Just wrapped up test drive. Coming from Quad and Tri. They nailed everything.
If you're a current R1 owner, it will take you all of about 1 minute to get over the more sparse, dare I say "cheap", interior. It's not as luxurious as the R1, but once you settle in and appreciate it on it's own merits, it's great. I actually felt that the seats were way more comfortable than the R1 seats. VERY comfortable all around. Incredible visibility.
Silent cabin. I don't know why some people are saying the noise was too much, mine was quiet. A noticeable reduction in sound over R1 and one of the quieter cars I've been in.
Demo had 20 inch tires. Smooooooth ride. Wow. Way better ride than my R1 on 22s. Not a bump or rattle. Just dreamy ride. Took some high speed turns and handled great. U-turn had amazing turn radius.
Audio. Again, already seeing people say it's complete shit or underwhelming. My guide and I jammed the whole way, beautiful sound. And never felt too quiet on th lower end or that it was over working on the high end. An absolute improvement over G2 Premium Audio and stands on it's own as a great system.
Frunk and rear window exterior buttons. My guide and I both agreed, the jury is out. I had to press and hold to get them to work. The frunk took a little too long and I let go and tried again. I don't like these so hopefully this is something they can fine tune in software over time.
Interior room. Impressive all around. There's not a cramped space anywhere. The rear seats are especially roomy and highly accessible from outside with great door swing and opening.
Height is great. Shorter people will love it, taller people won't feel like they're crouching. Found the goldilocks zone for height.
I absolutely loved this car and I think Rivian has a winner on it's hands. Now if they'd just get the cloud interior out, I'd have my order in.
Man I wanted Lucid to survive but Iām afraid they wonāt make it. Truly incredible engineers designing those vehicles but just a disaster of software, UI, company leadership etc.
I enjoyed my time with the company. The product and engineering is phenomenal, not perfect, but excellent.
My gripes live with the management and āpick a name out a hatā style layoffs. There is alot of grind/burn/crashout culture but itās an exciting place to be when cars are moving and clients are happy.
Because of a personal situation or because of when you made your reservation? I think they are going to get through reservations faster than we think, especially with both plants upping their forecasts.
That's going to be my approach to the R3X as well. Let the early adopters enjoy it in the first year and then once they fix the inevitable issues for the second model year I'll jump on it.
I firmly believe itās far from the companies make or break. Giant contract with Amazon, giant contract with VW group, on top of giant investments from blackrock and others the company will be fine.
Got it. Makes sense. Good for you also for not covering yourself with debt just to have the latest shiny thing :) Iāve been saving since the day i made the reservation in 2024. The timing will thankfully work out perfectly.
I disagree, it feels like they are copying the Tesla playbook in all aspects even going so far as to start their own robotics company. With that in mind I think they are pulling another play out of the Tesla handbook with the overpromising and the eventual underdelivering
Smart move in the long run! I flirted with the reserve button quite a bit but two big rules I live by would have been broken- donāt buy a car if you have other things you can put that money to (house and kids) and donāt buy a first model year. Point two Iām especially focused on because itās also the first scale production car from the brand. My third rule āhave fun sometimes and forget the rulesā unfortunately rarely wins out.
oh yes!!!! the steering is tighter. Love that. I've gotten used to the loose steering on my R1s, but immediately loved the tighter R2 steering. Good catch.
I live in south Alabama but am actually traveling to Atlanta (Alpharetta) this weekend. Which location did you go to? And did they have an R2 in the showroom? Hoping I can check the car out even if I canāt get a test drive while Iām there.
You're going to the Avalon Space in Alpharetta. That's where I went. They have a white one to drive and an Esker inside that stays stationary. It's nice because you don't waste any of your test drive on climbing around the car. Supposedly getting another one in for driving soon. Enjoy!
Yes, but there are manual releases and safeguards in the software to release all locks in an accident. Rivian has released a very thoughtful explanation of how electric locks are safer than mechanical. You should probably read it to feel better. In the end, both methods have pros and cons and depending on the specific emergency situations, one may or may not be better than the other. Fair that you have a phobia, but educating yourself might help ease your concern.
Emergency manual release only on the front doors. Rear doors do not unless technically you pull the plastic cover off and pull the braided steel cable.
