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Lucid Air Grand Touring vs Tesla Model S Plaid.

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Good question on the regen in Track Mode. I'm not sure, given I'd never use Track Mode on a daily basis - for any number of reasons, and I've only messed with it a couple of times. Since Tesla does provide increased regen in Track Mode, it would be nice if we could have that more aggressive regen for daily driving, but whether that happens is anyone's guess...


It's clear Tesla is far ahead of Lucid in all aspects of the software.

I do not use track mode often, but when I do, I really enjoy the increased regen. Hopefully Tesla will give us that option outside of track mode.

As to Tesla being ahead on all aspects of the software, can you answer an incoming phone call without removing your hands from the wheel of the Lucid?
 
I do not use track mode often, but when I do, I really enjoy the increased regen. Hopefully Tesla will give us that option outside of track mode.

As to Tesla being ahead on all aspects of the software, can you answer an incoming phone call without removing your hands from the wheel of the Lucid?
Great question. I’ve no idea. But I’d guess - almost certainly. 😂
 
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Lucid matching the latest Tesla efficiency right out of the gate is impressive for sure. I'd like to see Lucid merge with an automaker that understands product design and packaging better, so Lucid's EV tech can be put to better use. (Lucid + Polestar anyone? Yeah I'm sure that won't happen, but they do have complementary strengths. If the Polestar 2 had Lucid Air efficiency and charging performance, we'd probably own one right now.)
I always said the same about Tesla, the technology/drivetrain in a car designed and built by an established manufacturer would be awesome.
 
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I always said the same about Tesla, the technology/drivetrain in a car designed and built by an established manufacturer would be awesome.
@MashinBenzin I don't think an established automaker would have allowed for all of the rethinking how a car should work that went into the Model S. Yes some things would have been better but I think overall the (original) Model S was far better and more special for being a purely Tesla product with a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.

(Which, yes, has arguably gone too far now with the yoke and removal of all stalks.)
 
@MashinBenzin I don't think an established automaker would have allowed for all of the rethinking how a car should work that went into the Model S. Yes some things would have been better but I think overall the (original) Model S was far better and more special for being a purely Tesla product with a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.

(Which, yes, has arguably gone too far now with the yoke and removal of all stalks.)
Totally agree, and I did mean post the Model S. That was the point that it all became clear that this was a strong punt on what the future could look like.
 
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@MashinBenzin I don't think an established automaker would have allowed for all of the rethinking how a car should work that went into the Model S. Yes some things would have been better but I think overall the (original) Model S was far better and more special for being a purely Tesla product with a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.

(Which, yes, has arguably gone too far now with the yoke and removal of all stalks.)
I disagree. I think the yoke and removal of the stalks is one of the best thing about the refresh. Very forward thinking and once you get used to it, very hard to go back to an old, clunky steering wheel with stalks. Much more futuristic and everyone that I have drive my S loves it, especially the younger demographic.
 
10.) Driving dynamics: So OK, I didn't throw this car around, but even so - you can tell this does not have a sports-car feel like the S does, and the S isn't a sports car by any means, - more of a GT car, ironically, than the Lucid Air GT. The Lucid feels bigger and boat-ier than the S (despite its physical dimensions being smaller), and the lack of air suspension is exceptionally noticeable by comparison to the S, with some crashing over bumps at times.
Great post and agree with a lot of what you said. When it comes to driving dynamics though I felt the Lucid Air demonstrated more sophistication, competency and inspired more confidence. The Model S feels a bit boy-racer: firm suspension, heavy steering, lots of power and drama. But if the true measure was the ability to handle twisties with confidence the Lucid Air (for me) delivers that end result much better.
 
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I disagree. I think the yoke and removal of the stalks is one of the best thing about the refresh. Very forward thinking and once you get used to it, very hard to go back to an old, clunky steering wheel with stalks. Much more futuristic and everyone that I have drive my S loves it, especially the younger demographic.
@DBV1 I think it depends on how and where you drive. For highway cruising the yoke looks great, and for suburban driving fine.

We do a lot of twisty rural road driving, with tight turns, switchbacks, etc. And a lot of urban city driving and parking. We'd be doing a lot of hand-over-hand with the yoke and it seems clearly worse than a wheel for that.

