23 touring vs 22 gt

[lucidtouringman]

Honestly, unless you are a professional driver, there’s no way you will be able to tell the difference of 220 pounds with respect to handling. I agree that the deep footwell is nice if you carry a lot of adults in your backseat, which I don’t. The main thing, though, is power. I have driven every variant except the Sapphire, and I long for that for its extra power! I do also appreciate the extra range for trips that are 350 miles, which I do occasionally. The massaging seats are cool but I think I’ve used them like three times.

Not sure about that...I definitely felt the extra 220lbs when I recently drove a GT loaner esp. on turns...maybe I have a more sensitive butt.

 

[SDHacker]

Not sure about that...I definitely felt the extra 220lbs when I recently drove a GT loaner esp. on turns...maybe I have a more sensitive butt.

Which tires were on the loaner? The car feels different, handles different on 21 vs 19

 

[The Hack]

As already mentioned by others, as soon as I sat in the back seat of a GT I decided that the larger “foot garage” as described by Peter in the Touring made my decision easy.
For some people like myself it’s a big deal and for many others…not so much.

 

[coma24]

Honestly, unless you are a professional driver, there’s no way you will be able to tell the difference of 220 pounds with respect to handling. I agree that the deep footwell is nice if you carry a lot of adults in your backseat, which I don’t. The main thing, though, is power. I have driven every variant except the Sapphire, and I long for that for its extra power! I do also appreciate the extra range for trips that are 350 miles, which I do occasionally. The massaging seats are cool but I think I’ve used them like three times.

That's interesting, I could've sworn I've heard the weight difference being referenced in a couple of driving reviews, and certainly people who have driven both have commented on different handling characteristics.

Regarding power, I do understand that you can 'never have enough.' Perhaps it's not quite THAT bad, but I was in the same boat as others. My test drive(s) were in a Touring and that was better acceleration than anything I'd ever driven, so I ruled out spending more on a GT. Through huge depreciation and market circumstances, a GT became a viable option, so I went with it for range related issues (some obvious, others less so). The power was OBNOXIOUS. After driving like I stole it for the first two weeks, I settled down and was completely used to it. There were even times where I felt it would've been fun to have a little more. Now that a few months have passed, the acceleration is still great, and gives me all the utility I need, but I wouldn't say no to the power of a GT-P if I could do it again for a small upgrade fee (which is about all it would amount to at this point given market prices.

The price differences between the trim levels in the after market seems to be diminishing over time. This is great news for people who are looking to enter the market.

In my mind, the only advantage for the Touring is the space in the back...and it IS a difference. My daughter loved the Touring demo ride and now more or less 'dreads' being in the back of the GT, lamenting the discomfort of floor height. Nobody else seems to be mind, but honestly, the only people back there on a repeated basis are our kids. A few adults have been back there, but they're generally hanging on for dear life and barely perceive the floor height (I mostly kid).

So, ultimately, if you TRULY don't mind the lower range and you anticipate having the same people in the back of the car on a regular basis, then the Touring should be considered. Otherwise, I would GT it all day.

 

[DreamTour]

Honestly, unless you are a professional driver, there’s no way you will be able to tell the difference of 220 pounds with respect to handling. I agree that the deep footwell is nice if you carry a lot of adults in your backseat, which I don’t. The main thing, though, is power. I have driven every variant except the Sapphire, and I long for that for its extra power! I do also appreciate the extra range for trips that are 350 miles, which I do occasionally. The massaging seats are cool but I think I’ve used them like three times.

I guess if you drive in sprint all the time with a touring and don’t find it enough then that makes sense. I guess ditto if you drive in sprint all the time with a regular gt and don’t find it enough then gt performance.

Where I am there’s so few places to use that power before running out of room.

 

[lucidtouringman]

Which tires were on the loaner? The car feels different, handles different on 21 vs 19

21s

 

[borski]

I guess if you drive in sprint all the time with a touring and don’t find it enough then that makes sense. I guess ditto if you drive in sprint all the time with a regular gt and don’t find it enough then gt performance.

Where I am there’s so few places to use that power before running out of room.

It’s not about that; I wouldn’t drive around in sprint in a touring all the time because I don’t need that power all the time either.

It’s about *access* to power. It’s not that, on average, my foot holds the pedal more or less at 75 lol - 75 is 75 no matter which car you’re in.

But when you need or want that power, to pass someone, or to react in an emergency, or to have fun with… then it’s really nice to have access to it.

I’ve driven a GT loaner when my DE was in service, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, you even get used to it after a while and forget. But then I get back in my DE and suddenly it reminds me how nice it is to be able to access that much power when I want to.

 

[DreamTour]

It’s not about that; I wouldn’t drive around in sprint in a touring all the time because I don’t need that power all the time either.

It’s about *access* to power. It’s not that, on average, my foot holds the pedal more or less at 75 lol - 75 is 75 no matter which car you’re in.

But when you need or want that power, to pass someone, or to react in an emergency, or to have fun with… then it’s really nice to have access to it.

I’ve driven a GT loaner when my DE was in service, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, you even get used to it after a while and forget. But then I get back in my DE and suddenly it reminds me how nice it is to be able to access that much power when I want to.

To be fair, nothing is about "need to have" at Luxo car strata. It's fun money, so if you have fun with it then it's worth it haha. I chuckle at the R1T's i see at the EA chargers. They are spotless and have the camper tent on the back that looks like its never been deployed. I guess it's just the idea that you "Could" do it

 

[segbrk]

I agree, something about my Touring feels more nimble than the GT loaner I've driven a few times. Maybe it's the specific cars, maybe it's something other than weight, I don't know. But for some reason, while the GT certainly has power that just keeps going, my Touring does feel lighter in the corners and sharper in the low end acceleration.

 

[DreamTour]

I agree, something about my Touring feels more nimble than the GT loaner I've driven a few times. Maybe it's the specific cars, maybe it's something other than weight, I don't know. But for some reason, while the GT certainly has power that just keeps going, my Touring does feel lighter in the corners and sharper in the low end acceleration.

I know it’s not apples to apples, but -250 lbs of weight loss is 5% on a 5000 lb car.

The analogy I have is before I had kids I was definitely 5% less heavy. Being 225 ish lbs that’s 11 lbs.

I remember being noticeably more nimble when I was 214 lbs than 225lbs. Do you remember when you were a little younger and 5% lighter? I do haha.

Straight line probably you won’t notice as extra power from the battery more than makes up for the weight, but cornering it’s just physics, taking more mass into a corner and having the damp more weight on the same suspension is going to be more sluggish in response.

 

[joec]

I know it’s not apples to apples, but -250 lbs of weight loss is 5% on a 5000 lb car.

The analogy I have is before I had kids I was definitely 5% less heavy. Being 225 ish lbs that’s 11 lbs.

I remember being noticeably more nimble when I was 214 lbs than 225lbs. Do you remember when you were a little younger and 5% lighter? I do haha.

Straight line probably you won’t notice as extra power from the battery more than makes up for the weight, but cornering it’s just physics, taking more mass into a corner and having the damp more weight on the same suspension is going to be more sluggish in response.

There's a reason most supercars have a superlight variant that trims off weight by stripping down the interior to bare bones. And then costs more. They shave off items that weigh less than a pound, because it all adds up. Weight definitely matters. A lot.

The GT more than makes up for the weight difference in power, but that nevertheless makes the car feel different.

This is why I so desperately want Lucid to make a roadster. It's also why I would consider eventually replacing my Air with a midsize.

A Lucid motor inside a car that weighed half as much would be a completely different driving experience. Not necessarily better. Just very different. And more in tune with what I like to drive.