Nervous new Lucid AT owner

[Leftlane]

Just curious - when you were trying to use voice control to navigate to LAX, did you literally say “LAX”, or did you say “Los Angeles International Airport”? I can see why the former might not work, but the latter should for sure.

 

[Steveinarizona]

CR tends not to be a fan of onscreen controls (I understand their perspective) and when owners complain about complexity, CR will generally downgrade their rating.

Steve, to be fair, I honestly believe there are far fewer issues reported on the two main BMW forums for the BMW i4 & i5 than what we find here. The BMW software is mature, reliable and virtually glitch-free. In nearly 3 years of i4 ownership I never encountered a software glitch or any problem for that matter. Thus far our i5 has been glitch-free and was delivered with typically flawless BMW fit & finish.

Of course that doesn’t mean there are no reported owner’s problems, but those tend to be random rather than issues revolving around similar problem areas. When you consider there are many more BMW i5, i4 and other BMW EVs on the road than Lucids, the delta in these reported issues becomes even more apparent.

This is certainly not meant to be a knock against Lucid, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that BMW has been building cars a lot longer than Lucid. With that said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention in about 1 1/2 years of ownership my Lucid has only been to the SC only once, and that for a minor fabric separation on the driver’s seat back. Software glitches? You betcha, but they always self-resolve or resolve with a kickstart from a reboot. My only recurring glitch is the ‘no internet’ issue that’s very common.

Lucid is improving significantly as original owners of early models can attest to. I’m sure with time complaints will continue to dwindle (they already are) as software matures.

In general, I do agree that BMWs tend to be very reliable and I did love driving my BMWs. When I test drove them I thought the I4 and IX drove better than the Genesis. However, I couldn't get past the looks where you and I disagree about the current design ethos of the brand but otherwise, we probably mostly agree. One area where the I5 has been criticized is putting too many controls on the info system screen. This is a pet peeve of mine and one of the reasons I bought the GV60 which has lots of buttons and switches. I want my seat controls on the side of the seat; I want my HVAC controls permanently visible for quick adjustment; I want my garage door opener buttons on the rear view mirror (sorry lucid); I want my radio/media controls readily available to me; etc. I know it is cheaper to put everything on the tablet but these are "luxury" cars and cheap should not be the principal goal.

But I do agree that of all the non Tesla EV makers, BMW probably is the most reliable. As I said, one has to be comfortable with being an early adopter to go for the Lucid. BMW has been making electric and electrified cars for many years including the I3 in 2013 so it is NOT an early adoption.

 

[Lucken]

In general, I do agree that BMWs tend to be very reliable and I did love driving my BMWs. When I test drove them I thought the I4 and IX drove better than the Genesis. However, I couldn't get past the looks where you and I disagree about the current design ethos of the brand but otherwise, we probably mostly agree. One area where the I5 has been criticized is putting too many controls on the info system screen. This is a pet peeve of mine and one of the reasons I bought the GV60 which has lots of buttons and switches. I want my seat controls on the side of the seat; I want my HVAC controls permanently visible for quick adjustment; I want my garage door opener buttons on the rear view mirror (sorry lucid); I want my radio/media controls readily available to me; etc. I know it is cheaper to put everything on the tablet but these are "luxury" cars and cheap should not be the principal goal.

But I do agree that of all the non Tesla EV makers, BMW probably is the most reliable. As I said, one has to be comfortable with being an early adopter to go for the Lucid. BMW has been making electric and electrified cars for many years including the I3 in 2013 so it is NOT an early adoption.

Yup, we won't agree on the looks, totally subjective. I do agree that more hard buttons are a more friendly, ergonomically sound means of executing functions...at least IMO. In terms of hard buttons vs utilization of the info screen, there's not much difference between the i4 & i5. In actuality the i5 made some improvements in terms of ease of use of the info screen vs the i4. Fortunately audio functions can be controlled via steering wheel controls and the iDrive controller wheel does make things better rather than forcing you to input via the screen if you choose not to.

The highway assist on the i5 is rock solid with zero nags. Driving on the LIE on Long Island, proved to be totally uneventful with no drama using highway assist, which is certainly a compliment to the feature. I was actually surprised by this. However with that said, as I've said on the Lucid forum here, I'd rather drive the car myself than let the car drive. As good as the BMW highway assist appears to be or the Lucid version might be down the road, you still need to be equally alert to any quirks just as if you were driving yourself.

