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The EV world is a bit overhyped, range is the new horsepower, and every Twitter thread sounds like a warzone between Elon loyalists and EV contrarians. Amongst all this bickering, a new competitor to Tesla has emerged, and it won’t let you play arcade games while you’re parked at Whole Foods. It’s called the Lucid Air.
Tesla is flashy and has software quirks, like other Silicon Valley companies. Lucid, also from California, is more low-key and elegant. It lets its smooth driving speak for itself.
Having owned a Tesla Model S and Model 3, a Reddit user on r/Lucid shared their two-month ownership experience with a Lucid Air Touring.
“I wanted to share my experiences over the past two months with my 2025 Lucid AT, especially for those of you who, like me, are coming from a Tesla. I’ve owned both a Model S and a Model 3, so I have a pretty good baseline for comparison. Overall, it’s been an interesting journey with some definite highs and a few areas where Lucid still has some catching up to do.
The Driving & Comfort Experience (Winner: Lucid)
Interior Space & Comfort: This was one of the first things that struck me. The Lucid is incredibly roomy inside, both in the front and the back. It feels much more spacious and comfortable than my Teslas, which is a huge plus for longer drives or with passengers.
Ride Quality: The “lush” drive of the Lucid is absolutely fantastic. It glides over bumps and imperfections in a way that the Teslas simply don’t. It’s a much more refined and serene driving experience. Much quieter on the inside (except see below re: the whine)
Software & Features: (Winner: Lucid)
Software Responsiveness: The Lucid’s software feels much “zippier” and more responsive than what I’m used to in my Teslas. Things load quickly, and transitions are smooth.
CarPlay: While it’s been a bit buggy at times, I’m happy to have CarPlay. It’s a feature I definitely missed in my Teslas, and even with its quirks, it’s a nice convenience.
Side View Mirror Lane Change Warning: This is so minor, but I really love having the lane change warning in the side view mirrors. It’s a small but significant safety feature that I actually missed in my Teslas.
Driving Assistance (Winner: Tesla)
DreamDrive Pro: This is probably the area with the biggest learning curve. Compared to Tesla’s FSD, Lucid’s Drive Assist has been harder to get a feel for.
Availability & Predictability: It’s often difficult to know when the drive assist features (like lane centering and lane change assist) are actually available and engaged. The lane change assist also seems to work or not work randomly, which can be frustrating.
In-Lane Behavior: Initially, it would sometimes swerve unpredictably within the lane, and it really struggled with wide highway turns at higher speeds, but the recent OTA update has made a significant improvement in these areas! It’s still not as polished as Tesla’s Autopilot, but it’s much more confidence-inspiring now.
I used the FSD in my MS for about 3 months. Rather–I didn’t use it. While it works really well, I enjoy actually driving and reserve autopilot and DreamDrive for long highway drives
Charging (Winner: Tesla)
Charging Network & Experience: This is, without a doubt, the biggest pain point. The non-Tesla charging experience is frankly terrible.
Reliability & Availability: It’s a constant struggle to figure out which chargers actually work, how many are available, and if they’ll even deliver the advertised speeds. I’ve already had an experience where I went out of my way to a charger only for it to be non-functional (luckily, I had enough range to get to my destination — having the greater range with my AT helped).
Service (Winner: Lucid)
Service Model: My personal service experience so far has been fantastic – very personal and timely. The fact that I can text my own Lucid service rep is amazing. However, I have some concerns about its sustainability as Lucid scales. I live 3+ hours from a service center. I wonder about the long-term practicality, especially if sales continue to increase significantly. It reminds me a bit of the early days with Tesla service – very hands-on and customer-focused, but I’ve seen how that can change over time. Now, Tesla’s service is slow at best.
Reliability: Well, I’ve already had a minor issue with the voice assistant. Both national customer service and my local service guy have said they haven’t seen this problem before, so they’re working on it and will likely replace the main panel (in my driveway, at no cost). And to be fair, a couple of months into owning an S, two door handles froze.
