Anyone purchased the vehicle without test drive?

[someuser]

Hi folks, I'm new here and deciding to make R1S purchase but we live near Seattle and the closest shop for test drive is either Vancouver BC or Portland OR. So asking here to see if anyone purchased R1S without test driving it? I watched lots of youtube videos so I have an idea about how it would feel but driving is different thing. I purchased my current ford explorer st without test driving it because I knew I'd love it and I did. I'm having same feeling for R1S as well but R1S is much more expensive and electric. I have test driven F150 lightning if that helps. Thanks.

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[jjswan33]

Many of us early owners bought without a test drive. Personally I'd go drive one and be sure if it meant driving a few hours, maybe rent one for a day on Turo?

 

[majorfriend]

I bought without a test drive, and before we bought the Rivian I bought a Mach-E without a test drive. Similar to you, I watch a lot of videos on YouTube and was comfortable buying without a test drive, but you're right videos aren't the same as driving. Overall, the vehicle is what I expected from the research I had done before hand.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

It doesn’t matter what others deem acceptable. It’s your money. Do what you require. Think for yourself. You do not need reassurance from strangers on personal decisions.

 

[ads75]

I bought my R1T without a test drive. Not sure a test drive would’ve made a difference. Most people test drive something if they are interested in it. Rarely will they find a dealbreaker with it for the amount of time test drives normally last. How long is a typical test drive, 10-20 minutes? Usually not enough time to find a dealbreaker breaker on a test drive. There are a lot of people here that probably bought without a test drive, service centers aren’t near a lot of people. The one closest to me when I bought was Brooklyn, 2.5 hours away, and in an area completely different from what I normally drive.

 

[RivianR1TinSFL]

I did. (R1T) No regrets. Best driving electric truck..

 

[Neuneleven]

No test drive or test ride here. The first Rivian I ever sat in was the one I purchased on the day I picked it up from the factory

 

[Mellowyellow]

??‍

 

[zefram47]

Can't imagine buying a vehicle without ever test driving one of at least the same model. My current sports car is an Alfa Romeo 4C. All the reviews of it strongly hinted that one shouldn't buy one on a whim and I didn't seriously consider buying until one popped up locally that I was able to test drive. Ordinarily I'm totally willing to do a fly and drive, but I've never seriously considered a car as rare as the 4C before either. I was lucky and got to drive an R1T in April 2022 and didn't actually take delivery until March 2023. That was a long wait between drive and purchase, but at least that way I knew I wanted it when my number came up.

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

No test drive...like others, my first drive was when they dropped it off at my house...I already knew it was the vehicle for me. We now have two.....

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

I did. (R1T) No regrets. Best driving electric truck..

Out of curiosity, what other EV trucks have you tried out? I always appreciate the comparisons.

 

[CompilerBreak]

I drove to Portland for my test drive, worth it, but I also head that way every other month or so.

My suggestion, lots of used vehicle dealers have Rivians around Seattle. Pull them up on Autotrader and go take a test drive at one of them. Probably all Quads, but that's all the had in Portland to test drive anyway.

 

[cardad]

Hi folks, I'm new here and deciding to make R1S purchase but we live near Seattle and the closest shop for test drive is either Vancouver BC or Portland OR. So asking here to see if anyone purchased R1S without test driving it? I watched lots of youtube videos so I have an idea about how it would feel but driving is different thing. I purchased my current ford explorer st without test driving it because I knew I'd love it and I did. I'm having same feeling for R1S as well but R1S is much more expensive and electric. I have test driven F150 lightning if that helps. Thanks.

If your experience with EVs is limited you definitely should test drive it. Rivian has had a few years to refine the driving experience and the gen 2 has greatly simplified the wheel option matrix whereas the gen 1 had a pretty large variance in performance between the 21/22/20 wheel options with the 21s (no longer offered) being quite squirrelly as a trade off for max efficiency. The S in theory has seen some kind of suspension design improvement but some might argue that it hasn’t quite improved enough to match its performance peers (ie a Cayenne/Model X etc) in terms of handling and steering feel.

Finally, Rivian’s standard regen is quite strong and for many it can take some time to get used to it.

 

[BrianB]

It’s a very different kind of vehicle and ownership experience than an ICE vehicle by a traditional car company. E.g. the cruise control has no “resume” button. Eg you give Rivian all the money for the vehicle a couple days before you pick it up.

All Ford SUVs are pretty similar, so it’s easier to extrapolate the experience of one to another. Having owned Expeditions, Navigators, and F-150’s, buying a new model, I would know what I was getting into.

I like my R1S, in part because I’ve wrapped my head around the quirks being mild and the plusses about the car being so much better than other SUVs. When friends ask if I recommend one, I tell them it’s great, if the quirks and features suit you.

 

[iansriv]

I have purchased a few ICE cars without a test drive. As the R1 is my first EV, I did test drives twice. All the best.

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