Compare the2024 BMW i7VS 2024 Lucid Motors Air

The i7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Air doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the i7 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Air doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The i7 has standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Air doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The i7 has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Air doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the i7 and the Air have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW i7 weighs 581 to 1663 pounds more than the Lucid Motors Air. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the i7 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lucid Motors doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Air.

There are over 12 times as many BMW dealers as there are Lucid Motors dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the i7’s warranty.

As tested in Car and Driver the i7 xDrive60 electric motors is faster than the Air Pure electric motor:

The i7 stops much shorter than the Air:

The i7 offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Air doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the i7 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Air, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The i7 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Lucid Motors doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Air.

The i7 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The i7’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Air doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the i7’s wheelbase is 10.1 inches longer than on the Air (126.6 inches vs. 116.5 inches).

The i7 xDrive60 handles at .93 G’s, while the Air Grand Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The front grille of the i7 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Air doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The i7 has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Air (112 vs. 101).

The i7 has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Air.

With its sedan body style and remote trunk release lockout, the i7 offers cargo security. The Air’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the i7’s trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Air doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Air, the i7 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The i7 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and incoming text message readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Air doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the i7 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Air can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The i7’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Air’s power mirror controls are embedded in the infotainment system, seriously distracting drivers who have to adjust them while driving.

When the i7 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Air’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The i7’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Air has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The i7 has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Air doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

On extremely cold winter days, the i7’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Air doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the i7 and the Air offer optional massaging front seats. The i7 also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the Air.

The BMW i7 outsold the Lucid Motors Air by over three to one during 2023.