Jon Rettinger's 6 Month Review

[DJL]

At some point Lucid will not be given the excuse “well they are a new car company.” Cars need to be built timely and properly and the software needs to work. Some, including me, say this point is near or has passed and our tolerance is waning. We had the 1-year anniversary (at the beginning of this month) of Lucid announcing that they were beginning production of “release candidates.” That was to “work out the kinks” before customer car production would start that fall. I still have my old emails from my SA on how my car’s delivery is getting closer (One of many). I remember Peter saying ot us early reservation holders that production hell is because they did not plan very well. We won’t have that because we learned from Tesla’s mistakes. Yup. Right. Got it.

As others have said, they need to fix this stuff fast. and the “new car company” excuse is not going to work for much longer.

I feel your pain and frustration. You,especially, have been given a bum time. Nevertheless, things are slowly, oh so slowly, getting better. Bunnylebowski view is the one I chose to endorse. However, if I had your journey, I believe I would be standing with you in the frustration and additude. Sure hope things turn around for you and your car.

 

[Adnillien]

You’re right, I’m being harsh, it’s just that the complaints are relentless.

Here was my experience today: decided to drive to Audrain auto museum in Newport where they had an Edsel Citaiton convertible and an original Plymouth SuperBee with the steel spoiler (not fiberglass) making it super rare. On the drive there I had one problem, the next track button on the wheel stopped working briefly so I had to use the screen instead, then it worked again. That’s all. Everything worked, just like it usually does for me. On the way back I also got challenged by a Lambo Aventador SVJ that pulled up beside me at 75mph. Before he had a chance I hit 120mph, and he came up beside me after I’d come to my senses and slowed down and we both laughed. It does suck for some people who have fallen into the delay pit, but the car really isn’t nearly as bad as the posts seem to project. The car is great.

It sounds like a fun drive. I appreciate the candid reporting of issues that occurs on this forum. Even big issues like turtle mode after 10 miles or 1.2.6 update bricking a car. However, I do get tired of the Lucid is inept/stupid or Peter is a idiot comments. Lucid is not perfect but I know of very few car companies that would fly four engineers out to Scottsdale to troubleshoot one issue (shock and tilt). Maybe I like Peter since he is an engineer and I appreciate that view. I also met him the opening of the Scottsdale Studio.

One of the most difficult things about building a new company is establishing the corporate culture. Go and talk with the employees, not about the car but about how they like working for Lucid. Everyone from the studio advisors, day of delivery hosts, service advisors, front desk people at the service centers and I think you will be impressed about what they will say. They believe in the company and believe in their future with the company. They are dedicated to making the customers happy. This is not an easy thing. Like all companies, I am sure there are exceptions. Overall, I think Lucid has done a great job so far.

 

[hydbob]

I’m wondering if the DE has a more trouble prone processor or there’s some major difference in the modules, because it does sound like the DE software failures are more common and bigger than Grand Touring.

Well there is a reason we paid more...oh wait

 

[borski]

I’m wondering if the DE has a more trouble prone processor or there’s some major difference in the modules, because it does sound like the DE software failures are more common and bigger than Grand Touring.

I dno, mine’s great. Occasional glitches, but I drive the hell out of this thing, 3500 miles in, and it’s fantastic. (DE #241)

 

[milgauss]

fwiw, I find the car to be awesome. I have had VERY few issues. I have never rebooted it once, never been locked in or out, never had door handles not present, never had BT audio not play, never lost screens, etc., etc. I have an occasional steering wheel creak (which will get fixed eventually) and had concerns about range (which is getting better with sw updates and miles). The car-part feels well beyond Tesla which is enough for me to live with the software annoyances. It drives much better than my expectations going in. Probably the only thing that would make me NOT buy the car again is the trunk. I just really don't like the look of how the quarter panels were designed and really miss the hatchback. Luckily, the front is so well designed that it draws my attention from the rear.

 

[SDHacker]

had concerns about range (which is getting better with sw updates and miles).

