Final thoughts on my way out the door...

[Lucken]

Am I the only one who doesn't think a foot and a half of extra length means they are not comparable or competitors? The Lucid Air is a mid sized car so the BMW equivalent would be the forthcoming I5 (but vaporware until it is spec'd and released).

I agree that those who initially bought the DE had a reasonable right to expect the software to mostly work well. But after the problems got disclosed, IMO buyers were alerted to the problems of being an early adopter and had to make a decision. One of my decisions was to wait for a Pure and a second decision was to reluctantly replace the yet to be released RWD Pure with a Genesis GV60 performance.

Actually not much different than me growing tired of waiting with a reservation inception date of 1/21. So in a few weeks it will be 2 years since the date of my reservation. In the interim I've gone through an Audi e-Tron Sportback (great ride, miserable range) and my current i4 which I'm liking far more than I thought I would. So at some point next year, I'll have to make a decision to either keep the i4 or go with the Pure. It's still surprising to me that Lucid has not begun offering trades.

Amazingly, I still have not been able to test drive the car. Only recently Lucid opened up test drives on Long Island, but I was never notified despite having visited and having left my name at both the Manhattan & Manhasset studios. I just recently called on a lark to see if test drives had begun, and discovered they had. I was in the process of making an appointment, but the advisor never called me back. Not a great look thus far.

 

[Psymac]

When you charge double, all the excuses are hard to make. The secret of luxury goods isn't performance, especially in widespread tech. The Lucid is a luxury car, like a Berkin bag is a luxury purse.

The difference is software. Because luxury leather feels different, and you know you bought something rare. Luxury software has to be higher utility, higher touch, more magic.

Here are some of the bugs I shared, but it's also the UX choices. For example, why does the dashboard spend a third of the space showing you how many miles since you last charged the car? That's just silly. It's not elegant, it's not useful, it's not state of the art. It's lazy.

Anyway, no doubt, some of these bugs are getting ironed out, but not one of them should have shipped in a car that cost double a Rivian...


1. Android app takes 30 seconds to open the trunk or have the car respond to instructions.
2. After I get out of the car, it keeps playing music. Not for a few seconds, but for at least 20 feet away.
3. When I get back into the car, it forgets where it left off, and begins playing at the beginning. Particularly for anything like a podcast or an audiobook, this is no good, but it's also a lack of attention to detail.
4. It doesn't remember my settings for the seat ventilation.
5. Pulling down the screen to see the radio settings is sluggish, to put it kindly. It stops partway through and then figures out how to refresh. It feels like a commodore 64.
6. The contrast and brightness are all wrong. Instead of seeming realistic, it's washed out and too bright.
7. Navigation volume cannot be adjusted.
8. When someone calls the music remains stopped after the call is over.
9. The subwindow on the top right console screen bleeds off the screen when the center console below is showing coordinated information. A bug and it's unreadable.
10. When reversing into a spot, or slowly going in forward, the cameras come on, which is smart. But then, they stay on. Even when I'm driving away.
11. At the parking garage, I left my key with the attendant. When I went to pick up the car, he was unable to open the doors, even though he had the keys in his hand. I also couldn't get it to work. My car had been blocking the car behind it, and they were ready to call a tow truck. A key that doesn’t work isn’t much of a key.
12. When I got into the car, the bluetooth connection to my phone was also lost.

You get the idea.

The car made me feel dumb, not smart.

The real thing that worries me, though, is the attitude.

They're not curious, open, or taking initiative. They never called to follow up, never initiated any interaction, as if they're afraid.

Has anyone here been proactively called by high-ranked tech or leadership folks who are hoping to add a human touch to the ownership process?

Agree completely, my Ioniq 5 Limited feels near luxury (about 85%) at about half the cost of a Touring. The level II driving autonomy is better than any other car I've driving, including my Mercedes GLE, and is standard.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Agree completely, my Ioniq 5 Limited feels near luxury (about 85%) at about half the cost of a Touring. The level II driving autonomy is better than any other car I've driving, including my Mercedes GLE, and is standard.

Add in a bit more moola and lo and behold, you have 100% in a GV60!

