Lucid Air vs. Mercedes EQS

I just talked with my local Mercedes dealer to see when they expect their first EQS to be available for viewing and test driving. They told me that, although nothing has been said publicly yet, MB is pushing the launch of the EQS into next year due to chip shortages. He said the ICE version of the S-Class is being similarly delayed.
 
I decided to check with another MB dealer to see if I got the same take on release dates. This dealer told me that a Mercedes executive was in their dealership yesterday and talked about the EQS. He said there are two cars in the U.S. right now being test driven in the New York area by MB executives. While the salesman told me that they have heard nothing about either a planned August launch date or a postponement of that date, he said that, based on what their visitor was saying about development and testing still going on, he'd be surprised to see the car in dealerships before Q4 of this year or early next year. I asked this salesman if anything came up about delays due to chip shortages, and he said no.
 
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Thanks for the links to these videos, Hawk. I hadn't seen them yet.

I don't know exactly what to make of the rear seat. In the "Road Show" video, the passenger's knees were about as jacked up as they are sitting in the back of a Lucid Air with the larger battery pack. This comports with the graphic Mercedes has posted of the front and rear seating positions (see post #16 on this thread). The EQS did seem to have a lot of fore-aft legroom, but so does the Air. Although the reviewer commented on how capacious the rear seat was, I take such comments with a large grain of salt, having seen too many reviewers wax complimentary about how roomy a Tesla Model S rear seat is.

The video from "The Verge" did show that there was room to push your toes under the bottom of the front seat, something which is unfortunately (and inexplicably) lacking in the Air.

I was hoping to get a chance to drive an EQS before I had to finalize my Lucid Air order. It looked for a while as if that might become possible with Lucid's latest production delay. Now, with rumors circulating about EQS delays, it's all up in the air again.

I like the restraint of the Air's interior compared to the busier interior of the EQS. I love the Dream Edition's considerably greater power and acceleration. I knew how hard Lucid has worked to miniaturize the drive train, but I didn't fully grasp just how far they have come until I saw all the equipment crammed under the EQS bonnet.

The only thing that might have persuaded me to go with the EQS over the Air would have been if its rear quarters were on par with the stellar rear seats of the ICE S-Class -- something I was hoping the electric powertrain would make possible. Even the "Road Show" reviewer said that was not the case.

I'm still annoyed that the Air Dream Edition is going to launch without power-operated doors, that they couldn't make electrochromic glass work, that there are only three exterior color choices, that a HUD is not in the cards . . . but I still don't see a better overall EV sedan on the horizon than the Air, at least for my purposes and hot foot.
 
The exterior of the EQS has now been revealed at www.mbusa.com.

For my money, just as with the interior, I think MB has gone a bit overboard -- too much chrome, a far more busy front end than the Lucid, a more slab-sided profile. The only thing I perhaps like better is the EQS rear end.

Where Lucid has sought understated refinement in its design choices both inside and out, Mercedes seems to be going the glitz route. I find it surprising that MB is doing this with its current crop of sedans given some of the very clean lines of its recent offerings.
 
This is the most grounded review I've seen so far of the Mercedes EQS. The only issue I saw in it was the comparison of EQS range (478 WLTP) to Lucid range (517 EPA). The WLTP ratings are far more forgiving than the EPA ratings, and the MB is likely to come in around 400-420 miles on the EPA scale. I particularly agreed, though, with his calling the EQS design "gaudy". I think the Lucid is far more clean and subtle in the looks department.

 
I did like how the driver (actor) just waved his hand and the door closed. I much prefer the Tesla approach of putting my foot on brake which closes the door and also "starts" the car. I wonder if the passenger can make the same gesture to close their doors. We don't need any Start button, however. I also wonder if the interior sensors are part of the 32 sensors the car has? It would be nice is Lucid initially just has self closing doors, if they can't get the exterior sensors working for self opening.
 
