Questions for people who have switched from Tesla to Rivian [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS / NO ELON DISCUSSIONS]

[NinjaWrap]

Oh, no interior cameras with the Rivian either.

R2 does have interior camera thankfully

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[NinjaWrap]

Traded my 2022 Model S for a 2026 R1S Dual with the larger battery pack and the sound/vision package. A few things I like about the Rivian compared to Model S:

• Build quality & fit/finish. I had lots of problems with trim pieces and the glass roof on the S. The paint finish was also incredibly easy to scratch.
• The ability to make the R1S' glass roof opaque with the push of a button is nice. Allows light but greatly reduces glare from the sun.
• The R1S frunk is very useful and the power open/close is great. My model S trunk was misaligned and despite several service visits it was very difficult to open.
• The R1S' built-in air compressor is very useful. I've used it inflate my tires and other vehicles' tires.
• Split tailgate is a feature I love.
• As someone else mentioned, I prefer the framed windows to Tesla's unframed.

Some R1S complaints:

• No glovebox. Front seat interior storage is lacking for a vehicle of its size.
• Tesla's FSD is years ahead of Rivian's.
• Charge port location. Really only an issue when using a supercharger.
• Push button door releases are stupid - applies to Tesla and Rivian.
• There are too many windshield wiper settings on the R1S but the S's rain sensing wipers worked poorly.
• Adaptive high beams on the R1S must be irritating to oncoming drivers based on the number of people flashing their headlights at me while driving at night.

Hope this is helpful.

Many of the complaints are fixed with R2. Seems like the ONLY real downside going forward is not having FSD. That’s not a minor thing since I use it daily and especially love having it when I’m in a new town. I just let the car drive me instead of trying to figure out what lane I need to be in

I absolutely love Rivian interiors and would probably be comfortable driving most of the time until Autonomy+ gets better.

Decisions, decisions…

 

[AaronTV]

Here's my perspective and I've gone from a 2022 R1T Quad -> 2026 R1T Quad and a 2022 Model 3 Dual Motor w/FSD -> 2026 Model 3 AWD Premium w/FSD.

I'm the primary driver of the Rivians and my wife/3 year old daughter primarily use the Tesla. Here's a summary of my experience with each generational upgrade.

Rivian:

- Quieter with better ride quality, not dramatically better but a solid improvement.
- I like the Ascend interior a lot and Borealis is a great paint color (though I still prefer the Compass Yellow of the previous truck)
- Build quality is a step up overall but I've still got a rattle coming from the plastic trim in the upper part of the driver's door. I'm pretty disappointed by that considering the price of this vehicle.
- As others have mentioned, the new door handles aren't particularly satisfying.
- The new sound system is a downgrade from Meridian, no way around it.
- Though it is technically faster (I did a 2.7 second 0-60 on the 22" wheel w/all seasons) it doesn't FEEL quicker in normal driving.
- Efficiency is fine but always less than what Rivian advertises (I'm averaging about 2-2.2 miles per kWh).
- I'm surprised how laggy the UI still is, even on upgraded hardware.
- I'm also surprised that I still have the truck occasionally fail to register my proximity and unlock the doors. It's unusual but it happens like once per week.
- Relatedly, if both my wife and I approach the truck it always selects her profile, even if I'm always the one getting into the driver's seat.

Overall, I think it's a great all around truck that is not special enough to be worth its price. I recommend the Tri-Motor if one wants the Ascend interior. As cool as it is, the Quad isn't currently worth the cost difference in my opinion. I still love the truck, though, and it makes me smile every drive.

Tesla:

This car (the 2026) surprised me so much.

- The new generation is MUCH more comfortable and quiet than the 2022. Every time I drive it (literally) I say to my wife, "wow, this is so nice."
- The interior is also very well done, though sparse in Tesla style. I like the materials and the white interior is very inviting.
- Even though it's not actually THAT quick, in Tesla fashion it FEELS very quick because of the torque curve and somehow gives the impression of being similarly quick to my Quad R1T in normal driving.
- Build quality was perfect. No rattles or squeaks.
- The infotainment is lightning quick and perfectly smooth. It doesn't look as nice as the Rivian UI but it works better.
- The sound system is fantastic.
- I've never had the Tesla fail to recognize my presence, literally never, and it always selects my profile if I'm getting into the driver's seat regardless of whether my wife is present or not.
- It also gets less range than Tesla advertises but to a lesser degree (consistently 4-4.5 miles per kWh).
- Duh, FSD 14.3 is awesome and the primary reason I upgraded. My wife loved her Model 3 but it was/is stuck on FSD 12.6.4 (hardware 3) and I wanted them to have the latest version so I used the free transfer available prior to March 31.

