Road Trip: The Good, the Bad, and the . . . ugh

[SaratogaLefty]

I was not, but if you read the post I responded too, then that would explain why. I just can’t stand when people post inaccurate or false information., which is why I mentioned BMW.

I get why you are tired of that, as I get tired of it too, especially when some people like me are so close to getting a Lucid Air and am being positive and trying to learn as much as I can.

Ok I think we are good!! Hope you get your Lucid soon! You will enjoy it!!

 

[Bus Driver]

I was not, but if you read the post I responded too, then that would explain why. I just can’t stand when people post inaccurate or false information., which is why I mentioned BMW.

I get why you are tired of that, as I get tired of it too, especially when some people like me are so close to getting a Lucid Air and am being positive and trying to learn as much as I can.

Lucid Air of whatever iteration - the best car I've EVER owned. I can't sing my Lucid's praises loudly enough.

 

[PDiddy]

Wow, I guess I'm wondering why you are here on this forum and not on the BMW i4 Forum??? Also, my friend has an i4 and there really isn't that much room at all inside compared with the Lucid. The i4 has very limited luggage space so not viable for a trip with four adults plus the adults in the back seat better not be too big. Lastly, I know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but for me I would not come close to describing the i4 as "beautiful". Not to mention the range and also I believe there was a major recall on the i4??

No comaparison in terms of interior space, not to mention trunk/frunk space. And I've driven BMW 5 series ICEs for 20+ years. Yeah, it's a driving machine, and after looking at and test driving their EV offerings, I came away supremely unimpressed. I had hoped BMW would be the perfect marriage between EV performance and quality build and design. Not so much. I had much the same reaction to the Mercedes EQS and EQE. Nice luxury, but very tight space all around and limited range. My conclusion, when you've been a big-time, luxury ICE maker for years, it's a not so easy transition to the EV world. Lucid, and even Tesla, do a much better job.

 

[Neurio]

And you are a Lucid Owner?? Or are you just here to promote Teslas?

He's an early GT owner turned mega troll. Pay him no mind and definitely avoid him on Reddit...

 

[Lucken]

As a BMW i4 owner as well as a Pure owner in waiting, I'm actually amused by some of these comments. First off, yes, aesthetics is in the eyes of the beholder. Although I think the i4 is the best EV I've owned thus far (MS, I-Pace & e-Tron Sportback previously), I can objectively say the Lucid is a prettier car from the exterior. Is it better made than the BMW, no, I seriously doubt that based on what I've read here...again, being objective. The BMW fit and finish was flawless on my car as has been the ownership experience, mechanicals & software. Legacy makers like BMW do have these things down pat.

With that said, the rear of the i4 is unquestionably cramped even though I find the front room just fine. As to 'luxury', I think the materials + fit and finish, make the i4 feel luxurious inside. I honestly see little difference between the feeling of luxury in the BMW as opposed to say, some of the Genesis offerings. The Lucid is certainly luxurious, but in a different way. Some have called it a more conservative, 'restrained' luxury, which I like. This is simply, IMO, not an 'either or' argument. It's what you like and what appeals to you. As always there is the turf protection you see on any owner's website, so that's to be expected.

This past weekend, my wife suggested for the first time that she 'might' consider taking my i4 and selling her Sonata Hybrid once I get the Pure. I'd be thrilled if that were to happen. The best of both worlds. Do I think it will happen? Probably not knowing my wife. She'll eventually panic at the thought of 2 EVs and no ICE backup...but I can hope.

 

[SaratogaLefty]

As a BMW i4 owner as well as a Pure owner in waiting, I'm actually amused by some of these comments. First off, yes, aesthetics is in the eyes of the beholder. Although I think the i4 is the best EV I've owned thus far (MS, I-Pace & e-Tron Sportback previously), I can objectively say the Lucid is a prettier car from the exterior. Is it better made than the BMW, no, I seriously doubt that based on what I've read here...again, being objective. The BMW fit and finish was flawless on my car as has been the ownership experience, mechanicals & software. Legacy makers like BMW do have these things down pat.

With that said, the rear of the i4 is unquestionably cramped even though I find the front room just fine. As to 'luxury', I think the materials + fit and finish, make the i4 feel luxurious inside. I honestly see little difference between the feeling of luxury in the BMW as opposed to say, some of the Genesis offerings. The Lucid is certainly luxurious, but in a different way. Some have called it a more conservative, 'restrained' luxury, which I like. This is simply, IMO, not an 'either or' argument. It's what you like and what appeals to you. As always there is the turf protection you see on any owner's website, so that's to be expected.

