2026 Lucid Air Touring review: This feels like a complete car now
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Probably depends on which brakes it has; the standard iron Taycan brakes (rotors + pads) look to be about $1.5k in parts from a Porsche dealer, the upgraded Surface Coated Brakes jump up to about $9k in parts (for up to 30% longer life but primarily elimination of brake dust), and then there are the ceramic brakes which are around $1.2k for the pads and around $20k for the rotors, but the rotors are theoretically lifetime parts and shouldn't need replacement unless you break one at $5k+ a pop.
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I tend to use the interior pictures since I know what indicates a particular package, but I missed on my current car that they all had the Map button even if they didn’t have Navigation enabled.
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That would only apply if the Taycan had Ceramic Brakes, which should never need replacing unless you track a lot. Standard brakes on the Taycan are in line with the costs of other luxury vehicles, though, like BMW, it is normal to replace discs and pads at the same time. (So more like $2400 for all four corners.)
Edit: ninja’d
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You mean something called "Full Self Driving" means hands free only in the absolutely literal sense? That's certainly a choice..
I would expect full self driving means the car can drive itself without constant supervision but then, I also like cars that I won't get burned alive in because they cheaped out on mechanical doors. You do you, I'll carry on here.
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Are you going to also post the link to his follow-up video, or just do a drive-by?
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luxury EVs depreciate heavily because luxury car buyers don’t actually want them and need hefty incentives to do so.
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Porsche service and parts are pricey, but that sort of cost would only be the case with the optional Carbon Ceramic Brakes package. And those are expected to last 100K miles or more in street driving.
Their non-carbon brakes are only averagely expensive, at least by German performance car standards — meaning risk of immediate cardiac arrest for regular car owners.
And for comparison, here’s a set of four carbon ceramic brake disks for a Corvette, a steal at just under $11K: https://www.tritonmotorsportsusa.co...MIkO7u2ayikgMVGXR_AB2u0jJoEAQYASABEgIlu_D_BwE
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Yeah...
I really wish Mazda would get into electrics more.
And had the Miata (bah, or MX-5. Whatever) as an electric option. Go for what makes good sense. Small two door convertible, small battery pack, like around 30kwh. If you get in light weight, good efficiency, you could probably still push that to 150 miles. Not very far, but how many people drive their Miata's far? And that is light enough weight with that small of a battery pack to really keep the driving fun in it. Yes it is possible to do, but it does NOT need AWD. It does not NEED a massive motor. 220-250hp RWD and a 3200-3500lbs curb weight with tight suspension and small size would be AWESOME. I have some faith that Mazda could make it feel like a much lighter MX-5.
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Likely why the author saw lower city mileage than highway milage. Unless that was very low highway speeds, that is generally the other way around with an EV or hybrid. But also, yes. Without brake by wire and blended braking, you need to set VERY high regenerative braking settings to effectively turn it into one pedal driving (some people get use to and like one pedal driving, IMHO I hate it), even there, likely you cannot turn the regenerative braking settings high enough for more aggressive braking (not emergency stops, I just mean fairly fast stopping or things like coming to a light or stop sign).
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Likely more than their fighter could handle without taking the wings off*.
Well trained pilots can handle that kind of G load for single digit seconds without blacking out. Stunt/race planes frequently high 13-16Gs in turns, but they are SLAMMING it for probably 2-3 seconds. Fighter jet pilots on the other hand in high performance jets with light loads are hitting 7-9Gs for 90+ seconds in dog fights or supersonic turns. Probably even most merely mortal humans could handle 13gs for .2 seconds without blacking out. Though if they weren't well braced, that is going to HURT, wrench things, or break bones as you get slammed around (IIRC 20g's is generally about the point where even well braced, that injury starts to occur, with 30-40G being the limit before significant internal injury can occur. Death is ~80-100G). The blood doesn't instantly drain from your brain, and even if it did, your neurons and stuff still retain sufficient oxygenation that you aren't going to lose neural function instantly, it'll take a few seconds.
A G-suit and training of course helps with this significantly. As well as where the G load is (straight back or down is significantly better than up or forward).
*The most high-performance fighter jets can typically hit 9G with minimal air to air loads. Like an F-16 can as an example. One rocking a full fuel and bomb load might only be able to hit 4.5G. Which is typically why if/when in fighter bomber roles, if a jet gets lit up, it ejects its munitions. Something of a tactic used under certain circumstances is lighting up enemy jets to get them to eject their munitions without needing to actually engage them. If I remember right the Iraqi's were doing that with their S300s was setting them to launch mode, without actually launching to trick pilots into thinking a SAM was incoming, and once they ejected munitions, rapidly turn the radar off and relocate (I am probably thinking of a different war, Vietnam?)
