{"id":7469,"date":"2026-04-17T21:35:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=7469"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:35:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:35:48","slug":"review-lucids-828-hp-suv-is-exceptional-even-when-its-stuck-in-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/review-lucids-828-hp-suv-is-exceptional-even-when-its-stuck-in-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Lucid’s 828 HP SUV is Exceptional, Even When It’s Stuck in Traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve tested out many of Lucid\u2019s vehicles over the years, but recently I was lucky enough to snag a Gravity Grand Touring for a week. Normally I try to go into reviews with a neural mindset, as it allows you to dodge the crushing disappointment you feel when something you\u2019ve admired from afar turns out to be absolutely terrible. This time was a little different, I couldn\u2019t help but be hyped about Lucid\u2019s electric SUV.<\/p>\n

Thankfully it didn\u2019t let me down. Despite the testing period involving two incredibly long drives, and some of the worst traffic on planet earth, I still had a very good time. Here\u2019s how the Lucid\u2019s 828-horsepower, dual-motor, SUV lived up to and exceeded my expectations.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like sitting in a slice of the future<\/h2>\n
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Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you get into a Lucid Gravity, or any Lucid for that matter, it\u2019s like sitting in something from 2545, not<\/em> 2026. Seriously, I know Tesla likes the Blade Runner<\/a> aesthetic too much, but this is like the smooth, fancy side of that whole universe.<\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t a on, or start, or anything<\/em> button. When you\u2019re in the vehicle with the key on, you simply hit the brake, pop it in drive, and go. Everything has a beautiful geometry to it, too. The dash is wonderfully curved, the finish is excellent, and the materials used are exquisite. It\u2019s a mixture of wood, metal, and beautiful leather on the seats.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Quality control is exceptional, which may be a given considering the vehicle\u2019s price point, but I\u2019ve been in plenty of $70,000+ press cars with visible manufacturing faults inside and out. Keeping in mind these are press cars, and should really be as perfect as you can get so people like me don\u2019t whinge about a discolored panel, or a bubble in a bit of trim. No danger of that with Lucid, the company seems to take quality seriously.<\/p>\n

Despite the Gravity looking a bit small for an SUV, there seems to be a good amount of space inside. The first and second rows feel extremely comfortable. I had the third row folded away for most of my testing time because doing so ups the rear cargo space from 21 cubic feet to around 56 cubic feet.<\/p>\n

\"Lucid
Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that while the third row will fit an adult somewhat comfortably, it\u2019s a smaller SUV, and that means the third row isn\u2019t ideal. If you opt for the two-row variant, the space taken up by the folded rear seats becomes an extra storage well. There\u2019s also an 8.1 cubic foot frunk, which contained a 120v power outlet on my test unit. There\u2019s also an accessory that turns the frunk into a seat, which is a nice touch.<\/p>\n

If you look in the back, the second row seats have little tray tables built into the backs of the seats in front of them. Those tables seem very well built, so if you\u2019re being driven around in a Gravity, it\u2019s ideal for getting some work done. It also gives you a nice surface to eat your dinner off if the driver swings by the Taco Bell drive-through or whatever. Either way, it\u2019s a wonderful and very well-implemented feature.<\/p>\n

Performance is outstanding for an SUV<\/h2>\n

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The Gravity Grand Touring can go from 0-60 in just 3.4 seconds. Now we\u2019ve talked about 0-60 times being a bit irrelevant<\/a>, but if you\u2019re joining a busy section of road with a 50 mph limit from an absolute standstill, it\u2019s a lifesaver. Getting up to speed in seconds in a completely controlled manner gives you the ability to take a gap that would have felt a little uncomfortable otherwise.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all about raw power. The Gravity is one of the best-handling SUVs on the road. It\u2019s almost impossible to break traction in one, even if you drive like a simpleton. It can take curves at speed without the slightest issue. In short, it\u2019s remarkably easy to drive.<\/p>\n

Plus, its smaller form factor means maneuvering and parking in congested areas is refreshingly easy too. Even without the litany of driver aids keeping you on the straight and narrow. Though Lucid does include plenty of those.<\/p>\n

Lucid may have made the safest vehicle on the road<\/h2>\n
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Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A safe SUV is always nice, particularly as the vehicle format tends to appeal to families. Lucid has some of the most aggressive safety tech I have ever encountered. First is the fact that it\u2019s surrounded by cameras, which come on automatically whenever you\u2019re in a tight spot. Allowing you to easily navigate without risking your tire walls or rims.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the hazard detection, which alerts you when a potential danger enters your vicinity. That one is particularly fun in Manhattan, where you\u2019re guaranteed to get a braindead cyclist with no will to live and the dress sense of a lycra-clad degenerate whizzing out in front of you with no regard for the consequences. See also: London, Los Angeles, or any other major city with heavy congestion. The Gravity will even hit the brakes for you faster than you can react, even if not braking for these people would be a net benefit to humanity.<\/p>\n

Finally, it has an incredibly aggressive lane assist system. If it detects you drifting out of a lane, it will yank the steering wheel back towards the center with all the force of a disgruntled driving instructor. Seriously, I was getting flashbacks to my driving lessons almost 20 years ago while testing this SUV.<\/p>\n

