Compare the2024 Nissan AriyaVS 2024 Lucid Motors Air

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 Ariya 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 Ariya Platinum+ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Air doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Ariya has standard NissanConnect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to 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 Ariya 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 and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 Nissan Ariya achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Air has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ariya for 1 year longer than Lucid Motors pays for maintenance for the Air (3 years vs. 2 years).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ariya’s reliability 31 points higher than the Air.

The Ariya stops much shorter than the Air:

The Ariya has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Air doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Ariya Platinum+ handles at .86 G’s, while the Air Grand Touring pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Ariya’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Air’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

The Nissan Ariya may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Lucid Motors Air.

The Ariya is 1 foot, 1 inches shorter than the Air, making the Ariya easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ariya has .8 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Air.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Ariya Platinum+’s liftgate 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.

Maximum trailer towing in the Lucid Motors Air is limited to 0 pounds. The Ariya e-4ORCE AWD offers up to a 1500 lbs. towing capacity.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Air, the Ariya Platinum+ has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction 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.

On a hot day the Ariya’s driver can lower all 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ariya has a standard rear wiper. The Air doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Ariya’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Air’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Ariya’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 Ariya Platinum+ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Air’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

On extremely cold winter days, the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Air doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Ariya, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lucid Motors Air isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Ariya first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Air isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Ariya outsold the Lucid Motors Air by over four to one during 2023.