Review: From Tesla to Rivian R1S as a family vehicle

[hashjoin]

I originally posted this on Reddit. Crossposting here for broader visibility. Hopefully it is allowed to crosspost.

Last week, we took delivery of an R1S (perf dual motor, max pack, 21’’ wheel, ocean coast/dark ash + LA silver), and immediately took it from the Bay Area to Tahoe. Here’s our 1 week review. Tl;dr: R1S is a great family vehicle, even if you don't consider yourself "adventurous". Maybe the best out there!

A little bit more about our background: We use the vehicle primarily as a family vehicle for hauling 2 toddlers and often 4 adults (so we need 6 seats). We don’t consider ourselves very adventurous (never go camping or mountain biking; skiing is the closest we come to “adventures”), so we are NOT the target audience of Rivian marketing.

We have been Tesla drivers for 6 years. Before the R1S, we have a 2023 Model X and a 2022 Model Y. We have also recently drove (rentals/test drives) Subaru Outback, Audi A6, Lincoln Navigator, Chevy Suburban, BMW 3, Kia EV9 and Mercedes EQS.


What We Love About the R1S:

• Design: Obviously this is a very subjective one, but the vehicle's aesthetics are stunning. It strikes a perfect balance between masculine and feminine elements, with paint that seems to have more depth compared to Tesla's. Wife approved!
• Quality: The car is well made (both software and hardware). Given this is Rivian’s 2nd car and the 2nd year of mass manufacturing, I’m pleasantly surprised. Rivian is making ~50k cars this year, which is equivalent to Tesla’s volume in 2015. The R1S definitely felt more mature than the Tesla’s from back then (or even later years).
  • Both our latest X and Y had minor things to fix within a few days of delivery (falcon wing door leak, wiper issues), and we haven’t yet found any issues with the R1S that we need to return to service.
  • The build quality feels better than current Tesla, and it feels more “luxurious” than the Model X. But to be fair, neither Tesla nor Rivian feel super luxurious, if that's what you are after.
• Space: So much storage space compared with the Model X.
  • The trunk is much larger given the more box shape of the R1S. The frunk is also substantially larger. The lower center console is also great. We were able to pack much more stuff to Tahoe compared with the Model X.
  • Adults can actually sit in the 3rd row comfortably.
• Range: With max pack, we could make it to Tahoe without charging stop.
• Drive:
  • It's quite fun to drive. I didn’t feel I was driving a bigger car compared with the Model X. It felt somewhat nimble (but obviously not as nimble as the Model Y).
  • The visibility is great, especially with the 360 view in tight space.
• "Boring tech": Rivian uses more tried and tested components like signal stalks, blind spot detector sensors, ultrasonic sensors, rear cross-traffic warning, auto wiper. Even though I’m quite used to all the new things Tesla has used, I find it silly to have touch-based turn signals, lack of USS, vision-based auto wiper, etc.
• Interior lights: Fairly bright.
• Lower tailgate: Super useful for kids to sit on. We have them sit on the tailgate while putting ski boots on.
• Roof rack: I like that it's possible to have a roof back. I got the crossbars during delivery. Will get a Thule roof box for my next ski trip so we can put skis on top. I will also try to do a semi-scientific experiment to test the range loss.
• WiFi hotspot: The wifi hotspot is surprisingly convenient and useful. I’m typing this review on my laptop connecting to the car’s hotspot, in Palisades Tahoe parking lot.
• 110v outlet: Super useful when I had to charge my laptop.
• Flashlight: I initially thought it was gimmicky, but then realized it's kind of nice to have a flashlight that I know will be charged and won't run out of battery.
• Initial setup UX: Was very well done and super straightforward.

A few comments:

