K.C. Colwell, the executive editor at Car and Driver, is a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for new cars and technology. His journey into the world of automotive journalism began at an early age when his grandmother gifted him a subscription to Car and Driver for his 10th birthday.
20,000-Mile UpdateWhen we last left the Lucid, it had just returned from an extended stay at the car spa, where it got a computer swapped out because we spilled some Pepsi. And since then, life has continued with a few more complications and problems from our 2024 Air Pure.
The Air's duty cycle has not been limited to local runabout, as is the case with many other EVs in our long-term fleet. The Air has blown as far as Virginia International Raceway for our annual Lightning Lap event, as well as to Chicago multiple times, to Toronto, and all over the mitten state. Many on staff are still a little gun-shy about taking an EV on a long trip, but when skeptics do, they're always surprised at how little inconvenience it entails. That's not to say we don't experience the occasional complication from a charging infrastructure that hasn't quite reached critical mass. Slow charging or an inoperable station are still the top complaints. Things are getting better, at least near our Midwest home base, and since last year, we've had the option to use Tesla's more extensive network, so long as we have the CCS-to-NACS adapter. We've found that the best plan of attack when road-tripping is to stop every three hours or so. This gives us a buffer should we need to investigate a charging plan B. And even if the rear-drive Air Pure can go 300 miles between recharges on the highway, it's worth considering that dipping into the last 10 or 15 percent of that range extends the charging time . Road warrior Jacob Kurowicki planned to make the return to Ann Arbor from Virginia using a one-stop strategy—not because stopping and charging once for close to an hour would have been quicker than multiple shorter stops, but more just for the challenge of it. However, on the day of his would-be attempt, following a busy week at VIR, he wasn't as diligent about preconditioning the car or the cabin. Near-freezing morning air made the first 50 miles less efficient than they could have been because so much energy went to warming the cabin. Still, a two-stop, 600-mile day isn't bad. Lucid made a house call for the Air's second service , which included all aspects of the 12,000-mile visit plus a brake-fluid flush and checks of the air-conditioning and battery systems. The service tech also performed a few open recalls. One thing the tech wasn't able to do on-site was address a suspension clunk that had all the audible and situational indicators pointing to a bad anti-roll-bar end-link bushing. He claimed the noise was in the damper, and the Air was picked up and trailered to a Lucid service center a few days later. When our Air was returned exactly a week later, the suspension clunk was better—softer and less frequent—but it wasn't completely gone. This is something we plan to have remedied in the future. Once winter came, though, we were reminded of the Air's biggest shortcomings. When left in auto mode, the HVAC doesn't heat the cabin very quickly. Set it to manual, however, and within a few minutes you're transported from below freezing to a balmy 77 degrees. When the Air is parked outside, its active shutters often freeze in place. The motors that move the aerodynamic-aiding louvers twist repeatedly, jumping cogs, clicking away like a metronome. And that clicking goes away only if you park the car in a heated garage long enough to dethaw. The cold also seemed to exaggerate a sometimes-sticky frunk latch. We've had the hood realigned once, but the passenger's-side latch still gets hung up from time to time. The cold seems to make it worse. If a power frunk were an option on a Pure, we'd call it a must-have, but to get that, you have to step up to the Touring model and then select a $3000 package.We've also noticed that the finish of the chrome-looking plastic trim on the exterior has begun to flake off. It is all on the front end of the car, which leads us to believe it is as much a comment on our driving style—too close to slower traffic that's in the way, maybe. It doesn't help that this winter has been one of Michigan's worst in years and that crews have spread what seems like an ocean's worth of salt. But none of the other long-term cars suffer from a similar patina. While it's too late for protection film for our car, it's something we've recommended to others buying an Air. We would normally not forgive these criticisms so quickly, but the Lucid is such a nice thing to drive and live with that we put up with the quirks and adjust a bit to make it work in our daily lives. The truth is in our car board. The Air is often coveted for weekend slots and signed out early in the weekly pecking order, because it handles well and is luxurious, quick, and big enough for a family. Plus, it has an amazing Dolby Atmos stereo, which is technology worth seeking out if you are an audiophile. If you're not, Rush's 'Tom Sawyer' will make you a believer. Months in Fleet: 14 months Current Mileage: 24,303 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 97 MPGeBattery Capacity: 88 kWh Observed Driving Range: 300 milesService: $982 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $69310,000-Mile UpdateIf there were a reality show called When Costco Trips Go Wrong, our Lucid Air Pure could be the focus of an episode. Through no fault of its own, mind you—well, depending on whom you ask. The drama started back in October. An editor took the Air for a lunchtime Costco run. This is a common occurrence. First of all, Costco is close by, and there isn't a better dollar-to-calorie deal than the $1.50 Costco Glizzy. Second, the Air has a huge trunk and an ample frunk to hold all the large items one might buy at the big-box store. The trunk isn't just long and wide; it's also deep. There is a shelf that divides the vertical space, but two deep and largely blind openings remain. Stashing something there, like an 18-rack of free-range quail eggs, is pretty normal. So it's easy to understand how the 20-ounce Pepsi that came with the hot dog was temporarily placed there. But by the time the editor realized they forgot to retrieve the soda from the trunk's side pocket, the cup was empty, and the well was wet. They sopped up what they could with some newly purchased microfiber towels . It wasn't the first time some liquid was spilled in a long-termer and probably won't be the last. Except that just beneath that side of the trunk well is, it turns out, a junction box that controls all kinds of things. Soon the stereo started cutting out. Then the trunk wouldn't open, and the car wouldn't unlock itself. Of course, once a service tech arrived, the trunk opened and the car would