A Few Annoying Quirks:
Unlocking Responsiveness: The car’s unlocking can be a bit unpredictable. Sometimes it unlocks when I just walk into the garage, but then when I actually want it to unlock (e.g., to get in), it doesn’t always respond immediately.
Turn Signal Sound: The turn signal sound doesn’t stick to a consistent tempo, which is surprisingly annoying.
Motor Noise: Unlike the almost silent Teslas, the Lucid has a noticeable, somewhat loud whine from the motor. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely something you notice.
Exterior Design: This is purely subjective, but for me, the Lucid doesn’t have the same visual impact as my Model S did when I first got it (refreshed nose). The Model S, especially in its early days, turned heads everywhere. The Lucid, while beautiful, is much more sedate. That works for me because I don’t mind going unnoticed.
Overall Thoughts:
Despite some of the challenges, I love my AT. The comfort, ride quality, and overall “lushness” of the driving experience are truly top-notch. Lucid has some work to do on the charging infrastructure and refining the autopilot to be on par with Tesla’s, but the recent software update gives me hope for continued improvements. The service, while a logistical concern for me, has been excellent so far. I would get it again in a heartbeat.” – fotoamazonas, r/Lucid
Tesla Enthusiast’s First Impressions of the Lucid Air Touring
That quote frames it all. A former Tesla loyalist, baptized in the dual altar of Model S and Model 3, trading both for something that doesn’t carry the same swagger, but delivers a wholly different kind of satisfaction.
The Air is quiet luxury, executed with serious engineering chops. The cabin? Think Scandinavian lounge, not sci-fi pod.
“The ‘lush’ drive of the Lucid is absolutely fantastic,”
The owner wrote. And while the Air doesn’t offer the same low-earth-orbit acceleration numbers that Tesla plasters all over YouTube, it’s got composure, space, and a ride so smooth it ought to be prescribed for anxiety.
Lucid Air Charging Challenges: Non-Tesla Network Woes
Still, even beautiful things have flaws, and for Lucid, it’s charging.
“The non-Tesla charging experience is frankly terrible,”
Said the same Redditor, echoing the one gripe that consistently mars the otherwise glowing praise for the Air.
Lucid Q1 2025 Production, CEO Transition, and Strategic Partnerships
- In the first quarter of 2025, Lucid Motors produced 2,212 vehicles, excluding over 600 units in transit to Saudi Arabia. The company aims to double its annual production to 20,000 vehicles in 2025, up from 9,029 in 2024.
- Peter Rawlinson, who served as CEO and CTO for over five years, stepped down from his roles in February 2025. He now serves as a Strategic Technical Advisor to the Chairman of the Board. Marc Winterhoff, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, has taken over as interim CEO.
- Despite reporting a net loss of $636.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, Lucid’s stock rose 9% following the announcement of Rawlinson’s new role, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s direction.
- Lucid has entered into a partnership with Aston Martin to supply electric powertrains, diversifying its business model. Additionally, the company plans to launch a midsize electric SUV, potentially named “Earth,” by late 2026, targeting a starting price around $48,000.
This isn’t new territory. Tesla, in its early years, faced the same scattered infrastructure blues. But the Air, as of this writing, doesn’t yet ship with the NACS connector that would unlock Tesla’s vaunted Supercharger network.
The future looks better, new Lucids will get NACS, but today, you’re still stuck playing roulette with third-party stations, praying for a working charger that doesn’t top out at 43kW and charge you twenty bucks to get 60 miles.
Lucid Air Service Experience, Personalized Care Outperforms Tesla
But if you can get past the public charging gauntlet, the Air starts to shine in places Tesla’s forgotten. Service, for one.
“My personal service experience so far has been fantastic.”
