Buying into the latest automotive trend can feel like stepping into the future, until that future leaves you stranded at the service center. Sometimes the cutting edge cuts a little too deep. That’s exactly what went down with one Lucid owner who picked up an Air Pure AWD in 2023. Less than a year later, he’s moving on to an Acura. The car itself? Solid. The ownership experience? Not so much.

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“When you buy a Lucid, you’re not just getting a stylish, fun-to-drive EV – you’re buying into an experience. And sadly, that experience has been… underwhelming.” Those are the words of a now-former Lucid driver in what he openly admits is a bit of a rant, posted online.

Lucid “Can’t Tell Its Right Hand From Its Left”

Posted to Reddit, this story details one owner’s experience with what it’s like to own a car from a young automaker. They report leasing the vehicle in 2023, and that it spent two out of twelve months in the shop. Reported issues include malfunctioning windows, a stuck frunk, buzzing speakers, trim problems, unreliable phone connectivity, and what the owner describes as a company that is “completely lost, unable to tell its right hand from its left.”

It gives the impression that different departments aren’t communicating, and some representatives don’t bother reviewing customer notes before reaching out. According to the post, one Lucid employee said a lease buyout was possible, while another insisted it wasn’t. After inquiring about the buyout, the owner was then contacted – ironically – not with answers, but with a sales pitch for another Lucid.

Good Car, Awkward Company

All companies screw up from time to time, but this owner reports that they haven’t received a single call or message to ask about why they wanted out of their lease. To this (now former) owner, Lucid is missing one big thing: “They’re not just selling a car – they’re selling a luxury experience. And right now, they’re only delivering half of that,” they say.

On the plus side, that last comment hints at the silver lining here. Lucid might still be trying to figure out the service and customer experience side of the business, but they have built a very good EV. “The car itself? Terrific. A blast to drive,” the owner said said. Interestingly, the Lucid will be replaced by an Acura ZDX. So, why did they chose this particular car?

More: Service Nightmares Leave Lucid Owner Considering Ditching $100K EV

“The ZDX feels like a refined, luxury version of [a Honda Prologue]”, they explained. “No, it’s not as thrilling as the Lucid, but I’ll take reliability, a responsive local dealer, guaranteed loaners, and half the insurance cost any day. Plus, the lease is in the mid-$300s with zero down.”

Ultimately, this seems like a pretty typical example of what can happen when you buy a car from a startup EV company. Sure, issues like these can crop up with any brand, but they tend to hit early adopters of newer automakers more often.

When anyone is evaluating two vehicles, the MSRP is always one of the major metrics considered alongside horsepower, zero to 60 mph (100 kmh) times, fuel economy and, now with EVs, range figures. But a huge discrepancy in lease costs between Lucid’s Gravity SUV and the Air sedan reminds us that MSRP is actually irrelevant to many new car shoppers. It’s what they pay each month that matters.

And in the case of the electric Gravity, that monthly cost is far higher than it is for the Air, despite the SUV having a much lower MSRP, Cars Direct discovered. The website describes the Gravity as “a terrible vehicle to lease” due to its steep circa-$1,380 monthly lease cost, which is around 30 percent above what you’d pay to run an equivalent Air sedan.

Related: How To Lease A $69K Lucid Air For Just $510 A Month With $0 Down

Although Lucid says a more affordable Touring trim will join the SUV’s lineup later this year, for now you can only get it in Grand Touring spec. Its MSRP is $96,640, which looks good value next to the $112,400 Air Grand Touring.

But by the time you’ve factored in a down payment of $8,030 and the acquisition fee of $995, Lucid’s quoted $1,099 per month lease cost for a 36-month contract has ballooned to $1,380 before fees and taxes. Compare that with the Air Grand Touring, which costs $849 per month and a true price after down payments and fees of around $1,070.

So why does the Gravity cost $310 more to lease when it’s almost $16k more expensive to buy outright? The difference is down to the amount of rebates Lucid offers for the Air: they’re almost twice as big as the ones for the Gravity and include a $5,000 Air Credit, $1,000 On-Site Vehicle Bonus, and a $2,000 Conquest Offer, Cars Direct explains.