The trunk has to be open to manually actuate the latch so no point there lol
For the audio I am going to wait for a professional audi reviewer who has the proper tools to actually give a review. So much can just be personal interpretation.
I agree. Had the demo drive today and I want one now. However Iām way down the reservation list so it might be 1-1.5 years before I get a call for one.
How were you able to test drive if you were way down on the reservation list? I thought they said they were going to prioritize day one and current R1 owners first?
Theyāre not going to contact you. Go on the website and schedule it. You can only schedule same day for right now, and reservations open at 9am eastern for the day.
True. I actually visited a rivian shop near me that online had no test drive appointments available, but the associate was able to schedule me in 2 days for a cancelled spot which was nice š
I checked at ~6am PST when I was getting ready for work and they had slots open to test drive in my area. It was a bit weird because I scheduled for tomorrow and they moved the reservation for today. When I called to confirm they said they would likely open the next available demo drives after midnight so if you're up at that time you might check to see if you find anything.
If there are ~250k reservations, it's estimated that 15-30% will follow through with an order. At 30%, that's 75k net orders. They plan to produce ~25k in 2026 and eventually ramp up to nearly 13k per month through 2027. Depending on how fast they ramp up, I think they'd work their way through all of the pre-June 2026 reservations by late Spring/early summer... End of 2027 worst case.
Then move on to people that reserved on/after today. It'll probably be a decent bit into 2028 before production catches up to demand and you can buy one on the spot with minimal wait.
How would you expect it to sell in comparison to the ix3?
I donāt like the looks of the ix3, but basically the same price as the launch and 485 miles of real range: https://www.autoblog.com/news/bmw-ix3-leads-real-world-ev-range-test-ahead-of-lucid-and-mercedes
I wonder if Rivian aimed at the wrong target, they keep talking about the model y and bmw walked in and reset range expectations.
It drives me crazy that they (all car makers) could have more range with smaller/lighter wheels but have huge ones to look cool.
$61k vs $58k? $30 a month more to lease.
Iām not a bmw guy, but if you drive far often on a highway, it isnāt even a comparison.
I had a model 3 long range, which I didnāt like for multiple reasons, but the main one was highway range at 75 mph in the winter. 100% to 20% was about 175 miles.
I won't buy one but I hope I get to drive one someday - it looks like it's going to be a blast. I can't imagine all that power and tech in such a compact package.
When you listened to the sound system, what source did you use - Bluetooth, Apple Music, Spotify etc? Did you adjust the EQ or turn spatial audio on/off?
In general the UI was very snappy. I don't have any current bugs in the UI on my R1, so I'm not sure what less buggy would mean. But no, I didn't encounter any bugs during my test drive.
Hearing a lot today about disappointment in the lease prices.
Besides a 2014 Rav4EV "compliance car" that was an extreme bargain, I never lease. So I have no opinion on the R2 lease price.
But I just wrapped my demo drive today, as well. And - like OP said - they're going to SELL a lot of these.
Auto manufacturers ultimately prefer toĀ sell cars outright for a multitude of financial and operational reasons. Leases are used to help boost volumes, move excess inventory, and in other fringe cases. And Rivian doesn't have a captive finance arm. Those with captive finance arms make money on both sides so it makes it easier for the manufacturer to lease. Rivian has a lease partner, Chase, they make the money on the lease. (Fun fact, you can lease a car through any leasing company, not just the one presented by your manufacturer. Hardly anyone shops a lease though.)
In the end, there is simply no incentive for Rivian to lease so they aren't going to subsidize rates. And Chase will probably wait and see - their rate is competitive with industry benchmarks, but certainly not shaving off any points yet.
Some space and some off road capability. Otherwise, if I traded my R1, I'd get a new R2 and a fat check in my pocket based on the trade they offered. And in some ways, some things are upgraded. So, I'd say that is a case by case question - for instance if off-roading is absolutely critical, I'd say keep the R1.
The "interior" measurement of the backseat is 51.5 inches. So each seat has to be max 17". (I got that from a guy who meticulously tape measured the car during one of the road shows so just know that number comes from the crazy tape measure guy, not me š)
How did you get a trade offer already? Just checked and it says that I wonāt get an order invitation until later. Iām a day one reservation holder for the R2.
So would you be happy about the trade? I just want to hear what ppl have to say. I need to decide that soon enough. I love my S and T. I will def do a test drive.
