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Alex On Autos Reviews the Lucid Gravity Touring

TahoeMichael said:
Talk about the way to appeal to the family market: I love how he describes the frunk as making a good diaper changing station. That had never occurred to me as a potential use before. Not that I'm eager to be changing diapers at this point!
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You haven't lived until you've changed a diaper in the trunk of a standard (non-hatch) sedan.
 
The hardware and even software (based on recent upgrades) makes the Gravity probably the best luxury large EV out (unless you need serious off-roading skills/durability). Where Lucid is loosing out to other luxury brands like Mercedes, Cadillac, BMW etc. is with customer service and service center experience.
 
Bdr100 said:
The hardware and even software (based on recent upgrades) makes the Gravity probably the best luxury large EV out
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on what criteria? BMW and Mercedes whoop them on software, audio (Gravity still a 3 band EQ??), ambient lighting, seats, service, entry, windows working...
 
socktucker said:
on what criteria? BMW and Mercedes whoop them on software, audio (Gravity still a 3 band EQ??), ambient lighting, seats, service, entry, windows working...
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Just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean everyone sees it through your lens. For my money, the audio in Gravity is astounding, despite the 3-band EQ. We don’t have any issues with, and like the diffused nature of, the ambient lighting. The seats are exceptionally comfortable. Service has treated us very well. Entry has been literally problemless. Windows have worked fine.
 
borski said:
Just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean everyone sees it through your lens. For my money, the audio in Gravity is astounding, despite the 3-band EQ. We don’t have any issues with, and like the diffused nature of, the ambient lighting. The seats are exceptionally comfortable. Service has treated us very well. Entry has been literally problemless. Windows have worked fine.
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I am being entirely objective. It has a 3 band EQ, in 2026. Just because you love your DE's doesn't mean that isn't the worst audio offering (when talking upgraded package) in its class. I'm talking about rear seats which are all sketch, not the front. Everybody doesnt see through your lens of a guy with two perfect Dream Editions either.
 
socktucker said:
on what criteria? BMW and Mercedes whoop them on software, audio (Gravity still a 3 band EQ??), ambient lighting, seats, service, entry, windows working...
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As you can see from my signature info, my other car is a Mercedes E450 convertible and prior to the Gravity, I also had an AMG GLE 63. Both of these are ICE so no EV comparison. Software on the Mercedes is more stable but less functional compared to Gravity. Audio is a wash (in my opinion.). Handling and ride is much better in Gravity (compared to GLE). Ambient lighting (I have tech package) is close. The E450 has been rock solid reliable but the GLE 63 had some issues. The biggest upside for Mercedes is my Service Center experience which is light years better than Lucid. Also, if I was to have a breakdown in far west Texas on a Saturday night, I would much rather be in the Mercedes.
 
socktucker said:
I am being entirely objective. It has a 3 band EQ, in 2026. Just because you love your DE's doesn't mean that isn't the worst audio offering (when talking upgraded package) in its class. I'm talking about rear seats which are all sketch, not the front. Everybody doesnt see through your lens of a guy with two perfect Dream Editions either.
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The number of bands in the EQ is not an indicator of how good the audio quality is. That has to do with the hardware and factory tuning, not how many bands the EQ has.

Also, it has been reviewed many times as definitely far from the “worst audio offering in its class.”

Rear seats are not “all sketch.” I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
 
socktucker said:
I am being entirely objective. It has a 3 band EQ, in 2026. Just because you love your DE's doesn't mean that isn't the worst audio offering (when talking upgraded package) in its class. I'm talking about rear seats which are all sketch, not the front. Everybody doesnt see through your lens of a guy with two perfect Dream Editions either.
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You are FAR from objective when it comes to anything Lucid.
 