This past weekend, my wife suggested for the first time that she 'might' consider taking my i4 and selling her Sonata Hybrid once I get the Pure. I'd be thrilled if that were to happen. The best of both worlds. Do I think it will happen? Probably not knowing my wife. She'll eventually panic at the thought of 2 EVs and no ICE backup...but I can hope.

Well I am buying my wife an EV and we will be a two EV household. That said, we are also debating whether or not to keep her older ICE since the trade in value just isn't all that high.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I wish the VW ID3 would come to the US, that would be a great EV for my wife and the new version seems great. She prefers smaller hatchbacks, but they said they’re not bringing it here. I’m so tired of SUVs reducing all other vehicle options in the US. . As far as I can tell there’s zero 4 door hatch EV options in the US that aren’t a Tesla. Polestar is kind of that, but is more of a pricey “crossover”. Most dumb US automakers meanwhile are just making an EV that’s like their ICE counterpart. The Ioniq5/EV6 are cool, but once again they’re bulky crossover/SUV things. People who don’t want to drop $50K on a car and don’t want an SUV really have almost no non-Tesla EV options aside from the Nissan Leaf and Bolt and it’s been that way for years and looks like it’s going to stay that way.

 

[hydbob]

I wish the VW ID3 would come to the US, that would be a great EV for my wife and the new version seems great. She prefers smaller hatchbacks, but they said they’re not bringing it here. I’m so tired of SUVs reducing all other vehicle options in the US. . As far as I can tell there’s zero 4 door hatch EV options in the US that aren’t a Tesla. Polestar is kind of that, but is more of a pricey “crossover”. Most dumb US automakers meanwhile are just making an EV that’s like their ICE counterpart. The Ioniq5/EV6 are cool, but once again they’re bulky crossover/SUV things. People who don’t want to drop $50K on a car and don’t want an SUV really have almost no non-Tesla EV options aside from the Nissan Leaf and Bolt and it’s been that way for years and looks like it’s going to stay that way.

The Kona or Niro are so small they might as well be hatchbacks

 

[Bus Driver]

Well I am buying my wife an EV and we will be a two EV household. That said, we are also debating whether or not to keep her older ICE since the trade in value just isn't all that high.

I think you and your wife will be very happy being a two-EV household. My family and I have been all EV since 2017. Only once in all that time did we feel the "need" for an ICE vehicle.

Planning a family road trip, we needed a vehicle that could transport seven adults, a small dog, and all our detritus. I broke down and rented an eight seat Chevrolet Suburban for our five-day, 1500 mile road trip from San Diego CA to Zion National Park UT.

That's it.

By the way, the same trip could have been easily done in our Tesla Model X100D had there been only five humans and a dog. It would have just taken a few hours longer because of the charging stops.

 

[GEWC]

These BMW's look like the same interior copy and pasted over all their models.

My cousin has an M5 from like 10 years ago and I swear the center dial, and most of the aesthetics never changes. Super bland

While I strongly disagree that BMW interiors are bland, my husband is going from the plug in X5 to the iX and a selling point for him was the similarity. The new screen is a HUGE upgrade from the previous one (bye bye horrible maps), but everything else is very similar. It could be on purpose. I'm just happy to have him move over to an EV.

 

[Bobby]

Sorry to hear of your problems - I suggest you test drive a BMW I-4 its an absolutely beautiful car - quick, sleek and typical BMW Luxury interior plus there are dealers and parts in every major city. I presently own a I4 and was looking at a Lucid as a 2nd car but right now there is too much doubt with Lucid regarding projected range, workmanship and holding value for my investment. There is far too many on the used market.

Regardless, I hope you find something you like . . . Mike

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I'm really glad you posted those pictures here on the Lucid board so we could all remind ourselves of why we chose the Lucid. The grill, the weird blue accents… ugh.

 

[DeaneG]

This past weekend, my wife suggested for the first time that she 'might' consider taking my i4 and selling her Sonata Hybrid once I get the Pure. I'd be thrilled if that were to happen. The best of both worlds. Do I think it will happen? Probably not knowing my wife. She'll eventually panic at the thought of 2 EVs and no ICE backup...but I can hope.

