Air needs some changes for tall drivers.

PolarAir

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Joined
Oct 11, 2022
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General background: I'm 6'4" and pretty slender. I cancelled my order a while back but recently drove my brother's Air Touring for 120 miles. Changes I'd like to see to considered for this car:

1. The seat needs to go lower to the floor and the front of the seat needs to come up higher. I'm too close to the roof and my view forward is obstructed by the window tinting.

2. The steering wheel needs to telescope much more than it currently does. I'm talking an additional 3".

3. The dashboard contrasting stitch needs to be moved or be removed. The reflection runs right through my view forward.

4. Driver monitoring needs to be improved. I don't know if it was my height or my sunglasses, but I received dozens of warnings about an inability to see my eyes.

5. Doubled headlights is really bad at night. This is a deal breaker if you regularly drive at night.

6. Unrelated to my height, I can't believe there's no individual mode to set the suspension dampening. Perfect drive mode is steering and throttle on Smooth, suspension on Swift. Also, the side bolsters on the seats should be adjustable on the touring model. My $50k BMW 3 series has this critical feature.

With these changes, this car would be in my garage. A HUD would also be nice.
 
4. Driver monitoring needs to be improved. I don't know if it was my height or my sunglasses, but I received dozens of warnings about an inability to see my eyes.

5. Doubled headlights is really bad at night. This is a deal breaker if you regularly drive at night.
4. Driver monitoring seems to glitch with glasses. I get it when there is a bit of glare coming into the cabin. Perhaps a reflection off the glasses lenses.

5. I think the headlights are amazing. Best ones I've ever had and my last car had exceptional headlights. Not sure what you mean by doubled?
 
4. Driver monitoring seems to glitch with glasses. I get it when there is a bit of glare coming into the cabin. Perhaps a reflection off the glasses lenses.

5. I think the headlights are amazing. Best ones I've ever had and my last car had exceptional headlights. Not sure what you mean by doubled?
I believe he means the “double effect” of oncoming headlights. It happens with taller people whose vision is right at that line where the tint meets the non-tint.
 
I can only imagine the issues taller drivers have. I'm 6'2" and I have a couple of annoyances. My guess on the driver monitoring thing is that the position of the steering wheel is the problem. I think the monitor is in the dash at the bottom of the cockpit panel. And if you have the steering wheel up as taller drivers tend to (to get your legs under it), I think it blocks that monitoring system
 
I hate to say it but, I think practicality determined they design this car to be compatible with the vast majority of the population, which is below 6’2.

Most cars are not great for people taller than that. (Try a 80s-era Lamborghini sometime.) Most aren’t great for people under 5-foot either. Lucid is a small, new company, and they had to set a cuttoff somewhere in their design constraints. Likely there were cost factors, aerodynamic factors, and so on at play, and in the end they compromised.

Sucks, but I’m actually more disappointed much more established car makers selling millions of cars per year (not a few thousand like Lucid) don't accommodate taller humans, either. But at some point, economics takes over the discussion. How many people over 6'2" exist? How many of them have enough money to buy this car? How many of those are in the market for an electric car? How many of them want a luxury sedan?

That number has to be in the hundreds, at most. Worldwide. Let alone in the markets in which Lucid will be playing over the next year or two.

My guess is Gravity will be more accomodating, but we'll have to see. And certainly future iterations of the Air, hopefully, will make some of these adjustments. I do think there's room for getting the seat down a bit more and expanding the telescoping of the wheel. Those two alone would make a big difference. But we're not going to see that for a few more years, at best.
 
I will say that I fit perfectly fine in any premium German car (ironically not the SUVs; those seats are too high). I've been driving three series BMWs since the E90 generation without any fitment issues. Definitely agree that there's additional room to get the driver's seat lower, and the telescoping on the wheel would also be an easy add, and those are definitely the most important things on that list.
 
I will say that I fit perfectly fine in any premium German car (ironically not the SUVs; those seats are too high). I've been driving three series BMWs since the E90 generation without any fitment issues. Definitely agree that there's additional room to get the driver's seat lower, and the telescoping on the wheel would also be an easy add, and those are definitely the most important things on that list.
I got in the back of an EQS 580 and my head hit. I’m 6’3”
 
I got in the back of an EQS 580 and my head hit. I’m 6’3”
Oh, I was talking about the driver's seats. Back seats are useless in most cases, and the Air is better in the back than almost all competitors. I'd argue it's better in the back than front for tall people.
 
Oh, I was talking about the driver's seats. Back seats are useless in most cases, and the Air is better in the back than almost all competitors. I'd argue it's better in the back than front for tall people.
Agreed. It kinda sucks I’m pretty much never going to get to ride back there.
 
#3 (dashboard stitches) was killing me on my test drive. It was so obnoxiously visible and I couldn’t “not” see it! I’m 6’ 3” with a long torso.
 
I'm 6'2" with long legs and don't have the issues above. It is a long reach to the upper cock pit panel and front window switches. I frequently hit rear window when trying to lower window. I'll agree BMW is more adjustable. My experience Honda and BMW do a great job for 6'2". I imagine 6'3, 6'4 and taller things change quickly. My son is 6'0", he wanted to be as tall as me, I think 6'0" has a lot of advantages. 5'10" would be even better for race cars. 😁
 
I don't think you can get the seat any lower because of the skateboard architecture of the car. Have you been able to fit into another EV okay?
 
