Introductions & Welcome Thread 👋

[Jonger1150]

I prefer road trips and charging. If the goal is to get to a place as fast as possible that's over 500 miles -- I'll fly.

Traveling, the charging comes up right as I want to stretch my legs and grab a bite to eat anyhow. Who regularly drives far enough to need more than 2 charge stops per day anyhow? Not many.

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[strykerwsu]

I have 2 and we drive them all over the Midwest which in theory is a but of a charging desert. Best vehicles I've owned and I've owned way too many.

 

[Davethadog]

What things specifically did the Rivian fall short on? You said "actual truck things," but it would be helpful to the OP if you could describe where it falls short so he can see if those things apply to him.

It’s no secret that the truck has terrible range for towing, the bed is kind of a toy rather than a bed, the towing tech sucks and disables safety and drivers assistance features, and reliability has yet to really shake out. We don’t need another thread wading into that again and it’s easy enough to search. Besides nobody really goes out and buys a 100k vehicle based on a pros/cons list. They do it because it’s an emotional decision.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

It’s no secret that the truck has terrible range for towing, the bed is kind of a toy rather than a bed, the towing tech sucks and disables safety and drivers assistance features, and reliability has yet to really shake out. We don’t need another thread wading into that again and it’s easy enough to search. Besides nobody really goes out and buys a 100k vehicle based on a pros/cons list. They do it because it’s an emotional decision.

Apparently OP does, because he asked.

 

[Erik+]

I went from a lifted 3/4 ton diesel to a used R1T quad motor 2 months ago. So far it still does all the truck things I previously needed as I do not need significant long distance towing anymore. My diesel was a very nice truck with all the fancy bells and whistles, and the R1T, so far, makes the diesel feel like a giant Fisher Price toy. I had went and looked at and test drove all the available EV trucks, minus the cybertruck, and some SUVs. The R1T was far and away the best fit for what I wanted. As others have said, go drive one, go drive other things, look at them and ask questions and research on them. Then just get what you want.

 

[TwelveVoltMan]

I'm a current 2021 Tesla Model Y Performance owner who loves his EV, but is very ready to move on to a different brand. I'm considering getting an R1S, and I'm here to learn more about the best way to go about that and settle on which configuration will work best for me. I've learned a ton from reading threads here and watching Out of Spec YouTube videos.

My typical use is a short commute to work and (in ski season) a weekly trip with the family just under 200 miles away to a second home in the mountains and back. I have Tesla Wall Connectors at each home and the Model Y will occasionally make the trip without stopping at a supercharger when the weather is mild, but usually I'm stopping for a short charge (battery degradation has my Model Y showing 257 miles of overly optimistic rated range in the battery). This trip has me debating leasing a 2025 Gen 2 R1S with the LFP standard pack vs the Gen 2 Large pack vs buying a used Gen 1 R1S. ARBP says I would likely be stopping to charge the LFP battery to make the trip, even if I charge to 100%. ARBP also says I would be charging a Gen 2 Large pack and a Gen 1 Quad, unless I charge to 100%. Several Gen 1 dual motor configurations make the trip without charging at less than 100%. I don't mind charging, but it might be nice to be able to make the trip without it. I would love to have some real world cold(er) weather feedback on the LFP battery and its charging curve.

I'm also trying to figure out the best way to acquire the vehicle. I'm watching for Q4 incentives from Rivian as well as exploring the used market. I see a fair number of low mile Gen 1 vehicles for sale. Are those lemons, people who upgraded to Gen 2, people who had preorder pricing flipping vehicles, or something else? Any pointers or tips on ways to get the best deal, whether new or used? Is it helpful to establish a connection with a guide ahead of time?

I'm in North Carolina, where we currently lack a SC. Richmond, VA is the closest one, but I see a fair number of Rivians in the Triangle area and I hear that mobile service is reasonably accessible here. I plan to test drive some used options locally or use Turo to check out the R1S in an unhurried fashion. Any things specific to the Triangle or not having a SC super close I should think about?

 

[doit82]

I updated to a dual max pack during the last set of incentives in the spring, and never had a problem with my gen 1 quad prior to that, so not necessarily lemons.

