Introduction
That’s not often Car and driver gets excited about a base model, but the 430 hp Lucid Air Pure is one that deserves as much praise as the 1234 hp Air Sapphire. Not so much for its 4.3-second sprint to 60 mph or its 400-mile EPA range (both solid performances), but for its exceptional value and truly luxurious experience behind the wheel. Winning a 10Best award for 2024 all but guaranteed, we’d ask for a longer-lasting one we could live with and test for 40,000 miles.
The well-appointed cabin is quiet and cosseting in this $81,350 spec, a price we could reduce with the Stealth Appearance package (black exterior finish, essentially, for $1750) and striking Zenith Red Metallic paint ($ 800), although everyone agrees that the curb appeal is hard to beat. On top of the base price of $71,400 we also added the DreamDrive Premium Package ($2000), more for the surround view camera system than the ADAS technology, and the Comfort & Convenience Package ($2500 for soft-closing doors, power sunshades, four-zone climate control , heated rear seats and heated steering wheel). Since we ordered our car, Lucid has made the DreamDrive Premium setup standard on the Pure, leaving the more expensive DreamDrive Pro system as the only ADAS option. But since we’re having so much fun driving the Air, we don’t feel like we’ve missed the Pro’s more advanced hands-free highway assistants.
We did spend money on the $2900 stereo upgrade, though. The Surreal Sound Pro option has 21 speakers (up from the standard nine) and features industry-first Dolby Atmos car integration. Everything from movie theaters to living room soundbars use this technology, and for those of a certain age, no, this isn’t the latest in noise cancellation. Atmos is a digital audio format, which means you must have the right source and hardware to take advantage of the immersive sound experience. After years of getting our ears used to compressed audio, old songs sound brand new in Atmos. Not all your favorite artists have Atmos formatting, but more are coming. Tidal is currently the only app that supports Atmos on the infotainment of our Lucid. It costs $14 per month.
The initial response from our editors has been overwhelmingly positive, and it looks like editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga has found his new favorite commuter. The 430-horsepower powertrain isn’t a big headline, but it has more than enough passing power to get passengers’ attention. A few drivers delved deep into the nitpicking to complain about the seatbelt chime that sounds as soon as you get into the car (a side effect of the lack of an actual start button). But there’s not a single comment on the faux leather, suggesting it’s quite convincing.
We haven’t had too many problems with the car. We have mainly become accustomed to 21st century functions, such as using a smartphone as a key. This occasionally causes some anxiety if, for example, your daughter decides she needs to watch every episode of Sesame Street. After all, smartphones require power to operate, so it’s one more thing you need to be aware of. The nearest Lucid service center is in south-central Michigan, approximately 90 minutes west of our Ann Arbor base. If we manage to get the Air there for a service (or, more likely, a repair because we did something stupid), we’ll ask them to adjust the frunk release. It’s a bit sticky and often requires a few tries to get the hood completely ajar. Upgrading to the roughly $10,000 more expensive Air Touring (now the least expensive way to get dual motors and all-wheel drive) gets you an optional powerplant.
We’ve had the Air for a few months now, and a common theme when discussing it is how it surprises editors the second or third time they step into it. Normally there’s a familiarity that breeds complacency, but we’re still amazed at how well it executes the mission of a luxury car: quiet, smooth and comfortable.
Our Air hasn’t made a significant trip yet, but soon-available access to the Tesla Supercharger network should allow for an easy road trip. We already plugged it into one Tesla DC cable, but it could only draw 48 kilowatts because the 900 volt architecture doesn’t mesh well with Tesla’s 400. It’s always an EV infrastructure thing, right?
Months in fleet: 4 months Current mileage: 4885 miles
Average fuel consumption: 110MPGe
Battery Capacity: 88.0 kWh Observed driving range (CD est): 290 miles
Employ: $0 Normal wear and tear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and destruction: $0
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