We've gone to an EV-only household with my Lucid Air GT and my wife's Volvo XC40 SUV. She likes never having to visit a gas station, and very few maintenance visits. It's a bit of extra work on road trips but well worth it the rest of the time.

 

[EVCar]

Well I am buying my wife an EV and we will be a two EV household. That said, we are also debating whether or not to keep her older ICE since the trade in value just isn't all that high.

We haven't sold our ICEs.
They came in quite handy a couple of weeks ago when we had snow and hail in Az. and both of our EVs only have summer tires.
The entire windshield and the roof of the car parked outside were covered with ice.
I actually had to use the old ice scraper that I still have from my time in the NE.

 

[WildRide47]

As a BMW i4 owner as well as a Pure owner in waiting, I'm actually amused by some of these comments. First off, yes, aesthetics is in the eyes of the beholder. Although I think the i4 is the best EV I've owned thus far (MS, I-Pace & e-Tron Sportback previously), I can objectively say the Lucid is a prettier car from the exterior. Is it better made than the BMW, no, I seriously doubt that based on what I've read here...again, being objective. The BMW fit and finish was flawless on my car as has been the ownership experience, mechanicals & software. Legacy makers like BMW do have these things down pat.

With that said, the rear of the i4 is unquestionably cramped even though I find the front room just fine. As to 'luxury', I think the materials + fit and finish, make the i4 feel luxurious inside. I honestly see little difference between the feeling of luxury in the BMW as opposed to say, some of the Genesis offerings. The Lucid is certainly luxurious, but in a different way. Some have called it a more conservative, 'restrained' luxury, which I like. This is simply, IMO, not an 'either or' argument. It's what you like and what appeals to you. As always there is the turf protection you see on any owner's website, so that's to be expected.

This past weekend, my wife suggested for the first time that she 'might' consider taking my i4 and selling her Sonata Hybrid once I get the Pure. I'd be thrilled if that were to happen. The best of both worlds. Do I think it will happen? Probably not knowing my wife. She'll eventually panic at the thought of 2 EVs and no ICE backup...but I can hope.

As a AGT owner, I love my car.

However, I am surprised as well at some of the BMW bashing of the i4. My wife loves her i4M50. It is very fast(less than my AGT) but more than enough for her and most drivers. The fit and finish was flawless as Lucken stated. Some of the physical controls are better located. Heated steering wheel button on the steering wheel where it belongs. Wipers on a stalk where it belongs. Software not one problem since we bought it in late December.

I ordered it with the black upgraded leather with blue contrast stitching on the dash, seats and sides with blue and red contrast stitching on the black leather steering wheel. So yes, it is luxurious on the inside. Not sure that those who said it is not luxurious on the inside have ever seen the leather upgrade. The car is very fast, and corners great with no body roll just like my AGT.

Is it perfect. Not by any means. But it fits well with my wife's daily duties. If we have company, the back seat is too small, which is why we take my Lucid out instead. The range is marginal(270) but works fine for her as her daily driver.

Would I order it if I only had one car. No. But as a 2nd car in our family we have had no aggravation and everything works as intended. I also have been fortunate to have only minimal problems with my AGT since I received it last April.

Is it beautiful. I would not classify it as such. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it looks fine to me and more importantly my wife is happy with it. I can only say the bashers have probably never driven this car for more than a test drive plus the BMW dealership is 2 miles away for added convenience.

I certainly would not consider a Tesla as a 2nd car, that's for sure, and yes I have driven them several times.

I find it somewhat ironic, that some posters here go after the bashers who don't own the Lucid, but it's OK for them to bash another car brand that they do not own and have not done an extended drive with. Seems a little hypocritical.

From an owner of both cars. My wife and I are each very happy with our choices.

 

[hmp10]

People who don’t want to drop $50K on a car and don’t want an SUV really have almost no non-Tesla EV options aside from the Nissan Leaf and Bolt and it’s been that way for years and looks like it’s going to stay that way.

A good friend bought a 2023 Bolt EUV a few weeks ago. I am really impressed by it: compact outside, roomy inside with nicely upright seating, very good software interfaces with lots of useful info (more than the Lucid, even), good ride and handling, nice fit & finish, reasonably peppy. It's a bit lacking in range for long road trips (259 miles EPA) but has more than enough for any amount of local driving.