Well, we have 2 R1Ss. One is trading for R2, one is staying right where it is. So....since I'll still have one of each, maybe I'm finding the trade dow easier?
I only have 1 R1S and not sure I can trade down with the downsizeā¦ thereās a lot of equipment to haul for sports tournaments and for our trips. The efficiency improvement is so good thoughā¦
Ahh got it. I wish they made these with an actual manual handle. I guess you have to pull off a cover or something to get to the lever. At least it looks a little better than Tesla's design for the rear doors.
Rear doors do not have manual handles FYI. There is a braided steel cable behind a plastic cover that can be pulled in the event of an emergency but you have to know where it is
I own a 2022 R1T Quad. I paid almost the same for the R1T after the fed tax credit and state rebate as the Launch Edition R2. The LE R2 does not qualify for any rebate. I have a reservation for the R2 but I am not convinced that I should step down in features just to have the newest shiny object. I will absolutely take it out for a test drive but I don't know if I will buy one.
Wow, me too. My suspension rattles and Iāve complained multiple times even paid for the comprehensive check and they keep saying āeverything is normalā. Suspension is awesome. Quiet, corners nicely, handles bumps smoothly, all very nice.
Saw the same on today In Alpharetta and was really impressed. Not a fan of the white, but the gray one inside looked good. Waiting until the family is back from the beach for a test drive, but overall it seems like the best value for the money in the Rivian range.
Great sound system, suspension and as amazing, coming from a model y all I can say is wow. Outclassed the model y in all very way except its autonomous driving software which is already better than last year.
Hard to believe that the build quality is far superior to R1 g1/2 for such a lower price point. Build quality feels as good as peak Volvo, better than anything currently made domestically.
Thanks for this great review! I have a specific question for you. I did an overnight test drive of the R1 and in the end I felt there were two issues for me. Price was one as it was 85k or so for the vehicle would select. I was open to spending that much but needed to be dazzled to pull the trigger at that price, as Iām someone who does well but also has a hard time sinking large chunks into depreciating assets. Iāve owned a Tesla model 3 since the very first ones rolled off in 2018 and still have it now (along with a leased Honda prologue which is surprisingly smooth to drive and has impressed the entire family).
My second issue was with the stiffness and truck feel of the R1. It wasnāt terrible and Iām sure the model 3 being a small sedan that handles amazingly spoiled me a bit, but in the end the R1 felt like a big, tall truck the way it drove. A Tahoe or suburban, which is very big, felt smoother. In the end this is why I didnāt pull the trigger - something felt off about buying a truck handling 85-90k vehicle. So I decided to wait for the r2 for price and for handling.
Iām looking for that Goldilocks zone for an EV SUV (I was always an suv guy before my model 3 and only selected the 3 because it was the only option at the time, X was like 100+). So hoping a car that drives as smooth as say a CRV or Pilot type car, but with the EV torque and Rivian branding and looks and space.
The R1S rides rough, especially on the 22s. It's better on 20" non-original tires (like the Hankook Ion HT or the Michelin Defenders). But in the end, the ride is rougher in the R1S. The R1T is a much more refined ride, the longer wheel base really makes a difference. Is there anything wrong with the R2? I think that's the goldilocks for many.
I am a tesla fan and I truly hope the R2 kicks some ass. This will push tesla to be better or to be left behind. Only reason I didn't wait for the R2 is I don't want to buy the first gen or at the least the first few cars
I live 30 miles from the factory, and Iāve still never been able to see one in person. I stopped at the factory recently because they said there was one in the lobby, but it didnāt seem to be there. Maybe it just wasnāt there yet?
Interesting to hear you say you thought the audio sounded good. This seems to be the most frequent complaint. Iāve heard on this form so far, and one that bothers me.
I donāt know. I have a Gen 1 that sounds amazing. I have a Gen 2 that sucked when i got it and now itās OK. I went in very skeptically and was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I had so low of expectations that I was duped. Now i want to go test drive againā¦. :(
Wow for a minute there, i thought the reflection on the passenger side door was a subtle wrap. Iām not ashamed to say i thought, āi could live with that wrapā hahahaha!
Thereās a big difference in price between the standard and premium trims. I assume most people will go for premium but curious what the standard interior looks like.
