One Weekend with Lucid Gravity Dream Edition #319 (Former Model X Owner)

[Ron_Burgundy]

Our use case was a max of 5 skis/snowboards, so it may have gotten somewhat near the limit of the hitch (60 lbs for the rack and the carrier; 8-15lb per ski + snowboard (less for kids' ones)), but nothing that bothered us. You would run out of room on the rack before you bothered the hitch weight limit in a way that would hurt the car.

I didn't notice that they got particularly dirty. I think all but the lowest tips are out of the path of the road grime.

I agree that a roof rack makes sense for a lot of people, if there are too many skis or people to fit inside the car. The downside is that it can be a bit harder for some folks to load, and is less aerodynamic. Agreed that best is inside the vehicle, if possible... less worries about theft in that case, also.

Roof rack now available for Gravity from Lucid. So folks can choose what’s best for them n

 

[Elfin]

he idea of a classic SUV with a truck suspension doesn't even make sense with respect to an EV, since there's no drive shaft and wheels have to have independent suspension anyway. So what would constitute an SUV is pretty much meaningless. Whether it's good for off road or has ground clearance is another matter, and one that few people care about.

The G class electric has a De Dion rear suspension which is not independent. The upcoming Scout EV will use a solid rear axle with a motor mounted to it. I do wonder if EVs will ever be popular off-road vehicles.

 

[RajD]

Asking you Gravity owners if the frame is creaking at all for you? I have a ‘25 Air Pure and I love the car. It was rock solid silent for the first four months I had it. Now at only 5k miles, it is creaking non stop. It’s quite loud and even on simple flat turns it’s very audible. I’m so sad about it. Something is wrong and I have a service appointment in 10 days to evaluate it. Very disappointed. As a GGT reservation holder, I’m worried this will happen to the gravity as well. Any issues like this you’ve seen so far.

 

[hmp10]

Asking you Gravity owners if the frame is creaking at all for you? I have a ‘25 Air Pure and I love the car. It was rock solid silent for the first four months I had it. Now at only 5k miles, it is creaking non stop. It’s quite loud and even on simple flat turns it’s very audible. I’m so sad about it. Something is wrong and I have a service appointment in 10 days to evaluate it. Very disappointed. As a GGT reservation holder, I’m worried this will happen to the gravity as well. Any issues like this you’ve seen so far.

A service appointment is a good idea, as something may be amiss with your car. Our 2022 Air has over 42,000 miles on it, and it's still as quiet and solid-feeling as a tomb.

 

[Bus Driver]

Asking you Gravity owners if the frame is creaking at all for you? I have a ‘25 Air Pure and I love the car. It was rock solid silent for the first four months I had it. Now at only 5k miles, it is creaking non stop. It’s quite loud and even on simple flat turns it’s very audible. I’m so sad about it. Something is wrong and I have a service appointment in 10 days to evaluate it. Very disappointed. As a GGT reservation holder, I’m worried this will happen to the gravity as well. Any issues like this you’ve seen so far.

I’m really sorry to hear this. My Air GT is three years old. After 65,000 miles, nary a squeak, rattle or groan anywhere. And I’m having to drive over some really poorly maintained roads quite regularly.

Bank vault solidity is another attribute that separates my Air from any Tesla I’ve ever owned.

Oh. I just remembered. I did start having some squeaking coming from the trunk area about a year ago. I could only reproduce the sound when driving over bumps, and not consistently at that. My partner thought it was the rear seat back rubbing against adjacent surfaces, creaking vinyl on vinyl, or whatever that material is back there.

In the end Lucid Mobile Service came to my house, jacked the car car up at both rear corners so as to be able to remove the rear wheels. Turns out some brackets in the floor, that are used to secure the main battery, needed to be tightened down. Fixed the squeaking problem right away, and it hasn’t returned since.

 

[JeffSter]

Took delivery of our Gravity Dream Edition #319 last Friday. After a weekend of use, here are my initial impressions. Bottom line: best car our family has ever owned. The hardware is exceptional. Most areas for improvement are software related. We are recommending this vehicle to everyone we know. We have had our photo taken multiple times driving in the Bay Area. Everyone is excited to check out the vehicle, ask questions and know more about Lucid.

