2024 Lucid Air Review

Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk said in a June 2022 interview for Tesla Owners Silicon Valley: “Unless something changes significantly with Rivian and Lucid, they will both go bankrupt.” However, entering the fall of 2024, both Tesla rivals are still kicking, and the future looks especially promising for Lucid with the 3 million square foot expansion of its advanced automotive manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, Arizona.

MotoPickers Rating: 9.7/10

Lucid’s most popular vehicle is its Air, a full-size electric sedan and a direct competitor of Tesla’s flagship Model S. For the Air’s 2024 production year, Lucid has introduced a high-performance Sapphire variant and vehicle-to-vehicle charging capability while discontinuing the Air’s Grand Touring Performance grade. Lucid’s Air is acclaimed for its exceptional range, lightning-fast acceleration, and interior boasting supreme comfort, luxury, and practicality in areas like large cargo storage.

Starting prices for the 2024 Air range from around $71,400 to $250,000, but Lucid has already begun taking orders for the 2025 model, which can increase your ability to get a better deal before this new version ships toward the year’s end. Even if you can knock a few thousand dollars off a 2024 Lucid Air’s price tag—there’s no denying that this is an expensive vehicle, which emphasizes its need to deliver while going up against Tesla’s Model S, which starts at around $76,630-$91,630 for its two variants.

While a car with a price as high as the Air’s range is going to be superior to the Model S in certain areas, our review will highlight whether these discrepancies are worth the extra money, supplying a fuller understanding of this sedan’s market position.

Exterior spotlight

The 2024 Lucid Air’s exterior is one of the world’s most aerodynamic, with an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.197. By comparison, Tesla’s Model S has a slightly higher 0.208 drag coefficient. Lucid has achieved this impressive spec with its Air by supplying the electric sedan with an aircraft-inspired exterior design.

This aircraft design philosophy manifests itself in the following:

• A low and wide stance
• Flowing lines
• Flush door handles
• Retractable lighting
• Wing-inspired roofline

Alloy wheel sizes span 19” to 21” and include painted accents. Mirrors are heated, and an expansive panoramic glass roof establishes an airy cabin atmosphere. All 2024 Lucid Air trims contain originally developed intelligent microlens array (MLA) headlights, which focus and direct light on the road more effectively. These MLA headlights can also alter their beam patterns based on your speed, steering, and current road conditions.

Drivers seeking sleek and sporty exterior aesthetics can opt for the 2024 Air’s Stealth Package, which equips wheels, lower body trim, headlights, taillights, and the roof with darkened trim. Glass is laminated, and a body-colored front bumper with a metallic-looking bumper insert helps form a cohesive design. Rear fog lamps, LED brake lights, and Pirelli all-season tires are standard. Metallic exterior paint is also standard, while light-tinted glass mitigates excess sun rays within the cabin.

Tesla’s Model S similarly uses flush door handles, retractable lighting, and a panoramic glass roof but lacks dramatic flair when compared to primary 2024 Lucid Air features, like its wing-inspired roofline. The Model S also doesn’t contain MLA headlights, which makes sense, given that Lucid designed them in-house.

Interior analysis

An entry-level Lucid Air Pure model boasts plenty of value with an air filtration system, a PurLuxe leatherette steering wheel, interior metallic accents, and seats with leatherette back material. Seat upholstery features PurLuxe leather, and cabin accents include carbon oak trim, a leatherette door trim insert, and a full Alcantara simulated suede headliner. The rear seats contain a 60/40 folding configuration, and the cargo capacity in the trunk provides a solid 22.1 cubic feet (cu. ft.) of storage space.

The Lucid Air Touring trim contains heated front bucket seats that are 12-way power-adjustable and complemented by a memory function. An Air Touring shares the Pure’s PurLuxe leather alternative seat trim and carbon oak accents, but adds thoughtful features like a driver footrest.

