Here is my first review of my family of EVs

[hmp10]

FWIW, I cancelled my reservation because in order for the 3rd row to have comfortable legroom, you have to slide the 2nd row forward. Once you do that the 2nd row legroom is not very good either. For reference, I'm only 5'5" and my dad is also 5'5" and he was in the 3rd row and I was in the 2nd row and we both agreed it would not be comfortable for a prolonged journey.

Yeah, that's what I feared.

I follow all the press on these kinds of questions that I can, however I've found the press not always to be reliable. When the Model S first came out, they raved about how roomy the interior was, including the rear seat. It was a real shocker when I took my first test drive in 2015 and tried out the back seat. (Of course, I still bought the car. That powertrain, you see . . . . )

 

[Tesla2.0]

FWIW, I cancelled my reservation because in order for the 3rd row to have comfortable legroom, you have to slide the 2nd row forward. Once you do that the 2nd row legroom is not very good either. For reference, I'm only 5'5" and my dad is also 5'5" and he was in the 3rd row and I was in the 2nd row and we both agreed it would not be comfortable for a prolonged journey.

I’m on the road trip today, currently at EA charging stop. I would equate this car to Chevy Tahoe. This SUV is mid size SUV. All the small size SUVs and crossovers SUV are not my cup of tea.

IT looks a little bit bigger than Infinity QX80, definitely bigger than Honda Pilot, smaller than Cadillac Escolate and Lincoln Navigator. I’m sure it would be bigger than Polestar 3 and Volvo X90.

Yeah, that's what I feared.

I follow all the press on these kinds of questions that I can, however I've found the press not always to be reliable. When the Model S first came out, they raved about how roomy the interior was, including the rear seat. It was a real shocker when I took my first test drive in 2015 and tried out the back seat. (Of course, I still bought the car. That powertrain, you see . . . . )

To me 2nd row can be roomy as Lucid Air with 3row row no space, but if 2nd row slide forward, the leg room can spare to 3rd row. What I like about these seats are they can recline the back unlike Testla are fixed angle. They look stiff, but actually very comfortable for long ride.

There are tons of features I like about this car. I said hold on to your reservation and compare Esther when Gravity comes out.

 

[Tesla2.0]

Yeah, that's what I feared.

I follow all the press on these kinds of questions that I can, however I've found the press not always to be reliable. When the Model S first came out, they raved about how roomy the interior was, including the rear seat. It was a real shocker when I took my first test drive in 2015 and tried out the back seat. (Of course, I still bought the car. That powertrain, you see . . . . )

3rd row definitely is not leg-roomy, but both front and 2nd row can slide a little forward to accommodate 3rd row. It is just good to have occasional 3rd row option. I think for city is ok, but long distance may not be comfortable for adults in 3rd row. My guess is Gravity will have more 3rd row room sliding back that row to reduce luggage space.

 

[Bus Driver]

I actually like the interior a lot, especially the front row space… Of course when comparing Model-X, it’s 36k cheaper at today’s Configurator and much more space. I do think you can carry 7 adults where it is not possible with Model X

Actually, the Model X can be ordered in a 5, 6 or 7 seat configuration. Whether the two seats in the third row is really suitable for two adults is a good subject for a really lively debate.

I myself looked long and hard at the 7 seat configuration. For one thing it would have saved me about $5000. I checked out that third row again and again, and spent hours thinking about it. In the end, I had to concede that that third row with its two very small seats was no place for two adults to made to spend any time, even if they are Filipino. There’s simply no room to move your legs, and you couldn’t in good conscience ask two fully grown adults to sit back there unless they were amputees, or you were punishing them.

I’m very much hoping that Lucid’s Gravity will offer a 7, or even 8 seat configuration.

 

[digiboxer]

Here are Doug DeMuro’s score cards. Ironically, I bought my Rivian R1S from his website Carsandbids.com.

View attachment 9315View attachment 9316View attachment 9317I’ve

FUN!----but there's a lot of apple vs papayas here. Re comfort, getting in and out of the Air vs R1S isn't even a close call.