Learning Curve

A few habits to break coming from Tesla:

• No auto turn signal cancel. I change lanes constantly and forget to turn it off, leaving my signal on forever.
• Cannot keep mirror and rear camera view up while driving. I relied on this heavily for situational awareness in the Model X.
• Phone key adjustment. Haven't used a physical key fob in years. Already left it in the vehicle once by accident.
• No auto open/close charging port. Left it open after charging once. Won't make that mistake again.

Issues and Areas for Improvement (Nearly all software related)

• Turn signal cameras are noticeably low resolution and low frame rate. Stands out against the otherwise sharp, crisp dashboard displays.
• Attention monitoring is overly aggressive. Constantly tells me to pay attention when I'm looking directly at the road. Turned this feature off.
• DreamDrive needs refinement. Reminds me of early Autopilot with ping ponging between lane markers instead of staying centered. Auto lane change executes confidently but the recentering afterward is rough and not smooth.
• Live view is essentially unusable, even on 3.3.2. Can launch it and see a few frames before resolution tanks and connection drops. Not available while charging, which is exactly when I need parking lot view most. Stopped using it entirely.
• Armrest fabric on Yosemite interior is a bit scratchy. You get used to it but not ideal.
• Key fob occasionally not detected on 3.3.2. Shaking it wakes it back up. Never been locked out or unable to open the vehicle.
• Occasional lag navigating between apps and changing drive modes with steering wheel button. More noticeable when vehicle is waking from sleep. Not a big deal but present.

What We Love

• The HUD is excellent. Lane change markings, turn by turn navigation, speed, blind spot warnings. Incredibly useful. Glad we did not downgrade to a GGT to take earlier delivery.
• Interior quality is outstanding. Every passenger has been impressed by the build quality and materials. Yosemite interior looks amazing.
• Physical turn and drive stalks. Physical buttons. No explanation needed.
• Interior space is massive. Packed all soccer team equipment (canopy, balls, chairs, 9 seat bench, cooler) with room to spare. Model X couldn't even fit our family's luggage for airport trips.
• Sound system at 25-30% is loud and crisp. Excellent quality.
• Lucid Vibes lighting looks incredible at night. The white interior makes the LED colors really pop. Amazing effect. Planning to tint windows because passing cars keep staring. Feels like riding in a limo.
• Massage seats get constant use. Not a gimmick. Especially when coupled with Serenity mode. This is a crowd pleaser.
• Suspension and ride quality make the Model X feel like a broken down car by comparison. Like riding on a cloud. Best ride feel and driving experience we have ever had.
• Dashboard and display setup works perfectly. Driver gets turn by turn, passenger sees overall route. Great integration.
• Kids love the second row tables. Use them constantly. My high schooler chose to stay in the car to do homework and listen to music during an errand. That says it all.

Summary

The hardware is rock solid. Once Lucid addresses the software issues, this will be nearly perfect. Already the best vehicle our family has owned. Recommending to everyone we know.

Also… really miss auto open and close doors from Model x. Especially agree on charging port. Accidentally left mine open a couple times in 2k mile trip recently. Attention monitoring was awful. And I was used to occasional scoldings and reprimand from training early Teslas (2016). Was tempted to put tape over it… Swore at it and grew to absolutely hate the feature. Placing its little beady eyes on the top of the steering column meant I couldnt put my hand over center top of wheel occasionally. I would warn me about drowsyness when i started in am… and seemed to miss my droopy eyes late in the day. So yeah… rant off…I agree with that.

 

[JeffSter]

Activate turn signal and it will initiate the lane change if it agrees it's ok. It didn't like going into or out of an HOV lane with solid line.

Otherwise steer it there yourself, DDPro takes right back over in the new lane. Unlike the way the X fights you until it lets go with a jerk scaring your passengers.

I do love how DD Pro lets me guide it and fine tune without dropping out completely.

 

[JeffSter]

On my vehicles with motorized doors, I've always found I get out of the car and sometimes forget to hit whatever button opens the door. I much prefer a manually operated gas cap door, and I'm assuming that'll be true for an EV's charger door as well.

