Sat in a Lucid last weekend...

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Spent a bit of time at the Lucid showroom in Tysons Corner (VA) last weekend. After owning a Rivian for the past year I wasn't super-impressed. I didn't see any apps on the radio (like how we have Spotify, Tune-In, etc.), and the thumb-wheel thingys on the steering wheel felt klunky. Also didn't like that features like headlights and wipers were on the touchscreen to the left of the wheel. Having a touchscreen in that position felt awkward. Not used to reaching with my left hand.

Also the big screen in the middle - is that only for climate control? Seems wasted space, if that's all it does. Was kind of neat how it retracted out of the way but that just felt like "another thing that can break", imho. I don't need a retractable screen for climate control.

I did like that the frunk was very big/deep, and the trunk was wide. Not as useful to me as a truck bed but very nice for a sedan-type vehicle. Also noticed the small pass-through (similar to my R1T).

The seats were soft and the navigation (on the small curved part to the right of the main dash) was fluid and smooth. Just felt so small compared to the Riv.

Anyhow, not meaning to rant. I could see that some of the features (like whatever apps it has) might've been locked out on the demo model. Just idly curious if anyone here owns a Rivian and a Lucid, and how they compare? Was reading this morning that Fisker is opening up (partnering with an existing) dealership nearby in Maryland soon. Will probably go check those out at some point, too. Better than going to the Washington Auto Show (which has almost no EV's), haha.

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Oh - and we must look poor. The Lucid people didn't even bother to talk to us despite me climbing all over their cars to check them out. Maybe I shouldn't have worn a "Killdozer" t-shirt to Tysons Corner, haha. ??

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[moosehead]

^Killdozer T-shirt!

We have a place up near Granby, where KD went down.

Short version is dood welded himself into a DIY armored bulldozer, proceeded to mow down a few buildings in town at 5 MPH. Finally some brave police officers jumped aboard KD and took him out through the sight slots cut into metal plates.

Sorry to derail OT but a bit of folklore legend up here in the countryside.

Years ago my good old boy neighbor ran the water department which is home to the headwaters of the Colorado River. Post 9-11 we would talk about threat protection and whatnot. He flatly stated that the rivershed was in good hands as any of his team mates could take out a terrorist with a handgun from 100 yards. No offense intended to anyone.

 

[COdogman]

Any place that wouldn't like it is precisely the place you SHOULD wear a Killdozer shirt.

 

[KRG]

I’ve test driven the Lucid a couple times, one being an extended drive. It’s honestly the only other car I’ve seriously considered along with Rivian even though they’re so different.

The Lucid drives better than the Rivians (it’s a low sedan, so duh). The thing is so comfortable, composed and balanced. Love the way it drives.

It does have media apps, maybe they were disabled in the showroom. It also has Apple CarPlay (though that’s limited to the upper small screen). The large lower screen isn’t just climate control. You can extend apps from the upper screen to the lower screen. Example you can bring the navigation map to the large lower screen and have something else open on the upper screen. I still prefer the software experience in both Tesla and Rivian over Lucid presently. I also agree the steering wheel controls are clunky.

The main drawback of Lucid to me Is everything costs extra. Glass roof, optional, ventilated seats, optional, driver assist/highway assist, optional, decent audio system, optional. Even stupid things the car already has the ability to do without any additional hardware, like blind spot cameras, optional. I know this is the norm, I’m just spoiled by Tesla/Rivian including everything standard. For a large luxury sedan it’s pretty nice though. I do like them quite a bit.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Short version is dood welded himself into a DIY armored bulldozer, proceeded to mow down a few buildings in town at 5 MPH. Finally some brave police officers jumped aboard KD and took him out through the sight slots cut into metal plates.

He committed suicide after getting the dozer stuck in a basement, cops weren't able to do anything to him. He was knocking down city council buildings over a zoning dispute. Being in one myself (a zoning dispute, not a bulldozer), I get it.

But maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the shirt in my post. Don't want to derail my own question, LOL. Oops. ?

 

[KBabione]

In my experience, car salespeople make their wealth determinations by looking at the car you drove to the dealership. I'm guessing that they didn't see your R1T...

 

[strangelove]

I haven't driven a Lucid, but when I sat in one, I was impressed by the finishes. I loved the milled metal dials on the wheel to control things, and the trigger-pull door handles. Overall the interior struck me as one of the best I've sat in. I even loved the silly touches like being able to change the theme of the screens between different "emotions" or whatever. I'll definitely consider the Gravity when it becomes available based on my limited experience with the Air.

Though it (they) better be nice, given the price premium on all but the basest base model. That shit is expensive.

Not to discount the Rivian, though. I still think the Ocean Coast interior of my R1S is one of the coolest interiors I've hung out in. The open poor wood is a knockout, and the various materials - metal, fabric, wood, not-leather, etc - all add dimension and richness to it. For the 84k I paid (pre-order), it's a freakin' steal.

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

I've driven all but the Sapphire. Last week I drove a Pure just after the recent price drop. They are very well presented, comfortable, handle well, look fantastic (to me) and are a very fair value at the new pricing. I wouldn't hesitate purchasing one if I was after a sedan at current pricing, mainly because I'm 50 minutes from the factory. They were late to the party, and haven't been able to recover, but with what appears to be an unlimited backing from the Saudi fund, they should survive and the Gravity should do well if they can hold pricing....

 

[COdogman]

The first thing I learned a long time ago at my first sales job was to never ever judge your customer by the way they look. The person who acts like they have money might not have any at all and the person who doesn't appear that way might pay in cash. You never know.

 

[manitou202]

We have a Lucid Air Touring. They have apps for Tidal, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, and Apple CarPlay. We also have the upgraded Dolby Atmos sound system which blows away Rivian's system.

Honestly the Lucid is possibly the nicest driving vehicle I've owned which includes multiple other high end vehicles like the Taycan. They are completely underrated, and right now they have really competitive lease deals. Sure their UI experience still needs some work, but they have been improving it frequently just like Rivian. They also showed off their next gen UI as part of the Gravity SUV reveal, and it looks substantially better.

Go watch the SavageGeese videos on the Lucid Sapphire and the Lucid Air Pure. They really are drivers cars. Their powertrain tech is the best in the business.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I didn't see any apps on the radio (like how we have Spotify, Tune-In, etc.)

Who needs apps when you have apple carplay?

Oh - and we must look poor. The Lucid people didn't even bother to talk to us despite me climbing all over their cars to check them out. Maybe I shouldn't have worn a "Killdozer" t-shirt to Tysons Corner, haha. ??

Maybe they looked up where your R1T was registered


I had a friend that worked with Lucid on a lot of their early software issues and they scared me off the brand. This was back before I even got my Rivian. Sedans just aren't my thing though, I might consider looking at the Gravity once they start selling them.

 

[Wing]

I drove the lucid right before getting my R1T. I need a truck to tow things but I was really really contemplating the Lucid. It's really good.

I did find the wheels on the steering wheel felt cheap to me and clunky. But other than that and some needed software updates I would buy it over a model S in a heartbeat.

Lucids motor tech is #1 in efficiency which is impressive. Battery is 88kwh? Something like that yet does 420 miles or something? Impressive compared to everyone else.

 

[DuoRivians]

60% owned by the Saudi PIF? No thanks. ?

 

[FutureTruck]

Rented one on Turo in CA with unlimited miles and did over 1500 miles with it in a week. It was even better that it included free EA fast charging. A joy to drive, great car and range. Wouldn’t hesitate to rent one again but not in the market for a sedan, and the new SUV looks like a minivan to me.

 

[pricedm]

@manitou202 interesting you prefer Lucid Air to Taycan; I appreciate your perspecive as owner/driver of both. I hope Lucid can ramp up the Gravity, looks like a solid road trip EV.

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