Canceled my R1S order :-(

[Donald Stanfield]

I have been driving non-gasoline cars for my daily commute since 2010. Nothing more convenient than plugging in at home. Wasting time at a gas station after a long day at work is an intolerable thought to me.

I am a total gear head and have owned so many cars over the years. The R1S is functionally the best daily that I have ever owned. Ultimately it’ll come down to whether it stays reliable. I would never own a BMW SUV or Range Rover out of warranty. Total money pits.

I know what you mean about wasting time at a gas station. My T is at the detailer tonight getting the ceramic touched up for the one year appointment and I've had to drive my wife's car. She has the SQ5 and of course there wasn't enough gas in it so I had to go to the gas station and fight through all the people there. I forgot how annoying that is. The biggest annoyance though, engine shifting.

This is why we ordered my wife an EV too. Driving an ICE now feels like antiquated tech.

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[emoore]

Excellent review !!! Thank you for sharing.

Every single detail that you mention about the Rivian is totally valid and I agree 100% with you in all of them, with more emphasis on the suspension that sucks. (RIvian R1S rattles everywhere, you missed mention that..... )

Every 2-3 days someone ask me how do I like the Rivian and I take the time to explain every single thing that you just described..... Also I add the 25 days in service in first 2 months and the felling of driving in a highway with my family and suddenly enter a limp mode...... slowing from 75 to 19 mph because some lazy Rivian employee at the factory didn't route a brake sensor cable properly.

You did the right thing to cancel it. My advise is don't look back, for $100K Rivian is falling short on everything when others don't.

Hope you sold your Rivian then.

 

[jwanderson88]

You really love your BMW. I don't know why you're looking for a different car anyway. When you buy a BEV, you're paying a bunch for the electric drivetrain instead of interior content. An ICE vehicle the same price as the R1S will be a nicer car. I guess the dirty secret that most EV owners know is that you probably won't save money with an EV. You're buying it for some other reason.

 

[Groshyubcha]

Credit to the OP for sharing his views. Of course, all of our biases come out in personal narratives, and he is simply expressing subjective experience. There are plenty of future buyers who share the excitement and fanaticism the OP had waiting for the vehicle; unfortunately, he was disappointed when he met his hero. His expectations were not met, and I hope his review is helpful to others. As another poster commented, it depends what you were looking for from a vehicle.

When I had a Maserati Gran Turismo, I looked past all the electronic failures in order to enjoy the magnificent sound of a V-8. With my BMW i3 I forgave the limited range, in exchange for gokart-like zippiness around the suburbs. The 2023 G63 AMG, (about which I complained extensively on the Mercedes-Benz forum) was my least favorite vehicle! At that price point there were unforgivable flaws that cars a quarter of the price failed to have, and the thrust and sound of its V8 power plant failed to make me forget.

Our R1S replaces every SUV/FamilyVan we will need. With space for 3 children and 2 100lb dogs it is the perfect daily driver, transporter/limo service, and adventure vehicle without the guilt of internal combustion. It is my Electric JLR Defender (2 years before LR releases there’s)

The R1S is a different experience for every owner. For some it fails to live up to the hype, for others it will exceed expectations. Find solace that tastes and preference are entirely subjective- some people find it weird that I enjoy running 5 miles to work and 5 miles back regardless of the weather.

What is inexcusable to one person, is simply irrelevant for another.

 

[Count Orlok]

I decided not to get Taco Bell tonight. It’s been weighing on me all day. #JustThoughtYouShouldKnow

Subway again???!!!

 

[PBRAZ]

Credit to the OP for sharing his views. Of course, all of our biases come out in personal narratives, and he is simply expressing subjective experience. There are plenty of future buyers who share the excitement and fanaticism the OP had waiting for the vehicle; unfortunately, he was disappointed when he met his hero. His expectations were not met, and I hope his review is helpful to others. As another poster commented, it depends what you were looking for from a vehicle.

When I had a Maserati Gran Turismo, I looked past all the electronic failures in order to enjoy the magnificent sound of a V-8. With my BMW i3 I forgave the limited range, in exchange for gokart-like zippiness around the suburbs. The 2023 G63 AMG, (about which I complained extensively on the Mercedes-Benz forum) was my least favorite vehicle! At that price point there were unforgivable flaws that cars a quarter of the price failed to have, and the thrust and sound of its V8 power plant failed to make me forget.