 

[ANM55]

I'm a current Tesla MS long-range owner (2022). I canceled my AT order today. From reading all the posts, I'd get less range compared to my model S. My average range is 3.6m/kw on my Model S. I live in the Palm Springs area and the service center is 2 hours away in Costa Mesa. Furthermore, the market is tanking and there will be a lot of financial pain next year which I hope Lucid can weather (I'm a lucid shareholder too). I was willing to sell my model S, but the used car market has significantly dropped. Carmax valued my car at 68K. It has driven 2500 miles in pristine condition. Over all, I am sad, but canceling my order was the right decision for me, I hope Lucid survives in the long run and I will get it one day.

 

[imran]

This post reminds me of all the people who are posting on Twitter to say “I’m leaving Twitter.”

Many people on this form, including me, are very pleased with the car. You see, I buy cars to drive them. And this car drives like none other. It’s handling, acceleration, and range are unique combination in the EV world not matched by any of the vehicles you mentioned above.

I have owned many cars from different luxury manufacturers throughout the years and this is by far my favorite. Everything you mentioned is a software issue. Some are valid, others sound like user error. If you look back at EVs, especially Tesla, when they first came out, they all needed some time for the software to mature. That is definitely already happening with Lucid and will continue to happen.

That said, if you have decided to sell your vehicle, I wish you all the best of luck. I just don’t know why you have to yell back into the forum about how much our cars suck on your way out. Just leave and move on with your life.

I’m actually really glad he’s posting this, MANY of us feel the way he does, and telling us to just sell the car is unproductive. If EVERYONE followed that advice lucid would be in terrible shape as a company because there’s a LOT of owners who’re NOT happy with the quality issues. In fact while many of the fanboys here keep urging me to sell and berate me for any criticism I’d have u know that I urged a fellow Boston lucid owner not to sell his DE when he was about to and called some lucid execs I know to help him and he ended up keeping it.

Some constructive criticism like what this person is providing is healthy and deeply warranted!

Imran

 

[joec]

I’m actually really glad he’s posting this, MANY of us feel the way he does, and telling us to just sell the car is unproductive. If EVERYONE followed that advice lucid would be in terrible shape as a company because there’s a LOT of owners who’re NOT happy with the quality issues. In fact while many of the fanboys here keep urging me to sell and berate me for any criticism I’d have u know that I urged a fellow Boston lucid owner not to sell his DE when he was about to and called some lucid execs I know to help him and he ended up keeping it.

Some constructive criticism like what this person is providing is healthy and deeply warranted!

Imran

I think many of us here have a very different definition of “constructive” criticism. Calling people names, for instance, is a pretty certain way to ensure nothing you say is taken in a constructive way.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Lucid and Rivian are two different markets. America loves trucks and has played well into Rivian's business model. I do question whether Lucid would have been better off to go with the SUV first over the sedan given the US is the first launch country. I know many will say sedans do better outside the US but if your launch country is the US then maybe tailor to it and go with the SUV first. Having said this, the development may have been too far along on the sedan when it was realized by all automakers that it's just not selling as much anymore.

Supply chain \ Production issues aside it does seem alot of Lucids woes have come from not having enough staff. I believe they're around 5000 strong where Rivian was about 13,000 strong in its prime so whilst it's not an excuse for buggy software it does potentially show why Rivian got it more fine tuned out the gate than Lucid. For now, this means having alot of patience while they manage to rectify things and continue steering the ship in the right direction. Some people are fine with it and like yourself, some people aren't but this was the risk we all took when buying into a new car company.

I agree, they do have room to improve and hope that they succeed. Time will tell if people will get on the Lucid bandwagon or not. It has nowhere near the brand recognition that Rivian has and at the price point and current economy Lucid may have a tough road ahead to succeed. For now, i'm still sticking with them but like yourself, a little disappointed in how they released the car and communication struggles within the company.

Rivian is not exactly a perfect car company. Here is the excerpt from Car & Driver review competition:

"My 30-year-old ski boat gets on plane faster," quips executive editor K.C. Colwell about the length and severity with which the R1S sends its snout skyward after you stand on its accelerator. If the lunacy of a three-and-a-half-ton SUV hurtling itself to 60 mph in just over three seconds isn't readily apparent, the R1S makes it clear. While the BMW has hints of torque steer, the Rivian's wheel feels like it just snagged a wahoo, which is also a possible verbal response to the fight required to keep the R1S pointed straight. Even more absurd, the Rivian can go no faster than 111 mph, a speed it can achieve about 200 feet shy of the quarter-mile. That lack of acceleration during the last 15 percent of the run allows the BMW to beat it just slightly.

