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The 2 things that will keep me from upgrading from OG Gen 1

gd_r1t

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I have an OG gen 1 R1T, and I'm beginning to eye upgrades over the next 1-2 years, but two things that will absolutely keep me from it as non-starters (if you're seeing this Rivian!):

#1 Audio: No way I can give up the Meridian sound system for Rivian's current HW and sound capabilities. They gotta improve for the price points of these vehicles.

#2 Mechanical doors: Major safety issue (thoroughly discussed in other threads), and to be honest I much prefer the user experience/ feel of mechanical doors.

Here's hoping Rivian can consider these in future model years and/or the R2 lines! šŸ™
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Donald Stanfield

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Rivian sound has gotten progressively better in the year I’ve owned my gen 2. I had the Meridian in my gen 1, and I’d say the Rivian sound is 85% there from where that was. Rivian is supposed to release some tweaks this update so I’m hoping they can get the ball across the goal line.

With that said it’s still a solid sound system and I don’t feel it’s lacking enough to be worried about it. Plus the tri is much snappier than the Gen 1 quad so for me the trade off is worth it.
 

Budman

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Issue #1. Valid point. I’m not into music so I don’t care but I recognize it is a valid point.

issue #2. Partially valid. The front doors have a fully functional mechanical option on the inside like Gen 1. Back seats, not so much.

My take is the door handles and door locks are the worst aspect of Rivian ownership. Proximity lock/unlock and phone as key just doesn’t do it for me. Just give me what was state of the art 20 years ago. Automobile door handles were not broken and did not need to be fixed/ā€œimprovedā€.
 

UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan

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What makes you think this thread will reach Rivian? It most likely won't. This site has no connection to corporate and I doubt anyone over there is assigned to reading every single thread or platform on the internet. Your Rivian app has a link for submitting feedback.

Don't count on either of your wishes to come true anytime soon. Current audio hardware is what they can afford without bleeding further. All they can do is keep noodling with software-based sound processing. I personally don't have any issues with my in-house system, using EQ settings tested and recommended in this board. My only complaint is how distortion prone the speakers are and the various rattles that can be traced to manufacturing engineering decisions; i.e. poor NVH considerations that may have been OK if it was a cheaper non-premium product. And gen2 electronic door release issue is more hype than a real problem. Owners need to RTFM. Most stubbornly refuse to. Rivian might redesign it, because of recent hysteria and increased NHTSA scrutiny of other brands. But it's very obvious R2 launch and ramp is job #1 at Rivian. Don't expect any hardware changes on R1 until they do another generational refresh.
 

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OP-I hear you. We probably all have our own unique "2 items or less." It's been two years and I've settled in, meaning I've accepted the glass roof and headlights. I'll probably keep it till the warranty runs out or something better comes along. Cheers.
 
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gd_r1t

gd_r1t

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What makes you think this thread will reach Rivian? It most likely won't. This site has no connection to corporate and I doubt anyone over there is assigned to reading every single thread or platform on the internet.
I don’t really expect them to see this, though they have in fact cited forum requests in the past. I certainly care far less what you think, with your condescending tone and arrogant attitude towards sharing my two cents here though. Cheers, lovely old man sir.
 

UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan

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I don’t really expect them to see this, though they have in fact cited forum requests in the past. I certainly care far less what you think, with your condescending tone and arrogant attitude towards sharing my two cents here though. Cheers, lovely old man sir.
Reality is what it is. Doesn't matter how you feel.
 

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Plus the tri is much snappier than the Gen 1 quad so for me the trade off is worth it.
I’d highly recommend driving a Gen1 R1S Quad with 22s and comparing it to your Gen2. The Gen2 and later Gen1s are definitely a step up in suspension, but when it comes to snappiness, moving from 21s to 22s and dropping over a foot of wheelbase (R1T -> R1S) makes more difference than the generation shift.

The electronic doors didn’t hold me back from getting a gen2 - but I would have preferred the mechanical doors of the gen1 to have stayed - there is no advantage at all to the electronic locks from a UX standpoint as implemented by Rivian.
 
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And as a G2 owner and reading all the early issues there is no chance of going back either.
I had purchased three first generation EVs before this and so far have really enjoyed starting with the second version.
 

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Here's hoping Rivian can consider these in future model years and/or the R2 lines! šŸ™
#1: price - the new features aren’t worth $40,000 more than I paid. (For a new quad over my quad.)
 

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I have an OG gen 1 R1T, and I'm beginning to eye upgrades over the next 1-2 years, but two things that will absolutely keep me from it as non-starters (if you're seeing this Rivian!):

#1 Audio: No way I can give up the Meridian sound system for Rivian's current HW and sound capabilities. They gotta improve for the price points of these vehicles.

#2 Mechanical doors: Major safety issue (thoroughly discussed in other threads), and to be honest I much prefer the user experience/ feel of mechanical doors.

Here's hoping Rivian can consider these in future model years and/or the R2 lines! šŸ™
Fully agree with your 1st point. That is the most me thing that keeps me from upgrading.

I do think that there is a lot of subjectivity in the quality of the sound system, as it seems like there a lot of people, perhaps the majority, who are happy with the in house sound system. I really do feel that it is lacking some sharpness, which might be minor for some people, but it bothers the hell out of me.
I grew up playing instruments, including drums, and I have to admit that I have always been extremely picky when it comes to cymbals and snare drums, so maybe it’s just me being a bit difficult to please when it comes to sound systems.
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