If the yoke steering ratio was super fast so that you basically never need to shuffle it, that would be really appealing to me. It's not though.
 
@DBV1 I think it depends on how and where you drive. For highway cruising the yoke looks great, and for suburban driving fine.

We do a lot of twisty rural road driving, with tight turns, switchbacks, etc. And a lot of urban city driving and parking. We'd be doing a lot of hand-over-hand with the yoke and it seems clearly worse than a wheel for that.

If the yoke steering ratio was super fast so that you basically never need to shuffle it, that would be really appealing to me. It's not though.
I think the yoke itself is fine and fun to drive. The lack of stalks looks nice. The problem is turn signals moving position make it very difficult to signal while in a mid turn. I don't miss the wheel on my yoke at all. One handed turning is completely fine and comfortable, I never miss the "roundness" of my wheel. What I do miss is being in a traffic circle (turning) and then trying to signal which exit I'm taking and the turn signal being in some weird location. If it wasn't for that I'd have no complaints. And for all the rest of my 99.9% of driving it's great.
 
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I have been intrigued by the Lucid Air and certainly would like to give one a test drive. Aspects of Lucid's design and technology appeal to me. That said, the review did not touch on the elephant in the room, which is actual vehicle production and availability. The latest news has Lucid producing a grand total of 7000 vehicles this year, at most.


I have concerns about Lucid's viability.
 
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I have concerns about Lucid's viability.
Me too. I desperately want them to succeed, but they aren’t showing that they have the chops. I do not see any sense of urgency or concern from the company regarding its unsustainably low production numbers. When Tesla was in ”production hell” it was all hands on deck, cancel anything not related to volume production, and focus focus focus. Lucid just keeps trucking along with fancy marketing, splashy public appearances, new model variants etc etc. It’s concerning.
 
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I recently had the opportunity to see and sit in one (didn't test drive) at a local Lucid store. I agree with the OP about the fit and finish. I found it to be light years ahead of Tesla. The looks of the car are subjective, so for me, irrelevant to the conversation. I'm in Toronto and I spoke to the salesperson about charging (and road trip charging in particular) and she talked to me about "2 years of free charging" in the Electrify Canada network. Sounded promising, until I got home and realized that the Electrify Canada network was probably less evolved than the horse and buggy. IIRC they only really had a presence in Toronto and Vancouver, so unless Lucid offers teleportation to Calgary, you're pretty much out of luck.
 
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I saw a burgundy Lucid this past weekend and it looks nice, but not something I can't see myself driving. The same way I prefer BMW over Mercedes, there's a more youthful and sporty look to most BMW's compared to the more conservative poshness of a Mercedes. Tesla is the more youthful and the Lucid to me feels like a modern take on a Cadillac seville. Gives me that classic American vibe.

Peruse Lucid Owners - Lucid Motors Forum and see all the issues. They may have better fit and finish, but I'm noticing major malfunctions happening. Early car company problems.

They boast about their range, which is great, but if you had a great charging network, range is not that big an issue. I hope Tesla does not open up the superchargers to all and maybe limit it to less than 5 stalls if any. The government giving billions to improve the charging infrastructure but they are giving our tax dollars to companies like EA, EVGO, and others who do a poor job maintaining and providing a consistent experience. Tesla is likely not getting a penny of it.
 
Lucid designed is flawed... Putting a trunk instead of a hatch was a deal breaker for me. I get their logic about structural stiffness but most people care about cargo space more... So, a plaid 1k hp with a hatch is a perfect alternative to Taycan crossturismo... Sure the build quality sucks but overall useability of the Model S is still unbeatable.
 
My 2022 S build quality is excellent - and better than the two Lucids I saw last month. I found inconsistent gaps from left to right side, and between the two Lucid cars which were parked adjacent to each other. Not really bad, but not up to current Tesla standards.
 
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My 2022 S build quality is excellent - and better than the two Lucids I saw last month. I found inconsistent gaps from left to right side, and between the two Lucid cars which were parked adjacent to each other. Not really bad, but not up to current Tesla standards.
Not going to argue too much with this, but... no.
🤣
 
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