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We recently replaced our M3 with an Air for my wife but I'm personally patiently waiting for the Rivian R3. It looks like a vintage Rabbit with big wheels.I drove the Air Pure and Gravity a couple months ago and came away impressed. The ride-handling balance in the Air is exceptional and overall feels more like a driver's car than I expected for a large sedan. Too bad I don't want or need a large sedan. I'd really like an EV car with a hatchback... and good range and driving dynamics. (And, yes, my other car is a manual wagon!)
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FWIW by the time I got rid of my Model 3 last year phantom braking seemed to have been almost entirely cured. That was running FSD v12.x (I had HW3 so never got to try v14.)
For sure, phantom braking is really annoying and unsafe.
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Lucid Air can use regen to bring the car to a complete stop. The mechanical brakes are engaged in emergency or need faster/quicker stop than the max regen provides.
https://www.jalopnik.com/watch-a-lucid-air-pure-rwd-go-from-0-to-65-mph-and-back-1851142261/
That link is for the RWD Air model which does 0.22G regen braking.The AWD provides even stronger regen at 0.3G.
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Considering the issues Jason Fenske had (see the two Engineering Explained youtube videos with his gripes and Lucid's response), I'd try to find a "magic year" that you can expect the software fixed (they fixed mechanical issues quickly enough) but still depreciating like a Maserati.
And depending on my car needs, I'll probably be on the lookout for such.
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You might be interested in the Audi A6/S6 e-tron Sportback, I've been in an S6 since fall and I'm really liking it. The fastback makes it feel almost wagon-like for storage. Range is very solid if you go for an A6 with the smaller wheels. The S6 is a lot of fun to drive.I drove the Air Pure and Gravity a couple months ago and came away impressed. The ride-handling balance in the Air is exceptional and overall feels more like a driver's car than I expected for a large sedan. Too bad I don't want or need a large sedan. I'd really like an EV car with a hatchback... and good range and driving dynamics. (And, yes, my other car is a manual wagon!
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Maybe the actual number isn't that important, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect the average reader to know the McLaren's 0-60 offhand so not saying the Lucid's 0-60 time directly seems needlessly obtuse.
It's a minor nitpick to an otherwise good review!
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The point was it's as near as makes no difference to what was the literal fastest car in the world that kicked off the hypercar era. In the low end spec of a boring 4 door sedan.
The actual time isn't the point, the comparison is.
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100% fair paraphrase. I do in fact own a 2025 (HW4) Model Y AWD. I use FSD about 94% of the miles I drive in Greater Houston. I would love to consider another EV, but the immediate caveat is that its self-driving system needs to meet or exceed my current personal satisfaction with FSD.
Not sure why Legatum_of_Kain woke up feeling salty with his reply. Pretty sure it doesn't matter.
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This is like comparing an M2 to a 7-series. Absolutely inane comparison to draw, and believe it or not you don’t need to announce your buyer preferences to all and sundry unless it's tied to a point that's actually relevant to the topic.
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Blended braking can be very glitchy. Granted, my hybrid is older, but it does blended regen braking, and let me tell you, braking is by far the worst thing about this car*. Braking is oversensitive, twitchy and grabby, and you can definitely feel the transition between regen and friction. Compare that to our other, non-hybrid vehicles, where braking is linear and predictable.
*One of the best things is that it's too old to have any touch screen controls. It's all physical buttons.
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I had the same issue on my car until I learned that moving any dial steering wheel works too. So now I just "fidget" with the volume or temperature control dials on my steering wheel and that keeps the assist system happy.
This is what Google worried about in the early years and so back in 2017 Waymo said they were explicitly skipping Level 3 to go to Level 4 to avoid the complacency risk.
That being said, on paper "proper" SAE L3 systems are suppose to be true-hands and eye-free within their operational domain and have a "graceful" and safe handover to the driver. So that's suppose to mean that if the driver doesn't takeover in a timely manner, the system should be able to slowdown and stop (ideally out of the traffic lane) by itself without accident. We'll have to see if the implementation actually meet that metric but afaict Mercedes SAE Level 3 and Honda SAE Level 3 systems are suppose to do this and there should never be an "emergency action" that is needed by the driver.
From what I've read Mercedes and Honda takae legal/financial liability of the vehicle until the driver takes over (I don't think they don't count being "stalled" on the highway as their responsibility as long as they safely stopped the car).
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I’ve been driving for 35 years.
Do me a favor and learn to drive before you trust a robot to do it. Put yourself in some genuinely threshold situations by doing a track day, and learn how to drive at the edge before you decide it’s worth trusting a robot.
