Another one bites the dust: Good bye Rivian, for now...

[Campmohave]

Completely agree with the going from and EV to a Gas loaner/replacement.

I have several tickets open for three months to the next service, and though I wish it was soon, it’s not stopping me from just going about my day and adjusting.

As someone who owns several vintage British bikes and VWs, including the perpetual chore known as a Vanagon, it seems that much of it comes down to perspective.

Perfection is the enemy of fun, or at least that’s what it is when I try to achieve it.

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[ndmiller]

- Subjectively, I smirked at the power of the EV but honestly, why do I need that much power in a truck? It just never added up to me. I'd much rather have significantly better range and faster charging than more power in an EV truck.

I am now driving a 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III with Hurricane I-6 Twin Turbo.

Similar power, so you answered your own question, yes 500hp is essentially in any SUV/Truck.

Unfortunately similar weight, figured it would be 1/2 to a Ton lighter?

Enjoy it!

 

[Hillbilly]

Well, one could say this was a short but very intense stint. Certainly it was a much appreciated and enjoyable one packed with lots of learnings about EVs.

After having my R1T Dual Performance Max Pack for a year (and as some know fully converted it for Overlanding purposes), the small itch in the back of my head that I wasn't fully bought into the vehicle with passion became larger and could no longer be ignored. Of course, my overlanding equipment stays (partially) with me to be converted onto the next whip. However, after the Rivian being in a small accident (affecting resale value) and the general EV resale value landscape being absolutely pathetic, I decided it was time to get out before things got worse (luckily being financially endowed sufficiently to take the hit).

A few things that prevented me from gaining that passion that lets you keep the vehicle for a longer time:
- I had about 8 outstanding service tickets, all of which not first-timers in trying to be addressed. From suspension, to front drive unit, to rattles, to door issues to AC problems the list goes on. Being in NY with the Brooklyn SC the only location to fix it, waiting months for a service appointment didn't help.
- Subjectively, I always kind of wanted something bigger, more full size truck or SUV. Today, there is much more choice for buyers like me than there was before
- Subjectively, I smirked at the power of the EV but honestly, why do I need that much power in a truck? It just never added up to me. I'd much rather have significantly better range and faster charging than more power in an EV truck.
- The ride, while I believe according to factory-spec, was just too harsh, even in soft. That is not to say it wasn't softer than most other vehicles, but it was subjectively still too uncomfortable for the crappy NY roads.
- While not the main driver for my decision, the volatility of Rivian as a company did get to me in the back of my head at least a little

Farewell and I hope Rivian continues to innovate and figure things out. I can imagine being back at a later, more mature stage, of the product.

Of course you all want to know what I traded into and I reserved this for last, as I know this will be driving most of the discussion and comments but I wanted to make sure that what I got into was not the driver of what I got out off. I am now driving a 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III with Hurricane I-6 Twin Turbo. So far, I've been loving the vehicle and it appears, most of the horrendous early issues have been figured out. Aside, the deals that can be had on Jeep vehicles these days is absolutely insane. The vehicle had a $109k MSRP and sold for $82k. I also have the same dealer as @NY_Rob which is a large volume dealer that will fight Stellantis for you if you need them to.

Sorry this whole post seems "off" for lack of a better word, saying things like ” subjectively I smirked” along with your reasoning throughout is just...interesting. Good luck with your future vehicles.

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Sorry this whole post seems "off" for lack of a better word, saying things like ” subjectively I smirked” along with your reasoning throughout is just...interesting. Good luck with your future vehicles.

How would you phrase "I enjoyed the power and speed but found it mostly useless for my purposes"... maybe that helps. My reasoning is very subjective to my own wants and perceptions. Of course it will seem off to someone with a different mindset. That is why i tried to make clear i'm being subjective. I wouldn't be surprised though if more folks tried to get out of their Rivians over reliability and service concerns, so really nothing off about it (as other threads here have confirmed already)

 

[Jonger1150]

Completely agree with the going from and EV to a Gas loaner/replacement.

I have several tickets open for three months to the next service, and though I wish it was soon, it’s not stopping me from just going about my day and adjusting.

As someone who owns several vintage British bikes and VWs, including the perpetual chore known as a Vanagon, it seems that much of it comes down to perspective.

Perfection is the enemy of fun, or at least that’s what it is when I try to achieve it.

I drive a class 6 straight truck with a diesel about 7 days per month. The 0-60 is about 25 seconds. That's the best we have in 2024, but the moment a $100,000 class 6 EV truck with 300 miles of range is available, this thing is going to the ground up in a shredder.