As far as I'm concerned you buy these cars to drive, not to be chauffeured, but I know others may differ.

 

[LATouring]

Just curious - when you were trying to use voice control to navigate to LAX, did you literally say “LAX”, or did you say “Los Angeles International Airport”? I can see why the former might not work, but the latter should for sure.

I said LAX just I used to when using my Tesla.

 

[LATouring]

I wonder if I delete my profile which was set up by default as the main driver, would that make my wife's profile become the main driver, hence less of the changes in driver selection?

 

[Westcory]

Hi All, I will be taking my new Lucid Air Touring this weekend, and frankly, I am a bit nervous to see all the bugs and issues discussed here. I have a Tesla Model S and despite some lack of luxury as expected from Tesla, it has been quite reliable and fun to drive, especially with the FSD feature that I enjoy from time to time. However, I wanted to try the Lucid Air Touring to see if it is actually superior and more luxurious than the Model S.
I understand that as an early adapter, there will be some bugs here and there that will eventually be solved and make the overall car better, but still who wants to deal with the nuances of such it that can be avoided.
So, I am getting ready to pick up my new Lucid and just want to see if the car is as great as the media says or more like what I see here with lots of small bugs that I will have to deal. Thank you for your input.

I just picked up my AT two weeks ago, coming from a ‘24 Model 3, a ‘22 Model 3 and a ‘18 BMW 540i before that. My wife also has a Model Y…….i had a bad first two days with the car where the Lucid rep put my extra uncoded key in the glovebox which through all the systems out of whack until the tech support diagnosed the issue. That said, I am still shocked at all the issues I’m having. It’s literally 180 deg from Tesla where there build quality is suspect but the software just works. On the Lucid I am missing features that have been on Tesla’s forever and even my old BMWs. Frankly at the moment I’m wishing I had just got another ‘24 Model 3 and I really wanted noth8ng to do with another Tesl before getting the AT.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I have had completely the opposite experience. I came to my AGT after 6 years in a Tesla M3P. I LOVE my Lucid. The quality of the build, sumptuous (but not overdone) interior, intuitive UI (rather than Tesla’s current hot mess) and above all, ride quality just hit the sweet spot for me.

Does it do everything software-wise that the Tesla did? No, but I knew that coming in and really don’t care that I don’t have FSD or geofencing for my garage doors and stuff like that. And, as someone who was a relatively early adopter to Tesla, I can tell you that from 2018 until around 2021, the software in the Tesla did NOT “just work.” I needed to reboot it several times a week, things like keyless entry were glitchy, the Nav system was rudimentary and both Autopilot and FSD were deadly.

Yeah, Tesla improved these things, but to compare Tesla’s current software to Lucid’s? Why would anyone expect them to have an identical feature set given the maturity of each product / company? At the end of the day, Lucid is a company whose ethos and mission I profoundly support and I am reasonably certain that they will continue to narrow the software gap with Tesla. However, Tesla will NEVER narrow the gap in corporate ethos and mission with Lucid because its leadership has (IMHO) profoundly lost its way.

My suggestion? Get out on the road and DRIVE the car. As a car enthusiast for almost four decades, I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving a car that just “feels so right” and I’ve been fortunate enough to have driven some of the great Jags, Alfas, Ferraris, BMW’s, Audi’s, Honda’s, Porsche’s, etc.

As a car, my AGT is an absolute A+++++, as a road going consumer electronics box of software tricks and conveniences? I’d say it’s about a B-. But then again, when I took delivery of my Tesla back in 2018, it’s software was a C- (or worse) as it routinely did things that could’ve gotten me killed.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

"Get out on the road and DRIVE the car."

best advice for those who complain that it's a bad computer ... it's not a bad computer, it's the world's best car. Just drive it.

 

[DBV]

Yup, we won't agree on the looks, totally subjective. I do agree that more hard buttons are a more friendly, ergonomically sound means of executing functions...at least IMO. In terms of hard buttons vs utilization of the info screen, there's not much difference between the i4 & i5. In actuality the i5 made some improvements in terms of ease of use of the info screen vs the i4. Fortunately audio functions can be controlled via steering wheel controls and the iDrive controller wheel does make things better rather than forcing you to input via the screen if you choose not to.

