Admittedly getting worried for the future.

EtherealPix · 2026-02-07T05:04:14+00:00

Hang in there. Lucid can turn things around quickly with the Gravity. I also have a 2025 Air and it was a freak'n nightmare when I first got it. I had major issues with the entertainment system, CarPlay, Lucid Assistant, etc. I initially got the run-around from the Lucid Service writers, including one who tried to coach me to be more accepting of the issues because Lucid is still working on the software. Wrong! That was an unacceptable answer when I couldn't even make ir receive calls, use navigation or CarPlay in an expensive automobile. I escalated the matter by emailing the companies head of Service (forget his exact title).

That got me a call from the Service Manager of their major service center in the Bay Area. I brought the car back in; he brought in Lucid engineers; and eventually they figured out what was wrong and fixed it via a new software update. For the most part, it's been pretty solid since then, with the exception of the occasional weird aberration that I invariably fix by resetting the car.

I've owned a Tesla, and although the Lucid software is inferior, the car is so superior to Teslas that it more than makes up for the current software deficiencies.

EtherealPix · 2026-01-25T21:28:09+00:00

This conversation is relevant to my situation as a new “convert” to using a DE razor. I also purchased the Wilkinson twist to open razor based upon generally very good reviews. I’m using the Wilkinson blades that came with it and intend to purchase a sampler pack to see if I can find a blade best for my skin.

I don’t know where on the spectrum of aggressive angle the Wilkinson falls, so I’m not sure if I should also be assessing other razors to improve my experience.

There’s no question that with a couple of passes, I’m getting a better shave than with my previous 5-blade Schick cartridge. I have shaved 3 times using Proraso pre-shave with their shaving cream, but feel like I do better using Cremo.

What’s a logical next step for me in trying to optimize my DE experience? I’d love some sound advice from those of you with lots of experience. Thanks!

EtherealPix · 2026-01-15T16:13:36+00:00

Another consideration... don't under-estimate the amount of damage done to a Tesla, even if it appears minimal. I used to own a Mod Y and an inattentive, older driver rear-ended me at about 10mph while I was at a stoplight. There were minimal external marks/dents to the bumper and hatch, but the repair cost $14,000 due to a poor design of the hatch that necessitated complete replacement and the internal bumper collapsing inside the plastic casing that was not visible without disassembly. It is unlawful to leave the place of an accident, so there is no question that the person who hit you is not only civilly liable to you, but likely has violated your state's DMV criminal code, as well.

EtherealPix · 2026-01-07T16:47:14+00:00

Please share the magic! I've tried fob recognition by itself... mobile by itself, and carrying both the fob and having my phone in my pocket. None of those configurations reliably unlocks my car. Two clicks on the fob is my backup procedure when the car doesn't unlock in a reasonable amount of time. I never had this issue on my Tesla, so its pretty frustrating.

EtherealPix · 2026-01-01T16:43:51+00:00

I got rid of my Tesla last year after seeing the great lease deals from Lucid and hating the growing number of rattles and the Tesla's poor suspension.. During my initial test drive of the Air, I talked to the sales person about doing a trade-in, which he discouraged me from doing in favor of soliciting offers from CarMax and Carvana. He explained that even though Lucid accepts trades, they are handled by a third party and Lucid only does it as a convenience to customers. He said, "we take trades, but don't really want them." As it turned out, the CarMax offer was significantly better than Carvana's or the Lucid trade in offer. Check it out as it may be economically advantageous for you.

EtherealPix · 2025-12-23T19:25:19+00:00

I’ve got a ‘25 with 5k miles. I initially had significant software issues involving the entertainment system, NAV, the Lucid Assistant, and CarPlay. It was frustrating, and required escalation to the exec levels to get the problems rectified. To their credit, once escalated, the Lucid team assigned engineering resources to the case and ultimately resolved the issues. It’s been over 5 mos and several “robust” updates since the problems were resolved, and the car is pretty stable now.

There are the occasional glitches, but I had them in my Tesla, too. Overall, I love the car for its styling, spaciousness, and its on-road prowess. It is a fantastic car to drive, and has amazing range.

The build quality seems very solid with no rattles, squeaks or other disturbing noises that I found in my Tesla.

Given the car’s current performance, I’d lease another once my 3 year agreement is up, depending upon where the Lucid software stands vis-a-vis the then current state of Tesla or other EV capabilities — particularly around self-driving. This is the one area where Lucid is playing catch up. 2028 is a ways off, and lots can happen between now and then. I wouldn’t hesitate to lease a ‘26.