BTW I fear the Gravity is going to have the same boxy look as the Rivian. Unavoidable I guess, if you program the battery pack and 3 rows of seating. In a perfect world they'd design a variant with 2 rows, and profile that looks cool...

 

[digiboxer]

Agreed on the front row, but the back area stinks. With the 3rd row up, there is barely any storage in the rear so it's really more like a 5 passenger SUV with luggage capacity. If you are adventuring it makes sense and is probably great for that role, but as a people mover it is lacking. The Gravity is supposed to have Air suspensions according to their press release, so let's see what happens there.

But you are correct, currently there is nothing better than the R1S for a 7 passenger EV SUV.

Agreed on the front row, but the back area stinks. With the 3rd row up, there is barely any storage in the rear so it's really more like a 5 passenger SUV with luggage capacity. If you are adventuring it makes sense and is probably great for that role, but as a people mover it is lacking. The Gravity is supposed to have Air suspensions according to their press release, so let's see what happens there.

But you are correct, currently there is nothing better than the R1S for a 7 passenger EV SUV.

With the 3rd row up, there is barely any storage in the rear so it's really more like a 5 passenger SUV with luggage capacity.

Yeah, but this is true even of Tahoe, etc---huge sellers

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Yeah, but this is true even of Tahoe, etc---huge sellers

But at least you have some decent storage in the R1S frunk

 

[xponents]

FUN!----but there's a lot of apple vs papayas here. Re comfort, getting in and out of the Air vs R1S isn't even a close call.

BTW I fear the Gravity is going to have the same boxy look as the Rivian. Unavoidable I guess, if you program the battery pack and 3 rows of seating. In a perfect world they'd design a variant with 2 rows, and profile that looks cool...

You fear? It looks pretty good! At least based on the teasers. Its almost impossible to see the back, which is the part I want to see the most.

 

[xponents]

Actually, the Model X can be ordered in a 5, 6 or 7 seat configuration. Whether the two seats in the third row is really suitable for two adults is a good subject for a really lively debate.

I myself looked long and hard at the 7 seat configuration. For one thing it would have saved me about $5000. I checked out that third row again and again, and spent hours thinking about it. In the end, I had to concede that that third row with its two very small seats was no place for two adults to made to spend any time, even if they are Filipino. There’s simply no room to move your legs, and you couldn’t in good conscience ask two fully grown adults to sit back there unless they were amputees, or you were punishing them.

I’m very much hoping that Lucid’s Gravity will offer a 7, or even 8 seat configuration.

I did an analysis into gravity's legroom, and heres what I found:

If we look at the 2nd to third row ratio, it is reasonably good! We can expect the gravity to have more 2nd row legroom than the air, being an suv, and the 2nd row/third row ratio is about 65:35. That means it would shape up to be a decently sized, if not "navigator" sized third row. There is some space behind the third row, thanks to the protruding trunk(I would estimate 18 cubic feet)

Some other items of note:
Pillowy "maybach" like headrests for the 2nd row
Reclining captain chairs for 2nd row, oddly there is no space between the chairs. Its like the reincarnation of the "executive seating" of the air.
Also, just look at how damn wide those rear wheel arches are!

 

[xponents]

Better view of 'maybach" headrests, lit up lucid logo on the seat, (reminds me of rivian seat with the metal trim) and also can we look at that center console? It looks like theres a tesla style big screen there! Sadly, it looks like lucid is going the model x way, with no armrests.

 

[hmp10]

Actually, the Model X can be ordered in a 5, 6 or 7 seat configuration. Whether the two seats in the third row is really suitable for two adults is a good subject for a really lively debate.

2nd-row seating in both the Model S and Model X has always been a little off the beat.

When I test drove a Model S in 2015 I found the rear bench seat somewhat uncomfortable. However, Tesla was advertising the "Executive Rear Seating" option as the answer to rear seat luxury. They had no cars with that option available to see or test drive, but I ordered the option assuming the 2-person configuration would be more comfortable than the 3-person configuration. Although it did have the center armrest that the bench seat lacked, it was actually less comfortable. It felt as if the "bucket seat" was an actual bucket, with the bottom cushion very low, the back and bottom side bolsters too prominent, and the rear cushion angle too near the vertical. It felt almost as if you were sitting upright in the embryo position.

