How is the R1T handling in the corners?

[Firewired]

I keep seeing mentions of the straight-line performance of the R1T, how does it feel in the corners? Is there significant body roll or is it well handled due to being able to lower the ride height and low center of gravity from the batteries?

I am asking seriously because I haven't been able to find anyone mentioning it. I haven't had the opportunity for a test drive yet. I am on pre-order, coming from 5 prior Teslas. Currently a Performance 3 and previously a P100D, among others. I also currently have a Tacoma for doing some of the utility functions that I need. I was hoping to be able to bring the best of all worlds with the moderate utility needs, plus performance and moderate decent handling in the corners as much as can be possible for a 7000# vehicle.

Appreciate any insights. Thanks much.

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[DaveA]

I'm on all-terrains, but it has little body roll and when you punch it coming out of a turn, feels like it pulls you out of it nicely. The truck inspires a little too much confidence for its weight class if you ask me. LOL. Its quite amazing for a truck. I see you are in San Antone, so you'll be able to enjoy those twisty hill country roads!

 

[Dark-Fx]

The Rivian has hydraulic cross-linked roll dampers that almost completely eliminate the typical body roll you'd expect in a pickup truck.

 

[coshesey]

If you look it up, C&D says a .80 on the skid pad for the 20" and .84 with the 21". Edmunds got .87 on the skid pad with the 21" wheels. Not sure if the 22" tires have been tested yet.

I came from a B8.5 Audi S4 and it is not that, but I feel it handles really amazing on the twisties.

edit: I would also suggest to NOT use the auto feature for ride height if you want the truck to handle predictably. Also, with this king of power available, lift throttle response in a corner under power can me unsettling in all purpose mode.

I find that sport soft is a great mix for some fun. Surprising how easy it is to pitch it sideways in a corner with solid control.

PK

 

[Speedrye]

I'd love to hear comparisons to previous vehicles owner's have had. Great, it corners flat, but what kind of limits are we talking about? I don't expect to it hold a candle to my current sports sedan, and I expect it to handle better than my FJ, but there's a huge range between those extremes.

 

[OverZealous]

Our other car is a 2015 Model S 85D (with spring suspension), which is pretty fun to drive (even if not the best due to its size, it's pretty fun to tear around our country roads).

TBH, I was a little disappointed in the R1T when I first got it. I've never owned a pickup truck before, so my comparison is only going from a sports car to the truck—and I'm on the 20" ATs. It just didn't feel as confident in the corners.

But many reviews said it was a comparable experience, and it turns out there's a bit more to it. See, our roads are pretty chunky in places, so I couldn't leave the vehicle in default sport mode (sport/stiff/lowest), because the drive was extremely rough and unpleasant. I was driving around in all-purpose mode, and it just didn't feel that great.

I finally had a day to experiment with it, and I switched to sport/soft/low. In this configuration, you get a much smoother ride, but get to experience the sport driving profile.

This made a big difference. It was a lot more fun in the corners, and the acceleration is definitely harder. That being said, it's still a truck, and going around tight corners at speed is a bit terrifying. Some of this is the weight, some of it is the height, and some of it is just a truck is not going to be as performant in this kind of driving.

The one thing I'd like is the ability to control the power steering feedback a bit. I keep the Model S in "sport" mode, and I really like how the steering feels. Even in sport mode, the R1T's steering is a bit softer (if that makes sense?) than I'd like.

In the end, compared to my old Model S, I'd say the truck is like, 90% as fun cornering and on back roads. The good news is, that's literally the only area the Model S is noticeably better than the R1T. *

We also have an R1S on order with the 21" wheels, so I'm interested to compare the two. I expect the R1S to perform much better in this comparison, since it'll have better wheels & a shorter wheelbase.

* Edit: OK, there's a few other areas as I think about it. AP1 is definitely better than Driver+ (for now), simply because it works everywhere, and can auto-lane change. But Driver+ seems to stay centered better, especially in corners. Also it's easier to get in-and-out of the Model S, the R1T is really tall without steps.

 

[2020]

This the first truck that I have owned, so I have very little experience on how such a large vehicle corners at high speed. My observations:
-The Rivian corners very well for a large vehicle. The only caveat as compared to cars especially sports cars is that you don't have the feedback due to its large size and weight. I have a curve near my house and if there is no traffic I test my cars to see how fast I can take the curve. I've taken the curve at about 70-75mph comfortably.

-Tesla Model Y performance with Mountain Pass coilovers- tight suspension, feels lighter. Similiar speeds rounding the curve mentioned above but feel it is the limit of the car.

-Sports cars- various Porsches/Ferraris, can reach above 80mph. Also feel better control of the cars due to weight.

 

[Taycanfrank]

It's definitely very good for it's size, but nothing as outstanding as some reviews would have you believe. It's still a big, 7,000+ vehicle.

I've found it comparable to something like a Range Rover sport, except less body roll at the expense of some comfort.

Something like a Mach E or iPace was notably more composed in the corners and with quick adjustments, the R1T was capable but not as confidence inspiring.