• Range estimator: the range estimator was overly conservative. I arrived at Tahoe with almost 30 more miles than expected. Of course, I’d rather it being more conservative than aggressive.
• Driver+: We had low expectations initially based on the reviews online. But it is not terrible. Better than how Tesla auto pilot did in 2018 but not as good as Tesla's today. It worked on most of the highways we were on, except the smaller one (89).
  • One thing I like is the ability to resume Driver+ after a lane change. That's better than the default Tesla auto pilot (which would require manual re-enabling auto pilot). It's not as good as the enhanced auto pilot because EAP would change lanes for you automatically upon signaling (but costs $6k extra).
• Glove compartment: Weird that it doesn't have one, but not that big of a deal in practice. It feels like it'd have one though given the space.
• Cabin noise: I saw a lot of mentions of it being noisier than Model X, but based my unscientific analysis (looking at Apple Watch noise measurement on 101 at 65mph), the two are comparable.
• Seat comfort: I asked every adult on the trip to Tahoe and they all said the seats were fine. And because it's more spacious than the X, they feel more comfortable. None of us were super picky about seats so YMMV.
• Charging network: I used the Electrify America charger at the Vacaville outlets once and it was definitely more annoying to setup compared with the Tesla experience. (I don't think I needed to, but I was nervous going up to Tahoe given it's our first time.) I'm looking forward to the integration with the Tesla supercharging network next year. Tesla has an edge here right now.
• Getting kids in: Here's how I'd rank the difficulty in terms of getting kids into their car seats (from easiest to most difficult): Model X, R1S, Model Y. The reason Model X wins here is due to the falcon wing door (no way to hit the roof). R1S is easier than the Y due to a larger door.

Things that I wish to be different, and likely will be fixed by software:

• Adding a driver: It’s surprisingly difficult to add one. The person must register an account with Rivian. With Tesla, we can just add one in the car. Much more convenient for less tech savvy members of the family.
• AC too loud: Auto AC feels too strong as it always blasts out. Tesla has an option to allow the user to set the auto AC to low med high and we always set it to low.
• Navigation: It’s just not great. We bumped into it couple times on our way to Tahoe. I don't really need CarPlay if the navigation is as good as Tesla's (or just use Google's).
• Lack of Apple Music.
• Turn signal:
  • Turn signal light’s wood tapping sound is weird and too light / difficult to hear.
  • Tesla has this new turn signal feature that it automatically turns it off after a turn or a lane change. That’s a very handy feature that’s missing on the R1S.
  • Show side camera footage when turn signal is on. I heard this one is being worked on.
• Continuous GearGuard: There should be an option for GearGuard to do 24/7 recording while parked.
• Auto tilt side mirror: No way to auto tilt side mirror while in reserve. I ended up creating another driver profile with a different email address to switch.
• Software UX: While smooth, often takes couple more touches than needed. For example, (1) it takes one more touch than Tesla to switch driver; (2) it takes one more touch to start navigation to a destination.
• Camera picture quality: They were noticeably worse than the Tesla's. Not sure if it is a hardware sensor issue or a software issue. I've noticed Tesla's camera quality gotten better overtime with software updates.

Hardware things I wish to be different:

• 2nd row seat belts: The 2nd row seat belts are attached to the car instead of integrated with the seats. This makes it less convenient to deal with car seats. If they were integrated with the seats, then I could adjust the position of the 2nd row without re-installing the car seats. But with their current setup, I’d need to re-install the car seats any time I change the position of the 2nd row.
• 2nd row seats: They take too much force to move back, and don't go back to the original recline position, which is annoying. Similar to a lot of other people, I'd love to have a 6 seat configuration that's easier to maneuver.
• Suspension noise: I noticed the clicking sound when the vehicle was adjusting the suspension height. I initially thought there was a problem with the vehicle but looks like it's just standard suspension height change?! The Model X would never make such a sound.
• Running boards: Given how tall the car is, we were surprised it didn’t come with running boards. Likely going to get the EV Sportline ones to install.
• Floor mats: The OEM all weather floor mats were not that great in terms of fit. I have a linerx one on the way.
• Interior door handles: They were too low. Multiple people didn’t find it quickly the first time.
• Door closing: The doors were difficult to close. It felt like we had to “slam” to close them. This is more noticeable in the rear driver side door and the lower tailgate. I don’t know if it is possible for service center to adjust this.
• Mobile phone charge pad: Indeed terrible for iPhones. Very difficult to align. I ordered an TWRAPS charger on the way.

Overall, this is an excellent family vehicle and my whole family love it. We feel there’s a market to be taken by Rivian from the Model X and Range Rover owners that just want a bigger, nice family car to haul people and stuff, but would never take a vehicle off-road.

And don't get me wrong; although I made many direct comparisons to Tesla here, I still love my Tesla vehicles and would take those over other vehicles, except the Rivian, any day.

Happy new year, everybody!

• Update 1: added a comment about cabin noise.
• Update 2: added a comment about seat comfort.
• Update 3: added a comment about driver+ resume after lane change.
• Update 4: added a comment about charging network.
• Update 5: added a comment about ease of getting kids in.

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[835Horses]

Fantastic write up. I am coming from a ModelX too and loving it so far (3 weeks)

 

[BeanEW]

To me, skiing is an adventure... congrats. Instead of EA, you should use the RAN in Corte Madera and the RAN in Truckee, more reliable and less wait time (if any).

