LuciPearl
Member
Having just reached 1000 miles I thought I'd offer my thoughts on the Air. No need to go over features etc as those things are covered in other posts. They are also covered in youtube and other reviews. This is simply to give my thoughts on new learnings I've had actually owning the vehicle that perhaps weren't covered enough in reviews.
Delivery Quality - I was prepared for many of the issues I had read about here. As I went through the checklist provided on this site I was impressed with the finished product. I found two items, both in the drivers seat. The left side bolster was not working....right side worked, left side did not. The lumbar support worked when using the buttons on the left side of the seat, it did not work when using the pilot panel. While I was impressed with fit and finish I'm not the best person to evaluate that. Days after receiving the car I brought it in for tinting and ppf on the front facing components of the car. The professionals were impressed with the finish, both the surfaces they placed the ppf and around the entire car.
People - It has been mentioned by others, I just did not think there would be so many people who want to talk about the car or take pictures of it. It was nice at first, it is now bothersome. Though it was amusing as I approached a stop sign and to my right was a couple leaving a restaurant. I could read her lips as she said "What the **** is that?"
Canopy - I love the canopy. In the couple of days before a ceramic tint was applied the DFW weather was 105 degrees and sunny. I'm 6'4" and probably closer to the canopy than most people. I could feel the heat on this bald head. However, once the tint was applied, it works beautifully! No more hot head for me. Many people here in sunny hot climates are not bothered by the canopy heat, I was. If you are tall be aware you might be deciding to get the canopy tinted. I added the tint everywhere and it looks great with the black paint....but the big reason for the tint was the heat.
Service - Unfortunately I've discovered the service is very responsive. I've discovered it because the vehicle is currently at a service center for a 12V battery issue (reported in detail by me elsewhere on this board). While I'm not happy with this event, I am impressed with the service.
Drive/Ride - I also have a 2015 S Class, a beautiful vehicle with more than 140K miles. I have wavered back and forth on which is the better riding vehicle, but I give the edge to the Air. It simply feels more in touch with the road without the floaty-ness of the S Class. The Air does have 19" wheels that contributes to the ride quality. I suspect if I had the 21" inch wheels I might conclude the S Class is the better ride. I honestly can't speak with authority on drivability from a sports car perspective as I have not adequately tested the Air, nor will I. At 68 years old I'm not into 0-60 times or carving through mountain roads at a relatively high speed; wherever I am you will find me about 5% below the posted speed limit.
Efficiency/Range - Through 1000 miles I'm getting 3.8 mi/kWh. Probably not a surprise given my typical speed. Love the range given our frequent road trips. No range anxiety at all.
Fast Charging - This is more about Electrify America than it is Lucid. I've used two EA sites, Denton TX (3 times) and Round Rock TX (twice). I hate the Denton site because of the position of a curb that is there. Denton is also not the site to be at on a Saturday afternoon, far too crowded on my one Saturday visit. I've also had to move the car a couple of times to find a working charger. I love Round Rock, many stalls. Overall I'm pretty pleased with EA and would feel confident on a long road trip. But I recognize my sample size is small and on a long trip I could encounter some difficulties.
Interior - Comparing to the S class there is a big difference in the interiors. I love the relative simplicity of the Air interior and its materials, my wife prefers the wood of the S Class. For both of us the learning curve for the Air panels has not been significant, a pleasant surprise for both of us. We both agree it is much simpler than the multiple layers in the S Class.
Entertainment - Not good now. I miss my Sirius XM news and sports more than I thought I would.
Would I Buy It Again - This is the But in the title. This is truly an outstanding vehicle, I love it. But, I should not have bought the Air. It is not the Air's fault, it is mine. I'm soon to be 69, I'm 6'4" and 290 lbs on a good day, I have arthritis, and a history of back problems. This was my #1 concern when buying the car. But my love for all the engineering and bi-directional charging, in combination with a couple of reviews where people approximately my size didn't have a big concern about ingress/egress, I felt confident I could modify my method for entry/exit to have no impact on me. Initially I thought I was right......enter the vehicle bottom first, slide bottom back in the seat toward the passenger, tilt head toward B pillar, slowly duck and enter, swing feet into the vehicle. Reverse to exit. My wife cringes watching me. Once in the car there is so much room that I quickly forget the entry issue. But I am starting to feel it in my back and I'm concerned about a repetitive stress injury to my lower back. Younger people my size may not have an issue. but this aging body does. Around the 300 mile mark I got on the Gravity reservation list as an option in the event I was later bothered by entry/exit. By 1000 miles I knew I'm getting the Gravity. So I considered my options....do I keep the Air I and hope I have no issues until the Gravity comes out....or do I sell the Air and keep this old S Class until the Gravity comes out. It is going to be sold. I caution larger people....and older people whose flexible days are past them, get to a Sales Studio. I wasn't going to drive 4 hours to my nearest one, I should have.