Moving up into a Lucid Air Grand Touring trim means receiving a heated PurLuxe steering wheel, 60/40 folding heated rear seating, and an authentic Alcantara headliner. The peak sapphire grade trims the steering wheel with Alcantara. Wood trim is natural instead of fax within all Lucid Pure variants, and features like ventilated seats solidify comfort during extended journeys.

Lucid remembers to equip its Air with driver-favorite interior features like ambient lighting and enhances the vehicle’s practicality with a front trunk (frunk) space that provides an additional 9.9 cu. ft. of space.

You won’t find as many premium trim and material options within Tesla’s Model S, like carbon oak or an Alcantara headliner. The Lucid Air Touring’s 12-way power-adjustable front bucket seats outperform the Model S’ 8-way power-adjustable seats, but cargo capacity is a closer competition. Tesla’s Model S offers 25 cu. ft. of storage, but a smaller frunk capacity of 3.1 cu. ft.

Power and performance

The 2024 Lucid Air Pure doesn’t cut corners on performance despite its status as an entry-level grade. This base model delivers 430 net horsepower and 406 net torque via a lithium-ion battery, which produces an impressive 419-mile range. The drivetrain is rear-wheel drive (RWD), and the front and rear suspension are multi-link with coil springs. Lucid equips the Air with front and rear anti-roll bars in addition to automatic adaptive suspension, and three skid plates (front, middle, and rear) increase durability.

A 2024 Lucid Air Touring produces 620 net horsepower, 885 net lb.-ft. of torque, and a 419-mile estimated battery range. Drivers graduating into a Lucid Air Touring also receive standard all-wheel drive (AWD) capability. The Lucid Air Grand Touring ups the ante with 819 net horsepower, 885 net torque, and 485 miles of range.

A top-grade Sapphire model boasts 1,234 net horsepower and 427 miles of range, showcasing Lucid’s ability to balance power with efficiency. The 0-60 MPH times of all Lucid Air trims are as follows:

• Pure: 4.5 seconds
• Touring: 3.4 seconds
• Grand Touring: 3 seconds
• Sapphire 1.89 seconds

Drive modes within this full-size electric sedan include Smooth, Swift, and Sprint. AWD Lucid Air models contain torque vectoring, which optimizes handling by adjusting power distribution between front and rear wheels as necessary. Drivers seeking superior stopping capabilities will benefit from selecting a Sapphire with carbon-ceramic brakes.

Tesla’s Model S Plaid is known for its exceptional 0-60 MPH time of 1.99 seconds, which is slightly higher than the Lucid Air Sapphire’s 1.89 0-60 MPH mark. The Model S Plaid also falls short of the Sapphire’s 1,234 net horsepower at 1,020. However, a base Model S’ 670 horsepower easily beats the Lucid Air Pure’s 430 horsepower.

Tech overview

Lucid equips its first three air trims with a nine-speaker audio system linking to wired or wireless Apple CarPlay with Siri and Android Auto. Smartphone wireless charging keeps you connected to platforms like Apple CarPlay, while four front LCD monitors form an impressive tech presentation. These four monitors connect to form a 34” glass cockpit center information driver display and a 12.5” power-retractable pilot panel touch display for features like climate control and media.

Turn-by-turn online navigation is standard, with real-time traffic information, point-of-interest data, and EV routing helping you find locations like public charging stations. Navigation can also suggest smart routes based on your driving habits and previous trips. Interior gauges include a speedometer, odometer, traction battery level, power/regen information, and a trip computer. Audio enthusiasts can opt for a 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire to receive the upgraded sound system, which includes 21 speakers and a premium amplifier.

Like Tesla’s Model S, Lucid’s Air provides drivers with wireless over-the-air software updates. In addition to integrating Siri compatibility, the 2024 Air features Amazon Alexa, which offers capabilities like voice commands during driving.