I think the Mercedes designers fell asleep at the switch on this one. I found a place on the front of the car that could have taken another chrome strip and a couple of places inside the car where they could have managed another plastic faux piano lacquer panel or two. But at least they got around to quilting all the leather and didn't seem to miss a crevice into which an LED strip could be crammed.

Wow! Now that's luxury.
 
I'm very surprised that the Lucid's simplistic interior is being accepted over the EQS' interior. I'm personally finding it very hard to confirm my Grand Touring reservation due to the interior as I do not see how it is worth it for the money. The EQS offers much more for less in terms of interior technology and quality/looks. I believe it could be due to the target audience? The Lucid seems to appeal to an older audience hence why I think the EQS' hyper-screen and modern fashion sense is not appreciated by the Lucid audience. The quilted leather for instance is something I really like and many of my leather jackets from Boda Skins that I wear for example are quilted giving a modern twist to the classic leather biker jacket. I receive immense compliments for this quilted style of jackets with many people telling me how much they love the quilted design so this hate for quilted leather in a vehicle seemed strange to me. I have always found this beautiful and the seats of the Air appear overly bland to me and many others I've shown them to have been unimpressed. Again, I truly am amazed by the reaction to the EQS' interior. During the reveal I was speechless and the comments on the video were phenomenal. I've noticed that the younger reviewers <40 tend to appreciate it. In fact, Kyle from Out of Spec Reviews really loves it despite the hideous exterior of the EQS. I am personally a fan of the EQS on the inside being a buyer at 21. I'm likely going to skip the Air and I may wait for the next EV that can offer great performance, a nice exterior, and a "gaudy" interior. In my eyes the Air's interior just took many bits from Tesla and the Porsche Taycan and combined them for something very underwhelming. The "cockpit display" is obviously copied from the Taycan while the overall simplicity mimics a Tesla which is what I wished to avoid with Teslas in the first place (alongside their quality issues of course). With all of this being said Lucid will continue to grow and change. I am sure this company's future is going to be great despite some hurdles. I don't see myself being in one with the overly simplistic design choices and promised features that never made it and am probably canceling my order soon. I don't think range and performance is enough to justify the money although I do want performance. For me if the Lucid Grand Touring had the EQS' interior that'd be the perfect car. The best thing they could do is give buyers the ability to choose what they want like many of the established brands. :(
 
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For some, luxury is not always measured by glitz and the EQS certainly has an abundance of glitz. I disagree that it’s an age related thing, in fact my view is quite the opposite. I see the EQS as a car that an elderly gentleman, that’s been driving Cadillacs all his life, would be very happy with. OTOH, Tesla‘s simplicity was always appreciated by the more youthful. Lucid‘s interior, although following Tesla’s simplicity design cues, is definitely more luxurious with far better materials and fit & finish.

As I said in response to your previous post, I’m surprised you ever placed an order for the Lucid given the fact that your interior tastes and Lucid’s interior styling are so obviously at odds.
 
I think the Mercedes designers fell asleep at the switch on this one. I found a place on the front of the car that could have taken another chrome strip and a couple of places inside the car where they could have managed another plastic faux piano lacquer panel or two. But at least they got around to quilting all the leather and didn't seem to miss a crevice into which an LED strip could be crammed.

Wow! Now that's luxury.

I think the luxury is things like:
1) Heads-up Display with Augmented Reality which means you will never miss a turn or be unsure which turn to take
2) Retractable electric blinds on the glass roof and doors so you can darken the cabin when your baby needs to nap in the back
3) Apple Carplay
4) DrivePilot which actually takes full control in traffic situations and takes the stress and hassle out of rush hour driving
5) Increased headroom and interior space
6) A more usable and accessible trunk

Other than that the two cars are very close. If we compare the Lucid to the Taycan, the Lucid wins on luxury. The Lucid is in between the Taycan and the EQS in terms of sport, luxury and space.
 