Right now the Air looks better value, especially since you can also order it in lower trim levels that really ramp up the savings. Go for the Air Touring and your overall monthly lease cost comes in at $731, which is close to half what the (admittedly better equipped) Gravity will cost you.

If you happen to own a Lucid Air equipped with the optional all-weather floor mats, you might want to brace yourself for some unexpected news. The carmaker is issuing a recall notice, as there’s a chance these floor mats could shift out of position and interfere with the throttle pedal, raising the risk of an accident.

Read: Lucid Tries To Snag Tesla Owners Fed Up With Musk With Up To $4K Off

Sound familiar? It’s eerily reminiscent of Toyota’s infamous floor mat debacle from over a decade ago, where improperly secured mats were blamed for a series of unintended acceleration incidents.

According to Lucid, its Model -00 all-weather floor mats are only secured in place by small nibs on the underside, rather than any proper anchors. This means they’re prone to slipping forward, and this can lead to unintended acceleration. That doesn’t just put occupants inside a Lucid at risk, but could also endanger other road users.

How Did This All Happen?

Lucid first became aware of a potential issue in August last year when a sales associate was driving an Air with the floor mats in Europe suspected the mat had slipped forward and caused the accelerator to stick. The company later became aware of 13 other cases of the floor mats moving, but there were no reports of it interfering with the accelerator.

However, on February 27, 2025, a U.S. customer reported an issue: while accelerating, the throttle pedal didn’t return to its normal position after being released. Lucid determined that the potential for the floor mat to shift and interfere with the pedal posed an unreasonable safety risk.

As a result, the company has stopped selling the problematic all-weather floor mats and now only offers mats that feature holes to attach to anchors in the carpet, as you’ll find in most vehicles.

Owners of Lucid Air models with the affected mats are being instructed to remove them and will receive a full refund for their purchase. If you’re unsure whether your mats are the faulty ones or the newer, anchor-secured type, simply take your vehicle to a Lucid facility for a free inspection.

The Lucid Air is undeniably one of the finest EVs on the market today. However, its premium price tag is enough to send many buyers looking for a less wallet-punishing alternative. Fortunately, there’s a way to make it more attainable: leasing. For as little as $510 per month with $0 down over 36 months, the entry-level Air Pure becomes a much more reasonable option for those craving a luxury all-electric sedan.

Lucid’s Incentives and Bonuses

Lucid is offering a slew of bonuses and incentives to convince customers to lease the Air Pure. For example, the American automaker has a $2,000 Conquest Credit available to current owners or lessees of a number of all-electric, hybrid, and gas-powered cars.

Read: Lucid Introduces Its Most Affordable Car Yet, The $77,400 Air Pure RWD

These include models from brands like Tesla, Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Porsche, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ineos, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Mini, and Lotus.

In addition, those who select a Lucid Air Pure from the existing inventory at a sales studio will receive an additional $2,000 on-site bonus. Buyers can also make easy use of Lucid’s Referral Program and get a further $500 discount on an Air Pure if they use the referral code of an existing owner.

The single most generous offer is the Studio Select Discount, valued at $3,000. This is only available for certain inventory at select sales studios in the US, and may be hard to find for some.

The Fine Print and What You Need to Know

As noted by LeaseHackr that discovered this deal, Lucid’s online lease calculator might show a $3,500 downpayment, but that’s effectively erased if you stack the referral bonus and Studio Select Discount. With these incentives, it’s possible to lease the Lucid Air Pure for just $510 per month before taxes for 36 months—making it feel a little less like you’re splurging on a high-end tech gadget and more like you’re making a fairly smart financial move.

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These incentives, combined with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, can effectively reduce the cost of an Air Pure from $69,900 to $52,470. It must be noted, though, that the $510 per month figure doesn’t include estimated upfront taxes, registration, and other fees.