Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[jennq]

Million dollar question - are there grab handles??

My mom and husband always reach for those! I never even notice

Sponsored

 

[mkhuffman]

Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I never said it was a deal breaker. I am an enthusiastic R2 reservation holder and am ready to give Rivian money the minute my reservation gets called.

Am I disappointed in the fact I'll have to work around the lack of CarPlay? Absolutely.

Did I also say I understand that they should be focusing on 1st party software quality during this growth phase? Sure did.

Does that mean I can't continue to advocate for the future where they might add support, and criticize the "not now, not ever" mentality? Man, I hope not.

If you're happy never having the option of CP/AA in a vehicle from Rivian, then I love that for you. But that doesn't mean I and others can't maintain hope that one day we might get the option.

To be clear, AA is one of the things I miss the most about my Mach-e. I loved it.

Rivian has clearly stated they will not provide AA/CP integration. So all I am saying is it is a waste of time and space to complain about it. It's not happening. And it isn't a big deal because Rivian's UI is excellent.

And I wanted an excuse to use the term "pie hole".

BTW - I was addressing everyone who is complaining about it, not just you. So sorry it seemed personal.

 

[emroch]

Rivian has clearly stated they will not provide AA/CP integration. So all I am saying is it is a waste of time and space to complain about it. It's not happening. And it isn't a big deal because Rivian's UI is excellent.

This is where we disagree. Yes, they've clearly stated that they don't plan to support CP/AA, but that doesn't mean customers (and potential customers) should not make it known that it would be a nice feature. The R1 didn't have a glove box and people complained, now R2 has two!

To say people should not voice their opinion about desired features is rude. I'm sure there are things you would like to see improved in the car too. Should we tell you to shut up because Rivian's word is gospel and if they haven't explicitly said it's coming or will be fixed then it's not happening?

The nuance I will concede is that there is a line between wishing for improvement and being stubborn. The other thread about OPD is largely people being stubborn about wanting ICE-like coasting (and people calling them out on it). But I think it's also valid to recognize there are ways to implement coasting, like the Taycan. Someone wishing for the option of zero regen + intelligent break by wire is different than someone saying "I can't believe they won't let you coast!"

 

[elektrode]

PSA: I’m here for the driving experiences not to rehash 5 yr long CP/AA arguments.

need to unwatch thread. Laters.

 

[Eric9610]

This is where we disagree. Yes, they've clearly stated that they don't plan to support CP/AA, but that doesn't mean customers (and potential customers) should not make it known that it would be a nice feature. The R1 didn't have a glove box and people complained, now R2 has two!

To say people should not voice their opinion about desired features is rude. I'm sure there are things you would like to see improved in the car too. Should we tell you to shut up because Rivian's word is gospel and if they haven't explicitly said it's coming or will be fixed then it's not happening?

The nuance I will concede is that there is a line between wishing for improvement and being stubborn. The other thread about OPD is largely people being stubborn about wanting ICE-like coasting (and people calling them out on it). But I think it's also valid to recognize there are ways to implement coasting, like the Taycan. Someone wishing for the option of zero regen + intelligent break by wire is different than someone saying "I can't believe they won't let you coast!"

No matter how big the outcry from customers it’s DOA. Like Tesla and now GM. Rivian will never allow AA/CP in the cars. Rivian does not want to give up its user information. I am sure if either brand payed Rivian for access they would allow the access but that is not happening.

 

[NinjaWrap]

It’s been 95-99 here in SC the last few days and I don’t think my Highland Model 3 AC is that great tbh. You gotta let that thing run on high for awhile before it gets it adequate. Can’t wait to test drive the R2 and see. Unfortunately it won’t be for another 2 weeks as there isn’t one around me. Have to wait til I get to Richmond visiting family to go!

Wish upstate had one to check out. Alpharetta is just a little too far out of my way.

 

[rodhx]

Yesterday my wife & I made the 6hr roundtrip to the Franklin TN SC for an R2 test drive. My OG R1T must have felt neglected because Friday morning it threw the 12V warning just to get attention for itself. Thankfully the great folks in Franklin were able to replace the battery while we were checking out R2.

Franklin has a CC on 21s in the showrpin to play with and HMG on 20s and GW on 21s for test drives. I picked the HMG to gauge noise level of the BFG tires and am happy to report we didn’t notice any real “AT tread” noise at all. Noise-wise they seemed similar to my 36k mile Michelin Platinums.

Coming directly from three hours in the R1T we didn’t notice any particular difference in the R2 seats. As many have mentioned the traditional suspension means R2 feels much more “solid” than either of our R1s. Driving dynamics were really nice on TN backroads. It drives MUCH better than our DMP R1S, thanks mostly to the RWD bias. I don’t like driving the DM R1 much due to normally being FWD.

Anyone who found the acceleration/power “lacking” clearly either did their drive in the wrong drive mode or was coming from a top fuel dragster!