socktucker said:
on what criteria? BMW and Mercedes whoop them on software, audio (Gravity still a 3 band EQ??), ambient lighting, seats, service, entry, windows working...
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I have to disagree with this other than service, which is something Lucid needs to improve on tremendously. Coming from the Porsche Taycan, Gravity has better software (Porsche absolutely SUCKED on their earlier software builds for Taycan, tho the new were ones are improved, but still behind Lucid) the sound system is better in my Gravity than the Burmester in the Taycan even tho it had more than 3 bands to optimize (I'll give you a point tho that more bands would be nice) ambient lighting is better in Gravity, seats are far more comfortable in Gravity and I had the same window issue in my Taycan that Porsche could not fix, tho they tried 3 or 4 times with the window constantly rolling back down. Some might not have had the issues I've had and some may disagree on which was better but this is where I stand on it.
 
9point81 said:
I have to disagree with this other than service, which is something Lucid needs to improve on tremendously. Coming from the Porsche Taycan, Gravity has better software (Porsche absolutely SUCKED on their earlier software builds for Taycan, tho the new were ones are improved, but still behind Lucid) the sound system is better in my Gravity than the Burmester in the Taycan even tho it had more than 3 bands to optimize (I'll give you a point tho that more bands would be nice) ambient lighting is better in Gravity, seats are far more comfortable in Gravity and I had the same window issue in my Taycan that Porsche could not fix, tho they tried 3 or 4 times with the window constantly rolling back down. Some might not have had the issues I've had and some may disagree on which was better but this is where I stand on it.
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I only said BMW and Mercedes tho, I’ve seen Taycan software…
 
Unfortunately, I dont think this review is long term like OoS. I do like that it was a Touring and not GT which is not often what we see reviewed.

I am curious about JerryRigEverything as he and his wife got a Gravity and have a young family. That's the viewpoint I am interested in as I am in a similar boat lifestyle wise.
 
socktucker said:
I only said BMW and Mercedes tho, I’ve seen Taycan software…
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I actually really liked the taycan software...super quick and stable in my opinion (had a 2022). The issue is the features were super limited and it wasn't as thorough and customizable.

I'm not sure if others know this but Porsche has always struggled with window regulators for some reason so that's the whole window thing the other person is mentioning (had issues with my cayman, and macan as well...panamera was great though! taycan was okay but had some weird glitches once in a while).

If Lucid had 100% reliable software in the car, they would be on par or better than bmw, and probably on par with mercedes (despite everything else mercedes, their software is fantastic...super functional and reliable despite sometimes looking like a high class escort's ipad). Lucid would need to add one or two functionality things to make it undisputed number 1 (doesn't have great control functions from the steering wheel so you have to look at the screen way too often, etc.).

I'll echo what broski says though; the 3 band EQ doesn't define a great audio system. Would I appreciate at least 5 bands? Of course...but when dolby atmos is on, it's the best in class (or at least on par with best in class). The issue is *when* it is on. The Siriusxm is fine, but not great. And even though it's not a lucid problem that there aren't enough atmos tracks offered on tidal, there's only a 50% chance that the atmos mix will pull when it plays in the car (and maybe 10% chance when it plays off my playlist). And now we're back to the consistency of the software issue. The circle of life.

BMW/Mercedes/Porsche has lucid beat in service. Both in quantity (access to service locations) and quality. Lucid is going to have a lot of trouble keeping up if they can't fix those ASAP.

As far as the other things: ambient lighting..I mean...yeah Lucid is pretty tame in it, but I don't think it's a huge thing. Do I miss having "better" ambient lighting? Not really...and it's barely noticeable unless you absolutely care about it. Mercedes and BMW both do it better than Porsche too though and Porsche, for the most part, still makes better cars.

Seats vary entirely on the options you take for the three German manufacturers while Lucid's seats go from good to excellent so I think those are a wash too overall. Although the 7 series and S class seats with the proper options (along with the panamera) are probably better than Lucid's...the ones in Lucid beat (or matches) anything else.

