Back-and-forth between R1T (quad-motor) vs. Cybertruck (tri-motor)

[Spvrtan]

I reserved the day after the Cybertruck announcement. I configured my Cyberbeast on Jan 25th this year. I was hell-bent on going with the CB up until recently. Now I'm considering just going with the R1T in quad configuration. I'd be curious to hear opinions from others that went through this conversation in their head.

Background: I have plenty of experience offroading and working with trucks. I already have a dedicated vehicle -- a Toyota Tundra (supercharged V8) -- that I use for recreation and truck things or for towing. So I wouldn't really be getting either EV to replace that and it'd be more for a daily driver and hobby vehicle (even though I work remotely 3 days of the week). And we already have a Model Y in the family. I also do my own metal fabrication and will probably make some things for the CB (eg. bumpers, body panels). Probably going to make a trailer to tow behind the CB or R1T with a bunch of solar panels and a battery system for charging while camping, too.
https://www.instagram.com/spvrtan/p/Coi6YDHrW9t/
https://www.instagram.com/spvrtan/p/Cm1nCK6L4wg/

Here're my thoughts so far.

R1T (quad)

• Interior and exterior appeal to me more.
• Truck bed is smaller but more accessible.
• Gear tunnel is pretty slick.
• Now has access to Tesla's charging network.
• Traditional mechanical steering system, which is more reliable (and fixable) when offroading.
• Specs/numbers seem to take a huge dump when going to 35" tires from ~32s; probably more significant than a CB going to 37s from 35s.
• Rivian feels more marketed toward general outdoor enthusiasts.
• Battery pack isn't upgradable.
• I hear the body panels are just as expensive to replace since it's a unibody vehicle with large single panels. I couldn't easily make my own panels out of metal like I could with the CT.
• The suspension seems to be pretty good offroad as far as travel but some say it doesn't drive that smooth going faster on some dirt trails or desert whoops.
• Will be $110k total after taxes/fees.

CB

• Bullet-resistant panels and upgraded glass is a plus but realistically don't really need that (it's not like I live in a high risk area like LA or ever drive through there).
• Exterior as a whole is unique. I have nothing against it and can appreciate the design.
• Truck bed isn't super usable due to the sloped sides and high walls but also already have a truck/trailer for that kind of use.
• Rear-steering is cool.
• Steer-by-wire is cool but I worry about software/mechanical failure; I also kind of like the control a traditional steering setup provides, especially since I love driving. Additionally, don't really care for Tesla's FSD because of said passion for driving.
• Don't care for the Powershare functionality.
• Foundation Series is cool and all but nothing in it really screams at me as a "must-have" at that $20k price tag other than for bragging rights or clout.
• I do like that all of the CT's specs/numbers are already based off of the truck having 35" tires from the factory whereas other EV trucks being compared to the CT's specs have ~32s. Which means going to 37s shouldn't be too much work (not against cutting up the truck to fit them).
• Interior of the CT is "okay" to me. I get the whole Tesla minimalistic aesthetic but I do prefer the Rivian interiors since they're more sporty/adventure-based. The screen in front of the steering wheel is a plus, too. While I've grown to get used to the single screen in our Model Y, it still feels too empty to me.
• As a whole, I feel like Tesla's are more catered to those that want a reliable vehicle to go places around the concrete jungles. The CT is a step above that with the offroad appeal but still feel like the CT is a pavement princess first.
• Upgradable via extended battery pack in the future.
• The flat SS body panels are probably going to be expensive to replace but also easy to vinyl wrap myself. Another plus is them being flat probably means I could easily do my own fabrication work and replace them with aluminum panels and do more contouring to shape the silhouette of the CT (at the cost of losing the whole bullet-resistant aspect).
• CT seems to have a pretty solid suspension performance-wise from what I've seen through videos of others abusing their truck. Though it seems like a lot of the suspension components could be upgraded for durability (ie. control arms, steering linkages).
• CB (FS) will be ~$130k total after taxes/fees.

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[State11]

The ugliest vehicle ever made vs the R1t? Tough choice.

 

[SeaGeo]

The AT tires on the R1T are 34", not 32".

I would *not* in any way assume that the battery pack add-on will every arrive for the CT. Also, don't forget that you can't pack a spare without taking up bed space.

Given the use case you described, is there a reason you don't want a dual motor?

 

[Dark-Fx]

Why not just fabricate your own entire Cybertruck?

 

[DuoRivians]

Get an R1T if you want an all-around amazing car that can both off-road and on-road.

Get the CT if you care primarily about being seen.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

How soon do you need it? That should narrow things down quite a bit. They are both very capable trucks each with their pros and cons.

The CT is only available in foundation series right now and it's likely to be a long wait (depending on when you got on the list).

Me personally I like the CT but the tri motor version is 100k and the DM is on the slower side. Also, right now there is no autopilot from what I'm told only TACC.

Importantly, the drag coefficient is better on the R1T and the R1T has more usable energy in the battery (131 kwh vs 123kwh CT). Real world range on CT will be much lower.

If I was leaning towards CT I would want to let Tesla ramp up production a bit and get myself a later VIN.

Right now for the price I think the R1T is a better value.

 

[BigSkies]

I’m not a serious off-roader, but I do take back country dirt roads on my way to campgrounds on occasion.

One of the best R1T selling points to me is some of the small but thoughtful design decisions.

Like I can use the gear tunnel door as a step to access the bed. It makes tie-downs easy. It also makes a great chair for dealing with muddy boots or ski gear.

The flashlight and bed lights are more useful than I expected. The crossbars are surprisingly versatile, functional, and easy to remove. The first aid kit and air compressor gear is easy to access (although the compressor hose is a bit of a pain).