start working . But once the spill came to light, we learned that there was a fuse panel of sorts in that area. Lucid took the car to its service center and replaced the now-tacky-to-the-touch low-voltage junction box, a $693 whoopsie that caused the offender to wonder, 'Why isn't that waterproof?' That's been the only dark spot so far in the Air's stay with us. Well, there is a grayish haze clouding its connectivity. In brutally cold January, the key fob stopped working. Fortunately, we had the mobile app setup that allows you to use a smartphone as a key. At first, you think how nice it is to carry one fewer object in your day-to-day, but then you realize that there's a company out there tracking your every move . Anyway, keys don't work, then they work, then they might work. And when we'd park, the grille shutters would attempt to close repeatedly, clicking like a countdown timer ready to blow. They likely were stuck due to a subfreezing carwash. Similarly, the Bluetooth connection sometimes goes in and out. It's frustrating but hard to pin completely on the Air. After all, we have a few dozen drivers who cycle through, and the reliability of the connection seems to increase when unused phones are deleted. The complaints about the key not working have stopped after the first scheduled service , because part of the service includes changing the batteries in the key fobs. Other things included: new wiper blades, a tire rotation, a new cabin air filter, and the ubiquitous multipoint inspection. Another oddity on the service chit is new batteries for the lights in the sun-visor mirrors. Why aren't they hardwired? If you recall, the Air launched with a giant glass roof, so hardwiring the vanity light would have created an unsightly line. With tax, the service cost $371. After Dolby came out and gave us an Atmos demonstration, we immediately signed up for a Tidal account . We're paying $14 a month. If you have a car with Atmos capability, once you hear the fidelity, you'll deem it necessary. Testing director Dave VanderWerp is really into it. 'Dolby Atmos is so mesmerizing that I sit in my driveway for a half-hour listening to music after getting home,' he says. 'It adds so much depth and life to otherwise flat streaming files. Every car needs this ASAP.'And of course, we still love the 10Best-winning Air for how well it handles and drives. At $81,350 out the door for the rear-drive Pure, this is one of the best deals in a luxury car. Its range took a bit of a hit on winter tires in the cold weather, but not so much as to spike anxiety. For all of the Air's little glitches, it has never stranded anyone. Months in Fleet: 10 months Current Mileage: 15,870 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 92 MPGeBattery Capacity: 88 kWh Observed Driving Range: 280 milesService: $371 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $693IntroductionIt isn't often that Car and Driver gets this 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 dash to 60 mph or its 419-mile EPA range—both solid performances—but for the exceptional value and truly luxurious experience behind the wheel. Winning a 10Best award for 2024 all but guaranteed we'd request a long-termer for us to live with and test for 40,000 miles. The well-appointed cabin is quiet and coddling in this $81,350 spec, a price we could prune by omitting the Stealth Appearance package and striking Zenith Red Metallic paint , though everyone agrees that the curb appeal is tough to beat. On top of the $71,400 base price, we also added the DreamDrive Premium package , more for the surround-view camera system than the ADAS tech, and the Comfort Convenience package . 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 seeing as we enjoy driving the Air so much, we don't feel like we missed out on the Pro's more advanced hands-free highway assists.We did, however splurge on the $2900 stereo upgrade. The Surreal Sound Pro option has 21 speakers and features the first automotive integration of Dolby Atmos. Everything from movie theaters to living-room soundbars uses this technology, and for those who are of a certain age, no, it isn't the latest in noise reduction. Atmos is a digital audio format, which means you have to have the right source and hardware to take advantage of the immersive sound experience. After years of our ears being accustomed to compressed audio, old songs sound brand new in Atmos. Not all your favorite artists have Atmos formatting, but more are being added all the time. Tidal is the only Atmos-enabled app on our Lucid's infotainment for now. It runs $14 per month.The initial response from our editors has been overwhelmingly positive, and it seems as though editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga found his new commuter of choice. The 430-hp powertrain isn't a headline grabber, but it's got more than enough passing power to shock passengers into attention. A few drivers dug deep into the nitpick trough to complain about the seatbelt chime that rings as soon as you get in the car . But there's not been a single comment on the faux leather, which suggests that it's pretty convincing.We haven't had too many problems with the car. It's mainly just been us getting used to the 21st-century features, such as using a smartphone as a key. This occasionally creates some anxiety should, say, your daughter decide she needs to watch every episode of Sesame Street. Smartphones need power to work, after all, so it's just one more thing to be conscious of. The nearest Lucid service center is in south-central Michigan, about 90 minutes west of our Ann Arbor base. When we do get around to getting the Air there for some service—or more likely a repair because we did something silly—we will request they adjust the frunk release. It is a little sticky and often requires a few tries to get the hood fully ajar. Upgrading to the roughly $10,000 pricier Air Touring nets an optional power frunk. We've had the Air for a few months, and a common theme when discussing it is how it surprises editors when they get in it for a second or third time. Normally, there is a familiarity that breeds complacency, but we are still amazed at how well it executes the luxury-car mission: quiet, smooth, comfortable. Our Air hasn't traveled anywhere notable just yet, but its soon-to-come access to the Tesla Supercharger network should make for convenient road tripping. We did put it on one Tesla DC cord already, but it could draw only 48 kilowatts because its 900-volt architecture doesn't play nice with Tesla's 400. It's always something with EV infrastructure, isn't it?Months in Fleet: 4 months Current Mileage: 4885 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 110 MPGe Battery Capacity: 88.0 kWh Observed Driving Range : 290 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 Damage and Destruction: $0
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