Thank you for reading a novel of a useless random forum person.
 
socktucker said:
BMW and Mercedes whoop them on software, audio (Gravity still a 3 band EQ??), ambient lighting, seats, service, entry, windows working...
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Truthlesshunter said:
If Lucid had 100% reliable software in the car, they would be on par or better than bmw, and probably on par with mercedes (despite everything else mercedes, their software is fantastic...super functional and reliable despite sometimes looking like a high class escort's ipad)...

when dolby atmos is on, it's the best in class (or at least on par with best in class)...

BMW/Mercedes/Porsche has lucid beat in service. Both in quantity (access to service locations) and quality. Lucid is going to have a lot of trouble keeping up if they can't fix those ASAP.

Seats vary entirely on the options you take for the three German manufacturers while Lucid's seats go from good to excellent so I think those are a wash too overall...
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A few of these are my soap box items that matter a lot to me as someone who needs to make a car order or purchase decision in the next month. The performance, engineering, and packaging of the Gravity are intoxicating, but at the same time, my higher priority is simply doing the everyday car stuff without drama. This will be my third BEV, and my first two set a very high bar.
  • Software - BMW software is fantastic. I have only had 1 very minor issue in almost 3 years, and that was corrected in the next OTA. Same for my prior Tesla, basically perfect software for me.
  • Audio - The Gravity SSP is a mid-tier premium car system. It is good at lower listening levels, but it falls apart as you get into the higher ~70 dB ranges, and it really cannot play above 80 db without severe loss of frequencies below around 120 hZ. It is awesome at conversational levels and slightyly higher (low-70 dB levels). But all the mid-level premium luxury systems are good in those ranges. SSP simply does not have the power and drivers to maintain balance above the moderate listening levels. Burmester has two levels of systems. The SSP is on-par with the mid system, but SSP does not compare to the high system. B&W has two levels of systems, and same: SSP is on par with the mid system but does not compare to the Diamond system. And ditto AKG - SSP is better than the Studio system, but it does not compare to the Stuido Reference system. All of these have Atmos, but Atmos cannot make up for hack of power. The rub is that the price is $4K for a system that compares to competing offerings typically priced below $1K or bundled in packages.
  • Ambient lighting - this is kind of a don't care for me. I want it, but I don't care if it is super fancy.
  • Seats - I am coming from an iX, which has horrible seats by any luxury premium standard. The Gravity seats are way better.
  • Entry - If this is Fob and PaaK dependability, then yeah, this is massively important and a deal breaker for me.
  • Service - Neither of my BEVs ever requered unscheduled service. In fact, in my extended family of BEV ownership (1 BMW, 2 Teslas, 2 GMs, and 3 Hyundais), only my Dad's Ioniq 5 ever needed service. So, while the service experience is valuable, not needing service it all is vastly superior.
 
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exxxviii said:
A few of these are my soap box items that matter a lot to me as someone who needs to make a car order or purchase decision in the next month. The performance, engineering, and packaging of the Gravity are intoxicating, but at the same time, my higher priority is simply doing the everyday car stuff without drama. This will be my third BEV, and my first two set a very high bar.
  • BMW software is fantastic. I have only had 1 very minor issue in almost 3 years, and that was corrected in the next OTA. Same for my prior Tesla, basically perfect software for me.
  • Audio - the Gravity SSP is a mid-tier premium car system. It is good at lower listening levels, but it falls apart as you get into the higher ~70 dB ranges, and it really cannot play above 80 db without severe loss of frequencies below around 120 hZ. It is awesome at conversational levels and slightyly higher (low-70 dB levels). It simply does not have the power and drivers to maintain balance. Burmester has two levels of systems. The SSP is on-par with the mid system, but SSP does not compare to the high system. B&W has two levels of systems, and same: SSP is on par with the mid system but does not compare to the Diamond system. And ditto AKG- SSP is better than the Studio system, but it does not compare to the Stuido Reference system. All of these have Atmos, but Atmos cannot make up for hack of power. The rub is that the price is $4K for a system that compares to competing offerings typically priced below $1K or bundled in packages.
  • Ambient lighting - this is kind of a don't care for me. I want it, but I don't care if it is super fancy.
  • Seats - I am coming from an iX, which has horrible seats by any luxury premium standard. The Gravity seats are way better
  • Entry - if this is Fob and PaaK dependability, then yeah, this is massively important and a deal breaker for me
  • Service - Neither of my BEVs ever requered unscheduled service. In fact, in my extended family of BEV ownership (1 BMW, 2 Teslas, 2 GMs, and 3 Hyundais), only my Dad's Ioniq 5 ever needed service. So, while the service experience is valuable, not needing service it all is vastly superior.
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I want my ambient lighting to be like a strip club