I have yet to see a Cybertruck, but I don’t get the impression they spent a lot of time designing things to be useful and functional. Design decisions seem to have prioritized polarizing looks over useful functionality.

I personally can’t think of any vehicle I’d rather have than an R1T at any price point.

 

[N7Rivian]

Rivian battery is also upgradable since Rivian did patent an removable bed-mounted battery pack for extended range

 

[Count Orlok]

there are come conversations where the decision analysis is completely unrelateable to The Count. And that is saying a lot, as everyone knows, The Count enjoys ample empathy for strangers' moral dilemmas. But since you're asking on an open forum, The Count offers the following advice: get both and decide which one you like better.

 

[Blueassassin]

Rivian has a flashlight.

 

[Count Orlok]

Rivian has a flashlight.

Is the rumor true that the CT has a fleshlight?

 

[Blueassassin]

Is the rumor true that the CT has a fleshlight?

Given the carrot demos i've seen no thanks.

 

[Chrisy]

You wrote for CT:

Which means going to 37s shouldn't be too much work (not against cutting up the truck to fit them).

I think you will have an issue there, please check this out first:
(below video is timestamped so just click on it it will take to the heart of the problem)

 

[BCondrey]

You are describing a use case for a dual motor R1T/S version. I suggest you check out the Motor trend comparison that was just done, it is very in depth. The TLDR on it is that Rivian won out, hands down.

 

[beyondgravity]

I reserved the day after the Cybertruck announcement. I configured my Cyberbeast on Jan 25th this year. I was hell-bent on going with the CB up until recently. Now I'm considering just going with the R1T in quad configuration. I'd be curious to hear opinions from others that went through this conversation in their head.

Background: I have plenty of experience offroading and working with trucks. I already have a dedicated vehicle -- a Toyota Tundra (supercharged V8) -- that I use for recreation and truck things or for towing. So I wouldn't really be getting either EV to replace that and it'd be more for a daily driver and hobby vehicle (even though I work remotely 3 days of the week). And we already have a Model Y in the family. I also do my own metal fabrication and will probably make some things for the CB (eg. bumpers, body panels). Probably going to make a trailer to tow behind the CB or R1T with a bunch of solar panels and a battery system for charging while camping, too.
https://www.instagram.com/spvrtan/p/Coi6YDHrW9t/
https://www.instagram.com/spvrtan/p/Cm1nCK6L4wg/

Here're my thoughts so far.

R1T (quad)

• Interior and exterior appeal to me more.
• Truck bed is smaller but more accessible.
• Gear tunnel is pretty slick.
• Now has access to Tesla's charging network.
• Traditional mechanical steering system, which is more reliable (and fixable) when offroading.
• Specs/numbers seem to take a huge dump when going to 35" tires from ~32s; probably more significant than a CB going to 37s from 35s.
• Rivian feels more marketed toward general outdoor enthusiasts.
• Battery pack isn't upgradable.
• I hear the body panels are just as expensive to replace since it's a unibody vehicle with large single panels. I couldn't easily make my own panels out of metal like I could with the CT.
• The suspension seems to be pretty good offroad as far as travel but some say it doesn't drive that smooth going faster on some dirt trails or desert whoops.
• Will be $110k total after taxes/fees.

CB

• Bullet-resistant panels and upgraded glass is a plus but realistically don't really need that (it's not like I live in a high risk area like LA or ever drive through there).
• Exterior as a whole is unique. I have nothing against it and can appreciate the design.
• Truck bed isn't super usable due to the sloped sides and high walls but also already have a truck/trailer for that kind of use.
• Rear-steering is cool.
• Steer-by-wire is cool but I worry about software/mechanical failure; I also kind of like the control a traditional steering setup provides, especially since I love driving. Additionally, don't really care for Tesla's FSD because of said passion for driving.
• Don't care for the Powershare functionality.
• Foundation Series is cool and all but nothing in it really screams at me as a "must-have" at that $20k price tag other than for bragging rights or clout.
• I do like that all of the CT's specs/numbers are already based off of the truck having 35" tires from the factory whereas other EV trucks being compared to the CT's specs have ~32s. Which means going to 37s shouldn't be too much work (not against cutting up the truck to fit them).
• Interior of the CT is "okay" to me. I get the whole Tesla minimalistic aesthetic but I do prefer the Rivian interiors since they're more sporty/adventure-based. The screen in front of the steering wheel is a plus, too. While I've grown to get used to the single screen in our Model Y, it still feels too empty to me.
• As a whole, I feel like Tesla's are more catered to those that want a reliable vehicle to go places around the concrete jungles. The CT is a step above that with the offroad appeal but still feel like the CT is a pavement princess first.
• Upgradable via extended battery pack in the future.
• The flat SS body panels are probably going to be expensive to replace but also easy to vinyl wrap myself. Another plus is them being flat probably means I could easily do my own fabrication work and replace them with aluminum panels and do more contouring to shape the silhouette of the CT (at the cost of losing the whole bullet-resistant aspect).
• CT seems to have a pretty solid suspension performance-wise from what I've seen through videos of others abusing their truck. Though it seems like a lot of the suspension components could be upgraded for durability (ie. control arms, steering linkages).
• CB (FS) will be ~$130k total after taxes/fees.

I would say R1T; but I am partial to R1S, as I don’t do truck things. If you are even considering cybertruck, I feel you have gone past the external looks and (lack of) internal looks. It is definitely a novelty. So go for cybertruck. Both are electric trucks and should let you do truck things. I would say R1T may does it better; but I am partial to Rivian interiors, sounds (including turn signal, I love it) and company ethos.

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