The 2024 Model S has a larger central infotainment display, measuring 17”, but its 12.3” instrument cluster is less high-tech than the 2024 Lucid Air’s 34” glass cockpit display. Still, this 34” glass cockpit display has received some complaints for producing occasional glitches. Drivers will likely have a smoother tech experience in a Mercedes-Benz EQS or BMW i7.

Tesla’s upgraded sound system for the Model S similarly contains 21 speakers, but Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa are incompatible. Ultimately, Tesla’s Model S and Lucid’s Air are neck-and-neck in the tech offerings, but those valuing tech presentation and assistance from sources like Siri or Amazon’s Alexa may benefit more from a Lucid Air purchase.

Safety

Neither the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) nor the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) have released crash protection ratings for the 2024 Lucid Air. However, we can examine its base grade’s safety features to gain a fuller sense of its capabilities in this category.

Lucid equips the 2024 Air with lane departure protection and lane keeping assist, which alerts a driver of lane drifting via audible, visual, and tactile alerts like steering wheel vibration. This system can guide a driver back into their lane with gentle steering inputs when necessary.

A 2024 Lucid Air Pure also contains automated parking sensors assisting when pulling into or out of parallel and perpendicular spaces. The driver monitoring alert feature detects distracted driving patterns and can prompt a break, while blind spot warning with blind-spot display capabilities alerts you of vehicles entering your blind spot with audible and visual notifications. These visual alerts can be especially helpful with their ability to detect the precise location of a vehicle’s presence within one of your blind spots.

Automatic emergency braking comes with cross-traffic protection and features like a rearview camera that assists during reverse driving. When in reverse, rear collision mitigation provides alerts and emergency braking, lessening your likelihood of contact with obstacles.

Additional standard features within the 2024 include adaptive cruise control with automatic braking and deceleration, traffic sign recognition to keep you aware of posted notices, automatic high beams to accommodate oncoming cars, and an optional surround-view camera system for increased environmental awareness.

One key advantage Tesla’s Model S has over Lucid’s Air is its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) autonomous systems. While both Autopilot and FSD operate at Level 2 out of 5 autonomy, their self-driving capabilities lead the market.

Tesla is continually updating its FSD beta with over-the-air software updates. If you do not need ample self-driving tech, Lucid’s Air is slightly better equipped on a standard level.

Trim guide and owner considerations

You can’t go wrong with any of the 2024 Lucid Air’s grades, but if you’re seeking optimal value, we recommend checking out the Grand Touring variant. Its 485-mile range far exceeds the 2024 Model S’ top range of 402 miles, and the price difference between a Model S Plaid and Air Grand Touring isn’t too wide.

The 2024 Lucid Air offers buyers four years or 50,000 miles of basic warranty protection, whichever comes first, and eight years or 100,000 miles of powertrain and battery coverage. Tesla’s Model S matches the Lucid Air’s basic warranty plan, but exceeds its rival’s powertrain and battery protection with eight years and unlimited miles.

Final verdict

Lucid’s Air and Tesla’s Model S are part of the rapidly evolving electric vehicle (EV) landscape—but each caters to slightly different driver needs and preferences. Regarding performance, the Lucid Air Sapphire wins with 1,234 horsepower and a 1.89 0-60 MPH time.

However, these specs come at a premium.

Starting prices for each 2024 Lucid Air variant are as follows:

• $71,400 (Air Pure)
• $77,900 (Touring)
• $109,900 (Grand Touring)
• $249,000 (Sapphire)

The dramatic price difference between the Grand Touring and Sapphire trims is why we suggest opting for a Grand Touring grade. You’ll receive the highest range while maintaining exceptional 819 net horsepower and 885 net lb.-ft. of torque performance.

Tesla’s Model S offers greater value for its high-performance Plaid variant but lacks some of the exterior design versatility of comparable models like the Lucid Air Touring or Grand Touring. Lucid’s Air is apt for a 9.7/10 overall rating, and we recommend it over Tesla’s Model S.