I remember your posts about poor range and repeated attempts to get better efficiency. Glad things are improving and your experience with the car has been good

 

[milgauss]

I remember your posts about poor range and repeated attempts to get better efficiency. Glad things are improving and your experience with the car has been good

I can't prove it, but I think 1.2.6 improved the calculations (at least for my car). Went from literally never getting above 3.1 no matter what I did to regularly seeing low 3s and occasionally mid- to high- 3s. Only have 1,400 miles and the change occured immediately after the update. No change to how/where I drive. Jives with what the tech had told me regarding the calculations being off (likely for only a subset of cars).

 

[SDHacker]

You’re right, I’m being harsh, it’s just that the complaints are relentless.

There is always going to be a bell curve in the quality of vehicle you receive. Some will get the lucky end of the curve where the panels all line up and the motor specs are perfect. They get close to EPA range almost immediately. There are going to be others that are average with panel gaps and motor parts meeting spec. Then there are going to be the unlucky where panel gaps are really uneven or large and the motor specs are all on the side that make for a really tight fit so it takes them 15k miles to loosen things up and get better efficiency. You get one of the cars on the wrong end of the curve and you are going to complain...A LOT. The problem I have with the situation is when an owner says they have a problem, some non-owners jump in with the histrionics and really strong negative opinions rather than just asking what Lucid is doing to make it right. Like with @Sam6062 and the AC, there's no need to take sides on whether Lucid AC works or doesn't, but some data like what the temp of the air coming from the vent is would be useful and comparing it with what others see. That's what makes a forum like this valuable - I see this, what do you see? But it has to be addressed with data whenever possible. As another poster stated, it's easy for people to focus on the negative.

I understand @Maverick's frustration over the AC issue because we have maybe a couple of owners saying the air is not cold enough and prospective owners jumping on that saying it's a real problem for them and they won't buy the car. But there are many more owners that say the AC works fine but all the emphasis and attention has been on the negative reports. We have an owner saying the air doesn't feel cold enough. Then we have @Alex reporting his hands are freezing. And it could be the same temp air coming out the vents. Much of the attention goes to the not cold enough report because that's what prospective owners are worried about. The problem, of course, is that people react emotionally rather than analytically. What is the frequency of the problem What is the temp of the air? If owner X reports 67 degrees coming from the vent while others are reporting 50 and Lucid claims owner X's car is within spec, then we have something to be excited about.

Then you have hope and expectation meets reality. It's a $150k luxury vehicle that promised high quality that's also the first year of the first generation of the first vehicle from that company. People coming in with the "this is a $150k luxury car" perspective may be hyper-sensitive to perceived faults while those in the "first car" camp might be too forgiving.

 

[n8236]

Lucid has far more than a few software glitches. The ONLY reason that I have kept my DE is the range, 100 miles more than my wife's AMG EQS, and 400 more HP. The iX and AMG EQS are FAR better cars in every other aspect that matters to me. Can Lucid fix their problems, I hope so. but I think that it will be the end of this year or early next year.

There is always going to be a bell curve in the quality of vehicle you receive. Some will get the lucky end of the curve where the panels all line up and the motor specs are perfect. They get close to EPA range almost immediately. There are going to be others that are average with panel gaps and motor parts meeting spec. Then there are going to be the unlucky where panel gaps are really uneven or large and the motor specs are all on the side that make for a really tight fit so it takes them 15k miles to loosen things up and get better efficiency. You get one of the cars on the wrong end of the curve and you are going to complain...A LOT. The problem I have with the situation is when an owner says they have a problem, some non-owners jump in with the histrionics and really strong negative opinions rather than just asking what Lucid is doing to make it right. Like with @Sam6062 and the AC, there's no need to take sides on whether Lucid AC works or doesn't, but some data like what the temp of the air coming from the vent is would be useful and comparing it with what others see. That's what makes a forum like this valuable - I see this, what do you see? But it has to be addressed with data whenever possible. As another poster stated, it's easy for people to focus on the negative.

I understand @Maverick's frustration over the AC issue because we have maybe a couple of owners saying the air is not cold enough and prospective owners jumping on that saying it's a real problem for them and they won't buy the car. But there are many more owners that say the AC works fine but all the emphasis and attention has been on the negative reports. We have an owner saying the air doesn't feel cold enough. Then we have @Alex reporting his hands are freezing. And it could be the same temp air coming out the vents. Much of the attention goes to the not cold enough report because that's what prospective owners are worried about. The problem, of course, is that people react emotionally rather than analytically. What is the frequency of the problem What is the temp of the air? If owner X reports 67 degrees coming from the vent while others are reporting 50 and Lucid claims owner X's car is within spec, then we have something to be excited about.