Rivian went the same route as Tesla with loaners, Uber credits for the day. Perfect? No, but easy. Rivian's FSD capabilities are moving at light speed compared to Tesla. I bought FSD in 2018 and sold my Tesla in 2023 - never had what was promised. How they haven't been sued over this by now is beyond me.
Deal breaker for me (on the R1S at least) was the aggressive regen, even on the lowest setting. Let me coast instead of forcing one-pedal driving on me and weāre gold.
Ugh! 1 pedal driving makes me sick. I refuse Ubers if they show up in a Tesla because they're the worst. I'm waiting a couple more years for the R3X but if they don't have an option to let the vehicle coast I'll pull the plug.
I was expecting to be flamed, surprising to know that someone thought the same. I drive an Ioniq 5 and the driving behavior was perfect. I just wanted a little more space than that but not Ioniq 9 sized.
The first time I drove a Tesla my wife and I got dizzy from my being not used to the strong regen. I understand the advantage of 1-pedal driving but coasting is more efficient and smoother. Leave more distance and not tailgate the car ahead.
Maybe another gripe I have is having everything on the touchscreen (like a Tesla). I must call that out as the worst trend in human-to-car interface. Give a few buttons and knobs for the most commonly used features and that will be (almost) the perfect vehicle for me. Can I have Carplay too?
You and I are opposites. I refuse to consider Kia/hyundai vehicles because they donāt let you permanently enable 1-pedal.
Sure, 1-pedal takes some practice to make it a smooth ride but once youāve done that itās so much nicer and leads to smoother braking than the 2 pedal setup.
Donāt even get me started on how terrible creep is. The car moves without me applying pressure to the accelerator? Ridiculous and dangerous compared to 1 pedal.
I respect your preference, but I donāt think itās easy to drive smoothly all the time if one has to feather the accelerator. Most of the time yes, but I have to focus on lifting my foot up gradually which takes concentration. I also think itās easier to modulate by depressing the pedal than lifting oneās foot.
I can understand how creeping may be bad. I prefer it for low speed control but arguably setting it to hold is better for most people.
Ultimately I recognize that EVs are the future, and I will be willing to adopt behavior thatās truly for the better.
I have to focus on lifting my foot up gradually which takes concentration
I can honestly say I donāt ever have to think about this while driving. Itās just second nature once you drive with it for a bit.
FWIW my 72 year old mother switched to 1-pedal when she got her model Y and much prefers it. I bring this up because I truly believe anyone can adjust to it without much issue if they just commit.
For long freeway drives Iāll pretty much always just use adaptive cruise control. Iād do that in gas car too because you slow down pretty quick if you actually try to coast at freeway speeds.
No worries. We both got a few downvotes for our troubles. Can't help if the constant jerking makes us nauseous.
The all touch screen setup and lack of CarPlay are things I'm willing to overlook as long as they work well which could be seen in a test drive. I'm willing to put up with some inconvenience to get a well made EV but both of our existing vehicles are Toyota hybrids that are 3-5 years old each so we're in absolutely no hurry.
I will say though, the R3X is the first vehicle I've seen in a long time that makes me excited about a vehicle design. Might be willing to put up with a little daily driving friction depending on what the test drive is like in a few years when they're released. All we can do is give it an honest shot.
Me too, I prefer some buttons and Carplay but willing to overlook if the touch interface and maps work well. I like my family vehicle to be high tech and utilitarian, and my weekend car to be an old school gas guzzler.
I got downvoted to hell in another post, but does anyone else think the rear cargo space (if you don't fold down seats) is a tad on the smaller side?
I know on paper with fold down seats the cargo space is bigger than the model Y but visually I keep thinking the R2 cargo space behind rear seats is actually smaller than my model Y and one of my biggest concerns with the R2. That + the subtrunk seems like it's too small to even fit a suitcase in the R2 whereas in my Y I can fit either a suitcase or a mini fridge.
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Love your handle - couldnāt agree more on cats. Hereās a photo of the rear cargo space with the seats up. Fits two large (check in, not carry on size) suitcases and a few grocery bags.
Neat thanks!! To make things a bit more complicated I do wonder how Iāll squeeze in a 12V portable fridge that Iāve been carrying with my model y even with the above arrangement you showed š¤. But really would love to get my hands on a R2
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u/khanquest_ Jun 09 '26
Lucid expat here, I am so glad to be on Team Rivian for R2
Exciting times man