The highway assist on the i5 is rock solid with zero nags. Driving on the LIE on Long Island, proved to be totally uneventful with no drama using highway assist, which is certainly a compliment to the feature. I was actually surprised by this. However with that said, as I've said on the Lucid forum here, I'd rather drive the car myself than let the car drive. As good as the BMW highway assist appears to be or the Lucid version might be down the road, you still need to be equally alert to any quirks just as if you were driving yourself.

As far as I'm concerned you buy these cars to drive, not to be chauffeured, but I know others may differ.

I still think BMW iDrive is the best in the business. Have to tried the i5 yet, but love on BMW how any media output can be controlled via the steering wheel and also show on HUD. Plus, you can select your favorites and organize exactly how you want too. Album art better too. Could go on and on, but BMW has it down.

How is the range on the i5?

 

[Blue Lectroid]

"Get out on the road and DRIVE the car."

best advice for those who complain that it's a bad computer ... it's not a bad computer, it's the world's best car. Just drive it.

YES!!!!!!!

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I still think BMW iDrive is the best in the business. Have to tried the i5 yet, but love on BMW how any media output can be controlled via the steering wheel and also show on HUD. Plus, you can select your favorites and organize exactly how you want too. Album art better too. Could go on and on, but BMW has it down.

How is the range on the i5?

But the i5 is an absolutely lifeless drive! I drove a friend’s for a weekend trip we took together and between the steering, brake by wire and the overly deadened road feel, I felt like I was driving a sofa. In no way does the i5 feel like a performance car of any sort to me.

So I guess it’s all a matter of what’s important to you. The infotainment system is better at the moment, but that’s what my home audio system is for. I love to drive my cars and view them as cars, not road going entertainment systems. I am probably dating myself! LOL.

And herein lies an issue I have with some of the complaints on this Forum about Lucid…did folks do any homework about how and why the car was designed? What the team that designed it was trying to deliver to us, their customers? There is soooo much information about the strengths and weaknesses of the Air that when people take delivery and complain that the software is not up to Tesla’s or BMW’s? Well, IMHO, first of all they did not do their homework, but more importantly, they are missing something basic and of vital importance…

The platform and design of the Lucid Air is massively better than any EV Tesla or BMW has ever built and will be for the foreseeable future. Software can be updated and fixed. So, as Lucid continues to refine their software, the Air will move further and further in front of Tesla and BMW. Because the underlying platform and mechanical design of the BMW and Tesla is inferior and they will never have the road feel, handling or efficiency of the Air…they CAN’T fix those flaws in the designs of their current cars. Lucid can and will continue to improve the software in their / our cars.

 

[Steveinarizona]

As far as I'm concerned you buy these cars to drive, not to be chauffeured, but I know others may differ.

Yes...yes...yes! There are times in heavy traffic where it is nice to let the car essentially and mostly drive itself. But most of the time I want to drive, not be driven. If I want the latter, out here we have Waymo or I could get a Nissan Leaf really cheaply.

 

[Lucken]

I still think BMW iDrive is the best in the business. Have to tried the i5 yet, but love on BMW how any media output can be controlled via the steering wheel and also show on HUD. Plus, you can select your favorites and organize exactly how you want too. Album art better too. Could go on and on, but BMW has it down.

How is the range on the i5?

The rated range on my particular i5 (xDrive40) is 266. When I picked it up the weather was warmer (50s) and extrapolating based on a few drives I took, I should have no issues getting 300 miles or more. I achieved an efficiency of 4.1 on a few highway drives during that weather, so 300+ like I saw with my i4, appears to be attainable without that much difficulty. It was always a pleasant surprise to see how easily my i4 beat EPA estimates and did so by a significant margin.

 

[bmathieu]

Hi All, I will be taking my new Lucid Air Touring this weekend, and frankly, I am a bit nervous to see all the bugs and issues discussed here. I have a Tesla Model S and despite some lack of luxury as expected from Tesla, it has been quite reliable and fun to drive, especially with the FSD feature that I enjoy from time to time. However, I wanted to try the Lucid Air Touring to see if it is actually superior and more luxurious than the Model S.
I understand that as an early adapter, there will be some bugs here and there that will eventually be solved and make the overall car better, but still who wants to deal with the nuances of such it that can be avoided.
So, I am getting ready to pick up my new Lucid and just want to see if the car is as great as the media says or more like what I see here with lots of small bugs that I will have to deal. Thank you for your input.