Our R1S replaces every SUV/FamilyVan we will need. With space for 3 children and 2 100lb dogs it is the perfect daily driver, transporter/limo service, and adventure vehicle without the guilt of internal combustion. It is my Electric JLR Defender (2 years before LR releases there’s)

The R1S is a different experience for every owner. For some it fails to live up to the hype, for others it will exceed expectations. Find solace that tastes and preference are entirely subjective- some people find it weird that I enjoy running 5 miles to work and 5 miles back regardless of the weather.

What is inexcusable to one person, is simply irrelevant for another.

Well said.

 

[DynamoLA]

Interesting take. I too have a 4 year old X7 that I love. Unlike the OP, however, I’m turning it in in a few weeks for my new R1S.

Why?
1. The X7 is out of warranty and the pending repair bills will suck. (Let’s face it, BMWs are not known for Honda-like quality)
2. The regular maintenance bills will also suck. (I have M sport brake pads that will need replacement asap, along with the other extortionate pricing that BMW charges for things like oil changes).
3. I’m tired of spending $500+/month on gas
4. Desire to go electric for environmental reasons

I had a great Rivian test drive out of El Segundo and thought the vehicle was amazing. I do have the early pricing so that is helpful.

I will miss my X7 (especially Apple CarPlay), but I think it’s worth the investment and the future cost avoidance. I also never use some of the features like massaging seats, so maybe I just don’t need a fancy car like the X7.

 

[PBRAZ]

I would also add that as we get older, "practicality" seems to be the driver for vehicle purchases. It's why there are numerous threads on this board by those deciding between purchasing a Rivian or a Kia/Hyundai/Toyota/etc. To each his own, but for me a big factor that most of those people fail to mention is how cool and different the Rivians are compared to everything out there. It's why I got stopped no less than 5 times this past weekend by people who had questions about the car and/or said how cool it was. My Gear Guard is full of clips of people peering in through the window. This harks back to the 50's when people customized their cars, brought them to car shows, and did cruises. I drive a bad ass vehicle and couldn't be more proud when people stop and stare. Shoot, I'm still giddy as a school girl every morning when I get in to the truck...and I have had it for 2 months!

Sorry not sorry, but none of the above will ever happen with an X7. You're just one of the practical masses and where's the fun in that?

 

[Ecupip]

I know what you mean about wasting time at a gas station. My T is at the detailer tonight getting the ceramic touched up for the one year appointment and I've had to drive my wife's car. She has the SQ5 and of course there wasn't enough gas in it so I had to go to the gas station and fight through all the people there. I forgot how annoying that is. The biggest annoyance though, engine shifting.

This is why we ordered my wife an EV too. Driving an ICE now feels like antiquated tech.

I’m with you there. So many people say, oh, I can fill up in 5 mins or less. Heck, every time I visit a gas station I’m waiting 5-10min for a pump to open up. It’s annoying.

 

[Yossarian]

I would also add that as we get older, "practicality" seems to be the driver for vehicle purchases. It's why there are numerous threads on this board by those deciding between purchasing a Rivian or a Kia/Hyundai/Toyota/etc. . .

How true for many of us in that "older" demographic. In my case, while waiting for my R1S, I purchased a Telluride as the interim vehicle, though I did also consider the Highlander and Pilot before doing so. A quick aside: the Telluride is a surprising car in many ways; very well thought out, and put together, along with being roomy, comfortable and pleasant (read: almost fun) to drive. My offroading consists of an occasional foray on gravel or fire roads, but I do drive in heavy snow regularly and the Telluride is quite capable in both situations. IMO, the Kia is considerably superior to either the Honda or the Toyota in most ways, and is in the same class as both in terms of reliability and durability.

The Telluride has set a pretty high bar for the R1S to clear but my First Mile ride, unlike that of the OP, seems to indicate that the Rivian is up to that task.

