Exploring buying a new Lucid Air.

[Anthonynouch]

Hi everyone,

I recently test drove a Lucid Air and really liked it. Nevertheless, I'm considering a few things that I might not have noticed during the test drive. I'd appreciate your input on the top 5 things you regret or dislike about your Lucid Air.

Also, I have a few concerns:

1. I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?
2. How buggy is the software? Would you say it's generally solid with minor bugs, or does it still have significant issues that need resolving? What are the main problems?
3. How well does the Apple app integrate with the car? How effective is using your phone as a key, and is the app reliable?
4. How effective is the driveway assist feature? Is it worth it, or does it still need improvement?

Additionally, there's currently a special $5,000 on-site vehicle bonus available for cars at local studios through April 30, 2024.

Is this kind of promotion common as a way to clear out inventory, or is it a rare opportunity?

Thanks so much for your help.

Anthony

 

[Adnillien]

There are multiple threads on each of these topics. I suggest searching those threads first and then asking any follow up questions.

 

[Batteryman]

Hi everyone,

I recently test drove a Lucid Air and really liked it. Nevertheless, I'm considering a few things that I might not have noticed during the test drive. I'd appreciate your input on the top 5 things you regret or dislike about your Lucid Air.

Also, I have a few concerns:

1. I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?
2. How buggy is the software? Would you say it's generally solid with minor bugs, or does it still have significant issues that need resolving? What are the main problems?
3. How well does the Apple app integrate with the car? How effective is using your phone as a key, and is the app reliable?
4. How effective is the driveway assist feature? Is it worth it, or does it still need improvement?

Additionally, there's currently a special $5,000 on-site vehicle bonus available for cars at local studios through April 30, 2024.

Is this kind of promotion common as a way to clear out inventory, or is it a rare opportunity?

Thanks so much for your help.

Anthony

If you like driving, get the car. Rest if the tech stuff can easily be addressed with updates. Lucid has the best package out there- range, looks, handling, performance, luxury, space, efficiency. Even beats a Porsche Taycan.

 

[borski]

Also, I have a few concerns:

1. I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?

Many of us live in California. It's their biggest market. The AC works perfectly fine, and especially now with the 'climate keep' option, interior heat is not an issue. If you are getting the glass roof, it may be helpful to get the windows tinted and further tint the roof, but that is completely optional. The roof sunshades that Lucid sells are also extremely well reviewed and fit perfectly.

1. How buggy is the software? Would you say it's generally solid with minor bugs, or does it still have significant issues that need resolving? What are the main problems?

In general, not very buggy anymore. There are some bugs, but nothing more significant than what I've run into on my wife Ioniq 5 or on the Model 3's I've rented. The main issue is just that there are still some features missing, which is to be expected from a brand new company.

1. How well does the Apple app integrate with the car? How effective is using your phone as a key, and is the app reliable?

With the new native iOS app (released just a few days ago), reports are that mobile key is flawless and works very well. The new app is a big improvement from the previous one, and I have yet to have it cause any issues (aside from the 3D rendering being a bit odd sometimes, which is just an aesthetic thing).

1. How effective is the driveway assist feature? Is it worth it, or does it still need improvement?

Not sure what 'driveway assist' is. If you mean auto-park, it works great - it used to have issues parallel parking (it would curb the wheels occasionally), but I've personally used it now for both perpendicular and parallel parking and it has yet to mess up.

 

[j4gates]

Something I discovered with the AC is that the rear zone was off when I took delivery. The AC struggled to maintain a cooler temp with only the front engaged, but when I had some time to play with the settings I turned on the rear AC and the difference was night and day.

 

[MJAir23TheGoat]

If you like driving, get the car. Rest if the tech stuff can easily be addressed with updates. Lucid has the best package out there- range, looks, handling, performance, luxury, space, efficiency. Even beats a Porsche Taycan.

Agree with all above but the looks. The Taycan with mission E wheels is the best looking EV in the market
Jmo….
I love my GT but I’m a realist in regards to looks. Performance/ range / interior/ space Air is the winner.