I'm coming from a Porsche Taycan. I love Porsche interiors and prefer the more luxury sport interior versus the pure luxury interior of a Mercedes S Class or Bentley. In my opinion the Lucid has a similar interior to the Taycan (especially the screen) but is using nicer materials, improved layout, and better tech. The EQS interior looks much more high tech than a standard S Class interior, but the giant screens are too much for my taste. Same with all of the lighting. It looks more like a cartoon spaceship instead of a sleek modern design.

Think about the interior design of a home. None of the design are bad, they are all personal tastes, but I can tell you I would pick the third design for my home.

Mercedes S Class / Bentley
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Mercedes EQS
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Lucid Air
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I've thoroughly compared the EQS 580 and the AGT in test drives and still consider the Lucid my top pick. The main reason is the Lucid is by far the best driver's car - it is 90% of the Mercedes luxury and vastly beats it in performance and range. However, the Mercedes has a closable shade on the glass roof, a major selling point for me, along with better seats (in the top trim).

Go for the AGT if you want smiles/giggles from fun driving, and the EQS if you just want to forget about the world and knock down the miles.
 
I've thoroughly compared the EQS 580 and the AGT in test drives and still consider the Lucid my top pick. The main reason is the Lucid is by far the best driver's car - it is 90% of the Mercedes luxury and vastly beats it in performance and range. However, the Mercedes has a closable shade on the glass roof, a major selling point for me, along with better seats (in the top trim).

Go for the AGT if you want smiles/giggles from fun driving, and the EQS if you just want to forget about the world and knock down the miles.

I guess my wife is about to get into hats...
 
I guess my wife is about to get into hats...

So I *really really really dislike* fixed glass roofs, but the Lucid one didn't bug me as much (even though I'll probably tint it more anyway). They really went all out on the tinting (or did so in the Dream P I drove and the AGT for my ride-along).

The Mercedes doesn't currently have a dark headliner in the light colored interiors which is a knock against it. Also, visibility over that dashboard and nose is pretty poor compared to the Lucid. However, you get the turning radius of an A-class which is pretty mind-blowing. Pros and Cons to each!
 
I've thoroughly compared the EQS 580 and the AGT in test drives and still consider the Lucid my top pick. The main reason is the Lucid is by far the best driver's car - it is 90% of the Mercedes luxury and vastly beats it in performance and range. However, the Mercedes has a closable shade on the glass roof, a major selling point for me, along with better seats (in the top trim).

Go for the AGT if you want smiles/giggles from fun driving, and the EQS if you just want to forget about the world and knock down the miles.
What is the draw of the closable shade? Just to block out the sun completely? Wouldn't you also tint the top even with a shade to block out more IR? Just curious.
 
What is the draw of the closable shade? Just to block out the sun completely? Wouldn't you also tint the top even with a shade to block out more IR? Just curious.

Those of us with Children find it quite important. My toddler can nap for 2 hours in our Mercedes but 20-30 minutes at best in our Tesla. This is a very important feature. I get it is a non issue for others.

I don’t understand why they didn’t do an electrochromic tint. Even the Toyota Venza has that.
 
Those of us with Children find it quite important. My toddler can nap for 2 hours in our Mercedes but 20-30 minutes at best in our Tesla. This is a very important feature. I get it is a non issue for others.

I don’t understand why they didn’t do an electrochromic tint. Even the Toyota Venza has that.
I guess I've been lucky, my kids can fall asleep in complete daylight, haha
 
I don’t understand why they didn’t do an electrochromic tint. Even the Toyota Venza has that.

Electrochromic film is fairly rigid. In the Boeing Dreamliner they could use it only by flattening the window panes, and you'll notice that cars that use it only use it for relatively flat roof panels. I think Lucid found it too difficult to get it to conform to the curve as the roof starts the descent to the windshield. Also, Lucid told me that the film does not completely lighten, nor can it be fabricated so that it fades to transparent, so a line would always be apparent where it stopped before descending into the windshield area.

As with Lucid, Rivian originally planned to use electrochromic film in their R1T and R1S but dropped plans during development. As new IR-blocking coatings became available, Rivian said they found the coatings to be more effective than electrochromic film which, contrary to popular belief, does not fully darken, either.
 
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