably on me.
- The mobile app connecting to the car can take a long time (20-30 seconds) and sometimes doesn't connect at all.
- Have had random instances where the display blacks out while driving and it only comes back on if I put the car into park (this happened after a recent software update but seems like it's been fixed with a new software update).
- Early on would have issues with Apple CarPlay not connecting although this has been resolved in recent updates.
- The CarPlay audio is annoying - there is a 2-3 second delay on the sound so I basically don't use it for phone calls since there's always awkward pauses during conversations. My wife's Audi CarPlay does not have the delay.
- Have had times where the audio in general doesn't work. Have to reset the car for it to start working again.
- Went through a weekend where the trunk would not stay shut. I would be at a stoplight, the trunk would open and I would have to get out to close it. Very dangerous. Would open again as I was driving. This stopped happening after a weekend. I still don't understand what happened.
- Electrify America charging has gotten a lot better compared to two years ago but the coverage and reliability of the CCS charging network still is not as good as Tesla NACS.
- The CCS->NACS adapter is a nice theoretical thought but due to differences in charging infrastruture, the Lucid Air maxes out at 50 kilowatts with that adapter. That's incredibly slow, basically rendering this as a last-resort backup option.
- The repair infrastructure is challenging. I live in DFW and there are only 2 body shops in the area (one in Dallas and one in Fort Worth, two cities that are 1 hour apart) that are authorized to work on Lucids. Parts took forever to get shipped from Lucid. A minor fender bender that probably should have taken 2 weeks max to get fixed took 5 weeks with most of the downtime related to waiting for parts from Lucid. This was a major inconvenience and made me realize the importance of having good support infrastructure in case of an accident. Bigger projects need to have the car transported to Houston because DFW does not have a hub location. Crazy.
- My wife and I have a joke that every time she sits in the car with me, something weird happens and I say, "Huh, that's never happened before."
- I have concerns about the long-term health of the company. They lose money on every car they make, stock price is trash (I bought it at $2.40 before the reverse stock split (so $24) and it's currently at $13.38 - must suck for those who bought when it was the $500+ range).
- The Gravity is a very nice car but has many of the same software issues as the Air. I also don't love the way it looks and not sure whether it's going to save the company.
- I'll still probably hold onto my stock since the cheaper sedans and SUVs are coming out in the next few years and all these new partnerships with Uber/NVIDIA/etc are intriguing. I guess at this point the upside is high.

So if I had to do it over again, would I get the same car? Do the Pros outweigh the Cons? Probably....? I intentionally leased as opposed to buying given the depreciation we are seeing with electric cars, the ability to benefit from the electric tax credit at that time still being available for leased cars versus purchased cars, and uncertainty surrounding the long-term health of the company and therefore support structure like repairs/mobile techs. However, financially, leasing is not a great choice so I'm probably going to buy the next car I drive. I still really enjoy driving the car but I'm interested in trying something else out given the issues I've described.


What are my baseline criteria?

- Electric
- Range of 275-350 ideally
- Somewhat similar rear space for the kids
- Luxury interior
- No Tesla for a number of reasons
- Open to SUV or sedan

Some options I've been thinking about are the BMW i5, i7, iX, Audi Q8 etron, Porsche Taycan, Cayenne. However, all of these have limitations (the range is a major deal) and so I'm curious to hear from those who may have owned or driven some of these other options and how they compared to the Lucid Air. For those who have switched from the Lucid Air, what did you choose and why? Are you happy with your choice?
Click to expand...
You have no good alternatives……just be patient, the 2025’s have updated computer chip, software is much better, App does lag occasionally but no big deal.
 
acsing said:
Yes, I looked at the Model S when I was debating the original lease but the models I drove had pretty crappy suspension where I felt every bump in the road. I do believe I read Tesla has improved the suspension on newer year models though.
Click to expand...
I can confirm that the 2023 Model S suspension is better than the 2017 version but still it's no where catching up with Lucid.
 
I searched for a long time and not many meet your criteria.