Overall, the 2026 Model 3 is one of best cars I've ever owned (and I've owned way too many lol) and is a great value that is easy to recommend.

R2?

I love the design and all signs point to this being a solid product. If I were buying one I'd want Borealis or Forest Green (or some unannounced fun color) with a light interior so my eyes rolled when I saw those were all delayed options.

I've considered purchasing lifetime Autonomy+ for my R1T but I don't miss the features from my 60 day trial and have decided to wait and see. If the price holds while Rivian adds features it'll become a fantastic value.

I think R2 is going to sell very well but I'm also hoping to find that Rivian has taken everything its learned through 2 generations of R1s and is able to match the initial quality that Tesla can now achieve. I'm excited to see how it plays out. Bring on that R3X!

 

[Zorg]

I almost never used FSD, so not a big loss for me. The gen2 ADAS is like the old enhanced autopilot. Rivian software is great but a step behind Tesla but still very user friendly. Only thing I miss is access to v2 superchargers as it makes road tripping easier in some weird corner cases.

With the steady ADAS and software progress, plus the constant rollout of new charging stations, I am very happy with the Rivian and don't feel like I am missing anything from the Tesla.

 

[NinjaWrap]

Here's my perspective and I've gone from a 2022 R1T Quad -> 2026 R1T Quad and a 2022 Model 3 Dual Motor w/FSD -> 2026 Model 3 AWD Premium w/FSD.

I'm the primary driver of the Rivians and my wife/3 year old daughter primarily use the Tesla. Here's a summary of my experience with each generational upgrade.

Rivian:

- Quieter with better ride quality, not dramatically better but a solid improvement.
- I like the Ascend interior a lot and Borealis is a great paint color (though I still prefer the Compass Yellow of the previous truck)
- Build quality is a step up overall but I've still got a rattle coming from the plastic trim in the upper part of the driver's door. I'm pretty disappointed by that considering the price of this vehicle.
- As others have mentioned, the new door handles aren't particularly satisfying.
- The new sound system is a downgrade from Meridian, no way around it.
- Though it is technically faster (I did a 2.7 second 0-60 on the 22" wheel w/all seasons) it doesn't FEEL quicker in normal driving.
- Efficiency is fine but always less than what Rivian advertises (I'm averaging about 2-2.2 miles per kWh).
- I'm surprised how laggy the UI still is, even on upgraded hardware.
- I'm also surprised that I still have the truck occasionally fail to register my proximity and unlock the doors. It's unusual but it happens like once per week.
- Relatedly, if both my wife and I approach the truck it always selects her profile, even if I'm always the one getting into the driver's seat.

Overall, I think it's a great all around truck that is not special enough to be worth its price. I recommend the Tri-Motor if one wants the Ascend interior. As cool as it is, the Quad isn't currently worth the cost difference in my opinion. I still love the truck, though, and it makes me smile every drive.

Tesla:

This car (the 2026) surprised me so much.

- The new generation is MUCH more comfortable and quiet than the 2022. Every time I drive it (literally) I say to my wife, "wow, this is so nice."
- The interior is also very well done, though sparse in Tesla style. I like the materials and the white interior is very inviting.
- Even though it's not actually THAT quick, in Tesla fashion it FEELS very quick because of the torque curve and somehow gives the impression of being similarly quick to my Quad R1T in normal driving.
- Build quality was perfect. No rattles or squeaks.
- The infotainment is lightning quick and perfectly smooth. It doesn't look as nice as the Rivian UI but it works better.
- The sound system is fantastic.
- I've never had the Tesla fail to recognize my presence, literally never, and it always selects my profile if I'm getting into the driver's seat regardless of whether my wife is present or not.
- It also gets less range than Tesla advertises but to a lesser degree (consistently 4-4.5 miles per kWh).
- Duh, FSD 14.3 is awesome and the primary reason I upgraded. My wife loved her Model 3 but it was/is stuck on FSD 12.6.4 (hardware 3) and I wanted them to have the latest version so I used the free transfer available prior to March 31.

