R1S vs R2 = Tier 1 Luxury vs Entry Level EV?

[VegasWeezy]

For those of you who have owned or driven an R1S (or R1T) and have seen the R2 in person and sat in it, did you get a sense that there is wide gap in the quality of the materials and feel of the vehicles?

Background: I am a Day 1 reservation holder for the R2 and I have been excited and waiting patiently for the Launch Edition. Recently, however, I have considered the option of getting a used R1S (potentially a Gen 1 Quad). So today I had a demo drive of a 2026 R1S Quad with the Slate Sky interior (my personal favorite of all options), and it was amazing. Afterward, I spoke to the advisor about the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2, and then asked how the R2 will compare to the Gen 2 R1S.

This is where I was a bit shocked to hear them describe the differences as “the R1 being the Tier 1 luxury line and the R2 being more of an entry level EV”. They went on to describe how the materials are inferior quality, still nice, but nowhere near the R1 quality, and then spoke about the lack of a powered frunk or rear hatch, and no air suspension.

To me, I always figured the R2 was mostly a condensed R1 but of similar quality. I’m curious what your thoughts are, for those of you who have experienced both in person.

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[jackfu]

T1 luxury

 

[Mos Eisley]

They actually used the word “inferior”? Somebody from Tesla snuck in to Rivian sales?

sounds like somebody poorly trained and desperate to make a sale.

 

[jackfu]

They actually used the word “inferior”? Somebody from Tesla snuck in to Rivian sales?

Ya feels like terrible sales training. Unless they have an overriding objective to get you into a R1 today.

The R1 interior is solid from a touch and aesthetic perspective. Not a lot of hard cheap plastics, especially on the upper half of the cabin. It falls short a bit from the rattles that are prevalent in every one I’ve driven over the terrible roads here in New England.

I haven’t sat in the R2 yet, but from pictures, I think the aesthetic of the R1 translates well to a lower price point/substitute materials without presenting as cheap.

For me, the key points that really help a vehicle feel upscale include: dash material, stitching consistency, and door card material.

 

[VegasWeezy]

They actually used the word “inferior”? Somebody from Tesla snuck in to Rivian sales?

sounds like somebody poorly trained and desperate to make a sale.

Ya feels like terrible sales training. Unless they have an overriding objective to get you into a R1 today.

The advisor wasn’t trying to sell me though, that’s the weird part and what threw me off even more. It wasn’t like they were trying to pitch me on anything. They were just answering questions.

 

[SANZC02]

For those of you who have owned or driven an R1S (or R1T) and have seen the R2 in person and sat in it, did you get a sense that there is wide gap in the quality of the materials and feel of the vehicles?

Background: I am a Day 1 reservation holder for the R2 and I have been excited and waiting patiently for the Launch Edition. Recently, however, I have considered the option of getting a used R1S (potentially a Gen 1 Quad). So today I had a demo drive of a 2026 R1S Quad with the Slate Sky interior (my personal favorite of all options), and it was amazing. Afterward, I spoke to the advisor about the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2, and then asked how the R2 will compare to the Gen 2 R1S.

This is where I was a bit shocked to hear them describe the differences as “the R1 being the Tier 1 luxury line and the R2 being more of an entry level EV”. They went on to describe how the materials are inferior quality, still nice, but nowhere near the R1 quality, and then spoke about the lack of a powered frunk or rear hatch, and no air suspension.

To me, I always figured the R2 was mostly a condensed R1 but of similar quality. I’m curious what your thoughts are, for those of you who have experienced both in person.

I think the rep was off base. I have a G1 R1S and have seen the R2 in person, the gap is no where near as wide as he insinuated between the 2.

I have an older Tesla Model S and in my opinion the R2 interior is nicer than that.

 

[Dustyshades]

I think the rep was off base. I have a G1 R1S and have seen the R2 in person, the gap is no where near as wide as he insinuated between the 2.

I have an older Tesla Model S and in my opinion the R2 interior is nicer than that.

I also have a gen 1 R1S, but to be fair the slate sky interior is a bit nicer than what we have. That’s a whole higher premium tier that didn’t exist before. But I’d say the R2 interior feels comparable to the Gen 1 R1S, maybe just a little bit of a step down but not in a way that you’re going to immediately notice and think about how much worse it is.

 

[Arbitrator]

For those of you who have owned or driven an R1S (or R1T) and have seen the R2 in person and sat in it, did you get a sense that there is wide gap in the quality of the materials and feel of the vehicles?