I don’t trust your robot, I sure as shit don’t trust Tesla’s software and their half-assed approach to computer vision, and I think anybody who is lazy enough but privileged enough to buy a car that purports to drive itself and be “as safe as a human” probably ought to have their head examined.
Seriously. If you don’t like to drive, take a bus.
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It’s not a bummer if you desire repeatable braking progression around the track or when driving aggressively.
Lucid is staffed with people who actually enjoy driving. Tesla seems to prefer its space as a cute appliance that’s got a worsening reputation.
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The maximum deceleration force ever experienced by a human who lived to tell about it was 46G - briefly - by Col. John Stapp on the High Speed Test Track at Holloman AFB, NM. Apparently his eyes hemorrhaged.
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If you're thinking Iraq then it wouldn't be the S-300 as Iraq appears to still be in talks with Russia on some kind of deal to acquire. Vietnam didn't have them back then as S-300 production didn't start until '75. But both wars share the use of the different SAM flavors of S-25/75/125 with the S-75 being highly effective for Vietnam. It's also the SAM used to shoot down the U2s over Russia and Cuba.
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I only ever said it's hands-free. Not sure what you're on about.
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They had some pretty decent lease deals on used Lucid models on leasehackr a few weeks ago..
Now if they can just start shipping in volume and help the stock price of the 20 shares I picked up on a whim 6 months ago...
Now if they can just start shipping in volume and help the stock price of the 20 shares I picked up on a whim 6 months ago...
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Wow you have no idea what you're talking about.
Blended braking can provide the same amount of braking force while blending different amounts of regen and friction brakes. Blending is, er, blending.
But the best part is you apparently accusing me of defending Tesla? When Tesla doesn't blend breaking?
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I won't quite say ruined, it's just too big. But it is like sitting in a Rolex. I'll stick with my 2018 model 3 with EAP (the lower FSD option) for a while, and hope there is something better when I need a new vehicle.
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The area I work nearby, is one of the "semi-rich" higher end middle-class areas of North San Diego. There are tons of EVs circling this area and wonder if there are enough EV chargers as I see a line of EVs waiting to access them. I still want to stab my eyes out, for all the filthy Tesla and LED equipped SUVs blinding me at night. Anyways, those Lucid Airs are pretty good in the hands of decent drivers at least. Range is superior but thats at the added costs compared to the sub 330mi ish range EVs that are 10K-20K cheaper than a Lucid other than perhaps a Rivian?? The Costco is a war zone where you wonder if they know how to drive properly compared to other Costco's in the SD area.
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I like so much of what Lucid are doing, but the pricing structuring of their ADAS system is poor. Then again they won't be on my "consider" list until they improve their dealer network in Canada, anyhow.
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I worry about all the software in these rolling computers on wheels.
All that functionality requires updates … and future updates require the manufacturer to stay in business and retain a willingness to provide support for older models.
And frankly I don’t think both of those things will happen.
It’s not a problem that is unique to Lucid. Just ask any Fiskar Karma owners about their ownership experience.
All that functionality requires updates … and future updates require the manufacturer to stay in business and retain a willingness to provide support for older models.
And frankly I don’t think both of those things will happen.
It’s not a problem that is unique to Lucid. Just ask any Fiskar Karma owners about their ownership experience.
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It has been at least 45 years since I read about it, but during WWII, a crew member of a B17 survived jumping out of his aircraft at an estimated 15K feet after it took severe AA fire during a bombing mission. He suffered broken bones, and possibly other injuries but landed in a snow covered forest (conifers). The German soldiers who found him doubted his story, but after his parachute was found at the plane's crash site, they started toasting his unlikely survival with him until his injuries didn't bother him...
I could be wrong, but would be surprised if he didn't exceed 46 Gs landing as he did.
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Yeah that's fair, and it definitely conveys the 'this car is really quick' message as-is. Though as a not-a-car person, your explanation of the F1 is context that I was missing to 'get it'. Cause yeah, when you say it like that, that's actually absurd!
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Yes, pedal feel isn't always good, but it also isn't always bad—some implementations you can't really tell when the friction brakes kick in.
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The best part of lane keeping for me is it takes the pressure off my arms on straight roads. Lanes are tilted left or right for drainage, so even on a straight road you have to hold left or right pressure on the wheel the whole time. LKA takes that for you.
PS: my late model RAV4 is often dumb and thinks I’m touching the steering wheel when I’m not. So I can go minutes on end with hands on thighs. Even more relaxing! Eyes on road obv.
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Do your own brake jobs guys. It’s really easy. Just watch a YouTube video on your specific car. I do many of my friends and family’s. Can’t say I’ve done a Porsche, but my neighbor does his 911 brakes.
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