HIGHS: Fresh thinking abounds, gorgeous interior, boxy good looks.
LOWS: A plethora of ride and handling sins, far less efficient than the iX.
VERDICT: The one to be seen in, but not the one to drive.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the road because you aren't there to see all the dead spots and weeds.

 

[RM-S8]

I'm a current Tesla MS long-range owner (2022). I canceled my AT order today. From reading all the posts, I'd get less range compared to my model S. My average range is 3.6m/kw on my Model S. I live in the Palm Springs area and the service center is 2 hours away in Costa Mesa. Furthermore, the market is tanking and there will be a lot of financial pain next year which I hope Lucid can weather (I'm a lucid shareholder too). I was willing to sell my model S, but the used car market has significantly dropped. Carmax valued my car at 68K. It has driven 2500 miles in pristine condition. Over all, I am sad, but canceling my order was the right decision for me, I hope Lucid survives in the long run and I will get it one day.

If it was the right decisions for you that's all what counts. Hopefully see you soon.

 

[RM-S8]

I’m actually really glad he’s posting this, MANY of us feel the way he does, and telling us to just sell the car is unproductive. If EVERYONE followed that advice lucid would be in terrible shape as a company because there’s a LOT of owners who’re NOT happy with the quality issues. In fact while many of the fanboys here keep urging me to sell and berate me for any criticism I’d have u know that I urged a fellow Boston lucid owner not to sell his DE when he was about to and called some lucid execs I know to help him and he ended up keeping it.

Some constructive criticism like what this person is providing is healthy and deeply warranted!

Imran

Your shout a lot. Lack of arguments?
"MANY of us", how many?
"If EVERYONE", who is everyone, you?
"a LOT of owners who’re NOT happy", a lot are not happy? Few are, and they sold their cars.
Sell yours and move along. Can you DO that?

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Thanks to sg10706 for the post and the list. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reasons. I am reassured as I do not see anything on the list that causes concern. I recently went through "software issues" that seemed disasterous, but turned out to be a loose screw on a ground wire. Service response was excellent (multiple people/multiple means). Car was "repaired " (screwdriver) and updated yesterday...data sent to engineering for analysis. The car is evolving / improving weekly. I love being part of this.

ps service guy is leaving, "well pete I hope I don't see you again. have a nice holiday"

and here am I watching the mobile service van leave ... sad because it's so much fun to watch an expert take your car apart in your garage...(i have seen some things...) these guys are awesome....I kinda wanna hang out with them. ... hope to see them again... did I say I love this car ?

did I say that even with the issues I've endured in the first 400 miles / 3 months ... this car has FAR exceeded my expectations.

(for context sold R129 SL 600 and E63s wagon to make room for this car: no regrets)

 

[chcho]

Thanks to sg10706 for the post and the list. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reasons. I am reassured as I do not see anything on the list that causes concern. I recently went through "software issues" that seemed disasterous, but turned out to be a loose screw on a ground wire. Service response was excellent (multiple people/multiple means). Car was "repaired " (screwdriver) and updated yesterday...data sent to engineering for analysis. The car is evolving / improving weekly. I love being part of this.

ps service guy is leaving, "well pete I hope I don't see you again. have a nice holiday"

and here am I watching the mobile service van leave ... sad because it's so much fun to watch an expert take your car apart in your garage...(i have seen some things...) these guys are awesome....I kinda wanna hang out with them. ... hope to see them again... did I say I love this car ?

did I say that even with the issues I've endured in the first 400 miles / 3 months ... this car has FAR exceeded my expectations.

(for context sold R129 SL 600 and E63s wagon to make room for this car: no regrets)

Now that the root cause was identified and corrected, do you feel confident enough to take your family in it again? It’s very reassuring that the service guy in Philly knows what he’s doing.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

Now that the root cause was identified and corrected, do you feel confident enough to take your family in it again? It’s very reassuring that the service guy in Philly knows what he’s doing.

Honestly, I'm embarrassed at my multiple posts on this. Lost my mind for a while, and it humbled me because I recognized myself in those who post whining and bitching and moaning about their issues. I went from shareholder/fanboy/owner to suicidal simp in a matter of minutes. Reflecting on why I over-reacted: the circumstances and location of the sudden braking and jerking matched a trauma that left me crippled for a couple of years (drunk teen hit me from behind at a stop light...never saw it coming. Totaled my beloved Silver Arrow SL500 and left me with crippling back injury). I think I was triggered.