 

[NineElectrics]

Totally agree, the R1S is miles ahead of the X.

 

[drivetorun]

@hashjoin -- any chance you can be a bit more specific on your Tahoe route? Bay Area to Tahoe is like saying CA to NV Considering both South San Jose and Concord can be considered SF Bay Area, and South LT/Truckee/Incline are all Tahoe, a bit more context would be awesome--thanks!

 

[hashjoin]

@hashjoin -- any chance you can be a bit more specific on your Tahoe route? Bay Area to Tahoe is like saying CA to NV Considering both South San Jose and Concord can be considered SF Bay Area, and South LT/Truckee/Incline are all Tahoe, a bit more context would be awesome--thanks!

Lol. Menlo Park to Truckee downtown.

 

[djsider2]

What SoC did you start and end with? Is the trip doable on Large pack?

 

[hashjoin]

What SoC did you start and end with? Is the trip doable on Large pack?

I didn't track on my way there. Tracked on my way back:

From 90% to 27%
236.8 mile, 2.77 mi/kWh, 86 kWh
Avg 54 mi/h, 4 hr 23 mins

Did couple detours for bathroom breaks.

 

[djsider2]

Thanks for the data points. I'm not worried about the way back w/o a charge but the way up there with cargo box + cold weather is a little worrisome for a no-charge. I'm guessing the Large can make it 200 miles up to Truckee w/o a charge in the summer though, given reasonable speeds.

 

[hashjoin]

Thanks for the data points. I'm not worried about the way back w/o a charge but the way up there with cargo box + cold weather is a little worrisome for a no-charge. I'm guessing the Large can make it 200 miles up to Truckee w/o a charge in the summer though, given reasonable speeds.

I understand (that's why I regretted not tracking). I will be going back in couple weeks and will track again. I will be bringing with me a roof box for that trip.

 

[mikehmb]

I’m on the far western end of the bay area, and can make it to Truckee on 20” ATs from 100% and getting there with plenty to spare (if traffic isn’t horrible). That’s in fair weather, though.

In snow (and therefore not using Conserve), I’d pop into the RAN in Sac to top off. With a roof box, you’ll get clobbered with range even further.

 

[djsider2]

If it's actually snowing and not just cold, I will top off before hitting the climb/descent. Those delays can get very long.

 

[Beachbum]

I’d pop into the RAN in Sac to top off.

This is a must for any Tahoe trip! I made it from Sac (80% SOC to Truckee, 40% SOC) in mid-January snowy and flowing traffic.

 

[tate16t]

Nice write up! I own a Model Y Performance.

Turn signal:

• Tesla has this new turn signal feature that it automatically turns it off after a turn or a lane change. That’s a very handy feature that’s missing on the R1S. - I was just thinking about this the other day. With the R1S you can lightly touch the turn signal and get three signals and it will turn off. The problem is you have to remember to touch lightly. I do prefer Tesla’s implementation.

Continuous GearGuard:

• There should be an option for GearGuard to do 24/7 recording while parked. - It does exist. Mine is on as the vehicle is parked.

Door closing:

• The doors were difficult to close. It felt like we had to “slam” to close them. This is more noticeable in the rear driver side door and the lower tailgate. I don’t know if it is possible for service center to adjust this. - I experienced this with my Tesla Y when I first purchase it, and still do at times. Both vehicles can benefit from soft-close-doors.

I should mention that I gave the Model Y to my wife. The last few days I have spent adjusting settings within the Y for her profile so, I’m experiencing both vehicles. The R1S is definitely a better build. When I get in the Model Y it feels cold and plastic feeling and I feel like Im sitting on the ground. However, the UI is packed with options, some I didn’t realize existed, very customizable. It may have too many options. I’m not complaining. It’s great and I hope Rivian’s UI matures like Tesla’s.

 

[foxerson]

I’m on the far western end of the bay area, and can make it to Truckee on 20” ATs from 100% and getting there with plenty to spare (if traffic isn’t horrible). That’s in fair weather, though.

In snow (and therefore not using Conserve), I’d pop into the RAN in Sac to top off. With a roof box, you’ll get clobbered with range even further.

+1 for a stop at the Sacramento RAN on the SF to Truckee trip. I suspect I could make it on a 100% charge in the summer, but just barely. Much less stressful to just stop for a quick charge and coffee break.

No problem at all to do the Truckee to SF trip on a single charge.

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