I would describe it as sporty in the sense that it's more F-Pace or Range Rover than Ram or F-150.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

It's still a truck. It rides well enough for a truck... But don't be fooled; this is NOT a sports car in the handling department. I'm a bit surprised so many people have purported it to be so. It just goes to show that everything is relative, and what you're used to matters a lot. If you're driving a 1989 F-100 with blown out suspension bushings, the R1T is going to feel like a Porsche 911. But objectively it is NOT a sports car, there is a decent bit of body roll, and the tires protest vocally when pushed too hard in the corners.

Again, good for a truck. Very good, even. But not a sports car.

 

[BooneRiv]

Our other car is a 2015 Model S 85D (with spring suspension), which is pretty fun to drive (even if not the best due to its size, it's pretty fun to tear around our country roads).

TBH, I was a little disappointed in the R1T when I first got it. I've never owned a pickup truck before, so my comparison is only going from a sports car to the truck—and I'm on the 20" ATs. It just didn't feel as confident in the corners.

But many reviews said it was a comparable experience, and it turns out there's a bit more to it. See, our roads are pretty chunky in places, so I couldn't leave the vehicle in default sport mode (sport/stiff/lowest), because the drive was extremely rough and unpleasant. I was driving around in all-purpose mode, and it just didn't feel that great.

I finally had a day to experiment with it, and I switched to sport/soft/low. In this configuration, you get a much smoother ride, but get to experience the sport driving profile.

This made a big difference. It was a lot more fun in the corners, and the acceleration is definitely harder. That being said, it's still a truck, and going around tight corners at speed is a bit terrifying. Some of this is the weight, some of it is the height, and some of it is just a truck is not going to be as performant in this kind of driving.

The one thing I'd like is the ability to control the power steering feedback a bit. I keep the Model S in "sport" mode, and I really like how the steering feels. Even in sport mode, the R1T's steering is a bit softer (if that makes sense?) than I'd like.

In the end, compared to my old Model S, I'd say the truck is like, 90% as fun cornering and on back roads. The good news is, that's literally the only area the Model S is noticeably better than the R1T. *

We also have an R1S on order with the 21" wheels, so I'm interested to compare the two. I expect the R1S to perform much better in this comparison, since it'll have better wheels & a shorter wheelbase.

* Edit: OK, there's a few other areas as I think about it. AP1 is definitely better than Driver+ (for now), simply because it works everywhere, and can auto-lane change. But Driver+ seems to stay centered better, especially in corners. Also it's easier to get in-and-out of the Model S, the R1T is really tall without steps.

I have similar feedback. Our other vehicle is a 2016 Tesla MS 90D on spring suspension. We live in the mountains with lots of windy roads. I feel like even in all-purpose mode our R1T corners better than the MS, as long as the suspension is set to stiff. My daughter gets noticeably less car sick in the R1T (but that’s anecdotal and could be bc the vision is better in the backseat).

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I've owned a Mini Cooper and an Audi A3 when it was a faster version of the Golf GTI (both with a manual) as a reference point. The Rivian obviously doesn't corner as well as those, but in Sport/Low/Stiff it has incredibly little body roll for a truck or SUV. Where it makes up the difference in the "fun" department is the instant throttle response and torque vectoring to launch you out of the apex when turning.

Outside of a legitimate sports car, nothing is going to give you the same feeling as the Rivian coming out of a turn with instant power and the 4 motor setup combined with the suspension allows you to maximize that capability.

Overall, for me, it was vastly more fun to drive on the same mountain roads as compared to the mini or the Audi.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I went in expecting “sports car handling due to the same suspension setup Mclaren uses”

The reality is it’s good for a truck. It’s not a sports car and it’s not even good for a car as many econoboxes are lighter and offer better handling. But for a truck? It’s excellent, but even then I’d put it on par with my Ridgeline, better but it’s not blowing me away.

 

[Madsen203]

If you look it up, C&D says a .80 on the skid pad for the 20" and .84 with the 21". Edmunds got .87 on the skid pad with the 21" wheels. Not sure if the 22" tires have been tested yet.

I came from a B8.5 Audi S4 and it is not that, but I feel it handles really amazing on the twisties.

PK

Wow. Model Y with 20” sport tires is reported as having .88g. Having .84 with road tires is impressive. I guess there is an exponential factor at play here but still incredible. Alas, I’m sure they tested that in “sport” mode where it was riding low on the bump stops.

 

[derekmw]

Interesting to see the comments, almost makes me think something is wrong with my suspension.

I'm coming from a Model 3 Performance but I do own a 2004 Tundra. Both cars feel vastly tighter on turns than the R1T. Whether I'm on soft or stiff suspension, I feel like the truck feels like a boat taking turns. Maybe I should get it checked? lol

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Interesting to see the comments, almost makes me think something is wrong with my suspension.

I'm coming from a Model 3 Performance but I do own a 2004 Tundra. Both cars feel vastly tighter on turns than the R1T. Whether I'm on soft or stiff suspension, I feel like the truck feels like a boat taking turns. Maybe I should get it checked? lol

If your truck feels less tight than a 04 Tundra on low/stiff I'd say something is wrong with your truck.

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