Being a lower-end GM product, its long-term reliability and resistance to wear of materials is still a question mark. But from what I can see right now, it's quite a lot of car for the money.

 

[xponents]

He's an early GT owner turned mega troll. Pay him no mind and definitely avoid him on Reddit...

Whered the GT go?

 

[hmp10]

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Maybe it's partly due to the angle of the shot, but it appears that more than a third of this car's length is forward of the A pillars. I continue to be astonished at the platform packaging of the newest generation of German EVs, which take no advantage of the potential to miniaturize the powertrain. I still can't get over the fact that the EQS -- which has a smaller battery pack and a wheelbase 10" longer than the Air's -- has a frunk crammed with powertrain gear, yet an interior no roomier than the Air. And it appears that BMW, as does VW, is also using its large front end to hold powertrain components.

Is it a technology issue with miniaturizing their electronic and drive components? Is it lack of design imagination? Is it a deliberate decision to make their EVs look as much like their ICE vehicles as possible?

Even when Rivian, Ford, and (less so) Tesla keep a lot of the exterior design proportions of ICE vehicles, they package powertrain components in ways that turn the forequarters into cargo space -- and gargantuan ones, at that, in the case of Rivian and Ford.

Given that the Air has the largest battery pack and by far the most powerful motors of any EV sedan on the market, it's astonishing how much cargo and cabin space Lucid provides relative to the car's exterior dimensions.

 

[hmp10]

We haven't sold our ICEs.
They came in quite handy a couple of weeks ago when we had snow and hail in Az. and both of our EVs only have summer tires.
The entire windshield and the roof of the car parked outside were covered with ice.
I actually had to use the old ice scraper that I still have from my time in the NE.

We have two EVs plus a Honda Odyssey minivan. With the current state of CCS highway charging being what it is, I'm glad our group road tripper is still an ICE vehicle. However, I am itching to replace the Honda with a Gravity SUV and am anxiously watching the clock wind down toward 2024 delivery while simultaneously keeping an eye on the CCS improvement curve. Unfortunately, right now it's not looking promising for the two lines to converge.

We had something of the opposite of your snow experience. During the 9-day power outage after Hurricane Irma in 2017, our Tesla made us the only ones among our friends who could keep a car on the road throughout, as we could keep it charged with our generator. Gas stations started to fun out of gas three days before the storm hit, and most were without power for days afterward. The few stations that had generators to run their pumps were fueling only public emergency and maintenance vehicles.

As soon as the roads were made passable, it was our EV that we used to take the eight people who were sheltering with us out to check on their properties.

 

[Lucken]

Is it a technology issue with miniaturizing their electronic and drive components? Is it lack of design imagination? Is it a deliberate decision to make their EVs look as much like their ICE vehicles as possible?

Even when Rivian, Ford, and (less so) Tesla keep a lot of the exterior design proportions of ICE vehicles, they package powertrain components in ways that turn the forequarters into cargo space -- and gargantuan ones, at that, in the case of Rivian and Ford.

Given that the Air has the largest battery pack and by far the most powerful motors of any EV sedan on the market, it's astonishing how much cargo and cabin space Lucid provides relative to the car's exterior dimensions.

That is precisely one of the major reasons for the design. There was a BMW video I had seen about a year ago that discussed this. They wanted any easy transition for their long time customers without turning them off to the new technology. Makes sense.

 

[hmp10]

That is precisely one of the major reasons for the design. There was a BMW video I had seen about a year ago that discussed this. They wanted any easy transition for their long time customers without turning them off to the new technology. Makes sense.

I can understand BMW's viewpoint, but I wonder if it's actually too short-sighted.

The original Tesla Model S was likewise designed to look more like a sleek but relatively conventional sedan when the technology would have allowed -- even invited -- something considerably different. However, the Tesla Models 3 and Y that now constitute over 95% of their sales look decidedly "EV-ish", and there are now millions of drivers behind their wheels with thousands more perpetually in queue. In fact, the complaint most often leveled against the updated Model S is that its design, by sticking to an older idiom, is getting long in the tooth.

Many EV buyers -- especially younger ones most coveted by brand developers -- now actually expect and want their cars to look like an EV instead of a more conventional car. As evidenced by some of the reactions on this forum, trying to make an EV look as if it's packing a meaty internal combustion engine under a hood might turn off as many EV buyers as it turns on.