R1S - Owner Feedback Please - Do you recommend buying the R1S?

[Canuk58]

I am thinking of getting the 2026 R1S but am concerned about all of the negative comments on this site and also negative reviews from Consumer Repirts etc.

I am near retirement and live in So. California.

I would like to hear from folks who own a R1S and can talk about some of the things you like about the vehicle and whether you would recommend it.

Thanks

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[FooF]

Yes I love mine and will buy again when I wear out my R1S
2nd Best offroad vehicle I have owned, Unimogs are number 1.
Great on road.

Great for camping you can sleep inside.

 

[Bristlecone]

I am thinking of getting the 2026 R1S but am concerned about all of the negative comments on this site and also negative reviews from Consumer Repirts etc.

I am near retirement and live in So. California.

I would like to hear from folks who own a R1S and can talk about some of the things you like about the vehicle and whether you would recommend it.

Thanks
[/QUOTE
We’ve had our R1S since April 2024. Our use case is probably not typical. We use it mostly to go to our mountain cabin in Colorado, a remote location on a gnarly unpaved route at 11,400 feet elevation. It’s great for that and we do the almost 200 mile round trip without worry about charging. Our only problem stemmed from getting it with 22 inch wheels for the range and ability to get snow tires. Stupid me I didn’t realize the 22 inch tires had a narrow sidewall and we got two blowouts. We ultimately switched to 20 inch AT’s for non-winter trips and use the 22 inch snow tires in winter when we have to snowshoe in the last 1.5 miles (the gnarly stretch) that is not plowed. Other than that a great experience.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

@Canuk58: Our 2023 R1S (Gen 1, Dual Max) hauls lots of stuff for long distances across the rainy Northwest, at very low per-mile fuel costs.

A complicated vehicle, with lots of little stuff that can go wrong. Most, but not all, glitches can be solved on-site by re-booting the vehicle. Telephone tech support at (855) RIVIAN-5 has been awesome, and we are VERY pleased with Portland (Oregon) Service Center.

We would absolutely do this again.

***

Consumer Reports has two relevant surveys:

In the first, they ask essentially, "Did it have problems?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at very high rates, putting Rivian near the bottom of the list for "reliability."

In the second, they ask, "Would you buy it again?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at extremely high rates, scoring about ten points above the next-highest brand for "owner satisfaction."

While everyone's Rivian experience is different, our family's experience (of both "reliability" and satisfaction) is about the same as the typical Consumer Reports respondent.

***

If you decide to purchase an already-built vehicle from the "R1S shop," you will get some nice benefits from shopping with a "Referral Code." The person whose Referral Code you use also gets some Gear Shop credits and charging credits, as Rivian's way of saying "Thanks" for the referral.

As you peruse this forum, consider copying the Referral Code of anyone who has helped you and others. There are lots of such people on this forum. If you get a chance to help yourself and them, so much the better....

***

Very best wishes!

 

[rivianbuff]

I have owned a T for 3.5 years and my wife has owned an S for 3 years. I had a 12 volt issue and my wife no issues.
I have owned the best of Range Rover, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Porsche… the Rivians are the best vehicles I have ever owned… truly amazing.

 

[Time2Roll]

I would buy mine again. There are a few intermittent quirks but nothing big enough to get into service at five months in. Wonderful vehicle overall.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I have had a Rivian since 2022. I started with a T, and now have a Gen 2 trimax. I would absolutely get one again. Do I recommend it for other people, maybe. You need to go into it with the right expectations. My R1S is a high-performance vehicle and has a lot of capability. My tri is rated at 2.8 seconds 0-60, and that's not an exaggeration. It will get out and do that with no prep in sport mode on dry pavement. You could raise the suspension and do some moderate off-roading.

The software works better than anyone else outside of Tesla by a massive margin. I feel like Rivian gives you a lot for your money. There are many features that other vehicles in this price point don't offer. With all that said, Rivian can have some reliability issues. If you want a vehicle that isn't going to have any problems Rivian might be a gamble for you.

Rivian's service department is full of friendly folks, and I haven't run into any issues with them trying to shortchange me on repairs. Any problem I've ever had has been addressed in a reasonable time period, on par with Audi and BMW; I've owned cars by both of those manufacturers.

I found myself renting a Grand Wagoneer, which has a 90K+ price tag, on par with Rivian, and it was executed poorly in comparison to my Rivian. BMW makes nice stuff, but even my i4's software isn't quite as good as Rivian's. Plus, Rivian keeps adding real functionality month after month via OTA updates, which no one else is doing outside Tesla.

My advice for anyone considering Rivian is to ask yourself whether you want one of the most advanced vehicles on the market that offers more value than its competitors, and if you are willing to put up with some inconvenience to have that. Your Rivian will be great, but the chances are high you'll have a problem or two. They will be fixed, and Rivian won't try to shortchange any repair. If you're okay with dealing with minor inconveniences Rivian is an excellent choice.

 

[strykerwsu]

Yes, if you have home charging ability. I would recommend used Gen1, someone else paid depreciation and overall forum input is there are less issues. Also, look for 20 or 21 inch wheels, R1S needs extra sidewall for comfortable ride.

I have over 50k and 5 years for my 2 R1's and only 2 home mobile service visits for small items. I've owned over 50 vehicles and both are in my top 5.

 

[Canuk58]

@Canuk58: Our 2023 R1S (Gen 1, Dual Max) hauls lots of stuff for long distances across the rainy Northwest, at very low per-mile fuel costs.