 

[Redline]

How true for many of us in that "older" demographic. In my case, while waiting for my R1S, I purchased a Telluride as the interim vehicle, though I did also consider the Highlander and Pilot before doing so. A quick aside: the Telluride is a surprising car in many ways; very well thought out, and put together, along with being roomy, comfortable and pleasant (read: almost fun) to drive. My offroading consists of an occasional foray on gravel or fire roads, but I do drive in heavy snow regularly and the Telluride is quite capable in both situations. IMO, the Kia is considerably superior to either the Honda or the Toyota in most ways, and is in the same class as both in terms of reliability and durability.

The Telluride has set a pretty high bar for the R1S to clear but my First Mile ride, unlike that of the OP, seems to indicate that the Rivian is up to that task.

Are they still charging mark ups? My parents are interested in trading in their old Pilot for a Telluride, but they're holding off a year due to dealers trying to mark them up.

 

[EVfanboy]

Interesting take. I too have a 4 year old X7 that I love. Unlike the OP, however, I’m turning it in in a few weeks for my new R1S.

Why?
1. The X7 is out of warranty and the pending repair bills will suck. (Let’s face it, BMWs are not known for Honda-like quality)
2. The regular maintenance bills will also suck. (I have M sport brake pads that will need replacement asap, along with the other extortionate pricing that BMW charges for things like oil changes).
3. I’m tired of spending $500+/month on gas
4. Desire to go electric for environmental reasons

I had a great Rivian test drive out of El Segundo and thought the vehicle was amazing. I do have the early pricing so that is helpful.

I will miss my X7 (especially Apple CarPlay), but I think it’s worth the investment and the future cost avoidance. I also never use some of the features like massaging seats, so maybe I just don’t need a fancy car like the X7.

How was your test drive?

 

[Yossarian]

Are they still charging mark ups? My parents are interested in trading in their old Pilot for a Telluride, but they're holding off a year due to dealers trying to mark them up.

The Kia dealer network in general, and the "market adjustment" fee charged by nearly all of them specifically are the only real (though big) negatives wrt to the Telluride. My understanding is that most dealers have now either reduced that unjustifiable and frankly rapacious fee considerably, or dropped it altogether. My suggestion is to call locally and ask. If that's not successful, there is at least one well-regarded dealer that has always sold (nationwide) at MSRP, Kia of Muncie to consider. May or may not work for your folks depending on their location, though I from what I've seen on the Telluride forum they commonly ship their cars across the country, for a fee of course.

Another alternative is to get its corporate cousin, the Pallisade, almost always available from Hyndai dealers at list. The downside to the Pallisade is its faux-Lexus exterior and that the vehicle is made in Korea (the Telluride was designed in US and looks it, and it is assembled in GA, with considerable North American content). The top-trim Pallisade does have a nicer interior than the Telluride however, though its control layout is inferior.

Apologies to the OP for the thread hijack.

 

[EVfanboy]

How true for many of us in that "older" demographic. In my case, while waiting for my R1S, I purchased a Telluride as the interim vehicle, though I did also consider the Highlander and Pilot before doing so. A quick aside: the Telluride is a surprising car in many ways; very well thought out, and put together, along with being roomy, comfortable and pleasant (read: almost fun) to drive. My offroading consists of an occasional foray on gravel or fire roads, but I do drive in heavy snow regularly and the Telluride is quite capable in both situations. IMO, the Kia is considerably superior to either the Honda or the Toyota in most ways, and is in the same class as both in terms of reliability and durability.

The Telluride has set a pretty high bar for the R1S to clear but my First Mile ride, unlike that of the OP, seems to indicate that the Rivian is up to that task.

Your experience with the Kia telluride is in line with almost every auto magazine, rating it as the top choice in three row SUV. It’s an amazing car, but most of us cannot wrap our heads around buying a Kia, something about brand perception. I think the EV9 would be an exceptional vehicle with its top trim having all the bells and whistles matching any luxury car. $75,000, GT version, horsepower not announced yet.

 

[Rad_ry]

Your review isn’t very balanced. You are aware of the software update re ride quality - and get confirmation that your test vehicle is not yet updated - yet continue to trash it, along with your million other gripes. Shocked you weren’t able to discover a lot of these things pre test drive.

It sounds like you’re just having a spray tbh. It’s a great thing you have cancelled your order. You are constantly comparing to ICEs but don’t seem to grasp how fundamentally different Rivian (and Tesla) are to these legacy manufacturers - and the unique benefits they have now and will have over time - which BMW and Range Rover etc just can’t match.

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