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Wanting to step into a Lucid, trouble deciding

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Ucteeth

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Aug 1, 2024
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Hello,

I currently live in Portland, Oregon, so the closest dealership/center is Seattle (3 hours away). Ive read this isn’t much of an issue from what I have read as they have mobile services. My main question is debating between a 2024 or 2025 and going Air pure or Air touring.

It rains quite often here in Portland and does get fairly low temperatures during the winter. How beneficial will having the AWD be? Could I get by with the RWD version?

Second concern is all the lease deals seem to be on the 2024 model, but after watching Savagegees’s video he states the updates on the 2025 (heat pack/hardware) are worth the upgrade. Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts especially those living in the PNW.


Thanks you
 
Any snow? What are your current vehicles?

I've always survived with RWD cars with snow tires. My previous car had 48% weight on the rear and with snow tires was fine as long as the hills were not steep. Only issue was occasionally starting from a dead stop in unplowed snow. That said it depends on your mindset, some people don't mind some sliding around and others freak out with slightest sliding. Tires and weight distribution are more important than drive systems.

The RWD air has 50.5% of its weight on the rear.
 
Pragmatic said:
Any snow? What are your current vehicles?

I've always survived with RWD cars with snow tires. My previous car had 48% weight on the rear and with snow tires was fine as long as the hills were not steep. Only issue was occasionally starting from a dead stop in unplowed snow. That said it depends on your mindset, some people don't mind some sliding around and others freak out with slightest sliding. Tires and weight distribution are more important than drive systems.

The RWD air has 50.5% of its weight on the rear.
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My wife currently drives a Hyundai palisade. We do live on some pretty steep hills actually which is why I wonder about needing AWD. It snows maybe 1-2 a year here in Portland
 
Hey there.

IMO here's some considerations.

1.) Do you Need AWD? (It's nice but not necessary for light snow) The traction control is excellent with Pure RWD. If you have gone without AWD previously it will still be a step up from a traditional gasser RWD.

2.) Do you need/want more power? Touring gets up to 620 HP in sprint mode, which is very quick. To really take advantage of it though you should have summer tires. (If you are planning to run all seasons you'll be somewhat traction limited) Some may do summer/winter tire swpas but if you aren't going to do it you'll leave some power/handling on the table.

3.) 24' or 25'. The 25' has notable improvements. Heat pump is one, which will improve your overall efficiency (but not range because the 25' pure battery is smaller). Also the infotainment hardware has been improved so you'll probably get a bit more runway on software upgrades. While also not a guarantee, the 25' will probably have less problems because many of the early problems they've id'ed a fix for but may not have implemented yet in a 24'. The engineers know of most of the problems and have a resolution, but if it crops up it still means a service visit. If you are planning to keep for a while i'd go 25'. If this is a short term thing, a 24' would be fine since the improvements will show more value over time.

4.) Do you desire lease or purchase? I am not sure of the deals available now, but i think the really good lease deals are 24' mostly. Which would put you in the shorter term camp.

Hope that helps.
 
I would go with the 2025. I have a touring but the rear wheel drive Pure is a great option. My only regret is not getting the GT for the extra range. Either way, you will love the car!
 
It's a tough choice and similar to the one I had to wrestle with as well. At the time, Lucid had some left over 2023 Pure's that were being offered with insane lease deals. However, after driving a Touring, the extra power was plainly evident which is a top priority for me. Even with the fantastic overall goodness of Pure and the great deals, I knew I'd always have buyer's remorse if I didn't spring for the Touring. I could afford the price difference, so I pulled the trigger on the Touring.

In your scenario, it's going to come down on how much money you're willing to comfortably spend. If you're on a tight budget, the Pure is really the only way to go. You'll have absolutely no trouble driving a RWD performance sedan in the PNW with appropriate winter tires. Before AWD was ubiquitous, performance cars were generally RWD. Of course, people north of the Mason-Dixon line were able to survive decades of winters driving performance cars during these years.

I've never lived in the PNW, but I've lived pretty much everywhere else and those places have far more treacherous winters - Buffalo, NY, St. Louis, MO, Kansas City, KS, Denver, CO and Colorado Springs, CO to name just a few. I've routinely driven performance cars all year long in all of these places. The secret? Winter tires. A good winter tire is transformative and will outperform an AWD car on all-season tires. I've driven M3s, AMG C63s, etc. in legitimate blizzards and didn't sweat it because they had winter tires. Driving a Pure with some Pirelli Sottozero's, Nokian's, Michelin Alpins, etc. would be absolutely sublime in the PNW during the winter.

