Thinking about an Air Touring or Grand Touring

[L-Dude]

Hello from SE South Carolina. I am thinking of dumping my Audi eTron GT and getting into an Air of some sort. I just wanted to say hello, and to thank you all for all the patient and helpful responses to my questions. This forum is an incredibly helpful forum!

 

[ardhout]

Hi, I made this same decision recently based on these 3 considerations:
1) I don't drive big daily distances, thus don't need the extra battery capacity from GT.
2) Touring has better leg room in passenger seats in the back, relevant if you have adults in the back (in my case sometimes customers, for a few hours)
3) Touring has enough HP/Nm for me

 

[Halodde]

Hello from SE South Carolina. I am thinking of dumping my Audi eTron GT and getting into an Air of some sort. I just wanted to say hello, and to thank you all for all the patient and helpful responses to my questions. This forum is an incredibly helpful forum!

Welcome! Touring owner from NY here. Lmk if you have any questions or need a referral code for your discount.

 

[Westchester Air]

Hello from SE South Carolina. I am thinking of dumping my Audi eTron GT and getting into an Air of some sort. I just wanted to say hello, and to thank you all for all the patient and helpful responses to my questions. This forum is an incredibly helpful forum!

Just traded my Audi A6 for an AT. (I'm only a couple days in!). Happy to answer any Audi/Air comparisons, if I'm able. It's a very different drive

 

[Buffalo Bob]

Hi, I made this same decision recently based on these 3 considerations:
1) I don't drive big daily distances, thus don't need the extra battery capacity from GT.
2) Touring has better leg room in passenger seats in the back, relevant if you have adults in the back (in my case sometimes customers, for a few hours)
3) Touring has enough HP/Nm for me

If you're a highly performance-oriented driver, and like to push your cars to their limits, you're probably going to end up with a GT. Otherwise, I agree with @ardhout's points. I have a '23 Pure AWD, which is really a Touring with the motors software-throttled to just under 500 HP. Even that is more power than I'll ever need, and the car's driving range is well over MY driving range. Not that I wouldn't like to have another 100 mile range, but I don't need it, and certainly not if I have to trade off rear seat legroom. (I'm sure many people don't really care about the rear seat legroom.)

Two other points I'll add. Unless you're in that high performance segment, consider just sticking to the 19" wheels with all season tires. They may not be as cool looking as the larger sizes, but it's sure nice to have all-season tires, and they are more quiet, less bubble-prone, and they have a better range. (You can trade off that range by removing the aero covers, putting on silver caps, and having a more cool look that way.) Similarly, think about whether the glass canopy is worth having to deal with the heat issues. For many, both the performance tires and the glass canopy are absolutely worth the trade-offs, and I totally respect that. Just know the caveats going in.

Enjoy the ride!!!

 

[L-Dude]

If you're a highly performance-oriented driver, and like to push your cars to their limits, you're probably going to end up with a GT. Otherwise, I agree with @ardhout's points. I have a '23 Pure AWD, which is really a Touring with the motors software-throttled to just under 500 HP. Even that is more power than I'll ever need, and the car's driving range is well over MY driving range. Not that I wouldn't like to have another 100 mile range, but I don't need it, and certainly not if I have to trade off rear seat legroom. (I'm sure many people don't really care about the rear seat legroom.)

Two other points I'll add. Unless you're in that high performance segment, consider just sticking to the 19" wheels with all season tires. They may not be as cool looking as the larger sizes, but it's sure nice to have all-season tires, and they are both more quiet and have a better range. (You can trade off that range by removing the aero covers, putting on silver caps, and having a more cool look that way.) Similarly, think about whether the glass canopy is worth having to deal with the heat issues. For many, both the performance tires and the glass canopy are absolutely worth the trade-offs, and I totally respect that. Just know the caveats going in.

Enjoy the ride!!!

Thanks for the feedback. I do enjoy the performance of my Audi, but except for the occasional 90mph through curving highway onramps, I don't get anywhere near the car's limits. I am 100% in on 19" wheels for about 5 different reasons. I have a glass roof in my current car and it does add to the feeling of spaciousness in the (admittedly somewhat tight) rear seat. But I really don't like the two-tone look that comes with the Platinum version. I'm thinking I could wrap that though. I had no idea about the decreased rear legroom in the GT--thanks to you and ardhout for the tip. I've only taken a couple road trips in my Audi and honestly I could have used 100 additional miles of range.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

Thanks for the feedback. I do enjoy the performance of my Audi, but except for the occasional 90mph through curving highway onramps, I don't get anywhere near the car's limits. I am 100% in on 19" wheels for about 5 different reasons. I have a glass roof in my current car and it does add to the feeling of spaciousness in the (admittedly somewhat tight) rear seat. But I really don't like the two-tone look that comes with the Platinum version. I'm thinking I could wrap that though. I had no idea about the decreased rear legroom in the GT--thanks to you and ardhout for the tip. I've only taken a couple road trips in my Audi and honestly I could have used 100 additional miles of range.