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Similar power, so you answered your own question, yes 500hp is essentially in any SUV/Truck.

Unfortunately similar weight, figured it would be 1/2 to a Ton lighter?

Enjoy it!

I agree, similar numbers, but, lands apart in terms of performance (as in: The Rivian drives way more agile). The Wagoneer is a big, heavy, American-built SUV (my window sticker says 79% sourced in the US - i was very, very surprised at that). It drives like that. But I drive slow, and relaxed and comfortable. If i want to go fast I'll take the 911 Turbo S for a spin and can leave 95% of EVs in the dust, including 8000lbs Rivian Trucks. The Wagoneer is a bit lighter though you can't tell driving it (Wagoneer is ~6400lbs curb weight and despite 1500lbs more, the Rivian feels way lighter)...

 

[mpshizzle]

One of our cultural norms that drives me NUTS is that people feel like they need to have logical proof for buying cars. Like they have to justify the decision with numbers and facts.

Truth is for a lot of people (especially Rivian owners), you buy what you buy because you WANT it.

In a purely utilitarian world we need 3 vehicles - a prius, an odysey, and a base model F150/F250. Nobody NEEDS anything else.

If you care about the environment don't own a car. EVs are LESS bad for the environment. But cars in general are just a disaster for the environment.

All that to say - the OP got a wagoneer cause he wanted it. And that's reason enough. I got an R1S because I wanted it. There are plenty of other vehicles that would have fulfilled my needs just fine but the R1S is what I wanted. So OP - although what you want is very different from what most people here want, here's to following that. I hope your wagoneer keeps you adventurous always

</rant>

 

[Jonger1150]

How would you phrase "I enjoyed the power and speed but found it mostly useless for my purposes"... maybe that helps. My reasoning is very subjective to my own wants and perceptions. Of course it will seem off to someone with a different mindset. That is why i tried to make clear i'm being subjective. I wouldn't be surprised though if more folks tried to get out of their Rivians over reliability and service concerns, so really nothing off about it (as other threads here have confirmed already)

Keep in mind, this website is a compilation of people who were seeking out solutions to a problem. It's going to seem like there are problems galore, but you're just one of the unlucky ones.

It's a new vehicle and a new company, it's going to have problems. If I were you I'd look at the Silverado EV or maybe keep an eye on the Scout that's being unveiled in 2 days. That Jeep is a clunky ride IMO, but there are other options on the horizon.

 

[PaythePiper]

The service situation availability needs to be addressed, but many of us have had great reliability with their vehicles. My year old Gen1 has been solid - no rattles, solidly built, and has been running great for 23,000 mi now. Only had a couple of small issues - one that Rivian addressed was a hydraulic leak caught at the 15,000 mi inspection - but never noticed beforehand by me. I also do have an intermittent noisy air suspension - but it's only noticeable on a few occasions every month (Rivian is taking a look tomorrow).

Their quality is clearly not consistent across builds though, and I would certainly be frustrated if I was struggling with trying to get service for a more problem prone build. I want to switch over to an R2 in 2026, but the growing pains they're clearly experiencing with Gen2 makes me reluctant to let go of my R1.

I think the issues seem to be more G2 related. I have 1300 miles so not a lot of time yet, but alignment and hood adjustment is all I need so far. 3 months out for me

 

[Jonger1150]

One of our cultural norms that drives me NUTS is that people feel like they need to have logical proof for buying cars. Like they have to justify the decision with numbers and facts.

Truth is for a lot of people (especially Rivian owners), you buy what you buy because you WANT it.

In a purely utilitarian world we need 3 vehicles - a prius, an odysey, and a base model F150/F250. Nobody NEEDS anything else.

If you care about the environment don't own a car. EVs are LESS bad for the environment. But cars in general are just a disaster for the environment.

All that to say - the OP got a wagoneer cause he wanted it. And that's reason enough. I got an R1S because I wanted it. There are plenty of other vehicles that would have fulfilled my needs just fine but the R1S is what I wanted. So OP - although what you want is very different from what most people here want, here's to following that. I hope your wagoneer keeps you adventurous always

</rant>

The Bold isn't wrong.... but with the proper loop between manufacturing and recycling, with renewable power -- it's not bad enough to use the word "disaster".

Since ICE is legal to buy and I'm not saving the world with this discussion, I'll leave it at that. 2035 can't come quick enough for me though. Let's hope we have 10+ manufacturers with only EV platforms at that time.