Overall, the 2026 Model 3 is one of best cars I've ever owned (and I've owned way too many lol) and is a great value that is easy to recommend.

R2?

I love the design and all signs point to this being a solid product. If I were buying one I'd want Borealis or Forest Green (or some unannounced fun color) with a light interior so my eyes rolled when I saw those were all delayed options.

I've considered purchasing lifetime Autonomy+ for my R1T but I don't miss the features from my 60 day trial and have decided to wait and see. If the price holds while Rivian adds features it'll become a fantastic value.

I think R2 is going to sell very well but I'm also hoping to find that Rivian has taken everything its learned through 2 generations of R1s and is able to match the initial quality that Tesla can now achieve. I'm excited to see how it plays out. Bring on that R3X!

I love my wife’s 2025 Y. So much nicer and quieter than her 2021 Y. It feels so small since I’ve been driving the Cybertruck the past couple years.

I wish R3X was closer but it seems like it’s a few years out at best now. I initially reserved the R2 for my wife but she wanted a new Y and lease deals were pretty crazy last year so we’re paying just $385/mo. I’m considering R2 for myself now or going back to a Model 3 Performance like I used to drive. FSD is the only real draw back to that. R2 seems so much more functional. At least I could tow a trailer or put long boards . I do hope the sound system is good. Cybertruck’s is amazing and I can’t imagine listening to much of a downgrade.

 

[NinjaWrap]

I’m so torn still. FSD is the ONLY thing holding me back. I could handle driving manually where I live. I have to anyway since FSD is almost never going the correct speed here. But when I go out of town especially long distance, FSD is a dream. I don’t have to know which lane to be in or where I’m turning or try to listen to navigation. I just let the car do its thing in any kind of traffic.

I really love everything about R2 except that. If we weren’t leasing wife’s Y we could just use that to go out of town

 

[Audiotek]

@NinjaWrap I've never had a Lease car before.

I am considering leasing my R2 and wondered based on your comment if my out of state trips will have to be done using a rental car because of the restrictions on a lease car?

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

I know that FSD is light years ahead of anything else, and honestly that's a big thing that would hold me into owning a Tesla, but aside from that part, how are the other basic things a Tesla owner is used to, like dog mode, sentry, etc? How is the app experience?

Is there anything you miss, anything you loved about your Tesla that frustrates you in your Rivian, or on the flip side anything that frustrated you about Tesla that Rivian does right?

Very tempted to get an R2, but want to know the pros and cons of the Rivian experience compared to Tesla, aside from FSD.

Thanks for posting this. Like you I have a Tesla (leasing until 2027), but I want to get an Rivian instead.

I’m currently driving a Model 3, which was really cheap to lease back in 2024. One of the things I’m worried about is how expensive it will be to lease an R2. I originally wanted to wait for the R3, but who knows when that will come out. Certainly not the end of 2027 when my lease is up. Maybe the end of 2028 at the earliest?

Another thing I worry about is that we don’t know what the reliability of the R2 will be like. Surely it will be better than the R1T and R1S. It seems like they’ve really simplified the build, so that should help. Like any new model or product for that matter there will anyways be growing pains, bugs, etc.

I usually wait until the second revision of something for that reason, but life is short and I’m ready for adventure. Good luck to us both and all of the others ready to take the R2 plunge.

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

@NinjaWrap I've never had a Lease car before.

I am considering leasing my R2 and wondered based on your comment if my out of state trips will have to be done using a rental car because of the restrictions on a lease car?

I’m currently leasing a Model 3 now. I paid the extra to drive 15K a year. So far I’ve stayed on track, but I’d like to go on a longer trip this Summer. If you have a buyout and plan on using it you don’t have to worry about mileage. If you want to upgrade in two or three years you’ll have to consider the cost of the extra mileage. I think mine is 35 cents a mile.

 

[NinjaWrap]

@NinjaWrap I've never had a Lease car before.

I am considering leasing my R2 and wondered based on your comment if my out of state trips will have to be done using a rental car because of the restrictions on a lease car?

We got a 10,000 mile per year lease last summer on the Y because we usually take my Cybertruck if we go anywhere together. Our payments are $385/mo! Same build we got is now $614.

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