so who's ordering a Rivian?

[DouglasVB]

My test drove a Rivian SUV at an event they were holding at our local coffee shop earlier this week. She really liked it except for the interface. Too much touch screen to do anything. Too weird to get it into drive, park, and reverse. The "come to a stop when you let off the gas without needing to touch the brake" was also not a favorite. If it had the interface of a late 90s Toyota 4runner, it would be almost perfect. The only other thing it would then need is a manual transmission as my will not own a vehicle without a clutch

Oh also she did not like having to push a button to exit the vehicle rather than a mechanical handle. I see that Rivian is going to fix this soon. It's insane to me that there are vehicles that don't have manual door releases. It is a wild safety problem.

 

[Corbet]

I haven’t driven a Rivian yet but other EV’s that I have driven I’ve loved the driving experience. I agree on the interface. Too much tech for basic operations. I guess I’m just old. That smaller Rivian is something I’ve been watching to replace the wife’s Outback next purchase cycle. But I doubt she will give up the freedom of her internal combustion engine. Maybe things charge faster in 5 years.

 

[lars]

I have driven one of the larger Ravians. I'll admit it was impressive. I agree with the others about the interface. I like the knobs. In the 4Runer I can reach over and adjust the temp without having to take my eyes off the road. Just turn the knob. A Lot of the interface is voice activated, but I like just turning the knob. I do like how the screens look in the R2, The displayes were made as part of the vehicle and not just an iPad slapped in there. One of the things that Rivian did is make it where the back window roll down. I love this feature in the 4Runner. I'm not quite ready to go EV but with vehicles like this coming out, I'm getting closer.

 

[pmccumber]

I was on a business trip with a Rivian owner two weeks ago and her parents lived in Orange County and let her drive theirs while we were in SoCal. I gotta admit, it was really sweet.

Rivian took over the Consumer Reports #1 spot for owner satisfaction. And they reported earnings this week and seem to be crushing it.

I went ahead and put $100 down. An R2 looks like a decent vehicle. Still a sheet of plywood off-road but it has 9.6” clearance and they at least give lip service to driving on dirt.

When the time comes my deep and personal relationship I have with my money will probably be an insurmountable obstacle but for now I am interested.

 

[satchel]

The interesting thing with Rivian is they have some of the highest consumer reports satisfaction rating, but the very bottom consumer reports reliability rating.

I guess it is always breaking but the owners like it so much they look past the issues?

 

[pmccumber]

The interesting thing with Rivian is they have some of the highest consumer reports satisfaction rating, but the very bottom consumer reports reliability rating.

I guess it is always breaking but the owners like it so much they look past the issues?

Ive heard it was issues with the over the air updates, screen glitches, etc and the early models had actual mechanical issues and fit and finish.

But I have heard they’re making progress.

Still, nothing sours me like crap I have to schedule and get fixed. I wondered the same thing.

 

[mcgaskins]

Ive heard it was issues with the over the air updates, screen glitches, etc and the early models had actual mechanical issues and fit and finish.

But I have heard they’re making progress.

Still, nothing sours me like crap I have to schedule and get fixed. I wondered the same thing.

If you are considering one, definitely join a couple of the facebook groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/RivianEV and https://www.facebook.com/groups/rivianownersnorthamerica

Of course many of those "initial quality survey" items are OTA and software glitches that require a learning curve and some patience, but long term ownership costs have proven to be quite expensive. Keep in mind R1 is truly a technology marvel, and it shares far more DNA with McLaren than Toyota. For example, the suspension is some kind of 5 link aluminum magic with air springs, hydraulic roll control, etc. - but that extreme complexity and performance has a maintenance (cost) tradeoff. For people seriously considering buying one and keeping it beyond the factory warranty, I encourage them to think about maintenance and repair costs like it was a high performance exotic - which it basically is.

The R2 is likely to be far easier on the wallet with much lower complexity, so it will be interesting to see how it holds up over time.

 

[DouglasVB]

There's usually an R1S parked outside of Brad Pitt's house near us out here in Monterey. I saw it today under a cover when we drove by.

Rivians are plentiful around us. Not as ubiquitous as Teslas but they're catching up quickly.

I've seen one Slate truck with the SUV package that a local coffee shop has decked out with a full custom wrap job. I think it's in town as a marketing thing for Car Week.