Nice weather meant we did about half our test drives with the windows down. Interestingly there was no perceptible difference in cabin airflow whether the rear window was up or down. We toggled it several times and the airflow through the front windows felt unchanged. This was at 35-55MPH. One thing I have always liked about R1S is how well the air flows when all four windows down.

I am 6’2” and I had plenty of headroom underneath the raised rear hatch. A bigger concern is the frunk latch. I just “barely” cleared it when bending over to check out the frunk, which means I would need to be careful whenever accessing the frunk from dead center. No real issues with closing the frunk compared to every other vehicle with normal strut-based openings.

My wife loved the cubby holes: console drawer, gloveboxes, “big bottle” door pockets. She also liked Catalina Cove but it’s a really muted color when inside. Kinda wished we could have seen it in daylight. It’s only on the table if she wants an R2 though. I’m more of a launch green guy. HMG was nice but not for us.

Of course the exterior frunk & rear window buttons were frustratingly uncooperative. Simple buttons like on R1 would have been much better choices.

The only real debate for us is downsizing from either the R1T or R1S we already have. R2‘s frunk is, at most, 50% the R1 capacity. And I think it’s actually a lot less than that. That’s a daily impact on how we use our R1s. The stuff I leave stored in the R1T lower frunk would probably fill the R2 frunk.

In a nutshell R2 was as impressive as I hoped. The sensible thing to do is trade my LE R1T since it’s the oldest. most miles, least range, etc. But that’s a HUGE hit in storage & utility. With a ”first minute” reservation and a dual owner I supposed my name could be called at anytime. I’ll be having quite the internal debate until that happens.

 

[Husky]

Good luck, I know how those internal debates are. I'm having one over the color.

 

[bpwwer]

Yesterday, my wife and I made a road trip to the Yosemite Charging Outpost in Groveland for a demo drive.

We've both driven EV's before but have not owned one.

The overall experience was very positive. It was our first time seeing one in person and it looks really nice. Nothing felt or looked cheap in the interior, it was comfortable in both the front and back seats.

The basic controls we needed to use for the drive worked and weren't a problem to figure out. The one issue we had was that after adjusting the seat, mirrors and steering wheel, I put my foot on the brake and they all re-adjusted to some other setting so I had to re-do them all.

The driving dynamics felt good but the route they had us take wasn't good for testing out suspension settings. (it was smooth and not twisty). But we were able to try out the different one-peddle settings and sport vs. all purpose driving modes. Sport was pretty impressive and the speed limit was quickly exceeded a couple of times. It was quiet in the cabin and really just pleasant to both drive and ride in.

The route was an out and back where I drove out and my wife drove back.

One interesting observation I had was when I parked to so we could switch drivers. I pulled into a parking space, flipped on the camera and noticed I was well centered in the spot but needed to pull forward a bit.

I normally drive a Gen5 4Runner (for the last 12 years) and I still can't just pull into a parking spot and have it well centered with taking a couple of tries and maybe opening the door to see how far I am from the line. (My wife can't either so it's not just me). I'm not sure what it is about the R2 (or maybe about the 4Runner) that effects that.

Nothing about the demo drive raised any red flags or concerns about replacing the 4Runner with R2

 

[higrob]

Test drove yesterday in Edina, MN. Very small space, hoping Rivian eventually builds a larger space.

Although I am not getting the 20” AT tires, we drove that model. I was very surprised with how quiet the vehicle was. Love high regen option and the suspension adjustment was noticeable. As a Tesla Model 3 (non performance) owner the Rivian met and surpassed almost every expectation. I am planning to test drive again and take it on the highway to get an idea for wind noise. I also want to get a better feel for the front seats. The break in the seat up towards upper back was noticeable (not good or bad) but it may have just been how I adjusted the seat.

Couple takeaways/thoughts:
- Software was very good; more complex than Tesla but glad they are not giving in to CarPlay/Android Auto
- How will the rear wiper function in the winter without issue when there is ice/snow buildup.
- I don’t see the front cup holders holding up long term. They did not seem very robust.
- For those of you with a R1, does the airflow pass through behind the front wheels cause any paint chips? Wondering if it would be worth PPF that area.
- Any 3rd party mud flaps?

Will be placing an order when possible.

The airflow behind the front wheels has not led to any paint chips on either of my R1S's. I feel like PPF is a great idea for the front of the vehicle, hood, and back of the side mirrors at a minimum but I don't think it's really needed behind those vents.

 

[peakTS]

It was awesome. Insanely quick, very smooth ride, incredibly comfortable seats, the halo wheels were a little glitchy, but the R2 I test drove hadn't been updated and wasn't running RA. For most tasks they were very intuitive, it was only when changing volume that it felt a bit strange and lagged a bit. The audio through Apple Music streaming sounded a bit flat in the mids, so much so that the mids sounded distant and like they were playing on small speakers. The bass was there, and the highs were there, so I'm not sure what's up there--but I only had 20 minutes so I was focused on the drive.