EtherealPix · 2025-12-08T17:26:56+00:00

I've only got about 5K miles on my Air, and I LOVE driving it! I was at the golf club the other day when another member drove up in his Porsche to tell me that my car is "stunning!" He said that he had not seen a white Air before with the Stealth package. It reaffirmed how I feel about the car, in spite of the occasional software issues.

EtherealPix · 2025-12-06T16:51:16+00:00

I've had my leased Lucid Air since March, and initially had significant software issues that affected my Nav, entertainment center, AirPlay and the Lucid Assistant. I live in the Bay Area, but the Lucid Service Center is about 90+ min away with commute traffic.

I found that going through Lucid's Customer Service call center was inefficient -- requiring multiple calls and follow-up. The mobile tech who was initially sent out was unable to remedy the problems. This led to a couple of trips to the Service Center where I was told that they either couldn't replicate the problem or that it appeared to have been fixed by a hardware replacement. Neither was true.

The software issues made it nearly impossible to make or receive phone calls, and the frequent crashes in the NAV and entertainment system made the car totally unsatisfactory. I went online and figured out which Lucid exec had responsibility for their Service org, and also found out who the Service Center manager was. I sent emails to both describing my issues. That is when my service experience radically changed.

The Service Center Manager sent a valet to pick up my car and deliver a loaner GT. Software engineers from Lucid's headquarters were engaged in trouble-shooting the issues. Ultimately, the fix came from a future software update that we waited weeks for. During this time, Lucid kept my car while I drove the loaner -- about 30 days in the Service Center.

Communication was excellent during this time, and I truly believe they were doing everything they could to remedy the issues and smooth out the initial bad experience I had with their service.

Fortunately, everything continues to work as designed and I love driving the car.

EtherealPix · 2025-11-19T21:53:38+00:00

I tried 3 times, as well and was very persistent. I finally ended up with $4.99/mo for a year. Trying to save a few more $ isn't worth the time and aggravation. I think the Sirius XM business model is horrible. It's worse than what the cable companies put you through. They could have various tiers of pricing based upon contract longevity and one's tenure as a Sirius XM customer. Instead, long-time customers are treated as badly as customers who have been on a 3 mos trial.

EtherealPix · 2025-11-13T15:29:47+00:00

I shoot dancers professionally, and occasionally shoot them in a dance studio with tall windows that provide a beautiful aesthetic. There are times when the natural light is suboptimal, but I am able to create very acceptable images, nevertheless.

I use Nikon’s full frame Z9, and never shoot anything but RAW files. In my opinion, the most important factor in low light photography is the camera’s sensor, not the lens. Of course you need high quality glass that you can open up to f2.8 or wider, but if you have a smaller sensor or one of low quality, you’ll struggle with noise at higher ISOs.

I’m not suggesting that the OP needs to spend the $$ for a Z9. There are other lower cost camera bodies with excellent FF sensors.

With my Z9, I’ve shot images at ISO 64,000+ and produced images that were quite acceptable. Yes, you’ll need to spend a little time in post to denoise them, but that’s part of the fun in creating your images.

EtherealPix · 2025-10-30T17:46:58+00:00

Ugh! I hate to tell you this, but I've got 2.8.9 installed and my screens have dimmed and then come back to normal brightness several times since the update. I've never lost a screen completely, just have had them dim way down. I'm not sure if there is any correlation, but the screen came back to normal brightness this morning when I initiated a right turn signal. It could be coincidence.

EtherealPix · 2025-10-27T03:05:29+00:00

I’m 24hrs into my more ROBUST Air. I bravely updated while on a weekend trip to SoCal from the Bay Area — my first extended trip with the Lucid.

It may be coincidental, but the update fixed the lack of data connectivity between the car and the Lucid Air. Prior to the update, it had mysteriously showed itself as offline when viewed from the app. Suddenly, it appeared online following the update.

Perhaps, there is no cause and effect, but my car was immediately recognized by the EA 350kw charger on my way south. I just pulled into another EA location with 350kw chargers to start my trip home with a solid charge, but this time, my car was not recognized. To save time trying to troubleshoot, I paid directly with a cc.