That's it. Stay healthy everyone!
Delivery Quality - I was prepared for many of the issues I had read about here. As I went through the checklist provided on this site I was impressed with the finished product. I found two items, both in the drivers seat. The left side bolster was not working....right side worked, left side did not. The lumbar support worked when using the buttons on the left side of the seat, it did not work when using the pilot panel. While I was impressed with fit and finish I'm not the best person to evaluate that. Days after receiving the car I brought it in for tinting and ppf on the front facing components of the car. The professionals were impressed with the finish, both the surfaces they placed the ppf and around the entire car.
People - It has been mentioned by others, I just did not think there would be so many people who want to talk about the car or take pictures of it. It was nice at first, it is now bothersome. Though it was amusing as I approached a stop sign and to my right was a couple leaving a restaurant. I could read her lips as she said "What the **** is that?"
Canopy - I love the canopy. In the couple of days before a ceramic tint was applied the DFW weather was 105 degrees and sunny. I'm 6'4" and probably closer to the canopy than most people. I could feel the heat on this bald head. However, once the tint was applied, it works beautifully! No more hot head for me. Many people here in sunny hot climates are not bothered by the canopy heat, I was. If you are tall be aware you might be deciding to get the canopy tinted. I added the tint everywhere and it looks great with the black paint....but the big reason for the tint was the heat.
Service - Unfortunately I've discovered the service is very responsive. I've discovered it because the vehicle is currently at a service center for a 12V battery issue (reported in detail by me elsewhere on this board). While I'm not happy with this event, I am impressed with the service.
Drive/Ride - I also have a 2015 S Class, a beautiful vehicle with more than 140K miles. I have wavered back and forth on which is the better riding vehicle, but I give the edge to the Air. It simply feels more in touch with the road without the floaty-ness of the S Class. The Air does have 19" wheels that contributes to the ride quality. I suspect if I had the 21" inch wheels I might conclude the S Class is the better ride. I honestly can't speak with authority on drivability from a sports car perspective as I have not adequately tested the Air, nor will I. At 68 years old I'm not into 0-60 times or carving through mountain roads at a relatively high speed; wherever I am you will find me about 5% below the posted speed limit.
Efficiency/Range - Through 1000 miles I'm getting 3.8 mi/kWh. Probably not a surprise given my typical speed. Love the range given our frequent road trips. No range anxiety at all.
Fast Charging - This is more about Electrify America than it is Lucid. I've used two EA sites, Denton TX (3 times) and Round Rock TX (twice). I hate the Denton site because of the position of a curb that is there. Denton is also not the site to be at on a Saturday afternoon, far too crowded on my one Saturday visit. I've also had to move the car a couple of times to find a working charger. I love Round Rock, many stalls. Overall I'm pretty pleased with EA and would feel confident on a long road trip. But I recognize my sample size is small and on a long trip I could encounter some difficulties.
Interior - Comparing to the S class there is a big difference in the interiors. I love the relative simplicity of the Air interior and its materials, my wife prefers the wood of the S Class. For both of us the learning curve for the Air panels has not been significant, a pleasant surprise for both of us. We both agree it is much simpler than the multiple layers in the S Class.
Entertainment - Not good now. I miss my Sirius XM news and sports more than I thought I would.
Would I Buy It Again - This is the But in the title. This is truly an outstanding vehicle, I love it. But, I should not have bought the Air. It is not the Air's fault, it is mine. I'm soon to be 69, I'm 6'4" and 290 lbs on a good day, I have arthritis, and a history of back problems. This was my #1 concern when buying the car. But my love for all the engineering and bi-directional charging, in combination with a couple of reviews where people approximately my size didn't have a big concern about ingress/egress, I felt confident I could modify my method for entry/exit to have no impact on me. Initially I thought I was right......enter the vehicle bottom first, slide bottom back in the seat toward the passenger, tilt head toward B pillar, slowly duck and enter, swing feet into the vehicle. Reverse to exit. My wife cringes watching me. Once in the car there is so much room that I quickly forget the entry issue. But I am starting to feel it in my back and I'm concerned about a repetitive stress injury to my lower back. Younger people my size may not have an issue. but this aging body does. Around the 300 mile mark I got on the Gravity reservation list as an option in the event I was later bothered by entry/exit. By 1000 miles I knew I'm getting the Gravity. So I considered my options....do I keep the Air I and hope I have no issues until the Gravity comes out....or do I sell the Air and keep this old S Class until the Gravity comes out. It is going to be sold. I caution larger people....and older people whose flexible days are past them, get to a Sales Studio. I wasn't going to drive 4 hours to my nearest one, I should have.
That's it. Stay healthy everyone!