You just clambered in after a walk to the ever charming Walmart at the EA station… you unplugged and are ready to roll out… your partner wants to get moving… a glance in the mirror shows the port open… Power open and close and as my adapter acted stuck once until I moved the car a few feet forward… a button somewhere in the charging section of app that releases adapters when no power is flowing please.

 

[Ron_Burgundy]

Also… really miss auto open and close doors from Model x. Especially agree on charging port. Accidentally left mine open a couple times in 2k mile trip recently. Attention monitoring was awful. And I was used to occasional scoldings and reprimand from training early Teslas (2016). Was tempted to put tape over it… Swore at it and grew to absolutely hate the feature. Placing its little beady eyes on the top of the steering column meant I couldnt put my hand over center top of wheel occasionally. I would warn me about drowsyness when i started in am… and seemed to miss my droopy eyes late in the day. So yeah… rant off…I agree with that.

You can turn off the drowsy monitoring thing. It’s annoying and wrong most of the time.

I hear you on driving position. I frequently put my arm at top center and get warned it must be moved for active monitoring.

 

[JeffSter]

Hey I'll take it though, we had some stretches for a while where they repaved and put down the little temp "flags" where the lane markings should go and then took ~6 months to actually paint them. In the meantime a lot of the flags disappeared so people would wander a bit in their lanes.

The little flags are chip seal markers… little strip of butyl on edge to poorly hold them down and floppiness that lets you seal over them and they pop back up to temp show lines while curing and until repaint. ( used to own part of Bay Area Barricade Service or BABS)

 

[JeffSter]

You can turn off the drowsy monitoring thing. It’s annoying and wrong most of the time.

I hear you on driving position. I frequently put my arm at top center and get warned it must be moved for active monitoring.

My feelings about it and what I said made me feel sad and guilty for the person who invented it… or was it simply attorneys who in a fit of lawsuit avoidance made them put it in whether it worked well or not.

 

[borski]

Also… really miss auto open and close doors from Model x. Especially agree on charging port. Accidentally left mine open a couple times in 2k mile trip recently.

Personally I’m happy about the manual port, because it’s much faster. I do need to retrain my brain slightly, but I find it easy.

Attention monitoring was awful. And I was used to occasional scoldings and reprimand from training early Teslas (2016). Was tempted to put tape over it… Swore at it and grew to absolutely hate the feature. Placing its little beady eyes on the top of the steering column meant I couldnt put my hand over center top of wheel occasionally. I would warn me about drowsyness when i started in am… and seemed to miss my droopy eyes late in the day. So yeah… rant off…I agree with that.

Just turn it off. No need for tape or anything else; you can turn off the drowsy driver monitoring and inattentive driver monitoring. I have, until they add the ability to save your facial recognition profile (like in the Air), as I find that improves the functionality (which doesn’t give me false positives in the Air).

So yeah, just turn it off for now. It works with some folks who have “average” faces or whatever, but once they realize the facial recognition piece it should get better.

 

[borski]

as my adapter acted stuck once until I moved the car a few feet forward… a button somewhere in the charging section of app that releases adapters when no power is flowing please.

From the manual:

Disconnecting the Charging Cable​

Press the button on the vehicle's charge port and then pull the charging cable towards you to disconnect it from the charge port and stop a charging session.

NOTE: The vehicle cannot be driven when the charging cable is connected to the charge port. A notification will appear on the Clearview Cockpit if you attempt to shift out of P (Park).

 

[JeffSter]

After driving a Tesla for 13+ years (S, X and Y at various times) and a Rivian R1S, I feel like the Gravity is super luxurious! I know it’s all relative, but I feel like it reminded me what I was missing when I didn’t have an ice car (luxury) and includes insane driving dynamics to make me feel as if it IS the perfect car.

Okay, enough love for now.

The drive to Santa Fe NM went off without a hitch. The car got us there and back beautifully. Yes the FOB… blah blah… yes the redraw errors on displays occ, blah blah… But man oh man in the gaps of the traffic when you could punch it and catch the next group nearly instantly, or the mountain passes around Flagstaff AZ and cruising the Mother Road of America, Route 66. Now in its 99th year btw… big celebrations planned for next year from Chicago to LA… we just did a few miles extra on the areas from Kingman (where there is a nice museum of Route 66 and including some interesting EVs) to SeLIGman… added about 20 mins to trip and was worth it. The car/Wagon/minivan/SUV/PeopleMover is a wonder!

