We Bought a 2023 Fisker Ocean to Watch It Grow

• We bought Fisker's first mass-market EV.
• The Ocean is going to change a lot over the course of our ownership via software updates.
• California mode, which is as close as you can get to a convertible without going roofless, is a cool trick.

Fisker makes a splashy return with its first mass-market electric vehicle, the Ocean. This SUV straddles the blurry line between compact and midsize. Here at Edmunds, our long-term fleet has hosted many first vehicles from new(ish) automakers like Fisker. Our garage has been home to vehicles like the Lucid Air, Rivian R1T, and every Tesla save the Roadster and Cybertruck. That made it a no-brainer to add the Ocean, so we learn what to expect not only from this vehicle but also from forthcoming affordable Fisker entrants like the Pear and Alaska.

We put in an order for the Ocean as soon as we could, all the way back in 2022. After waiting over a year, our number was called and we took a trip down to San Diego to grab our vehicle as soon as possible.

What did we get?

Our reservation was for an Ocean Extreme, the top trim level, with a tow hitch. We found out from Fisker in December 2023 that our vehicle was in line to be built, with a delivery date a few months down the line. But they let us know that if we were interested, there was a vehicle that was the same spec as ours (sans tow hitch) available for pickup immediately. So we jumped at that. On top of the $63,397 base price for the Extreme trim, our Ocean also has the larger 22-inch black wheels ($1,600), a white Alcantara interior ($2,500) and a very attractive silver-and-blue paint job ($975). The grand total was $69,012 (not including taxes and fees). The Extreme is also extremely well equipped (see what we did there?) with features like a digital rearview camera mirror, rotating 17.1-inch touchscreen, 15-speaker ELS audio system and a solar roof all coming standard.

Why did we get it?

A big reason that we purchased the Ocean and were so keen on getting it quickly is to see how it will grow and mature over the next year. As it sits, our Ocean is still waiting for some important features to arrive. These are features that we have ostensibly already paid for and are due to arrive over-the-air in early 2024. This will add things like one-pedal driving, hill-hold, pet mode, adjustment of the all-wheel-drive torque split, and activation of advanced safety features. Even further updates will add features like voice commands and adaptive cruise control, things that we take for granted in most other vehicles at this price point. Due to these exclusions and a litany of software issues we've already experienced (some just after delivery), the Ocean we have before us today feels like an incomplete product. The good news is that we've seen other new automakers make big strides with software updates during the course of owning their cars. We are hopeful that the same will be true of Fisker.

There are things that we like very much about this brand-new Ocean: It has some very cool features like California mode, which opens up the giant sunroof and all of the windows (including the rear glass), taco trays for passengers to eat on, and an excellent audio system. The build quality is also a step above the first efforts we've seen from the likes of Tesla and Lucid.

Edmunds says

Stick with us over the next year and follow all our updates to see how the Fisker improves and how these features work once they are activated.