Said the owner. Lucid is servicing cars, they’re sending trucks, texting customers, and treating early adopters like VIPs. Another user shared,
“I’m 15 minutes away, and they still sent a service truck to my house.”
When’s the last time your Tesla did that without a 10-day wait and five angry emails? It’s a throwback to when customer service meant something. And while no one’s saying it’ll scale forever, it’s a fine experience right now.
The debate over software is where things get heated. Redditor New-Manufacturer1509 blasted Lucid for lacking features like Sentry Mode and built-in dash cams. And they’re right, Tesla still leads in the “paranoid security suite” department. But others push back, pointing to Lucid’s inclusion of Apple CarPlay.
“You underestimate people who would want CarPlay in their vehicle.”
Wrote Celriot1. And let’s be honest, having your phone interface seamlessly is a bigger deal to most buyers than a camera that records people walking by in a Costco parking lot.
Lucid’s interface is snappy, and while CarPlay has had bugs, it’s a major checkbox for those tired of Tesla’s walled garden.
Lucid DreamDrive Pro vs. Tesla Autopilot: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Driver assistance? Call it a draw, for now. Lucid’s DreamDrive Pro isn’t as polished as Tesla’s Autopilot, though the Reddit review noted clear improvements after a recent software update. But not everyone wants to hand over the wheel. “FSD and DDP are just stupid IMO,” wrote jojocorodon.
“Give me safety features… I WANT to actually drive the car.”
In that light, Lucid’s not a step behind, just aimed at a different kind of driver. One who enjoys the road and doesn’t need their car to show off at cocktail parties or follow them around in parking lots.
2025 Tesla Model S and 2025 Lucid Air Touring Technical Specs Compared
- The Tesla Model S Dual Motor AWD (Long Range) delivers 670 horsepower, achieving 0–60 mph in 3.1 seconds, with an EPA-estimated range of 410 miles. The Lucid Air Touring offers 620 horsepower, accelerates from 0–60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and has an EPA-estimated range of 406 miles.
- The Model S measures 197.7 inches in length, 78.2 inches in width (excluding mirrors), and 56.3 inches in height, offering 42.4 inches of front legroom and 35.5 inches in the rear. The Air Touring is slightly more compact at 195.9 inches long, 76.2 inches wide (excluding mirrors), and 55.4 inches tall, but provides more generous legroom with 45.4 inches in the front and 37.6 inches in the rear.
- Tesla’s Model S offers 28.2 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 64.6 cubic feet with rear seats folded. The Lucid Air Touring provides a total of 32.1 cubic feet of cargo space.
- The 2025 Tesla Model S Dual Motor AWD (Long Range) starts at $81,880, while the Lucid Air Touring begins at $78,900, offering a slightly lower entry price.
Design is subjective, but the Air wears its sheetmetal with quiet confidence. Where the Model S once turned heads, it’s now so ubiquitous it might as well come with a Starbucks subscription.
The Air? “A low-slung Batmobile of a road weapon,” one user called it. Another chimed in, “My MS was sportier… but it also had fart noises.” The Lucid, in contrast, is understated elegance, a car that turns heads not with flash, but with form. Inside and out, it’s the kind of clean design you’d expect from a team with more engineers than hype men.
Is the Lucid Air the Real Tesla Competitor? A Final Verdict
Ultimately, Lucid’s greatest mistake is that it isn’t Tesla, and for some, that’s the whole point. It’s a car for people who want to move on from beta testing, who care more about comfort and craftsmanship than acceleration gimmicks. As DGDPapiChulo put it,
“Coming from Model 3 to the Air Pure, and it’s just not a competition.”
Lucid has problems, yes. But they’re growing pains, not fatal flaws. And if they can fix charging, and they will, then Tesla may finally have a real competitor on its heels. Not a flashier one. Not a faster one. Just a better one.
Have you transitioned from Tesla to Lucid? How did it go, and are you happy with the experience overall? Let us know in the comments below.
Image Sources: Lucid Newsroom
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
