Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.When Lucid started creeping onto Tesla's Model S territory, I was excited to see another luxury EV keep 'Ol Musky on his toes (Lord knows he needs the ego check now and again). My husband and I dubbed them the "Tesla Killers." Especially since, for $79,900, you get 620 horsepower and an updated maximum range of 431 miles, depending on how it's configured. The Tesla Model S, for the sake of comparison, has more horsepower at 670 hp, but has a maximum range of 410 miles. So, you're stuck between choosing between horsepower or range—but what really drives the point home is the price difference. The Model S starts at $94,900, a price gap of about $15,090.Kristen BrownBut, Lucid says, that's not all. If you're not satisfied with the interior, the lack of a large glass roof, a premium sound system, or leather, you can fix that with several optional packages at your disposal. My tester, for example, had them all—and that drove the final price to $103,550. Now that's one hell of a price difference. Do all the options make it feel worthy of the price tag, or is it better to stick to the base MSRP? Here's what I think after driving a fully-loaded model for a week. AdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: Road Ethos Launches: The New Automotive Lifestyle Site You Should ReadHere's what you get (or what you can choose from) to make it cost that muchFor just a hair under $80,000, you get a decently equipped luxury performance EV. Without all the upgrades, you still get a nice, premium-feeling interior with textured surfaces, the larger screen setup, all-wheel drive (that doesn't eat into the 431-mile range, hallelujah), and fast charging from the factory. The center screen—which I call the command center—is still a 5K screen with the same bells, whistles, and capabilities as the fully-loaded version. And, while it's not a name-brand sound system, the base model still gets a nice 9-speaker setup with a subwoofer. The base model doesn't have genuine or colored leather, but it does come with a leather alternative that could fool just about anyone, and it's still comfortable and attractive.It still comes with a decent amount of driver assistance technology, too. You get DreamDrive, though obviously not the upgraded version (it's more of an adaptive cruise control instead of an advanced highway driving assist), parking assist features, blind spot warnings, and a full safety suite. So, at the core, they're very similar. Here, then, are the options that drive the price into orbit (though my tester saved $800 by coming in white):DreamDrive Pro ($6,750): Future-ready driver assistance hardware, 360-degree surround view, and blind-spot camera displays.AdvertisementAdvertisementMojave Leather Package ($3,000): Premium grain leather, 14-way power ventilated front seats, and an Alcantara headliner. This automatically includes the expansive Glass Canopy roof (which was previously a standalone $4,000 option).Comfort & Convenience Package ($3,000): Soft-close doors, power frunk, heated precision wipers, four-zone climate control, and a rear-seat control display.SurrealSound Pro ($2,900): An immersive 21-speaker audio system.Stealth Appearance ($1,750): Darkened exterior trim, dark mirror caps, and aggressive blacked-out styling accents.20-inch Aero Lite Stealth Wheels ($1,750): Upgraded aerodynamic wheel design explicitly matching the Stealth appearance package.Destination & Document Fee ($1,500): Lucid's standard manufacturer vehicle transport and delivery charge.The Final Total ($103,550): Piling on $25,600 in packages and exterior upgrades, plus the $1,500 delivery fee, brings this specific Touring tester to its final six-figure evaluation price.Kristen BrownSo, as you can see, all of these packages are optional. You don't have to buy any of these. You can stick with the nearly $80,000 base model and still get all the essentials that make the Lucid a compelling value argument. I can say, though, that with these upgrades, it feels like a true bargain compared to the Grand Touring model, which starts at $114,900. Though you'd be missing out on a massive 516 miles of range. But that's a separate conversation.The software challenges the value argument, thoughI mentioned this in my full review of the 2026 Lucid Air Touring, but I had a fairly negative experience with Lucid's operating system and software. I loved the interface, and it was much easier to adapt to a screen-only user experience than I initially thought. However, the potential drawbacks to a software-defined vehicle quickly showed themselves. The first blip was the microphone issue. It would work when someone called me, but it wouldn't work if I were the one who called them. Secondly, I never got the $6,750 DreamDrive feature to work, though I valiantly tried. I'd push the button on the steering wheel, something would pop up on the driver's screen, and even when I'd press the "set" button, it never worked. The dealbreaker was an issue I had with the car's security system. My husband and I went to pick up some dinner at our favorite Mexican spot, and before I got my kids out of the backseat, the driver's door closed. The doors automatically locked while the rear driver's side door was still open. Naive me didn't think that would be a problem. When I closed the still-open door, the alarm started blaring. It wouldn't have been a problem if the key fob had buttons, but no, that would have been too simple. So, I tried tapping the driver's door "handle" that was then tucked into the door. Nothing. I tried pushing in the door "handle." Nothing. All the while, the alarm continues to sound. I tried tapping the key to the door handle with the same result. Nothing stopped it. And then, randomly, it stopped. If I had thought to check the app, I probably could have stopped it. But I shouldn't have to open an app just to unlock the car when I have the keys in my hand.Kristen BrownI also never got Android Auto to work, either. If it didn't actually come with it at all, I'd have been okay with that, because their interface was just as seamless after you download Spotify, and their navigation system uses Google Maps. It would have felt like GM's EVs, and I like how their OS works. But—Lucid's software says it's optimized for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. I disconnected my phone and reconnected it multiple times. I deleted the car from my phone and reconnected it multiple times. I even restarted my phone to see if it was something on my end. Nope, it never worked. Ever. If a car is going to be software-defined, make it good software. That's all I'm saying.The updates truly amped up the interior (and exterior) qualityWhile the updates aren't necessary, they do two things simultaneously: boost the resale value and the interior charm. Though, I do have to urge some caution against the glass canopy roof. While Lucid's treated glass blocks 99% of UV rays, there's no physical sunshade to squelch it—and the sheer amount of constant, un-shaded visual brightness beaming directly onto your forehead can feel relentless on a hot day. So, if you're stuck in traffic heading west and you're feeling the burn, or you're driving downtown at noon for lunch and feel yourself sick of the heat on your scalp and face, there's nothing you can really do about that except keep a hat in your car. Kristen BrownThat can be frustrating, especially knowing it used to be a $4,000 option (now it's bundled, per my list). If you lived somewhere like the Pacific Northwest, though, where pure sunshine is more of a hot commodity, it might help you get the vitamin D you need to fight that seasonal depression. So, is that six-figure price justified? Not for meMy husband and I agreed: we'd happily pay the base price for 431 miles of range, 620 horsepower, and aesthetic. We loved the drive modes (especially Swift, since it was the middle ground between Smooth and Sprint), the acceleration, the exceptional handling, and the exclusivity of it all. The San Francisco Bay Area is full of Teslas, so it felt like a metaphorical middle finger to be driving a Lucid Air between them all. It started a lot of conversations, and it was very easy on the eyes in that pearl white color paired with the stealth package. Kristen BrownAdvertisementAdvertisementBut would I pay $103,000 for those upgrades? No. I'd maybe pay for the DreamDrive to help me commute (if I could get it to work), and maybe for the stealth package, but the other add-ons didn't do much to amplify the experience. If I were a person who cared about first impressions or resale value, then sure. For the money, though, I could pay for other luxury performance EVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQS400 or a Rivian R1S/T. The base price is worth it, though. This story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.