Feel free to use my referral code ( JOHN1431764 ) if you order one from the shop!

John

 

[mudito]

Not having a Nearby Service Center might be a downer. Consider that Rivian's aren't (yet) as reliable as Teslas.

In terms of new vs used, do what makes the best financial sense to you. In my case, I went with a used 2022 R1T with 4800mi. I called Rivian Customer Service before acquiring the vehicle and they provided me with a comprehensive list of what's covered under warranty and the dates until items are covered. Having that, plus a nearby Service Center gave me the confidence to jump into a used (already depreciated) Large Pack Quad Motor unit.

I live in Texas so I can't provide you with cold-weather experience

 

[MountainBikeDude]

If you are used to Tesla driving features, then you may want to opt for a Gen 2 for the better Autonomy+ compute platform as well as the updated cameras/dampers. If you aren't overly concerned with top end performance, Go with a Dual Max. More range while still at a reasonable price level.

If you want to feel connected to the road with a plethora of drive modes, go with a Gen 1 Quad. They have a couple minor quirks, but in general have a longer warranty period and still give you nearly the same range as a Dual motor Large pack while in conserve mode (front motors running only)

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

I have a 175 mile drive to VT for skiing so it can get quite cold. I have never not made it to the mountain (starting from 100%) I only have to charge because I don't have a charger in VT. I have an OG Quad (Large) with AT tires. I also had a Model Y (non perf) and also never had to charge to make it. Main difference I see isn't range (they seem quite similar) but charging time (since the Tesla had a much smaller battery). I find the R1S much nicer to drive up to ski (fits a ton of stuff and I much prefer the interior). While I will concede that Tesla's autopilot is better overall than driver plus in many regards, I only had the basic version and it stunk for highway driving as it would disengage (BING BONG) when you changed lanes and then you would have to reengage (BING BONG). I hated that with a passion.

I am near a service center but blissfully have yet to visit it (post pick up).

 

[mmcool]

I have model y as well as gen 1 r1s dual motor. Here are few differences from my perspective-
1. Space - this was my main reason to get r1s along with model y

2. Size, parking - for downtown and locations with limited parking, I tend to use model y

3. Efficiency and cost of commute - model y is cheaper to use. I use rivian only if I need that extra space and longer road trips. For daily commute, I prefer model y

If you are mostly using this for short trips and don't need extra space, I would not recommend swaping ur model y with r1s

 

[iansriv]

If you have the time-do as much research and test drives as you can to get the answer you need. I've read a few posts on here from people that got used Rivians and they have been very happy. Your idea of year-end incentives is also good. All the best.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Personally I like a big vehicle so I’d get the Rivian over the Y. If I didn’t want to charge I’d get a max pack dual motor and have plenty of range to play with. I’m obviously biased as a Rivian owner but I don’t much care for the Tesla interior.

 

[Redmond Chad]

I traded my Model Y Performance for a Rivian R1S sixteen months ago. I made the trade mostly to get a better tow vehicle for our trailer. Rivian took the Y as a trade-in and gave me a great valuation for it (at the time; I am not so sure they'd offer as much now).

I like the Rivian. In addition to the towing chops, it has better cargo and passenger capacity; I have used both occasionally but not frequently. And offroad capacity, though I'm not likely to ever use that. It also rides better; not a huge deal to me but nice when I have passengers. And my R1S Quad Large is quicker than the Y was, though frankly it's not nearly as much fun to use that kind of acceleration in a vehicle this large.

When driving by myself, I do still miss the more-nimble, more-efficient and easier-to-park Y. And for road trips (i.e. we drove all the way across Canada and back last month) things are changing, but for now it's still easier to take a Tesla. We took my wife's Model X for that trip, although hers is one of the few that has free Supercharging so that was part of the equation that won't apply for most.

 

[SwampNut]

I traded a Tesla M3LR for an R1T because we really needed a truck. There is no way I'd change away from Tesla otherwise. You lose so much. The Autopilot is the biggest thing I miss, but also just a lot of software maturity. And while you can use some Superchargers, not all of them, so there's still a challenge there that has bit us in the ass.

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