Wait for R2 or get an R1?

[Swiszo]

So I’m on the R2 waiting list (May 2026 sad ), which probably means I won’t actually see one for quite a while. Part of me is thinking maybe I should just lease an R1 for 2 years and then move into an R2 later.

My biggest hesitation is all the videos comparing how far behind Rivian still seems compared to Tesla. I just watched one where the navigation was routing someone to slow chargers that were actually farther away than the vehicle could even reach.

Curious what current owners think. Is Rivian close enough now that it’s not a big deal day-to-day, or would you wait it out for the R2 and see how the platform matures? Open to advice.

In December of 2024 I put a deposit down on an R2. In September of 2025 we had the opportunity to lease an R1S and take advantage of both the Colorado EV tax credit and the Federal EV tax credit.
I didn't want to wait around for the R2 intro because intros usually get delayed. By leasing last September with the HUGH tax credits I got into a R12S for a decent price. It's nice to experience a Rivian for the first time with lower costs and only a 2 year commitment. Asa matter of fact we also leased a VW ID 4 cause the lease cost was so inexpensive.
As far as the R2, I don't worry about getting into it right away. I have 18 months to figure it out !

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[GreggVA]

I have both Tesla MYP and an R1T. Think it really depends on your use case.

FSD on Tesla is really good but I just don't use it that much and it is a subscription now so I mainly use Autosteer. I think the Gen 1 Driver+ is every bit as good, if not better, than as the Tesla Autosteer when on the highway. The downside to Gen 1 Driver+ is that you have to be mainly on highways for it to work where Autosteer is basically any road. There is a third party solution, Comma, for the R1T but I just don't need it for what I use the truck for.

For routing, I think the Tesla has a slight advantage for charging stations but 95% of my driving is local and I charge at home. On trips, I see no real advantage one way or the other. I utilize the Tesla app to find chargers when I drive the R1T and that gives me all the info to double check routing on the Rivian.

 

[TheWebMedic]

Welcome to the new world of EV's where your car is now like your phone: "Wait for iPhone 18 or by 17 now? But I hear 19 will have a shiny new doodad."

FOMO with tech is real - and it gets really hard when that tech costs $60K.... If I were you personally, I'd look for a great short term lease so you can get to know the Rivian - but then you're locked in for a couple of years. You could just get something cheap and used as a stop gap - something that won't lose a lot of value in 12 months, if the $$$ matters to you.

Great analogy

 

[ENVErider]

So I’m on the R2 waiting list (May 2026 sad ), which probably means I won’t actually see one for quite a while. Part of me is thinking maybe I should just lease an R1 for 2 years and then move into an R2 later.

My biggest hesitation is all the videos comparing how far behind Rivian still seems compared to Tesla. I just watched one where the navigation was routing someone to slow chargers that were actually farther away than the vehicle could even reach.

Curious what current owners think. Is Rivian close enough now that it’s not a big deal day-to-day, or would you wait it out for the R2 and see how the platform matures? Open to advice.

Test drive a new or used R1 and decide for yourself. Yes, in many ways, Tesla is ahead of Rivian; they should be with more than a decade of head start and virtually no competition when they ramped up, but Rivian's pace in advancements is much faster, and they appear to be prioritizing safety more in autonomy development.
I usually rent Teslas for my vacations and have several weeks in the 3 or Y, but they have never come close to my Rivian experience, and I'm on a 2022 Gen 1 that will never self-drive. There are many, many former Tesla owners on here who would not go back, but many who prefer Tesla. If you want a daily commuter that is cheap, efficient, and more established, a Tesla might be your best fit. Rivians provide an experience that is hard to describe in words, and most of us gladly trade the 2nd place autonomy position and unconventional service experience for that driving experience.
Good luck with whatever you get; there are definitely some incredible deals on Gen 1 Rivians and most Model Ys/3s if you are considering used.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Welcome to the new world of EV's where your car is now like your phone: "Wait for iPhone 18 or buy 17 now? But I hear 19 will have a shiny new doodad."

FOMO with tech is real - and it gets really hard when that tech costs $60K.... If I were you personally, I'd look for a great short term lease so you can get to know the Rivian - but then you're locked in for a couple of years. You could just get something cheap and used as a stop gap - something that won't lose a lot of value in 12 months, if the $$$ matters to you.

This is so true. We've typically leased the "family car", because sometimes I get a little crazy with my cars, but with EVs (and no longer modding) it's made so much more sense to lease. The tech moves quick, the long term costs / OOW concerns, no problem.

I might even start doing 24 months on everything, our iX is 36, our 4xe is 24, it really worked out for the latter where some concerns and wanting to go either one-car or 2 x EVs became an option much quicker / less FOMO

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