I will say that I fit perfectly fine in any premium German car (ironically not the SUVs; those seats are too high). I've been driving three series BMWs since the E90 generation without any fitment issues. Definitely agree that there's additional room to get the driver's seat lower, and the telescoping on the wheel would also be an easy add, and those are definitely the most important things on that list.
A golfing buddy of mine is 6'11" (yes...he played center for his college). He found that the BMW sedans did have room for him but he went for an X4 anyway. It would be hilarious to see him sitting in an MX5.
 
~14.5 % of us males are 6' or taller. ~58 % of Fortune 500 company male CEOs are 6' or taller. Taller people generally make a little more money. This suggest that there're a fair share of taller males of the population that also may have more funds than the population average. Leaves if they like luxury EVs. ~1 % of us males are 6'-4" or taller.
 
~14.5 % of us males are 6' or taller. ~58 % of Fortune 500 company male CEOs are 6' or taller. Taller people generally make a little more money. This suggest that there're a fair share of taller males of the population that also may have more funds than the population average. Leaves if they like luxury EVs. ~1 % of us males are 6'-4" or taller.
Yes. I think that drop off between 6’2 and 6’4 is what explains the Air being fine for me, but not for folks any taller than me.
 
I don't think you can get the seat any lower because of the skateboard architecture of the car. Have you been able to fit into another EV okay?
Fit fine in Taycan, Audi GT, Polestar 2, Model S, and i4. It's just a matter of reengineering the seat rails or, alternatively, the seat itself.
 
General background: I'm 6'4" and pretty slender. I cancelled my order a while back but recently drove my brother's Air Touring for 120 miles. Changes I'd like to see to considered for this car:

1. The seat needs to go lower to the floor and the front of the seat needs to come up higher. I'm too close to the roof and my view forward is obstructed by the window tinting.

2. The steering wheel needs to telescope much more than it currently does. I'm talking an additional 3".

3. The dashboard contrasting stitch needs to be moved or be removed. The reflection runs right through my view forward.

4. Driver monitoring needs to be improved. I don't know if it was my height or my sunglasses, but I received dozens of warnings about an inability to see my eyes.

5. Doubled headlights is really bad at night. This is a deal breaker if you regularly drive at night.

6. Unrelated to my height, I can't believe there's no individual mode to set the suspension dampening. Perfect drive mode is steering and throttle on Smooth, suspension on Swift. Also, the side bolsters on the seats should be adjustable on the touring model. My $50k BMW 3 series has this critical feature.

With these changes, this car would be in my garage. A HUD would also be nice.
The dash stitching drives me nuts! Though I found using polarized sunglasses reduces the reflections off the stitching and the top of the black dash pretty well.
I’m 6”1, my challenge is getting INTO the car, it would be nice if the seat could go lower as currently, I must either sort of dive in and twist around or sit on the door side edge of the seat and slide my backside as far as possible across the seat and then hope I can duck my head inside. when seated finally, I’m frequently hitting my head on the door pillar when I reach out to close the door, I often have to resort to sticking my left foot out to hook it under the door to begin closing it, then grasp it with my hand. A 3rd option is to just put the car into drive a goose the throttle and let the door close itself. I’ve also got a size 13 foot and it is sometimes a challenge to get my left foot in if the door is not fully open ( like in tight parking spaces.
mercedes delt with the low roof line on their SL series ( early 230/250 and 280SL’s) sports cars buy designing a roof with “Pagoda” style sides to allow room for the driver’s head to duck inside
 
The dash stitching drives me nuts! Though I found using polarized sunglasses reduces the reflections off the stitching and the top of the black dash pretty well.
I’m 6”1, my challenge is getting INTO the car, it would be nice if the seat could go lower as currently, I must either sort of dive in and twist around or sit on the door side edge of the seat and slide my backside as far as possible across the seat and then hope I can duck my head inside. when seated finally, I’m frequently hitting my head on the door pillar when I reach out to close the door, I often have to resort to sticking my left foot out to hook it under the door to begin closing it, then grasp it with my hand. A 3rd option is to just put the car into drive a goose the throttle and let the door close itself. I’ve also got a size 13 foot and it is sometimes a challenge to get my left foot in if the door is not fully open ( like in tight parking spaces.
mercedes delt with the low roof line on their SL series ( early 230/250 and 280SL’s) sports cars buy designing a roof with “Pagoda” style sides to allow room for the driver’s head to duck inside
I’m 6'2" and I have no issues getting into the driver’s side. So long as the seat is in the correct position for me. Down as far as it will go and back almost as far as it will go. With almost a 90-degree recline. (I hate not sitting straight up when I drive.

I have yet to hit my head. Where I hit my head is when I get into the passenger side, if that seat is pushed up for smaller humans.
 
The dash stitching drives me nuts! Though I found using polarized sunglasses reduces the reflections off the stitching and the top of the black dash pretty well.
I’m 6”1, my challenge is getting INTO the car, it would be nice if the seat could go lower as currently, I must either sort of dive in and twist around or sit on the door side edge of the seat and slide my backside as far as possible across the seat and then hope I can duck my head inside. when seated finally, I’m frequently hitting my head on the door pillar when I reach out to close the door, I often have to resort to sticking my left foot out to hook it under the door to begin closing it, then grasp it with my hand. A 3rd option is to just put the car into drive a goose the throttle and let the door close itself. I’ve also got a size 13 foot and it is sometimes a challenge to get my left foot in if the door is not fully open ( like in tight parking spaces.
mercedes delt with the low roof line on their SL series ( early 230/250 and 280SL’s) sports cars buy designing a roof with “Pagoda” style sides to allow room for the driver’s head to duck inside
Did you test drive it before buying?
 
Perhaps I am an outlier, but I am 6' 5" and find the GT the most comfortable sedan I have ever driven.
 
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