I've since test driven several Model X's in pre-Lucid days, each time hoping it would give me better rear passenger accommodations than the Model S. As with the Model S, I found the 2nd-row bench seat configuration of the Model X to be more comfortable than the captain chairs. It had more adjustment and more room to wiggle around to find the most comfortable position (at least with only two passengers). Of course, neither configuration had a center armrest, but at least you could buy an aftermarket strap-on armrest from someplace such as EVannex for the bench seat.

 

[Bus Driver]

As much as everyone loves the R1S, I think it's not worth the money. The ride sucks, the drive sucks, and the interior space is terrible for such a large vehicle. The one thing I'm really hoping carries through in the Gravity is the space concept they were able to create in the Air.

I’m glad to be coming back to your remark from a few weeks ago, and pay particular attention. It’ll likely prevent me from doing something ill advised.

Right now I’m watching YouTube reviews on the R1S, and consequently developing “trigger finger”. Really, I should wait until I can sit in a Gravity. I took particular note of your poor opinion of the interior space.

 

[Tesla2.0]

I’m glad to be coming back to your remark from a few weeks ago, and pay particular attention. It’ll likely prevent me from doing something ill advised.

Right now I’m watching YouTube reviews on the R1S, and consequently developing “trigger finger”. Really, I should wait until I can sit in a Gravity. I took particular note of your poor opinion of the interior space.

I think to @hydbob, it’s a step down of cabin space compare to Honda Odyssey. But to me it’s a huge step up from Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Cabin space, off-road departure angles, programmable suspension, luxurious wood trim over leathers panels, massive infotainment, GUI instrument cluster, ADAS, 3rd row seats, built-in air compressor, portable speaker/latern, ride comfort vs Jeep, high end torchlight, flushed floor of fold down seats, dual layers frunk and truck, low-rider suspension sports mode, torque vectoring drift mode, on and on…

Except for ability of taking doors and top down feature, and lots of 3rd party vendors supporting Wranglers/Bronco accessories. This R1S basically has Wrangler and Bronco drawing dead IMO.

 

[xponents]

I’m glad to be coming back to your remark from a few weeks ago, and pay particular attention. It’ll likely prevent me from doing something ill advised.

Right now I’m watching YouTube reviews on the R1S, and consequently developing “trigger finger”. Really, I should wait until I can sit in a Gravity. I took particular note of your poor opinion of the interior space.

Anybody looking for a r1s should wait for a gravity. The space concept will pay dividends.

 

[hydbob]

I think to @hydbob, it’s a step down of cabin space compare to Honda Odyssey. But to me it’s a huge step up from Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Cabin space, off-road departure angles, programmable suspension, luxurious wood trim over leathers panels, massive infotainment, GUI instrument cluster, ADAS, 3rd row seats, built-in air compressor, portable speaker/latern, ride comfort vs Jeep, high end torchlight, flushed floor of fold down seats, dual layers frunk and truck, low-rider suspension sports mode, torque vectoring drift mode, on and on…

Except for ability of taking doors and top down feature, and lots of 3rd party vendors supporting Wranglers/Bronco accessories. This R1S basically has Wrangler and Bronco drawing dead IMO.

Yes, for double the price of an Odyssey, strictly as a people mover, you get less of a vehicle. Less interior room and less storage. The seating is also a step down from the Air as well in terms of comfort, particularly the 2nd row compared to the rear seats in the Air. For some reason, the interior design packaging feels cramped for the size of vehicle.

 

[Tesla2.0]

Yes, for double the price of an Odyssey, strictly as a people mover, you get less of a vehicle. Less interior room and less storage. The seating is also a step down from the Air as well in terms of comfort, particularly the 2nd row compared to the rear seats in the Air. For some reason, the interior design packaging feels cramped for the size of vehicle.

