Out of Spec - Gravity vs Escalade

[momo3605]

I understand that aerodynamic drag is the biggest range eater at high speeds, and that the drag increases exponentially with speed. When driving our Air at sustained 80mph speeds on trips, we get about 78-79% of EPA range in dry, temperate weather, which I attribute mostly to the increase of aerodynamic drag at that speed.

What model/wheel size do you have for your Air?

 

[hmp10]

What model/wheel size do you have for your Air?

Dream Edition Performance on 21" wheels.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Thank @hmp 10. I could not find tire infomation on the LucidMotors site. I still can't find where you found this.
Ah ha.... went there again and clicked on the very tiny + and found the info I was looking for:

Tire specifications: 265/45/R21 (Front / 285/40R22 (Rear) Michelin Primacy Tour A/S.

I want a large sidewall because the highways in PA are the worst in the nation.

My Genesis GV60Performance came with the Primacy Tour A/S tires. I hated them. I could just feel them letting loose around tight corners. I finally bit the bullet and replaced all four with Pilot Sport 4S tires and now the vehicle feels totally planted. The Primacy tires are good for wear and noise and the 4S tires are terrible on noise but if one cares about performance, the ultra performance tires are the way to go. It would be nice if the Gravity offered the ultra performance summer tires as an option for all sizes.

 

[msaunders9430]

I was looking for information about the SIDEWALL of the tires... I'm looking to see the tallest sidewall, because the highways in Pennsylvania are all so full of holes, pits, cracks, and are constantly under construction and being resurfaced.

To me "Stealth" has a sinister connotation. I guess for lucid it means "cheap", the opposite of platinum.

So a person with a Stealth Air and a Stealth Gravity could say "I splurged on the Stealth Air ($1,750 more) and went cheap on the Stealth Gravity ($1k less).

Stranger: How much was your cheap Stealth Gravity? $121,700
Stranger: How much was a Platinum Gravity? $122,700
Stranger: Huh

 

[hmp10]

It would be nice if the Gravity offered the ultra performance summer tires as an option for all sizes.

That's the point I was trying to make on another thread about tires. By going with both staggered widths and diameters on all three wheel options, there are precious few options for summer performance tires on the Gravity.

According to Tire Rack, probably with the most comprehensive tire selection in the U.S., there are NO summer performance tires that will fit the 20/21" wheel package, and there is only one summer performance tire -- the Pirelli P Zero -- that will fit the 21/22" wheel size, at least if you want the "Y" speed rating on both axles. (You can go with the Michelin Pilot Sports if you'll accept a lower speed rating on the front axle.). Same with the 22/23" wheel size, but again with a speed rating mismatch on the axles. And the Pirellis for the rear axle cost almost $800 per tire for the 22" wheel and over $1000 per tire for the 23" wheel.

There are many fine performance tires on the market, but the Gravity's odd staggering makes only two of them usable, and even then not on the smallest wheel package.

 

[Knucklehead]

That's the point I was trying to make on another thread about tires. By going with both staggered widths and diameters on all three wheel options, there are precious few options for summer performance tires on the Gravity.

According to Tire Rack, probably with the most comprehensive tire selection in the U.S., there are NO summer performance tires that will fit the 20/21" wheel package, and there is only one summer performance tire -- the Pirelli P Zero -- that will fit the 21/22" wheel size, at least if you want the "Y" speed rating on both axles. (You can go with the Michelin Pilot Sports if you'll accept a lower speed rating on the front axle.). Same with the 22/23" wheel size, but again with a speed rating mismatch on the axles. And the Pirellis for the rear axle cost almost $800 per tire for the 22" wheel and over $1000 per tire for the 23" wheel.

There are many fine performance tires on the market, but the Gravity's odd staggering makes only two of them usable, and even then not on the smallest wheel package.

You could get new rims. I bet Air rims will fit.

Order the Hankook wheels and then drive on them. If you hate them, get new rims and new tires. That's what I would do. But then I like the Hankooks.

 

[037]

You could get new rims. I bet Air rims will fit.

Order the Hankook wheels and then drive on them. If you hate them, get new rims and new tires. That's what I would do. But then I like the Hankooks.

My plan is to get base wheels and replace to winter tire, find light weight 22s and then go 265/285 Michelin 4S. None of that split diameter crap.

 

[hmp10]

As I was leaving CVS this morning, I saw these two vehicles parked near me. They are so huge that apparently you can't even see parking lot lines from them:

 

[xponents]

As I was leaving CVS this morning, I saw these two vehicles parked near me. They are so huge that apparently you can't even see parking lot lines from them:

View attachment 26111View attachment 26112

...Washington?? He literally came from the opposite corner of the US!

 

[hmp10]

...Washington?? He literally came from the opposite corner of the US!

It's "season" in Florida. My neighbor comes down from North Dakota. Cars from all over on the roads: all the Midwestern states, Vermont, Ontario . . . .

You know when season is approaching and ending by the car carriers parked along the streets and at the entrance to gated communities.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I was looking for information about the SIDEWALL of the tires... I'm looking to see the tallest sidewall, because the highways in Pennsylvania are all so full of holes, pits, cracks, and are constantly under construction and being resurfaced.