Service reached out to me before I reached out to them...(I was still enjoying my misery...doubting all my life choices).

Yes Yes Yes. Perhaps I am ADHD or bipolar (this is like gluten allergy -- everyone seems to have it now).

I Trust the car. Andy and the engineers at Lucid were able to find a physical fault that matches the symptom, each time. If he wasn't able to pull out a "broken bit" and dangle the smoking carcass in front of my eyes I might me more reluctant to take the car out even in daylight in these sub-freezing conditions.

Car is flawless now. Just a loose freekin ground wire. Probably the voltage spikes took out the video module (first problem)...but certainly corrupted the updates. I'm downloading 2.0.47 now.
Progress in software is obvious.

So Yes. Busy times with family and parties = I have to wait until after the holidays to get out on the freeway and let -er-rip / try the cruse control, play with the audio, etc. Wife won't let me use it for family shuttle yet ... can't say I blame her .

I'm Back, baby.... George is back !

It's COLD !

Happy Solstice everyone !

 

[VoitureElectriq]

Thank you for being specific. Hopefully this gets improved by the time I get my vehicle. I wouldn't be happy with these issues neither.

 

[rlissak]

True Lucid fans can skip this.

I sold my Lucid Air today. I got one fairly early in the process and worked hard to adjust to it and also to work with the company.

For background, I'm firmly in the EV as a stepping stone to do something about the climate camp. I also love their simplicity and performance. I was a very early Prius user, and I've owned two Teslas, the Lucid, a Rivian RT1, a Kia EV6 and my wife has the Ioniq. And I spent a week renting an Audi etron.

Unfortunately, I also have a background in design and marketing, which makes me a bit of a difficult customer when it comes to UI, UX and customer service. When I see things on the dashboard or in their support approach that are clearly ill-conceived or inconsiderate, it's hard for me to justify in a luxury car.

The Lucid can't compare to the Rivian, even though it costs about twice as much. The stereo in the Rivian is dramatically better. The UX is thoughtful, largely bug-free and a delight. The customer service is human, responsive and curious. I would point things out and they'd be addressed in an update a few weeks later. They asked questions and they followed up often.

The Lucid team, on the other hand, is undertrained, underpowered and not particularly eager to take responsibility or improve things--at least that's been my experience in dozens of interactions. The UI is filled with bugs, demonstrating a lack of fit and finish that luxury software has to have. I gave them a three-page list two months ago and was encouraged to wait for the massive update that just happened, and almost none of the design flaws or bugs were addressed.

If you love your Lucid, that's fabulous! If you think it could be better, I agree with you. I hope the company becomes much more proactive in reaching out to customers and learning about what works or what doesn't. It's pretty clear that making a fast EV that doesn't break is simply the cost of entry, and that leadership in design and customer service are going to be crucial for any company that wants to stand out, grow or charge a premium.

Thanks to everyone here for being part of the community and generously sharing enthusiasm and knowledge.

Good luck to all of us!

Good luck. I just took delivery of my Lucid and I love it. I drove a 911 and an S class over the past two years and while I enjoyed those cars, they did not excite me. My Lucid excites me. I feel like I have two cars in one.
I understand that Lucid Motors is a start up and is building their organization from scratch and that some things take a few years to perfect. So, I am bought in.

 

[Sam6062]

> That said, if you have decided to sell your vehicle, I wish you all the best of luck. I just don’t know why you have to yell back into the forum about how much our cars suck on your way out. Just leave and move on with your life.

Eh. I like knowing about why someone's leaving. This is an owners forum, not a fan club

Oh this is definitely a fan club

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

OP should skip this...it's for the fan club:

Thanks to everyone here for being part of the community and generously sharing enthusiasm and knowledge.

Good luck to all of us!

Nice goodbye. This is the way.

 

[thecodingart]

He does have a point about the wakeup period in the app, other cars don't have this problem (or have ways to hide/mitigate it). But most of these things are little that can add up a bad experience, but an early adopter should understand they will happen and eventually will be worked out.

Other cars definitely have this issue. This is something I’m personally intimately familiar with. Having a 30 second delay on a command versus the app showing you a delay on wake up is just a matter of semantics on the UI. I personally prefer seeing the wake up delay.