I thought our F250 Platinum and Wrangler Rubicon were luxurious in seats, but I actually find Rivian seats are more comfortable than them. Price-wise, yes it is double the price of ICE people mover, but it is EV-tech. With all the add-on features, I just don’t see how Rivian can make profit at 78k starting price. Now Rivian is starting to develop its own motors rather than being outsourced, maybe they can cut deep bleeding.

I think Rivian and Lucid are going opposite polars. Rivian focused on software first and let hardware outsourced and figure that portion out later. Lucid instead focused on hardware drivetrain and then comeback to catch up software. Both companies has merit of their own. I would say I feel Rivian BMS is much weaker than Lucid, other than that, if Lucid can produce Gravity at sub 100k, then it would make an impact to market share. I somehow think that would be 4th phase after Lucid rolled out luxury sedans and SUVs first, then come out economical high-end sedans.

 

[Drendino]

I think to @hydbob, it’s a step down of cabin space compare to Honda Odyssey. But to me it’s a huge step up from Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Cabin space, off-road departure angles, programmable suspension, luxurious wood trim over leathers panels, massive infotainment, GUI instrument cluster, ADAS, 3rd row seats, built-in air compressor, portable speaker/latern, ride comfort vs Jeep, high end torchlight, flushed floor of fold down seats, dual layers frunk and truck, low-rider suspension sports mode, torque vectoring drift mode, on and on…

Except for ability of taking doors and top down feature, and lots of 3rd party vendors supporting Wranglers/Bronco accessories. This R1S basically has Wrangler and Bronco drawing dead IMO.

Of all of the reviews that I’ve read, yours gives me the most concern because you compare it to a Jeep, which I find has poor ride quality. I was hoping that I would see more comparisons to an Audi Q7, Range Rover or any other German 7 seater. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it rides more like a truck rather than a luxury SUV. I feel confident that the Gravity will drive like a larger version of the Air.

 

[xponents]

Of all of the reviews that I’ve read, yours gives me the most concern because you compare it to a Jeep, which I find has poor ride quality. I was hoping that I would see more comparisons to an Audi Q7, Range Rover or any other German 7 seater. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it rides more like a truck rather than a luxury SUV. I feel confident that the Gravity will drive like a larger version of the Air.

Gravity vs range rover for me.(range rover ev in 2024)

 

[Tesla2.0]

Of all of the reviews that I’ve read, yours gives me the most concern because you compare it to a Jeep, which I find has poor ride quality. I was hoping that I would see more comparisons to an Audi Q7, Range Rover or any other German 7 seater. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it rides more like a truck rather than a luxury SUV. I feel confident that the Gravity will drive like a larger version of the Air.

I rented Range Rover sports HSE for 3 days road trip a few months ago in England. Yes, cabin was much luxurious than BMW X7, but excessive physical buttons feels cramped and outdated, and it doesn’t feel more spacious than Lucid Air. The driver center console and rear seat console have 2 little fridge is nice, but only practical to hold 2 Coke cans and a triangular sandwich. Ride quality is better than R1S, but not necessary by a wide margin. Granted, I’m an early adopter Guinea Pig, maybe they can software tighten the suspension more firmer in OTA Update, but my wife loves that car, and that’s all it counts the most.

Gravity vs range rover for me.(range rover ev in 2024)

Yes, I’m curious of Range Rover EV in 2024~2025 as well.

 

[xponents]

I rented Range Rover sports HSE for 3 days road trip a few months ago in England. Yes, cabin was much luxurious than BMW X7, but excessive physical buttons feels cramped and outdated, and it doesn’t feel more spacious than Lucid Air. The driver center console and rear seat console have 2 little fridge is nice, but only practical to hold 2 Coke cans and a triangular sandwich. Ride quality is better than R1S, but not necessary by a wide margin. Granted, I’m an early adopter Guinea Pig, maybe they can software tighten the suspension more firmer in OTA Update, but my wife loves that car, and that’s all it counts the most.

Yes, I’m curious of Range Rover EV in 2024~2025 as well.

Or even the range rover phev right now. Its pretty quiet and the ride quality is smooth as silk. Sorento + Accord to Air and Gravity perhaps