To me "Stealth" has a sinister connotation. I guess for lucid it means "cheap", the opposite of platinum.

Except on Air where “Stealth” is an upcharge to Platinum. Go figure!

 

[hmp10]

You could get new rims. I bet Air rims will fit.

My plan is to get base wheels and replace to winter tire, find light weight 22s and then go 265/285 Michelin 4S. None of that split diameter crap.

If you want to extract maximum performance from the Gravity, you're dealing with one of the most precisely tuned suspension setups on the planet. Just watch the videos with the Lucid chassis engineers and listen to what Jason Cammisa says about it.

As much as I wish the Gravity wheel options gave more flexibility in tire choice, I would be very hesitant to go with other wheels, especially if they meant narrower tire widths. (I find it interesting that Lucid stayed with the same tire widths across all three wheel options and suspect that might be important.) There are also factors such as offsets, strength to handle SUV weight, etc. to consider in going to non-Gravity wheels.

I'm planning to deal with different range and weather needs by doing what Eric Bach is going to do: run the 22/23" setup in warm climates and local driving (the great majority of our driving) and switch to the 20/21" setup for road trips in cooler weather. But I'm definitely going to stay in-house on any wheel swaps.

 

[momo3605]

Except on Air where “Stealth” is an upcharge to Platinum. Go figure!

I think the way they’ve done it on Gravity is better. Stealth/black trim is generally more popular these days. The “old at heart” crowd that likes shiny chrome will pay more for platinum regardless.

 

[momo3605]

If you want to extract maximum performance from the Gravity, you're dealing with one of the most precisely tuned suspension setups on the planet. Just watch the videos with the Lucid chassis engineers and listen to what Jason Cammisa says about it.

Lucid said it was just a cosmetic choice…split diameters has nothing to do with chassis tuning or performance

 

[037]

If you want to extract maximum performance from the Gravity, you're dealing with one of the most precisely tuned suspension setups on the planet. Just watch the videos with the Lucid chassis engineers and listen to what Jason Cammisa says about it.

As much as I wish the Gravity wheel options gave more flexibility in tire choice, I would be very hesitant to go with other wheels, especially if they meant narrower tire widths. (I find it interesting that Lucid stayed with the same tire widths across all three wheel options and suspect that might be important.) There are also factors such as offsets, strength to handle SUV weight, etc. to consider in going to non-Gravity wheels.

I'm planning to deal with different range and weather needs by doing what Eric Bach is going to do: run the 22/23" setup in warm climates and local driving (the great majority of our driving) and switch to the 20/21" setup for road trips in cooler weather. But I'm definitely going to stay in-house on any wheel swaps.

I am not looking to change tire size, just cutting out the wheel size difference. Obviously replacement wheels would need to be forged strong and have the proper weight ratings, if the weight savings aren't there then it makes no sense to swap them out.

My starting point is the 20/21 so I can obviously put Vredstein all seasons or winter tires but in a performance vehicle I would rather rely on something like Michelin 4S.

Need more information for any offset type thinking and outside of me measuring the wheel bolt pattern with a pen there is no information on wheel spec.

It does seem like I will have lots of time to think about it as a non air owner who skipped a few boxes at checkout (like the fancy self driving, 22/23 wheels, and color change upcharge).

 

[hmp10]

Lucid said it was just a cosmetic choice…split diameters has nothing to do with chassis tuning or performance

That had only to do with the split diameters, not the split tire width. And going to Air or aftermarket wheels on the Gravity still may affect offset, which does have something to do with chassis tuning and suspension wear.

Also, saying that the split diameters was only for cosmetic purposes means it wasn't necessary for handling purposes. It doesn't mean that the tuning was not programmed for the different sidewall characteristics of that cosmetic choice.

 

[hmp10]

. . . I can obviously put Vredstein all seasons or winter tires but in a performance vehicle I would rather rely on something like Michelin 4S.

For sporting summer performance, yes. But, fwiw, yesterday was the first time I got to drive our Odyssey in heavy rain with the new Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ tires I recently mounted on it. They were very impressive in the wet.

 

[momo3605]

Also, saying that the split diameters was only for cosmetic purposes means it wasn't necessary for handling purposes. It doesn't mean that the tuning was not programmed for the different sidewall characteristics of that cosmetic

If you can prove to me that Lucid has “tuned” the suspension differently for the different wheel sizes, I’ll believe you.

As it stands, no one does this. Lucid didn’t do it for the Air either

 

[Bus Driver]

I'm planning to deal with different range and weather needs by doing what Eric Bach is going to do: run the 22/23" setup in warm climates and local driving (the great majority of our driving) and switch to the 20/21" setup for road trips in cooler weather. But I'm definitely going to stay in-house on any wheel swaps.

Apropos of almost nothing in your typically very informative post, I think Eric Bach is the hot daddy of the Lucid engineering team.

 

[hmp10]

If you can prove to me that Lucid has “tuned” the suspension differently for the different wheel sizes, I’ll believe you.

As it stands, no one does this. Lucid didn’t do it for the Air either

I did not say definitely that Lucid tuned for different wheel sizes. I simply said that because they went with split diameters for cosmetic reasons doesn't necessarily mean they didn't tune for it.

Whether they did or not, I don't know. And neither, I doubt, do you.