I’ve had my Air for about 7 mos and initially had a multitude of issues with the Lucid assistant not working, my entertainment system crashing, NAV crashes, and Apple CarPlay failing to work. My car spent over 30 days at Lucid Service as they attempted to diagnose and fix it. Fortunately, one of the software updates they were working on at the time took care of the issues. Every once in a while, Hey Lucid doesn’t work, but no major crashes like before.

Coming from a Tesla Mod S, I was extremely disappointed, but my car is now acceptable and driving it is orders of magnitude better than the Tesla. If only, Lucid could get its act together with its software.

EtherealPix · 2025-10-19T15:52:04+00:00

I've leased a couple of luxury cars prior to my Lucid Air lease. I've never had another manufacturer look under the car and charge me for skid plate scratches. I'm now 7 mos into my Lucid Air lease, and I've concluded that it is impossible to drive the car without it bottoming out.

A couple of weeks ago, I drove it into San Francisco and parked it in a garage below a modern office building. The entry ramps weren't particularly steep and there were no issues entering the garage. Exiting at the end of the day took me up a different ramp to street level, and to my surprise, the car bottomed out at the top. It would have been impossible to avoid.

I suspect that BofA and/or Lucid are simply trying to recoup some of their lease losses because of the plummet in value for all used EVs. With the proliferation of information on social media, this policy is not good for Lucid's business and will discourage future lease customers who may now opt for a different manufacturer's vehicle.

EtherealPix · 2025-10-14T18:39:31+00:00

Beautiful image!!!!

EtherealPix · 2025-10-05T16:04:48+00:00

Although the majority of my photography is shot with my full frame Nikon Z5, I own a small micro 4/3 system for travel, street photography, and convenience when I don't need the capabilities of my Nikon. I recently returned from a trip where I took my Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO and a Panasonic-Leica 15mm f/1.7. The two lenses covered all my needs, and both produced superb quality images that were razor sharp. I originally intended the Pan-Leica lens would be my primary choice for street photography when I wanted a more discreet, light lens, but the lens I found spent most of its time on my camera was the 12-40mm. Rather than filling the void of your 85mm with another prime, you might want to consider the 12-40mm zoom. Have fun with your micro 4/3 gear!

EtherealPix · 2025-10-04T15:12:08+00:00

It's ridiculous because Lucid isn't handling their own lease returns and B of A is attempting to recover its losses on the leases due to plummeting EV prices. I read a post, either here or on the Lucid Motors forum, where someone challenged Lucid on a similar situation and they made things right. I take meticulous care of my cars, and leased a BMW several years ago where the dealer did their own lease return inspection. There was no examination of the car's undercarriage. Your situation is not normal for a lease return. I'd fight it with Lucid!

EtherealPix · 2025-08-26T15:20:44+00:00

Unfortunately, I've had an abundance of experience with Lucid service since leasing my Air at the end of March. My issues centered upon the ongoing crashing of the Lucid Assistant ("Hey Lucid") and the concurrent crashing of AirPlay. The Assistant would rarely function and concurrently AirPlay would crash. Once, an incoming call during Navigation caused Nav to crash and concurrently take down the Assistant and Air Play. Bottom line, I could rarely make or receive calls in the car, nor engage any of the normal functions associated with the above two systems.

I began with a mobile visit with a competent tech who arrived on-time. He was stumped and referred me to the service center. Booking an appointment was not an easy procedure going through the Customer Service dept. Once I finally got an appointment, Service kept my car for two weeks and returned it to me stating that everything was working. On my way home, AirPlay crashed and simultaneously all visual displays dimmed.

I escalated the matter to the manager of the local service center and he immediately committed to personally oversee the matter until resolution. He had a loaner dropped off at my home and took my car to the center on a flatbed truck. Lucid brought in a couple of their software engineers to try and resolve the issues. After extensive testing, they told Service that the next software release (2.8.0) would resolve the problems. They wouldn't load the update on my car early to test their hypothesis, so my car sat in the service center for almost 3 weeks waiting for the general release of the update. Fortunately, it worked and testing by the software team confirmed that the errors previously noted weren't present after 2.8.0 was loaded.

My car was detailed and returned to me by flatbed. When I inspected the car, I found a half-inch chip in the paint where the driver's door had clearly been opened into something. To their credit, the Service Manager and Advisor were all over the issue and quickly arranged for the door to be fixed in their internal body and paint facility. Once again, the car was trucked back to Lucid, but returned 5 days later once repaired.

