We take a close look at the designs, materials, and build quality of a Tesla Model S Plaid and our long-term Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance.
While the Lucid and the Tesla are both expensive cars, the Air Grand Touring Performance sets higher expectations with its $180,650 price. The Model S we used for this story stickered at $143,190 when rolled out of the factory, but with Tesla's recent price cuts, the same car would cost just $117,630 today. Here's how they compare:Tesla has long been shamed for shoddy panel gaps on its cars, but this particular Model S suggests those days might be in the rearview mirror.
What's strange about this gap is that you couldn't make the trunk lid fit properly here even if you had the ability to move these components freely. If you equalized the passenger- and driver-side gaps—or if you magically pulled the quarter panels rearward—the body still wouldn't align with the trunk lid. The radiuses on the parts are completely different, which is why this gap is so uneven.
The Tesla surprised us with how well its trim fits, although the engineers have made things easier on themselves. With frameless windows, the tops of the Model S doors only have to meet up with a forgiving, squishy rubber seal. We did find a few small sections of weatherstripping around the doors that had dropped out of their channels. They were easily pushed back into place, but they don't feel like they'll be staying in there for long.
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