As for the 2025/2024, dilemma, it really just comes down to price. Is the heat pump a massive win? Most definitely. But, in terms of real world benefit, you're still going to be able to enjoy your Air, have heat during the winter, and have all the features of a typical luxury car without the improvements of the 2025.
 
I live in Lake Tahoe and the winters and sleet storms can get pretty heavy. 2 years ago the cumulative snow at the house was something close to 50' (of course it melts between blasts). I've been up here for 11 yrs.

For me, here, even in light snow or sleet an AWD is a must with great tires, and still then I prefer it with snow tires in the heart of winter. We live on a hill that ices regularly so it's not the snow but the ice that's the concern. We had a friend visit in light snow (3" or less) with a RWD Genesis and could not get that thing up even the small hills (with all seasons on). I also have an i3 which is RWD and completely useless here except for Summer (not a good comparison as it weighs as much as a toy and the wheels are like little rails).

Example last year, I have a BMW X3 and we slid backwards down a hill 50' into a snow bank when we lost grip. The car was wearing Micheline Pilot Sport A/S 3, with most of the traction. Now I won't drive here at all without the Micheling X Ice Snow on them in the late Fall/Winter.

With all of that said, if where you live doesn't ice too much the RWD would be fine IMO

We just went with a 24' Touring, love the car. After this lease we will probably buy a GT for the heat pump and extra range.

You could always get an 18 month lease to see what you like before committing further IMO.
 
eisenmann said:
I live in Lake Tahoe and the winters and sleet storms can get pretty heavy. 2 years ago the cumulative snow at the house was something close to 50' (of course it melts between blasts). I've been up here for 11 yrs.

For me, here, even in light snow or sleet an AWD is a must with great tires, and still then I prefer it with snow tires in the heart of winter. We live on a hill that ices regularly so it's not the snow but the ice that's the concern. We had a friend visit in light snow (3" or less) with a RWD Genesis and could not get that thing up even the small hills (with all seasons on). I also have an i3 which is RWD and completely useless here except for Summer (not a good comparison as it weighs as much as a toy and the wheels are like little rails).

Example last year, I have a BMW X3 and we slid backwards down a hill 50' into a snow bank when we lost grip. The car was wearing Micheline Pilot Sport A/S 3, with most of the traction. Now I won't drive here at all without the Micheling X Ice Snow on them in the late Fall/Winter.

With all of that said, if where you live doesn't ice too much the RWD would be fine IMO

We just went with a 24' Touring, love the car. After this lease we will probably buy a GT for the heat pump and extra range.

You could always get an 18 month lease to see what you like before committing further IMO.
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thanks for share helpfully post
 
eisenmann said:
I live in Lake Tahoe and the winters and sleet storms can get pretty heavy. 2 years ago the cumulative snow at the house was something close to 50' (of course it melts between blasts). I've been up here for 11 yrs.

For me, here, even in light snow or sleet an AWD is a must with great tires, and still then I prefer it with snow tires in the heart of winter. We live on a hill that ices regularly so it's not the snow but the ice that's the concern. We had a friend visit in light snow (3" or less) with a RWD Genesis and could not get that thing up even the small hills (with all seasons on). I also have an i3 which is RWD and completely useless here except for Summer (not a good comparison as it weighs as much as a toy and the wheels are like little rails).

Example last year, I have a BMW X3 and we slid backwards down a hill 50' into a snow bank when we lost grip. The car was wearing Micheline Pilot Sport A/S 3, with most of the traction. Now I won't drive here at all without the Micheling X Ice Snow on them in the late Fall/Winter.

With all of that said, if where you live doesn't ice too much the RWD would be fine IMO

We just went with a 24' Touring, love the car. After this lease we will probably buy a GT for the heat pump and extra range.

You could always get an 18 month lease to see what you like before committing further IMO.
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this is exactly what I needed, we have really bad slippery icy roads in Portland. I decided to go touring.

What would you guys who have a Lucid think is more important. Dream Drive Premium or Comfort and Convenience Package? It seems that the cars I am looking at have either one of the other at the price I am willing to pay.
 
The cameras associated with DD Premium are more or less a must-have IMO. It's not "fancy," it's simply about situational awareness and safety when parking or changing lanes. I would not entertain the notion of acquiring a Lucid without DD Premium. No idea what's in the Comfort and Convenience package (other than soft-close doors, which you can certainly live without), but my gut is you're going to wanna prioritize DD Premium.
 
Hmm, that's tough. We held steady to get the dream drive premium on our 24' for the 360 camera. I ended up with the premium and the comfort/convenience packages . It's freakin cold in the winters and I need the extra toasty surfaces. The heated wipers usefullness remain untested for us until it gets closer to Dec. Those two features you listed are what I put down as my 'must haves' and was willing to compromise on wheels/tires, glass canopy and such.