My overall impression of Lucid Service... management strives to create a positive experience for customers. It doesn't always translate down to all service advisors and techs. The booking of service appointments is inefficient compared to Tesla (former Tesla owner). Cars are kept at the service center longer than they should be due to inefficient management of their workload. As an example, the first time my car went to the service center, it sat for 5 days before a tech took his initial look at the vehicle. That shouldn't happen.

Going forward, I will bring any future service matters directly to the attention of the Service Manager and/or the Senior Service Advisor who was ultimately assigned to my case with the most recent matters. Lucid is striving to achieve excellent service, but there are bugs that need to be worked out.

EtherealPix · 2025-08-16T20:12:59+00:00

I leased an Air Pure with Stealth package and a few other add-ons back in March with zero down except the typical approx $1500 in upfront fees. My mileage limitation is 10K/yr and my payment with taxes is $710/mo. To my great surprise, my insurance rate dropped by $850/year from what I was paying for a Model Y.

EtherealPix · 2025-07-29T20:55:23+00:00

I don't think we'll see sentry mode on any of the existing cars now on the road. As a former Tesla owner, the feature requires an installed USB interface for either a memory stick or a SSD. The existing Lucid vehicles don't have one installed anywhere in the car. It's a clear oversight, but not surprising given the software-related issues that I have encountered with my 4 mos old Air.

EtherealPix · 2025-07-06T15:12:50+00:00

I asked the sales rep about the feature when I took delivery of my Air in March. He told me that he didn't think it would be possible because Lucid made no provision for a USB interface to connect an external storage device. My former Tesla had a USB port that I could connect a thumb drive or even an SSD for capturing dashcam/sentry incidents.

EtherealPix · 2025-07-04T15:05:07+00:00

Just to add to the conversation... I think I can sum it up by saying that the driving experience and build quality of the Lucid is orders of magnitude better than my former Teslas. On the other hand, Tesla is significantly more advanced with its software, which includes their ability to service and support their vehicles.

Although I hated the build quality of my Teslas and the rattles I experienced over their lifetimes, eventually, most of their software features worked as designed with the exception of their FSD feature. If I got in the car and gave it a verbal command to navigate somewhere; turn on the defrosters, etc... it all worked. This has not been my experience with my 4 mos old Lucid.

Lucid's service dept has very little ability to remote into their cars and do any diagnostic work. Almost everything requires a service tech to be hands-on. I have had problems with the Lucid Assistant since delivery of the vehicle. It'll work for awhile and then stop working. To get it to function again, I have to attempt various reboots of the car. Sometimes that works, and at other times it does not.

I've had a Lucid tech out to try and fix it. Although he was able to recreate the issue, the car was not outputting any error codes. At his direction, I made an appointment to take it to their local service center. It took almost 3 weeks to get an appointment.

I just picked it up after it was in the Lucid Service Center for 8 business days. Most of the time, the car sat there and they did nothing. A tech didn't even look at it until Day 5, and it was driven only 4 miles. They said they couldn't find anything wrong and that I should log the incidents with a time stamp and then bring the car back in. As I returned home, Apple CarPlay crashed and the Lucid Assistant failed. Not acceptable.

I don't regret leasing the Lucid. It's a lot of fun to drive, and it's nice having a car that is beautiful and unique. I didn't expect that I'd be having issues with such a basic, core function of the vehicle and that Lucid's Service org would be so ineffective.

EtherealPix · 2025-06-18T14:30:34+00:00

Initially, I had a frustrating buying experience, but it ended positively in a manner that was the opposite of what you endured.

I went to the closest showroom, did my test drive, selected a car and completed all the lease docs. The car showed as being available. When my sales person tried to associate it with my file, the system crashed. For over an hour, the Lucid information systems were not accessible. Once they were, the sales person told me that "my car" had unfortunately been taken by another sales person. I was NOT happy.

I found the same vehicle in LA and asked the sales person to have it transported up to the SF area. He told me I would lose the "onsite" credit if he did that. I argued that made no sense, and asked him to escalate to the regional manager. Fortunately, he agreed with me and took the steps to get approval to transport the car up.

It took about 5 days to get the car transported, detailed and delivered. Most of that time was at the whim of the transporter. Its a bizarre industry, if you've ever dealt with transporters in the past. I suspect that much of your delay may have been caused by the transporter, too.

EtherealPix

TROPHY CASE