 

[scal_air]

Are you asking about highway assist? The Lucid "Self Driving Mode"? I would say that at this time it's not worth it. However, the 360 view is a must buy. The earlier models coupled them together but I think now you can buy them separately. However, I would still maintain the ability to purchase highway assist in the future. Unfortunately, that may mean you need to buy it now (to have the hardware installed) but it's the price you pay to "future proof" your new car.

 

[LucidHead]

I have had a GT for just over a month now and have loved the car more than any other I have owned. I have had few of the issues others have mentioned but I was also hesitant. I am so glad those concerns didn’t stop me. I will address your concerns from my experience thus far:

1. I live in the DC area so heat is also a concern. I have been impressed by the AC so far but bought the shades for the canopy roof when summer really sets in.

2. I haven’t had any software glitches.

3. Mobile key and CarPlay have worked very, very well. No issues.

4. If you mean the highway assist feature, I haven’t used, but would probably get DD Premium had it been a choice.

There have been specials for months; they vary but I imagine they will continue. $5k offer is excellent, but so too are the 18 month leases. I have never leased and never had an EV but the 18 month lease gave me the freedom to try EVs, leasing, and Lucid. I am so glad I decided on this car. It is unlike anything else out there. When you throw in the range, it’s almost a no-brainer. Go for it!

 

[DreamTour]

Hi everyone,

I recently test drove a Lucid Air and really liked it. Nevertheless, I'm considering a few things that I might not have noticed during the test drive. I'd appreciate your input on the top 5 things you regret or dislike about your Lucid Air.

Also, I have a few concerns:

1. I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?
2. How buggy is the software? Would you say it's generally solid with minor bugs, or does it still have significant issues that need resolving? What are the main problems?
3. How well does the Apple app integrate with the car? How effective is using your phone as a key, and is the app reliable?
4. How effective is the driveway assist feature? Is it worth it, or does it still need improvement?

Additionally, there's currently a special $5,000 on-site vehicle bonus available for cars at local studios through April 30, 2024.

Is this kind of promotion common as a way to clear out inventory, or is it a rare opportunity?

Thanks so much for your help.

Anthony

Maybe this will help you with your decision instead of hearing all the reasons not to pull the trigger:

If i were to summarize my Lucid experience, the company and the car itself is unique because it is fundamentally a paradigm shifting company. They aren't out there to "play it safe". They are reinventing the way EVs are designed and built. That means you will get a car like no other with a completely different architectural thought process. No following the pack here.

That said, here's what you have to be ready for:

You will experience "more" issues than an established brand / car company who has built their supply chain from "safe and vetted" suppliers. It's just a fact when Lucid has so many bespoke components that aren't are high volume production. The fact that they "get it together" after only producing 10's of thousands of cars i think is impressive.

I've personally had the following fail / not work on me and they had to fix / replace it.

a.) A/C compressor (didn't blow cold)
b.) Face recognition camera not working
c.) High voltage battery contactor (resulting in disabled vehicle)
d.) USB port in center console (resulting in center console replacement because a repair wasn't available at the time)

And what i would call design/quality issues that were the result of a completely new company with novel designs.

e.) I'm going on my 5th creaking steering wheel (\ a design flaw they have been working on) not dangerous, just annoying
f.) Doors / trunks adjusted for better panel fit.
g.) Front air dams in front of the wheel scraping off because of low ground clearance.

here's what's makes all the above OK to me.

1.) They fixed all of it. Or are committed to fixing it (e.g. the steering wheel is on it's 9th revision now) Many other companies would have said "that's normal go away"

2.) The fixes often aren't just straight replacements, they are often new part numbers, which means they are addressing the root problem instead of just kicking the can down the road.

I've been to service 7+ times in the last 17 months. They know me by face now.

Keep in mind, my car was one of the first tourings off the line (December 2022) And any car build more recently will likely have less issues than mine because the parts have been updated / design issues corrected (except the steering wheel)

Do I still think it's the best car i've ever driven?