Then you have hope and expectation meets reality. It's a $150k luxury vehicle that promised high quality that's also the first year of the first generation of the first vehicle from that company. People coming in with the "this is a $150k luxury car" perspective may be hyper-sensitive to perceived faults while those in the "first car" camp might be too forgiving.

This is a sensible response and should be kept in mind (easier said than done). With that said, it is still a $150k car and some issues should be non-negotiable if it’s being allowed to roll off the lot.

Luckily so far, Lucid hasn’t made headlines, but that’s IMO a low bar to go by. The Saudi fund wouldn’t allow Lucid to be embarrassed or vice versa, so good vibes as of now.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

There is always going to be a bell curve in the quality of vehicle you receive. Some will get the lucky end of the curve where the panels all line up and the motor specs are perfect. They get close to EPA range almost immediately. There are going to be others that are average with panel gaps and motor parts meeting spec. Then there are going to be the unlucky where panel gaps are really uneven or large and the motor specs are all on the side that make for a really tight fit so it takes them 15k miles to loosen things up and get better efficiency. You get one of the cars on the wrong end of the curve and you are going to complain...A LOT. The problem I have with the situation is when an owner says they have a problem, some non-owners jump in with the histrionics and really strong negative opinions rather than just asking what Lucid is doing to make it right. Like with @Sam6062 and the AC, there's no need to take sides on whether Lucid AC works or doesn't, but some data like what the temp of the air coming from the vent is would be useful and comparing it with what others see. That's what makes a forum like this valuable - I see this, what do you see? But it has to be addressed with data whenever possible. As another poster stated, it's easy for people to focus on the negative.

I understand @Maverick's frustration over the AC issue because we have maybe a couple of owners saying the air is not cold enough and prospective owners jumping on that saying it's a real problem for them and they won't buy the car. But there are many more owners that say the AC works fine but all the emphasis and attention has been on the negative reports. We have an owner saying the air doesn't feel cold enough. Then we have @Alex reporting his hands are freezing. And it could be the same temp air coming out the vents. Much of the attention goes to the not cold enough report because that's what prospective owners are worried about. The problem, of course, is that people react emotionally rather than analytically. What is the frequency of the problem What is the temp of the air? If owner X reports 67 degrees coming from the vent while others are reporting 50 and Lucid claims owner X's car is within spec, then we have something to be excited about.

Then you have hope and expectation meets reality. It's a $150k luxury vehicle that promised high quality that's also the first year of the first generation of the first vehicle from that company. People coming in with the "this is a $150k luxury car" perspective may be hyper-sensitive to perceived faults while those in the "first car" camp might be too forgiving.

Well said. I try to be data driven about all things. There are few things more subjective than temperature, and it’s also very easily analyzed with a temp probe making it not subjective. One glitch I’ve noticed is when you try to remotely cool the car via the app, it’s important to BE PATIENT and not click “turn on” more than once, as it has to fully wake the car first before it will confirm that it has started the AC remotely. I think owners may be inadvertently turning the AC off via the app when it had already received the “On” command, even though the app doesn’t reflect it’s on yet. I know as I have done this.

 

[hydbob]

Well said. I try to be data driven about all things. There are few things more subjective than temperature, and it’s also very easily analyzed with a temp probe making it not subjective. One glitch I’ve noticed is when you try to remotely cool the car via the app, it’s important to BE PATIENT and not click “turn on” more than once, as it has to fully wake the car first before it will confirm that it has started the AC remotely. I think owners may be inadvertently turning the AC off via the app when it had already received the “On” command, even though the app doesn’t reflect it’s on yet. I know as I have done this.

Access the remote climate is an exercise in patience. The almost best method I've found is to wake the act via opening the app. And then wait...and wait and wait until your car is awake and showing a parked status. THEN click the climate fan icon and turn on and wait to see the status. If it doesn't change to turn off hit it again until it changes to turn off. This sequence will have the AC running pretty much every time when I get to the car.