 

[Hillbilly]

How would you phrase "I enjoyed the power and speed but found it mostly useless for my purposes"... maybe that helps. My reasoning is very subjective to my own wants and perceptions. Of course it will seem off to someone with a different mindset. That is why i tried to make clear i'm being subjective. I wouldn't be surprised though if more folks tried to get out of their Rivians over reliability and service concerns, so really nothing off about it (as other threads here have confirmed already)

Maybe it's just trying to sound smart in a post where you seem to be defending a position that doesn't need defending?

 

[Tr4ckD4ys]

Maybe it's just trying to sound smart in a post where you seem to be defending a position that doesn't need defending?

Ha! It's probably more related to english being my second language than trying to sound smart. I pondered whether I should post though - it does come off as defensive. And maybe I am being a bit defensive? As in feeling bad I'm leaving Rivian after a short and intense time? There are things I liked about it and things I didn't. The bottom line for me was just i didn't want to rumble & rattle & vibrate down the road into winter waiting 3 months for an appointment and then riding a Dodge Durango loaner through christmas.

 

[Redline]

This isn't an airport....

 

[White Shadow]

Well, one could say this was a short but very intense stint. Certainly it was a much appreciated and enjoyable one packed with lots of learnings about EVs.

After having my R1T Dual Performance Max Pack for a year (and as some know fully converted it for Overlanding purposes), the small itch in the back of my head that I wasn't fully bought into the vehicle with passion became larger and could no longer be ignored. Of course, my overlanding equipment stays (partially) with me to be converted onto the next whip. However, after the Rivian being in a small accident (affecting resale value) and the general EV resale value landscape being absolutely pathetic, I decided it was time to get out before things got worse (luckily being financially endowed sufficiently to take the hit).

A few things that prevented me from gaining that passion that lets you keep the vehicle for a longer time:
- I had about 8 outstanding service tickets, all of which not first-timers in trying to be addressed. From suspension, to front drive unit, to rattles, to door issues to AC problems the list goes on. Being in NY with the Brooklyn SC the only location to fix it, waiting months for a service appointment didn't help.
- Subjectively, I always kind of wanted something bigger, more full size truck or SUV. Today, there is much more choice for buyers like me than there was before
- Subjectively, I smirked at the power of the EV but honestly, why do I need that much power in a truck? It just never added up to me. I'd much rather have significantly better range and faster charging than more power in an EV truck.
- The ride, while I believe according to factory-spec, was just too harsh, even in soft. That is not to say it wasn't softer than most other vehicles, but it was subjectively still too uncomfortable for the crappy NY roads.
- While not the main driver for my decision, the volatility of Rivian as a company did get to me in the back of my head at least a little

Farewell and I hope Rivian continues to innovate and figure things out. I can imagine being back at a later, more mature stage, of the product.

Of course you all want to know what I traded into and I reserved this for last, as I know this will be driving most of the discussion and comments but I wanted to make sure that what I got into was not the driver of what I got out off. I am now driving a 2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III with Hurricane I-6 Twin Turbo. So far, I've been loving the vehicle and it appears, most of the horrendous early issues have been figured out. Aside, the deals that can be had on Jeep vehicles these days is absolutely insane. The vehicle had a $109k MSRP and sold for $82k. I also have the same dealer as @NY_Rob which is a large volume dealer that will fight Stellantis for you if you need them to.

As an obviously big Jeep fan and long time owner, I'm keeping my eye on that Hurricane engine. Hopefully, it turns out to be as reliable as some of the other engines that have been in recent Jeep models. Both Hemi V8 and the Pentastar V6 have proven to be very good engines and since they are backed by ZF8 speed transmissions, the powertrains have been basically bulletproof. I don't have a need for anything as large as the Wagoneer, but word on the street is that the Hurricane engine will soon be coming to the Grand Cherokee as well, so we'll see what happens. If I decide against going with an R1S, I'll most likely end up in a Grand Cherokee again.

 

[White Shadow]

My Rivian is in the service center getting the tonneau cover installed. I'm driving a rental Dodge Durango and it's fucking miserable. The Rivian suspension is actually good, just noisy -- but the power and driving experience is night and day over gasoline.

Dodge Durango has standard coil spring suspension, so it's not going to be comparable to an air suspension vehicle. The Wagoneer has an air suspension and will feel much, much different than a Durango. Hell, the Grand Cherokee is basically a Durango, but has air suspension and rides so much better.

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