I didn't see the EQS mentioned on your list. You're going to get a more luxurious ride (but slightly worse driving experience) and more "mature" software in the mercedes. The biggest downside are the looks but it hits nearly every criteria you're looking for. I find the EQS SUV to be better looking (although nowhere near as nice as the lucid obviously).

I agree with the taycan/etron gt assessment. I had a taycan..the back is serviceable for a daily for sure...but there's not what I would consider a fair amount of space. We had a gap vehicle of an ioniq 6 and it had tons more space than the taycan. You can split the difference and maybe go for a Macan? The range should hit 300+ without issues in the properly configuration.

Finally, if it's out by the time your lease is up, maybe the iX3? Preliminary reviews are good...but they are very preliminary.

i5 and q8 range are not good and the q8 interior is a clean step down (it looks fine but there's something about it that makes it feel a bit cheap..)

the iX would be fine but the looks can be questionnable and the ones that are most fun to drive don't have the range. The i7 could be a viable option but i heard that real world range is suspect.

So to me the only options are (in no order):
- EQS (suv or sedan)
- iX3
- Macan/Cayenne EV
- i7
 
Truthlesshunter said:
I searched for a long time and not many meet your criteria.

I didn't see the EQS mentioned on your list. You're going to get a more luxurious ride (but slightly worse driving experience) and more "mature" software in the mercedes. The biggest downside are the looks but it hits nearly every criteria you're looking for. I find the EQS SUV to be better looking (although nowhere near as nice as the lucid obviously).

I agree with the taycan/etron gt assessment. I had a taycan..the back is serviceable for a daily for sure...but there's not what I would consider a fair amount of space. We had a gap vehicle of an ioniq 6 and it had tons more space than the taycan. You can split the difference and maybe go for a Macan? The range should hit 300+ without issues in the properly configuration.

Finally, if it's out by the time your lease is up, maybe the iX3? Preliminary reviews are good...but they are very preliminary.

i5 and q8 range are not good and the q8 interior is a clean step down (it looks fine but there's something about it that makes it feel a bit cheap..)

the iX would be fine but the looks can be questionnable and the ones that are most fun to drive don't have the range. The i7 could be a viable option but i heard that real world range is suspect.

So to me the only options are (in no order):
- EQS (suv or sedan)
- iX3
- Macan/Cayenne EV
- i7
Click to expand...
Any Porsche is also much more expensive, Macan will still be cramped, EQS is a flop, the new Ix3 maybe the best option but who knows what issues that car has.

Anyway you cut it, Lucid Air is the best option
 
gaskiller said:
Any Porsche is also much more expensive, Macan will still be cramped, EQS is a flop, the new Ix3 maybe the best option but who knows what issues that car has.

Anyway you cut it, Lucid Air is the best option
Click to expand...
I admire your fervor.

Porsche is only more expensive if you're looking at the used market because they hold their values better (although any Porsche EV will still go down a fair amount in value). Macan EV has slightly more room than regular Macan, both of which are better than the Taycan.

The fact that EQS didn't sell well doesn't indicate it's a bad car. It is horribly overpriced, it's a bit gaudy inside, and doesn't look great on the outside. If someone is okay with those (and takes advantage of their awful resale value), then it's absolutely a decent option.

iX3 is definitely TBD.

To say that Lucid air is the clear best option is short-sided. I have a lucid air, i love the car...but to be so dismissive is to be as blind as the people who come on these forums/subs just to bash the car. To be clear, I bought a Lucid Air GT because I thought it was the best option for me at the time. I wouldn't be against others buying other cars to fit their needs/scenario/likes.

Reality is rarely all one side or another.
 
Interesting.
 
for me the pros outweigh the cons. like you said, the driving experience is incredible and i often overlook any software glitches because of that. most software issues are temporary IMO. i haven't experienced the delayed carplay audio issue or any audio issues lately. mobile app not connecting is most likely due to poor network reception (both on your phone and for the car). if you're on T-mobile, don't expect it to work inside a garage or large parking lot lol.
 
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