As far as the range... know that we are talking about EPA range, so I would take 15%-20% off any such number for real world estimates. (I have averaged about 3.7 miles per kWh (vs. 4.46 EPA) over my first 14k miles. Absolutely get what you're saying about the glass canopy. I live in AZ most of the year, and between the sun/heat and this being 'rock chip city', the glass canopy is just not worth it to me. (If you do get it, be sure to buy a set of Lucid's sun shade inserts. Everybody seems to say they are GREAT during the hot months.)

 

[CoasterNerd]

I was torn between Touring and Grand Touring. What forced me to decide on GT was that I wanted massage seats AND leather interior. For some reason, you can get massage seats with the black only faux leather in a Touring, but not one of the leather options AND massage seats.

 

[AirQuality]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I had no idea about the decreased rear legroom in the GT

Just to clarify, this is decreased vertical legroom, meaning that your rear seat passengers’ feet and knees will be a couple inches higher in the GT vs the lower trims. This is because of the extra battery modules added to the GT, which increases the floor height. The distance between the front and rear seats (the traditional definition of legroom) is the same across all Air trims.

They’re all great trims regardless. Good luck!

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I test drove all three Airs before deciding to buy the GT. They were, in order of preference as cars that are really fun to drive, GT, Pure, AT. I was very surprised by this because everything I had read made me certain I was going to buy a Pure because it’s supposedly the most dynamic “driver’s car” of the lot.

So, my first trip to the studio I only test drove the AT and Pure (both on 19” wheels) and I preferred the Pure rather more. The steering seemed much more laser sharp and the difference in power was not so much that I felt a major difference despite the 0-60 times suggesting otherwise. I put down a deposit for a Pure with all of the options that day) as BOTH cars were better riding than any other luxury sedan I’ve ever driven. No Glass Roof and no leather 20-way seats with massage as those are not offered on the Pure.

Then I saw an ad here for a used 2022 GT that was the same price I was about to pay for the Pure, but the car was in Chicago so I would not be able to test drive it. So, back to the Short Hills NJ Studio I went and I let my sales person (Alexxa) know that I’d want to do a LONG test drive of all three Airs that including some twisty roads and that she should eat a light breakfast because my intent was to absolutely push all three cars hard. She happily obliged.

At the end of three back to back 25-30 minute drives and Alexxa trying to maintain a smile as raced through a series of twisties, I clearly preferred the GT. The extra oomph made driving the car hard significantly more enjoyable (and predictable) than the AT and a bit more enjoyable than the Pure. If I was in a tighter budget I’d have stayed with the Pure.

The backseat “issue?” IMHO it is a non-event. If you were asked to sit in the GT and asked what you thought without hearing about the floor height? I think you’d say, “WOW this is Mercedes S-Class spacious” and never even notice the floor. Only with that being pointed out does anyone seem to even think about it unless they are exceptionally tall and/or long legged. That said, I never sit in the backseat and if my passengers have to have a few inches less distance between the floor and their seats? Oh well.

One last thing. I had the opportunity to test drive both an GT WITH the glass canopy and without. There is noticeably less road noise and the car is tighter / more solid feeling in the turns with the metal roof. I also personally prefer the look. Less money, better drive and personal preference for the look for the win…

I’d be happy to chat offline by PM or phone about your decision but, if at all humanly possible, test drive all three versions!!

 

[DeaneG]

Not mentioned and a bit off-topic, but I think the 360-cams are extremely helpful in daily driving.

 

[Ktw13]

I test drove all three Airs before deciding to buy the GT. They were, in order of preference as cars that are really fun to drive, GT, Pure, AT. I was very surprised by this because everything I had read made me certain I was going to buy a Pure because it’s supposedly the most dynamic “driver’s car” of the lot.

So, my first trip to the studio I only test drove the AT and Pure (both on 19” wheels) and I preferred the Pure rather more. The steering seemed much more laser sharp and the difference in power was not so much that I felt a major difference despite the 0-60 times suggesting otherwise. I put down a deposit for a Pure with all of the options that day) as BOTH cars were better riding than any other luxury sedan I’ve ever driven. No Glass Roof and no leather 20-way seats with massage as those are not offered on the Pure.