I’ve never been to a strip club

But I want it to be what I imagine it’s like

Lasers!
 
Truthlesshunter said:
I actually really liked the taycan software...super quick and stable in my opinion (had a 2022). The issue is the features were super limited and it wasn't as thorough and customizable.

I'm not sure if others know this but Porsche has always struggled with window regulators for some reason so that's the whole window thing the other person is mentioning (had issues with my cayman, and macan as well...panamera was great though! taycan was okay but had some weird glitches once in a while).

If Lucid had 100% reliable software in the car, they would be on par or better than bmw, and probably on par with mercedes (despite everything else mercedes, their software is fantastic...super functional and reliable despite sometimes looking like a high class escort's ipad). Lucid would need to add one or two functionality things to make it undisputed number 1 (doesn't have great control functions from the steering wheel so you have to look at the screen way too often, etc.).

I'll echo what broski says though; the 3 band EQ doesn't define a great audio system. Would I appreciate at least 5 bands? Of course...but when dolby atmos is on, it's the best in class (or at least on par with best in class). The issue is *when* it is on. The Siriusxm is fine, but not great. And even though it's not a lucid problem that there aren't enough atmos tracks offered on tidal, there's only a 50% chance that the atmos mix will pull when it plays in the car (and maybe 10% chance when it plays off my playlist). And now we're back to the consistency of the software issue. The circle of life.

BMW/Mercedes/Porsche has lucid beat in service. Both in quantity (access to service locations) and quality. Lucid is going to have a lot of trouble keeping up if they can't fix those ASAP.

As far as the other things: ambient lighting..I mean...yeah Lucid is pretty tame in it, but I don't think it's a huge thing. Do I miss having "better" ambient lighting? Not really...and it's barely noticeable unless you absolutely care about it. Mercedes and BMW both do it better than Porsche too though and Porsche, for the most part, still makes better cars.

Seats vary entirely on the options you take for the three German manufacturers while Lucid's seats go from good to excellent so I think those are a wash too overall. Although the 7 series and S class seats with the proper options (along with the panamera) are probably better than Lucid's...the ones in Lucid beat (or matches) anything else.

Thank you for reading a novel of a useless random forum person.
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Very interesting take, thanks for sharing it. I love the posts comparing experiences.
 
Bus Driver said:
I haven't watched the video yet but the Gravity is just about the quietest car I've ever driven. Did he get a Gravity without the Tech Package?
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I have a GT with the C&C package and I agree with him. there are most definitely quieter vehicles out there, even SUVs. I'd trust Alex's opinion here. Savage Geese echoed this sentiment too, citing the BMW iX as an example.

(And I do like that he tests out vehicles not far from me on a road I know pretty well, Soquel San Jose Rd. 😁 )
 
The overall review is excellent and covers a lot of the stuff I care about in the way I care about them. I loved the conclusion where he compares the Gravity to its other 3-row premium competitors. It seemed like a very objective scoring of how the individual cars compare. No question that the Gravity crushes most of them in driving dynamics and efficiency.
 
exxxviii said:
  • Entry - If this is Fob and PaaK dependability, then yeah, this is massively important and a deal breaker for me....
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I couldn't tell if you have a Gravity yet, but my 2 cents:
Gravity's fob is fine now. Anyone who is still having fob issues with Gravity should contact service.
Gravity does not have PAAK yet. It appears that PAAK will be coming later this year.
 
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