Yes. (The best car before that was the Model S)

If i had a redo, would I have bought anything different?

No.

Hope that helps with your decision.

 

[HC_79]

How effective is the driveway assist feature? Is it worth it, or does it still need improvement?

If you mean driver assistance then DreamDrive Pro simply isn’t worth it. Lucid claims the hardware is “future ready” but given the lack of features added to it (aka none in 18+ months) the hardware will be outdated before Lucid gets around to doing anything with it. Stick with the base DreamDrive or DreamDrive Premium.

I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?

Living it SoCal it can get quite toasty. Make use of the climate keep option and invest in the Lucid sunshades and/or some tinting.

 

[EVCar]

If you mean driver assistance then DreamDrive Pro simply isn’t worth it. Lucid claims the hardware is “future ready” but given the lack of features added to it (aka none in 18+ months) the hardware will be outdated before Lucid gets around to doing anything with it. Stick with the base DreamDrive or DreamDrive Premium.


Living it SoCal it can get quite toasty. Make use of the climate keep option and invest in the Lucid sunshades and/or some tinting.

I got the Dream Drive Pro, too.
Wondering how many owners have opted for it.
Could it be that the number isn’t high, hence low priority and lack of enhancement? If it’s only, say, 100 cars, plus the Dreams, I can see why Lucid can be slow working on this

 

[segbrk]

I’ll throw in my opinion on Highway Assist: it is excellent and completely worth it. I use it regularly. It’s quite smooth and intuitive. I like driving, but stop and go traffic is not driving. I pop on HA and I am a much calmer, less hateful person by the time I get through the traffic. I recently went on a 1200 mile road trip using HA for most of it. It did a great job, and I was much less tired and tense by the end than I normally would have been.

Now it’s not perfect. But it’s been entirely predictable. There are some gotchas, like if somebody is braking in the road ahead of you to take an exit, even if the car is 2/3rds of the way out of your lane, it still tracks them and slows down. Kind of fair, just not what a normal person would do. You’d keep coasting, anticipating that the car ahead will continue to get out of your lane. This is predictable though, and all you have to do is step on the accelerator to temporarily override.

I think the folks above don’t like HA because it doesn’t do whatever they personally want from it. This - keeping me sane in traffic and on long trips - is just about all that I want from it. If you have specific questions about what you’re hoping for, ask away. I will also say in answer to the “no new features in 18 months,” there have been major improvements over the past 18 months. Just nothing as distinctly “new” as “now it changes lanes automatically” or whatever.

 

[hmp10]

1. I live in California, where it can get quite hot in the summer. I've read that the interior of the Lucid Air can become very hot and that the AC doesn't perform well. Have you experienced this? Has this issue been addressed?

We live in south Florida and have found the glass canopy to be just fine. You do have to be willing to run the A/C near full bore sometimes (we usually keep ours set to 70-72º), but it is up to the task. Even if we forget to set the new "climate keep" feature when parking in the sun, the A/C brings the cabin temperature down quickly.

The first long road trip we took in the Air was during a record-breaking summer heat wave into the Carolinas. We saw outside temperatures as high as 108º, including while sitting on hot tarmac in Walmart parking lots at Electrify America chargers. Those charging sessions were the only times we felt the A/C was struggling to keep up, but even then we never got uncomfortable sitting in the car.

The Air has a fairly high belt line with heavy roof cantrails, which can make for an enclosed vibe in the cabin. The glass canopy really opens up the sense of space, giving an airiness that makes the Air deserve its name.

 

[borski]

I’ll throw in my opinion on Highway Assist: it is excellent and completely worth it. I use it regularly. It’s quite smooth and intuitive. I like driving, but stop and go traffic is not driving. I pop on HA and I am a much calmer, less hateful person by the time I get through the traffic. I recently went on a 1200 mile road trip using HA for most of it. It did a great job, and I was much less tired and tense by the end than I normally would have been.