A complicated vehicle, with lots of little stuff that can go wrong. Most, but not all, glitches can be solved on-site by re-booting the vehicle. Telephone tech support at (855) RIVIAN-5 has been awesome, and we are VERY pleased with Portland (Oregon) Service Center.

We would absolutely do this again.

***

Consumer Reports has two relevant surveys:

In the first, they ask essentially, "Did it have problems?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at very high rates, putting Rivian near the bottom of the list for "reliability."

In the second, they ask, "Would you buy it again?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at extremely high rates, scoring about ten points above the next-highest brand for "owner satisfaction."

While everyone's Rivian experience is different, our family's experience (of both "reliability" and satisfaction) is about the same as the typical Consumer Reports respondent.

***

If you decide to purchase an already-built vehicle from the "R1S shop," you will get some nice benefits from shopping with a "Referral Code." The person whose Referral Code you use also gets some Gear Shop credits and charging credits, as Rivian's way of saying "Thanks" for the referral.

As you peruse this forum, consider copying

Yes I love mine and will buy again when I wear out my R1S
2nd Best offroad vehicle I have owned, Unimogs are number 1.
Great on road.

Great for camping you can sleep inside.

the Referral Code of anyone who has helped you and others. There are lots of such people on this forum. If you get a chance to help yourself and them, so much the better....

***

Very best wishes!

Thank you!

@Canuk58: Our 2023 R1S (Gen 1, Dual Max) hauls lots of stuff for long distances across the rainy Northwest, at very low per-mile fuel costs.

A complicated vehicle, with lots of little stuff that can go wrong. Most, but not all, glitches can be solved on-site by re-booting the vehicle. Telephone tech support at (855) RIVIAN-5 has been awesome, and we are VERY pleased with Portland (Oregon) Service Center.

We would absolutely do this again.

***

Consumer Reports has two relevant surveys:

In the first, they ask essentially, "Did it have problems?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at very high rates, putting Rivian near the bottom of the list for "reliability."

In the second, they ask, "Would you buy it again?" Rivian owners answer "Yes" at extremely high rates, scoring about ten points above the next-highest brand for "owner satisfaction."

While everyone's Rivian experience is different, our family's experience (of both "reliability" and satisfaction) is about the same as the typical Consumer Reports respondent.

***

If you decide to purchase an already-built vehicle from the "R1S shop," you will get some nice benefits from shopping with a "Referral Code." The person whose Referral Code you use also gets some Gear Shop credits and charging credits, as Rivian's way of saying "Thanks" for the referral.

As you peruse this forum, consider copying the Referral Code of anyone who has helped you and others. There are lots of such people on this forum. If you get a chance to help yourself and them, so much the better....

***

Very best wishes!

Where do I find the referral code?

 

[Canuk58]

Thank you very much. Where do I find the referral code?

 

[electruck]

I am thinking of getting the 2026 R1S but am concerned about all of the negative comments on this site and also negative reviews from Consumer Repirts etc.

I am near retirement and live in So. California.

I would like to hear from folks who own a R1S and can talk about some of the things you like about the vehicle and whether you would recommend it.

Thanks

I would absolutely buy another R1S for myself, it's one of the best vehicles I've ever owened. That said, I could not even begin to answer your question without understanding what you value in a vehicle.

 

[SANZC02]

I would buy again, we are currently waiting for the R2s to be released. We will buy an R2 but I’m keeping my R1.

I have a 22 R1S LE riding on 22s, picked it up at the factory in January of 23 so a month away from 3 years and 42k miles. I normally use all purpose standard height for most driving and on the highway on long trips use conserve low. I don’t use auto ride height. The Perillis that came with it were a little stiff, I put Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 115 H on it around 28k miles because I was going on a 7500 mile trip and the ride is smoother and quieter with these.

I’ve had good luck with it, I did have an air leak in the suspension early on that ended up being a pinched O ring, I had a module that prevented OTAs from being applied that was replaced. Both of those were in the first few months, has been flawless since.

I would suggest taking it for a long test ride, if you are looking for a crossover smooth ride you won’t see that, it is a truck chassis so better to expect more of a truck ride like maybe a high end Tahoe.

My opnion handling is great if you use the different modes and acceleration is crazy for a 7k pound vehicle.

I was concerned about picking mine up at the factory because of all of the negative stuff I read online and was planning a 6500 mile ride back to CA through Boston and Florida. I decided to keep my plans and could not be happier.

Not saying people do not have issues but people tend to rant about negative things a lot more than they post about positive things so don’t ignore the negative posts but don’t let them have a lot of power in your decision.

Good luck whichever way you decide to go, here is a picture of my ride, it was taken about a year ago….

 

[SANZC02]

Thank you very much. Where do I find the referral code?

There are lots out there, some places use theirs for charity. If you can’t find one you can use mine BOB1809961

 

[dj200]

You might be a “Rivian” person if:

1) you are a car enthusiast, like to accessorize/modify cars, like to figure out how cars work, like the car to be part of your life

2) you like computers and technology

If you just want a car to get in and drive and not think about, then maybe not.

my 2¢

 

[iansriv]

Dan my man, what do you want/need? Each one of us probably has particular needs that the Rivian meets. In my case, I desperately needed to look environmentally sensitive while looking like a granola chomping, flannel wearing mans man. I have never been camping or off road but always talk about it. My wife has been trying to make me act more responsible and so my sports cars were confiscated along with my college id card. My '23 R1S is about 2 years old and is growing on me. It drives very well for it's girth and heft. Random people wave at me. I'm still not sure if it's the car or just my new found rugged looks.

I would start by trying to find the answers to questions such as why you occupy this space and time. Why were you put on this earth? And perhaps what exactly you want out of a car. All the best mate!

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