 

[JeffSter]

Personally I’m happy about the manual port, because it’s much faster. I do need to retrain my brain slightly, but I find it easy.


Just turn it off. No need for tape or anything else; you can turn off the drowsy driver monitoring and inattentive driver monitoring. I have, until they add the ability to save your facial recognition profile (like in the Air), as I find that improves the functionality (which doesn’t give me false positives in the Air).

So yeah, just turn it off for now. It works with some folks who have “average” faces or whatever, but once they realize the facial recognition piece it should get better.

Glad to hear it…

 

[JeffSter]

Does anyone have a sense whether the Gravity or the X is the safer car in a crash? We bought an X a couple years ago partially because it had gotten very positive crash test reviews, but recently I've come to find out that the Tesla model Y has a much higher fatality rate than normal (possibly due to speed & clientele, or FSD mistakes), whereas for awhile I thought it was supposed to be pretty safe in a crash (the story about the family surviving the cliff-drop). Something about the doors not being able to be opened after a frontal crash, if the car catches on fire.

As far as rattles go in an X, I just got one fixed in our front suspension... bolt was loose.

The gravity door release levers with the knurled grip… are among my favorite features… seems far less likely to trap alert occupants… not so sure how outer handles work yet( unlike Tesla where in emergency you pull a different lever. Seems like Tesla should have a safety card in the car to inform the passengers… (If we ditch in water etc…). Do the outer handles of Gravity pop out on impact for rescue workers? Model X rear door releases seem absurd. (Pull off the speaker cover… find the little tab and pull to make the jointed door floppy and released… )???

 

[electric]

Press the button on the vehicle's charge port and then pull the charging cable towards you to disconnect it from the charge port and stop a charging session.

There is a release button on the charge port?
Man, I really should start to RTFM... and listen to my wife...
But first I'm going to see if THAT button works in MY car

 

[JeffSter]

Power charge port doors can be nice, but only if they're 100% dependable. On many EVs they're not. The one on our Porsche Macan is finicky. I wish we had the manual door instead.

The best part about it is the auto-close, as we sometimes forget to close the door in our Mach-E after a charge. But opening it can be a pain at times. And in extreme cases it can fail completely and leave you stranded, or forced to break it to pry it open to get a road trip charge.

Tesla does charge port doors well… No prying… no water or ice problems, push the little unfortunately unlabeled button on and tesla cable and it opens and as soon as unplugged it closes up again… spoiled me. The auto close Model X front doors are also missed. But not when driving thru mountains or charging at well over 300Kw at the newer chargers.
18 to 50% in under 10 minutes easily and another 15 ish to 90.
Did unfortunately have to scold the guy who with a cute lil Ionic 5 was blocking a charger… asked if he was gonna charge, he said no and pointed me to the 150 I had parked at thinking he must surely have been charging or just finishing up… So… I pointed at the 350 and said my car NEEDS this plug so if you're not gonna use it you should move it… thankfully he agreed… and he was very surly and obviously not bright but he moved the cute little Ionic.

 

[JeffSter]

There is a release button on the charge port?
Man, I really should start to RTFM... and listen to my wife...
But first I'm going to see if THAT button works in MY car

I pushed the button under charge port door… still adapter stayed stuck until i put it in gear and moved it a few feet… it released the adapter then… thankfully.

 

[JeffSter]

Asking you Gravity owners if the frame is creaking at all for you? I have a ‘25 Air Pure and I love the car. It was rock solid silent for the first four months I had it. Now at only 5k miles, it is creaking non stop. It’s quite loud and even on simple flat turns it’s very audible. I’m so sad about it. Something is wrong and I have a service appointment in 10 days to evaluate it. Very disappointed. As a GGT reservation holder, I’m worried this will happen to the gravity as well. Any issues like this you’ve seen so far.

No creaks here at 3k miles so far…