As a software guy, I have been a bit surprised at how buggy the software is generally. Every time they do a new release to fix a past bug they introduce another. I’m very hopeful they can get ahead of the curve at some point. Overall I love the car. You can read my general impressions of the car and its systems on my blog here: https://lucidair.info

 

[Bobby]

As a software guy, I have been a bit surprised at how buggy the software is generally. Every time they do a new release to fix a past bug they introduce another. I’m very hopeful they can get ahead of the curve at some point. Overall I love the car. You can read my general impressions of the car and its systems on my blog here: https://lucidair.info

It’s a million times better than it once was.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

As a software guy, I have been a bit surprised at how buggy the software is generally. Every time they do a new release to fix a past bug they introduce another. I’m very hopeful they can get ahead of the curve at some point. Overall I love the car. You can read my general impressions of the car and its systems on my blog here: https://lucidair.info

I enjoyed your blog. Thanks for sharing. Really sorry about the van incident. I hope that your get gets fixed soon and that you get to enjoy once again before too long. Happy holidays.

 

[borski]

As a software guy, I have been a bit surprised at how buggy the software is generally. Every time they do a new release to fix a past bug they introduce another. I’m very hopeful they can get ahead of the curve at some point. Overall I love the car. You can read my general impressions of the car and its systems on my blog here: https://lucidair.info

Great writeup. Things have definitely gotten orders of magnitude better than when I got the car in 2022, but there’s plenty of room left to improve.

I’m also in the Bay Area, and also a software startup founder (security, specifically). Would love to grab a cup of coffee sometime if you’re down. Feel free to DM.

 

[Science]

I just picked up my AT two weeks ago, coming from a ‘24 Model 3, a ‘22 Model 3 and a ‘18 BMW 540i before that. My wife also has a Model Y…….i had a bad first two days with the car where the Lucid rep put my extra uncoded key in the glovebox which through all the systems out of whack until the tech support diagnosed the issue. That said, I am still shocked at all the issues I’m having. It’s literally 180 deg from Tesla where there build quality is suspect but the software just works. On the Lucid I am missing features that have been on Tesla’s forever and even my old BMWs. Frankly at the moment I’m wishing I had just got another ‘24 Model 3 and I really wanted noth8ng to do with another Tesl before getting the AT.

We're a 2 Tesla family before moving to Air. But unlike you, we had a Model S when they were pretty new and we suffered through software glitch after software glitch.

We are disappointed in some of the software problems in the Air...but we're comfortable that they will be resolved. We like our Air.

 

[Bobby]

I just picked up my AT two weeks ago, coming from a ‘24 Model 3, a ‘22 Model 3 and a ‘18 BMW 540i before that. My wife also has a Model Y…….i had a bad first two days with the car where the Lucid rep put my extra uncoded key in the glovebox which through all the systems out of whack until the tech support diagnosed the issue. That said, I am still shocked at all the issues I’m having. It’s literally 180 deg from Tesla where there build quality is suspect but the software just works. On the Lucid I am missing features that have been on Tesla’s forever and even my old BMWs. Frankly at the moment I’m wishing I had just got another ‘24 Model 3 and I really wanted noth8ng to do with another Tesl before getting the AT.

Did you test drive the car and make sure that it included features that were important to you?

 

[LATouring]

It' been about 1 month since we switched from a long time Tesla Model S to our 1st Lucid AT.
I think the handling and luxury is far superior tan the Model S. However as many of the comments above has been uniformly about how far behind is the software and UI in comparison to Tesla. I got the DreamDrive Premium (I guess that what is called, or closest to FSD) But I don't dare to use it on the freeway even when there is very light traffic. It is incomprehensive to me that the screens can not multitask which is such an easy feature to upgrade, just a few of the complains about Lucid's software aspect. The only hope is that over the coming few months there will be upgrades to improve their UI and make it more user friendly.
As for the drive and handling, I really feel Lucid did a heck of a job compared to Model S. Since we first got our Model S, 12 years ago, total of 4 new cars, every return at the end of the lease, we find the quality of the new car has minor decrease in its components and luxury. However, with every new Model S, it was how much more user friendly and improved software and FSD system that kept impressing us. Overall we are quite happy so far with our Lucid, but still wish that it can step up and really give Tesla a run for its money and become more main stream.