Background: I am a Day 1 reservation holder for the R2 and I have been excited and waiting patiently for the Launch Edition. Recently, however, I have considered the option of getting a used R1S (potentially a Gen 1 Quad). So today I had a demo drive of a 2026 R1S Quad with the Slate Sky interior (my personal favorite of all options), and it was amazing. Afterward, I spoke to the advisor about the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2, and then asked how the R2 will compare to the Gen 2 R1S.

This is where I was a bit shocked to hear them describe the differences as “the R1 being the Tier 1 luxury line and the R2 being more of an entry level EV”. They went on to describe how the materials are inferior quality, still nice, but nowhere near the R1 quality, and then spoke about the lack of a powered frunk or rear hatch, and no air suspension.

To me, I always figured the R2 was mostly a condensed R1 but of similar quality. I’m curious what your thoughts are, for those of you who have experienced both in person.

I have the 2025 R1 S tri motor and also have a reservation for the R2. I have the same concerns that you have expressed that a vehicle that will cost approximately 70% of the cost of the larger vehicle can be equal in luxury or performance. What will help me decide whether I trade down to an R2 will be what is available on the R1 as compared to rhe R2 in 2027 when my lease is up. For instance, the range difference between the R1 and R2 is meaningful will lthat somehow change, will there be a larger battery that will a avaibke and what upgrades will be available in the R2. I think that if Rivian wants to move R1 owners into an R2 they will need to introduce upgrades to the R2 minimizing the difference in range, performance and features.

 

[VegasWeezy]

I think the rep was off base. I have a G1 R1S and have seen the R2 in person, the gap is no where near as wide as he insinuated between the 2.

I have an older Tesla Model S and in my opinion the R2 interior is nicer than that.

Would you say there’s a noticeable difference? I’m not surprised if it’s a little less quality, but I wouldn’t expect it to be too much. The R1S I demo drove today was phenomenal. The interior was super nice, and definitely better than my Mustang Mach e interior. But I still wouldn’t say there is a chasm between those two and I would expect the R2 to be at least as good as the Mach e materials.

On a separate note, I had to floor it and experience that 0 to 60 in roughly 2.6 seconds a few times. My god is that thing powerful. I didn’t warn my wife and kids either, just surprised them with the acceleration the first time. They loved it.

 

[CharonPDX]

Nope.

R1 is not "luxury". It's "very nice," but not "luxury."

R2 is nearly identical interior quality. (From the twice I've gotten to see them.)

And R2 isn't "entry level" - it's still "premium SUV" pricing. It ain't no Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4. Even the late-2027 "Standard small" starts at quite a bit more than a RAV4 PHEV or Ford Explorer. The R2 Premium is in line with a Lexus RX. The Standard in line with a BMW X1.

 

[mkg3]

...To me, I always figured the R2 was mostly a condensed R1 but of similar quality...

Own R1S and have been in R2, I would say that this statement is accurate.

Two things - R1 is not Tier 1 luxury vehicle and R2 has much less content and size than R1, especially mechanically. .

 

[Golfer04]

I've only owned Ts, and have seen R2 close up twice. The R2 interior is a little less qualify than R1, but certainly not a Hyundai quality comparable vehicle either. The most striking difference in person is how much smaller the R2 is. It is Subaru Forester or Honda CRV size. Take out the air suspension & a little quality on the interior and you have a much less expensive vehicle. According to my Rivian engineer neighbor the R1 suspension is $17,000/vehicle more than a standard fixed suspension.

 

[Rivdog]

The R2 will be nicer than the Mach E but not as nice as the R1. I don’t consider the R1 luxury though, more of a premium level. My interior shows almost no wear after almost 3.5 years though, so that’s nice.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

None of these is a luxury car. Even the R1s are missing some basic features of luxury cars. Rivian calls them adventure vehicles. I have an R1S and have seen the R2 in person, and my impression is that the R2 is a smaller version of the R1, not a lower-quality version.

The Ascend interior is nicer, and the design of it is excellent, but the materials aren't a ton nicer. I wouldn't call it a major step down to R2 in anything but size.

 

[Great Gatsby]

Huge caveat here - the ascend interior is very nice and only available on the higher trims on the R1. That is a huge gap IMO from that to an R2. However, from the adventure trim of the R1 to the R2, the gap is nowhere near as noticeble.

If you loved the ascend interior of the new Quad, the R2 is not like this. You will be disappointed. And you should be. The R2 is half the price. Compare it to the dual motor R1 to the R2 and you will be pleasantly surprised that they did not cut too many corners to get it at a more affordable price.

And yes, the R2 is certainly nicer than your standard car. Not full on luxury, but a lot better than the mainstream brands offer at this price point.

Hope this helps.

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