 

[digiboxer]

I really think you guys should post more about how dissatisfied and disappointed you are with the car. In your opinion do you think the Kia or Leaf is better or are both better? I mean yeah the Lucid charges 10x faster has more than double the range, looks better, is faster, has better storage space, is more comfortable, has better audio, drives better, etc, but Lucid has some software glitches they’re working on and is taking longer than expected to deliver vehicles so they better get their act together!!!!!!

....cost 3x as much....

 

[Sandvinsd]

....cost 3x as much....

more like 5x.... so should be 5x better with everything.

 

[digiboxer]

more like 5x.... so should be 5x better with everything.

How about software just at par...

 

[HC_79]

Just watched Jon's review and think its very fair and accurate. I'm surprised that Lucid hasn't come out publicly now to tell owners and future owners how they're going to address the software issues. The software has been the biggest complaint since day one with existing owners and Lucid continues to remain silent on what it’s doing internally to address the issues. This isn't a $45K car and whilst early adopters should be a little forgiving it's getting to a point that Lucid really needs to get a couple of major updates out to improve performance and stability at least.

Doesn't need to be perfect but the sluggishness needs to show some signs of improvement. I agree with others, you need to take things slow to avoid jamming it up and for the most part this works but random freezes, alexa being hit or miss etc. need to be resolved sooner rather than later. I think 1.2.6 shows Lucid is listening to customers and implementing features, just need to focus a little on stability.

 

[Bbq9]

Just watched Jon's review and think its very fair and accurate. I'm surprised that Lucid hasn't come out publicly now to tell owners and future owners how they're going to address the software issues. The software has been the biggest complaint since day one with existing owners and Lucid continues to remain silent on what it’s doing internally to address the issues. This isn't a $45K car and whilst early adopters should be a little forgiving it's getting to a point that Lucid really needs to get a couple of major updates out to improve performance and stability at least.

Doesn't need to be perfect but the sluggishness needs to show some signs of improvement. I agree with others, you need to take things slow to avoid jamming it up and for the most part this works but random freezes, alexa being hit or miss etc. need to be resolved sooner rather than later. I think 1.2.6 shows Lucid is listening to customers and implementing features, just need to focus a little on stability.

At this point, I’d be ok with a thematic roadmap over the next 24 months.
downside … is tesla has issued such a roadmap many many times and missed the dates AFAIK every time. If lucid did this too it would be worse than not telegraphing direction

 

[Sam6062]

At this point, I’d be ok with a thematic roadmap over the next 24 months.
downside … is tesla has issued such a roadmap many many times and missed the dates AFAIK every time. If lucid did this too it would be worse than not telegraphing direction

For me it is not about the software at all. It is about build quality fit/finish on MY UNIT and yes I have NEVER EVER Had a problem with ANY of my ICE Cars. Ido not buy this first generation stuff. If they cannot build a body then I am sorry their Engineering department is SUB PAR. THAT is where I am coming from.

It almost seems like they were obsessed with the size of the car and finally probably only made the Sportscar types happy. I am very hopeful that the next generation may be a 2024 model or the Gravity will be much better For those who thought it was going to be both.

This just for discussion and personal opinion so hopefully as the other owner said take it for what it is otherwise the aim of the forum is defeated. BTW, it should not be a surprise that I am OCD and High Maintenance .

so far this car is the most fun to drive, the steering has not creaked the cameras are better than my other cars, the inside is nice but the seats are a little low for an old dude like me, the headlights are extremely right and light up the road very well.

I must have finally gotten a car that is low on that Bell Curve

 

[hydbob]

You must be very lucky to have never encountered an issue on any of your cars ever. Maybe your luck just ran out .

 

[HC_79]

You must be very lucky to have never encountered an issue on any of your cars ever. Maybe your luck just ran out .

Every car is perfect!….. except Lucid, it’s a piece of crap!

 

[Sam6062]

You must be very lucky to have never encountered an issue on any of your cars ever. Maybe your luck just ran out .

Maybe So. We will find for real once they bring it back from Houston .