Then I saw an ad here for a used 2022 GT that was the same price I was about to pay for the Pure, but the car was in Chicago so I would not be able to test drive it. So, back to the Short Hills NJ Studio I went and I let my sales person (Alexxa) know that I’d want to do a LONG test drive of all three Airs that including some twisty roads and that she should eat a light breakfast because my intent was to absolutely push all three cars hard. She happily obliged.

At the end of three back to back 25-30 minute drives and Alexxa trying to maintain a smile as raced through a series of twisties, I clearly preferred the GT. The extra oomph made driving the car hard significantly more enjoyable (and predictable) than the AT and a bit more enjoyable than the Pure. If I was in a tighter budget I’d have stayed with the Pure.

The backseat “issue?” IMHO it is a non-event. If you were asked to sit in the GT and asked what you thought without hearing about the floor height? I think you’d say, “WOW this is Mercedes S-Class spacious” and never even notice the floor. Only with that being pointed out does anyone seem to even think about it unless they are exceptionally tall and/or long legged. That said, I never sit in the backseat and if my passengers have to have a few inches less distance between the floor and their seats? Oh well.

One last thing. I had the opportunity to test drive both an GT WITH the glass canopy and without. There is noticeably less road noise and the car is tighter / more solid feeling in the turns with the metal roof. I also personally prefer the look. Less money, better drive and personal preference for the look for the win…

I’d be happy to chat offline by PM or phone about your decision but, if at all humanly possible, test drive all three versions!!

I chose GT in the end as oppose to Touring cos I know I would regret not getting GT evertime reading Blue Lectroids' post.

Besides I wanted leather 20 way seats.

 

[kort6776]

Not mentioned and a bit off-topic, but I think the 360-cams are extremely helpful in daily driving.

I'm curious, do you use the cameras for something other than parking?

 

[DeaneG]

I'm curious, do you use the cameras for something other than parking?

Just in parking lots and backing into my garage. The Air is the widest and longest car I have ever daily-driven, and those cams really help. Without them, I'd have to be much more cautious about the corners of my car - meaning slower maneuvers and wasted motion. With the cams, it's easy to make it through tight corners in parking lot traffic and park centered in the stall.

 

[newlucidguy]

Hi, I made this same decision recently based on these 3 considerations:
1) I don't drive big daily distances, thus don't need the extra battery capacity from GT.
2) Touring has better leg room in passenger seats in the back, relevant if you have adults in the back (in my case sometimes customers, for a few hours)
3) Touring has enough HP/Nm for me

same exact reasoning I made .. valued the leg room in back more than the additional range (and certainly horsepower .. the AT has plenty for most ordinary driving). the 2" (or so) difference in the floor thickness in back made a big difference imo.

 

[newlucidguy]

I'm curious, do you use the cameras for something other than parking?

I use them occasionally when I'm stopped at a light or in traffic to see how closely the guy behind is tailgating and therefore how pissed do I need to be. But mostly, it's parking. I've gotten out of some really tight situations due to the cameras (got boxed in at a restaurant, etc). Given the car's dimensions and that you sit low in the car, they cameras really, really help.

 

[AirQuality]

Just in parking lots and backing into my garage. The Air is the widest and longest car I have ever daily-driven, and those cams really help. Without them, I'd have to be much more cautious about the corners of my car - meaning slower maneuvers and wasted motion. With the cams, it's easy to make it through tight corners in parking lot traffic and park centered in the stall.

This captures my sole regret with not getting the 360 cams. There’s plenty of times when I’m in tight traffic situations, parking garages, etc. where the 360 cams would have been handy. When I got my vehicle, there was no DD Premium otherwise I would have snapped it up. I don’t do a lot of long distance driving so DD Pro was overkill. But basic DD is definitely not enough. Offering DD Premium by default now is a good choice by Lucid.

 

[jaythree]

I am currently at the end of a 2 year lease in an eTron GT. I absolutely loved it except for the range and trunk/rear seat space. I have had several Audi's so I am reaady for a change. Picking up my Air Touring in a couple weeks, super pumped. Did another 2 year lease so I can pop into something new in a couple years. Hopefully no regrets.

 

[borski]

Just in parking lots and backing into my garage. The Air is the widest and longest car I have ever daily-driven, and those cams really help. Without them, I'd have to be much more cautious about the corners of my car - meaning slower maneuvers and wasted motion. With the cams, it's easy to make it through tight corners in parking lot traffic and park centered in the stall.

Precisely, and couldn’t agree more. I also use it in very narrow parking lots / driveways (looking at you, South San Jose)