I'd agree though and get the 360 camera in there with the premium
 
coma24 said:
No idea what's in the Comfort and Convenience package (other than soft-close doors, which you can certainly live without)
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Comfort and Convenience package
• Soft-close doors
• Heated rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Four-zone climate control
• Power rear & rear side window sunshades

DreamDrive™ Premium
Lucid’s advanced driver-assistance system, DreamDrive™ Premium, builds upon DreamDrive by adding 3D Surround View Monitoring and Blind Spot Display for effortless parking and passing.
• 3D Surround View Monitoring and Blind Spot Display
• Over-the-air updates
• Driver Monitoring System (Includes Distracted Driver Alert & Drowsy Driver Alert)
• Front & Rear Cross Traffic Protection
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Forward Collision Warning
• Blind Spot Warning
• Lane Departure Protection
• Rear Pedestrian Collision Protection
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Speed Limit Assist
• Traffic Drive-Off Alert
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Automatic Park In & Out (Parallel & Perpendicular)
• Park Distance Warning
• Rear View Monitoring

DreamDrive™ Pro
Lucid’s most advanced driver-assistance system, DreamDrive™ Pro, goes even further, adding Highway Assist, intelligent driver-monitoring, and 32 on-board sensors to easily navigate traffic and travel with confidence.
• Everything included in DreamDrive™ Premium
• Future-capable ADAS hardware for driving and parking with one of the most comprehensive sensor suites available
• Highway Assist with active lane centering and Adaptive Cruise Control

Surreal Sound™
Surreal Sound™ has been curated and developed especially for use in EVs, delivering clear, dynamic audio through 9 speakers with minimal impact to performance or range.

Surreal Sound™ Pro
Surreal Sound™ Pro has been curated and developed especially for use in EVs, delivering clear, dynamic audio through 21 speakers with minimal impact to performance or range. Directional acoustic signaling enhances overall safety. Surreal Sound Pro features the world's first automotive integration of Dolby Atmos, enveloping listeners with a rich, multi-directional audio experience.
 
TL;DR '24 Pure rwd is the best value and driving dynamics Lucid offers and people have been navigating 2wd in Portland for decades without issue.

My general observation after a couple of months hanging around here is that small or middling changes or updates are often greatly exaggerated in their significance. The '25 updates are fine, but not significant enough to sway decision timing or paying more. Our collective consumer behavior is to chase the 'update high' whether its software, hardware, styling, or performance, but getting too wrapped up in that steals the joy of now. I'm not a buy and hold forever (especially in the BEV segment), but generally have learned to wait for actual meaningful updates before moving on to a new model.
 
Based on borski's post, I'd say you could live without nearly all of the comfort and convenience package. Don't sleep on DD premium, though.
 
On dd pro vs premium-
Highway assist is a really useful feature- in my Volvos it works really well and it's helpful on long trips or in traffic. On my lucid it leaves a bit to be desired. Lane keeping, cruise control, are great- biggest issues for me are not deal breakers for most- adjusting speed is annoying; it only allows high way assisting based on geofencing and sometimes doesn't realize I'm on a highway; turning highway assist on isn't intuitive sometimes. The driver monitoring features are super annoying- overly sensitive steering monitoring that yells at you every 30 seconds if you aren't jiggling the steering wheel (annoying on straightaways).
As others have said in this forum, buy the car that you want with the features it has now and not the promise of capabilities. The pro is not fully fsd capable as compared to autopilot- CEO said on this week's earnings that it's coming, but as others who are in the Thursdays forum appreciate, you need to be happy with the features you have now.
 
pyle112 said:
On dd pro vs premium-
Highway assist is a really useful feature- in my Volvos it works really well and it's helpful on long trips or in traffic. On my lucid it leaves a bit to be desired. Lane keeping, cruise control, are great- biggest issues for me are not deal breakers for most- adjusting speed is annoying; it only allows high way assisting based on geofencing and sometimes doesn't realize I'm on a highway; turning highway assist on isn't intuitive sometimes. The driver monitoring features are super annoying- overly sensitive steering monitoring that yells at you every 30 seconds if you aren't jiggling the steering wheel (annoying on straightaways).
As others have said in this forum, buy the car that you want with the features it has now and not the promise of capabilities. The pro is not fully fsd capable as compared to autopilot- CEO said on this week's earnings that it's coming, but as others who are in the Thursdays forum appreciate, you need to be happy with the features you have now.
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btw does your referral link still work I placed my order and its coming in two weeks, I assume I can bring a code in the day I go to pick up and get the rebate? or how does it work?
 