 

[tivoboy]

Went for a test drive earlier this morning at KOP. They asked that you only take 15 minutes, and as I
Questionable, leaning toward bad:

• The driver seat felt off. I’m tall (6‘ 4”) and love the R1 seats. I sat in a couple R2s in May and thought the seats felt the same. These were pre-production models though. Today…it felt wrong to the point where it felt uncomfortable while driving. The section where the seats break towards your shoulder hit my upper back. It seems Rivian bolstered this area more in this seat where it pushes into my upper back a bit, making my upper shoulder area push forward and not as relaxed as on R1. This also worries me - before ordering I need to sit in a production version R2 again to see if there was something off here. I tried messing with recline even after parking and the lumbar support, etc and it still felt off. Not horrible, but also not great. May be able to live with it, but didn’t expect this at all.

Overall, the test drive made me question things more than I thought it would. There’s parts that I love but also parts that concern me. May be considering buying out the R1T or exploring a new R1T after all, but I’ll still consider the R2 if I hear audio improvements are being made and if I get to figure out what’s going on with the driver’s seat.

So yes, I had this same issue (and I’m 6’4” too!).. where the lower lumbar and mid back panel, meets the upper thoracic and shoulder support panel it’s a divet there, but it felt like a PROTRUSION. Hitting me right in the mid thoracic spine and lower scapulae (shoulder blades).. after the drive, I kept thinking about what I might put on the front of the seat to cushion that, or wondering if that would degrade enough with time to be less noticeable. I’m defiantly going to need another test drive to fully get comfortable overall with that aspect as this is/was meant to be a more road tripping adventurous car.

And I’m going to need another test drive to stress test the AC a bit more. I thought my experience with the AC was a one off, maybe wrong settings from a non current Rivian owner, but it sounds like others have said it was underpowered. Coming from a Tesla Im used to the car not easily cranking out a FRIGID cold flow of AC air, but rather “acclimatizing” the cabin with cool air flow over a period of minutes. It’s not meant to be a mid 80’s Detroit Cadillacs or Chevy with an AC compressor the size of most Japanese car MAIN ENGINES at the time.

but it’s not lost on me that the press day with all the influencers and podcasters was in ~ mid-late May, in PARK CITY, UT (~ 8000+ ft) with an average HIGH temp of 60, so maybe 70-75 IN the sun. they probably weren’t stressing the AC too much and coming to a similar conclusion.

Lots of great mountain trail roads in AZ, NM, CO and other places, but they don’t have the same altitude and cool weather at that time of year. Hmm.?

 

[Husky]

Yes! this was Hudson, in I'm Hampstead area about 30 mins down 111

I'm in New Boston.

 

[SolidTHX1138]

After reading most of this thread, there are at least 3 types of people critiquing the R2.
1) Rivian zealot
2) Tesla refencers
3) New to EV buyers

First of all, there is no such thing as the perfect car. After owning 7 cars in my lifetime that I've kept for at least 5 years, every single one had something I really didn't care for or would like to have. My Hondas and Acuras always seem to be 3-5 years behind in infotainment and they will never add new features after buying the car unless there is a safety concern. My 9 years old Odyssey added no new features and connectivity is a joke by today's standards. My 17 years old Civic, I can't set the data and it thinks it's 2002 , Honda told me to buy a new car to fix the issue.

That said, my reason for buying any car was based on functionality and quality. Odyssey, people mover, Civic commuter. The R2 which will replace my Civic based purely on functionality and style. The quality is yet to be determined, but the warranty seems good.

I would put myself in the 3rd group, where everything about the R2 is just new to me and I have no reference or need for such things as FSD, CP/AA, and all the other little things. If the R2 can last 10 years and 150K without major issue, and get me to work and back a week between charges, I'm good. Being a software defined car, I'm sure I will see improvements unlike any of the legacy automakers that I've owned. This is just based on reading about other Rivian and Tesla owners saying how the car improves with time.

I think the people who complain about FSD and CP/AA reminds me of iPhone users who upgrade their phone every year and complain about the small improvements, where I upgrade my iPhone every 3-4 years and every new iPhone is mind blowing to me. After my short time test driving the R2, I can't wait to play around with it because I'm sure it will be a major improvement to what I own now. I'm not saying FSD and CP/AA are not important, I just think people who never used those features or rely on them may not see it as a factor to buy the R2, because everything else about the car will be a big deal.

Even my 24 years old S2000 will be replaced with the R3X. It still has a CD player I can't use. It will probably be 30 years old by the time the R3X is available.

Just my thoughts.

 

[one44]

So yes, I had this same issue (and I’m 6’4” too!).. where the lower lumbar and mid back panel, meets the upper thoracic and shoulder support panel it’s a divet there, but it felt like a PROTRUSION.

Interesting, so it just wasn’t something off in the car I drove (or just me). I’m assuming they changed the seat to address complaints from R1 where shorter people didn’t like the split, but man, this was uncomfortable and makes me question whether I should go forward with the R2.

Sponsored