Now, as a little disclaimer, my driving habits are actually the issue here, not Lucid\u2019s safety system. But I had to turn it off. Using your directional is a good thing, but sometimes it cancels after you cross one lane over. Sometimes I like to drift two lanes over if I have an exit coming up and it\u2019s safe to do so, and I don\u2019t always check I\u2019m indicating for that second lane. Because it\u2019s normally the sort of thing you only do in light traffic.<\/p>\n

Maybe I should change my habits, but what actually happens is I end up fighting the lane departure prevention feature, forcing the vehicle to go where I want it to. It felt unsafe and probably looked a little weird from outside the vehicle.<\/p>\n

This feature can save you time, but it may conflict with your driving habits. And Lucid\u2019s temperamental directionals didn\u2019t help matters either.<\/p>\n

Lucid’s self-driving system is a weak point<\/h2>\n
\"The
Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lucid offers a Level 2 self-driving system on the Gravity, and is in fact including it as standard<\/a> on most trims going forward. That said, it lags somewhat behind its competitors.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t hands-free, which immediately puts it behind Tesla, GM<\/a>, Ford<\/a>, Nissan, Mercedes, BMW, and Subaru when it comes to self-driving by default. It will change lanes for you, and even suggest when a lane change may be a good idea, but again, you\u2019ll have to hit your directional to confirm said lane change.<\/p>\n

This is an area where Lucid is aiming to improve over the next few years. Subscription-based self driving<\/a> is a key part of the company\u2019s game plan going forward, and it plans to have Level 3 self driving in the Gravity and other vehicles by the end of the decade. Level 2+, which will let you go hands-free and put it on par with its peers, is expected later in 2026.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the \u201ceffective range\u201d of the Lucid Gravity Grand Touring<\/h2>\n
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Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lucid boasts the Gravity Grand Touring\u2019s EPA-estimated 450 miles of range. I can\u2019t debate the EPA\u2019s figures; the government agency has its own rigorous testing process that\u2019s applied equally to all vehicles. I can, however, say you shouldn\u2019t expect to go 450 miles in a gravity, or any other EV for that matter.<\/p>\n

First, there\u2019s charging practicality. Just as you shouldn\u2019t drive an ICE car until the gas tank is empty, driving an EV until the battery dies is an awful idea. Ignoring how bad that would be for the battery itself, you can\u2019t fix a flat battery by pulling a jerry can out of the trunk and pouring in enough fuel to get you to a gas station. You\u2019re either calling a flatbed or a generator on wheels, and you\u2019ll be stuck on the shoulder for a good while.<\/p>\n

So going under 10% is a bad idea. Equally, going above 80% (though Lucid does support and seemingly recommend charging to 90%) is also sort of frowned upon. Again, it\u2019s not great for battery health, and charging tends to slow down drastically above that point. So, since it\u2019s a Lucid, let\u2019s take 10-80% as your actual working range. Or 360 miles on average between charges.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s still a very good range and actually better than most manufacturers can offer. Lucid achieves it through a combination of advanced aerodynamics, cutting-edge components, top-level software, and some of the most aggressive regenerative braking you\u2019ll find on a vehicle.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the circumstances in which I conducted most of my testing did not play to the vehicle\u2019s strengths. It was mostly highway driving in light traffic. The aerodynamics help a bit here, but for the most part, it takes a lot of energy to keep a heavy vehicle (the Gravity Grand Touring weighs over 6,000 pounds) moving at highway speeds. Aerodynamics will help a lot, but you\u2019re not getting the benefit of regenerative braking at constant highway speeds.<\/p>\n

On the trips where I spent 90% or more of the journey on a highway, I was looking at a usable range of around 250 to 270 miles. Again, more than the total range in ideal circumstances of some other EVs, but if you\u2019re distance driving in a Lucid or planning a road trip don\u2019t expect the reported 450.<\/p>\n

Conversely, I decided to try to leave Manhattan at 5 pm because I consistently make terrible life choices. During the roughly hour and 45 minutes I spent going from 25th street\/11th Avenue to the Lincoln Tunnel, I had the radio blasting, heated and massage seats running, and the HVAC system keeping the cabin at a pleasant 72 degrees. In an ICE car, even idling, I\u2019d have gone through a noticeable amount of gas. The Lucid didn\u2019t use a single percentage point of charge until I was well into New Jersey.<\/p>\n

This is the best EV in America at this time<\/h2>\n
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Credit: Dave McQuilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So I can list a few tiny faults. Those indicator stalks are very temperamental in my experience. Sometimes they just won\u2019t turn off, sometimes a light touch will result in your direction disappearing after a few seconds. It\u2019s not something I got used to within a week, but it may be better with long-term use. And yes, the self-driving could be better and will be soon if Lucid comes good on its promises.<\/p>\n

But beyond that, the Gravity is far and away the best EV in America<\/a> right now. It has an outstanding range, even in the worst circumstances. It\u2019s spacious, even if it\u2019s small. It has so many safety features and is so easy to drive, even the worst driver you know would struggle to get into trouble in it. If I had to spend my own money on an EV tomorrow, it would be this one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve tested out many of Lucid\u2019s vehicles over the years, but recently I was lucky enough to snag a Gravity … <\/p>\n

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