Ucteeth said:
btw does your referral link still work I placed my order and its coming in two weeks, I assume I can bring a code in the day I go to pick up and get the rebate? or how does it work?
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My link does work. I'd call the sales person to give them the code: M7633PFL

https://lucidmotors.com/configure?referralCode=M7633PFL
Use my referral link to buy the award-winning Lucid Air and get up to $1,250 vehicle discount or rebate
 
pyle112 said:
biggest issues for me are not deal breakers for most- adjusting speed is annoying
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What's annoying about it? It works the exact same way it did in my Mazda and any other car I've driven? Just a toggle switch... up for increase, down for decrease, hold for increments of 5. Seems very straightforward to me?

pyle112 said:
turning highway assist on isn't intuitive sometimes.
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In what way? You hit the button, then you set the speed, same as every other car.

pyle112 said:
The driver monitoring features are super annoying- overly sensitive steering monitoring that yells at you every 30 seconds if you aren't jiggling the steering wheel (annoying on straightaways).
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I have found a way of keeping my hand on the wheel (and my elbow on the door) that doesn't require this, and it's pretty natural, but yeah, YMMV. I strongly suspect this is something they'll be improving, too.

pyle112 said:
As others have said in this forum, buy the car that you want with the features it has now and not the promise of capabilities. The pro is not fully fsd capable as compared to autopilot- CEO said on this week's earnings that it's coming, but as others who are in the Thursdays forum appreciate, you need to be happy with the features you have now.
Click to expand...
That's true, but I will say that the CEO saying something on a public earnings call with a ton of investors on the line is significantly more meaningful than, for example, a tweet or similar. Those are forward-looking statements, of course, but nevertheless, investors tend to hold your feet to the fire a little more. But you're right - if you have to buy a car today, buy the one that already has what you want.
 
borski said:
What's annoying about it? It works the exact same way it did in my Mazda and any other car I've driven? Just a toggle switch... up for increase, down for decrease, hold for increments of 5. Seems very straightforward to me?


In what way? You hit the button, then you set the speed, same as every other car.


I have found a way of keeping my hand on the wheel (and my elbow on the door) that doesn't require this, and it's pretty natural, but yeah, YMMV. I strongly suspect this is something they'll be improving, too.


That's true, but I will say that the CEO saying something on a public earnings call with a ton of investors on the line is significantly more meaningful than, for example, a tweet or similar. Those are forward-looking statements, of course, but nevertheless, investors tend to hold your feet to the fire a little more. But you're right - if you have to buy a car today, buy the one that already has what you want.
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The speed adjustment isn't as natural for me- when I speed up I don't speed up in 1 mph increments. The toggles should be in 5mph increments, but again it's specific to my experience- not a deal breaker for most.

On initiating the auto drive, I'm not really sure why it doesn't seem intuitive- maybe it's because of the geofencing that frustrates me into hitting buttons wildly to realize it's not recognizing a highway- I think those experiences just throw me off in remembering how to engage it.

I haven't found the right spot for my elbow unfortunately. Although I bet the water bottle trick could work.

I'm definitely excited for the new software rollout, adas and entertainment included and publiclly saying that we will get it in the Air before year end and ahead of gravity is awesome to hear.
 
I live in Chicago and I went with the base model 2024 Pure. The only thing I added was the Fathom blue paint. I did the 18mo lease bc it was the best deal. The 2025s were announced the week I could pick mine up, but the financing was ~$200 more a month. I had a Polestar 2 dual motor AWD that I sold to get the Lucid. The Polestar was great in the snow, but in 14 months I had to look for snow to drive it in, and even then it was only a few times. I would have liked the 360 cameras you get with the 2025, as my previous 2 vehicles had them, but this time I was looking for the best value and that is the 2024 18/mo lease in the Pure with all the incentives.

Although the Pure (430 hp) and the Polestar 2 (409 hp) are similar on paper, the Polestar 2 would launch in any conditions dry, wet, snow and put down as much power as it could with no drama. The Pure with the 19" all-season tires can not put the power down like the Polestar could, even though that car also has 19" all session tires. In comparison, the Pure seems slow, but there are so many ways the Pure is superior.

One thing I really appreciate about Lucid is though how many single options you can get without having to get a bundled trim option. Ordering à la carte is nice, but for me, this time around, I just wanted to keep it as cheap as I could. If I were to spring for anything, I would have gone with the ventilated seats, but without the glass roof this seemed reasonable without them.
 
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