Now it’s not perfect. But it’s been entirely predictable. There are some gotchas, like if somebody is braking in the road ahead of you to take an exit, even if the car is 2/3rds of the way out of your lane, it still tracks them and slows down. Kind of fair, just not what a normal person would do. You’d keep coasting, anticipating that the car ahead will continue to get out of your lane. This is predictable though, and all you have to do is step on the accelerator to temporarily override.

I think the folks above don’t like HA because it doesn’t do whatever they personally want from it. This - keeping me sane in traffic and on long trips - is just about all that I want from it. If you have specific questions about what you’re hoping for, ask away. I will also say in answer to the “no new features in 18 months,” there have been major improvements over the past 18 months. Just nothing as distinctly “new” as “now it changes lanes automatically” or whatever.

As usual, I agree with everything this man just said.

 

[fredp]

I think you have to look at the bigger picture on the design philosophy of the car compared to other competitors. IMHO Lucid outshines all others with respect to this. Their design and engineering, at the moment, is ahead of all others. I would encourage you to watch these 2 interview/videos: 1) CEO Peter Rawlinson about design philosophy -

, and 2) Mike Bell, Lucid's senior vice president of digital talk about sw design and approach - https://www.motortrend.com/features/lucid-building-automobile-new-way-mike-bell-interview/

 

[GKR]

As usual, I agree with everything this man just said.

I despise Highway Assist and only use the Adaptive Cruise Control feature instead. When I have tried to use Highway Assist, my anxiety level has soared. The car ping-pongs back and forth from one white line to the other. On a long curve next to a large truck it's downright scary. I use the ACC feature all the time, including a recent trip through DC rush hour traffic to get to Baltimore. The passengers in the car with me were dumbfounded at how relaxed and casual I seemed. I never had to touch the brake the entire trip. I agree with the observation that the car will often slow down when it senses another vehicle that might be an obstacle, especially on curves. I can live with that.

 

[Neurio]

I despise Highway Assist and only use the Adaptive Cruise Control feature instead. When I have tried to use Highway Assist, my anxiety level has soared. The car ping-pongs back and forth from one white line to the other. On a long curve next to a large truck it's downright scary. I use the ACC feature all the time, including a recent trip through DC rush hour traffic to get to Baltimore. The passengers in the car with me were dumbfounded at how relaxed and casual I seemed. I never had to touch the brake the entire trip. I agree with the observation that the car will often slow down when it senses another vehicle that might be an obstacle, especially on curves. I can live with that.

Then you need to get your car checked out. The ping ponging issue was resolved many updates ago.

 

[borski]

I despise Highway Assist and only use the Adaptive Cruise Control feature instead. When I have tried to use Highway Assist, my anxiety level has soared. The car ping-pongs back and forth from one white line to the other. On a long curve next to a large truck it's downright scary. I use the ACC feature all the time, including a recent trip through DC rush hour traffic to get to Baltimore. The passengers in the car with me were dumbfounded at how relaxed and casual I seemed. I never had to touch the brake the entire trip. I agree with the observation that the car will often slow down when it senses another vehicle that might be an obstacle, especially on curves. I can live with that.

You need to take your car into service and have it recalibrated. The car absolutely does not ping pong now for many months, but I absolutely believe yours does; service will fix that for you. HA is a dream now; not perfect, but exceptional.

 

[GKR]

You need to take your car into service and have it recalibrated. The car absolutely does not ping pong now for many months, but I absolutely believe yours does; service will fix that for you. HA is a dream now; not perfect, but exceptional.

I haven't even tried it for many months, but I will give it a shot.

 

[borski]

I haven't even tried it for many months, but I will give it a shot.

Ah! Then it may just very well be fixed for you!

A bunch of versions ago, when they introduced the ability to pick a new 'center line' by biasing it by moving the wheel, it would ping pong; I also stopped using it at that time, for the same reason. That got fixed relatively quickly and it has been rock-solid ever since.

If it still does it for you, you need to get it serviced.