Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[gecko10x]

Demo drive yesterday. Just wanted to note a couple things:

1. Sound system was perfectly adequate for me. If people hadn’t complained about it, I wouldn’t have known any different.

2. Seats seemed OK. The upper part people have complained about was no issue for me (I’m 5’9”), but the rear portion of the part you sit on felt a little hard. I didn’t spend a ton of time adjusting it though. Cooled ventilation is nice.

3. Haptic Oreos seems fine in terms of mechanics. Wasn’t immediately intuitive how to initiate the cards with them, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out relatively quickly.

4. Was not able to see Esker Silver. Even the staff hadn’t seen it in person. Catalina Cove was kind of “meh” in person. I’m leaning toward the Forest Green.

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[Jeremy3292]

Finally got to test an R2 today in Richmond (VA). Drove my 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance the whole way from South Carolina, which in my mind is great bc I got to really feel the differences in R2 after having being in my M3P for 6 hours. I've been reading just about everything on this forum so I went in looking for issues or things people have said previously and I ended up being very pleased with the R2. Everyone at the Richmond store was great and very nice too; I know some had bad experiences elsewhere. No deliveries yet there either other than an employee's car. They said next month is their first batch of deliveries; most are going to the midwest (Chicago) west coast (CA) first apparently.

Hopefully I've organized the below thoughts in a helpful way!

Measurements:

• Trunk rear opening height is 30" to roofline. Someone asked about this for a dog crate I think. It slopes up another inch or two once inside, but 30" is the opening height to the trunk floor.
• Trunk floor depth to back seats is 37".
• Trunk latch to ground when open is 77" or 6' 5". There is a few more inches for those who are really tall to fit under when the trunk when open as the latch is the closest point to the ground.
• Frunk struts do not open any further than where they rest after the auto open; someone mentioned or asked about this before. It is a little shallow of an angle then one might expect, but I don't foresee any issues it.

Build quality, fit and finish:

• Nothing looked off to my eye. I checked the trim some said were issues around the doors and didn't notice anything off. Having owned two Tesla's of various years I can confidently say this R2 was as good or better than the latest refresh Tesla's.
• No rattles or noises; cabin is very quiet
• Door thunk is very solid; I slammed every door lol.
• Not sure why everyone complained about the charge port door as it didn't seem flimsy to me; very practical and easy opening like a gas car. No complaints from me. I rather like the "stupid" charge door.

Halo wheels & frunk/rear glass buttons:

• I can see how people may dislike the halo wheels. The scrolling works great and feels nice but side to side is difficult to get right without scrolling the wheel up and down. One tip I found is to hold the entire wheel when clicking side to side vs trying to just press from the front; seems to work a lot better. This is probably something we all will get better at over time, but it is finicky.
• The halo wheels feel fine in the hands but they aren't metal or aluminum like I and many others thought they would be. I don't think they feel cheap but will be interesting to see how they hold up over time as some sort of plastic type material.
• There is nothing wrong with the frunk button; this is simply a consumer education issues. For the frunk you press and hold for maybe half a second and then let go. The frunk release mechanism takes 1-2 seconds to open after but it worked every time for me. People are impatient and try to hit it again which is not needed.
• Nothing wrong with the rear glass button either, but it works slightly differently. To roll it down you press and hold for half a second like the frunk and it rolls down all the way. To roll it back up you have to press and hold for 1-2 seconds before it'll go back up. Rivian advisor told me that is bc of safety it's not instantaneous. I played with the frunk and rear glass button multiple times and it worked flawlessly every time once you understand how it works.

Speakers, speakers, speakers:

• First off let me say the sound system is totally adequate to my ear and I had no issues with it. I played with this A LOT as people have endlessly complained about it.
• I can see how some would say it isn't great or world class, but it's not bad. "Tingy" is the wrong word as that is too harsh of a description, but I played a few rap songs I know have good bass as part of the instrumentals and my Model 3 is noticeably richer and fuller.
• I played with the EQ settings, standard, pro mode, "hip-hop" mode, etc. and they were all about the same, maybe it was slightly better here or there.
• If this sound system cost extra like in R1, then it would be disappointing but it's standard equipment on the premium and performance trims so whatever.
• Let me say again though it is totally fine. It doesn't suck, it's not crap, it's totally fine. Is Tesla better? Yes, but Rivian isn't better than Tesla at everything so let's just give Tesla the win on this one lol.

Driving impressions:

• Car is super smooth; very impressed with the NVH. This is probably better than my current Tesla and miles better than the older Teslas. Suspension is for sure better and feels nicer than my current M3P over bumps and potholes, but that could just be due to low to the ground sports car sedan vs upright SUV nature of R2.
• Some said the throttle response wasn't instant like a Tesla when flooring it, which is true but there is some nuance here I haven't seen discussed yet.
• Tesla's are very instant response as someone who drive's an M3P; it's aggressive and rips as soon as you hit the pedal. In sport mode in the R2 the throttle response is very nearly as good as my M3P but maybe ever so slightly less bc it is a big SUV vs a sleek sedan sports car. In all-purpose mode it is a step slower than sport mode but I don't have an issue with it. In conserve mode it definitely doesn't want you to go quick; this is "ECO" mode for sure.

Space, comfort, software, UI:

• The rear trunk is a little smaller than I thought it would be. That's probably on me though bc I knew the length and size of the vehicle, but everyone seemed to think and say it was so big and full of space so my expectations changed. It likely fits in the medium group of SUV's sizing wise, but it is on the smaller side but obviously not a CUV like Model Y.
• I think my disappointment with the trunk space is bc they put those extra few inches in the backseat instead. Plenty of room in the 2nd row which I would have preferred in the trunk. To each his own though.
• Love the room in the front without a massive center console in the way that extends to the dash like in a gas car for the transmission.
• No issues with HVAC, cooled seats, etc. I don't think it's any nosier than my Tesla when it's ripping AC. 90+ outside when I drove in the afternoon today.
• One small issues is software related I believe as some couldn't get the AC vents to blow at their face, which I also struggled with today myself. I figured out angling the vents on the screen somewhat in the middle, leaning towards down and to the right made them blow at my face; I could feel it nicely. Seems like a software bug.
• No issues with the glass roof. My Model 3 today was much hotter, likely bc it is more cramped and the glass is closer to you. I think the angle of the front windshield on Model 3/Y is also part of the reason it gets so hot in there. R2 windshield angle is much more vertical which is better.
• Love, love, love the dual screens. I thought they'd be smaller but they're actually a good size. Camera quality is fantastic. Parking and camera views are so much than Tesla.
• I am going to have to get used to the Rivian UI as I had no idea where anything was or what to click. Couldn't even find the sound settings for the longest time and I feel like I'm pretty intuitive and good with software. Feels like a lot of stuff is buried in the UI, maybe that's by design but there's too many clicks required currently to my eye.

Overall:

• Overall I am very impressed and it lived up to my expectations, especially after having read a lot of negative things on this forum. Every person is different though and that's ok.
• I am thinking of going again next week for another test drive as trying to squeeze it all in in 30-45 min is tough, especially for those of us who don't know how Rivian's UI works or where things are.
• I will be buying once coastal cloud and forest green are available in August!

Bonus:

• My set of golf clubs fit absolutely perfectly in the frunk. I didn't change or move any of the clubs to fit, just plopped the bag right in as is. It is honestly like they made a board room decision on what size the frunk should be and shaped and sloped it perfectly for a set of golf clubs. Uncanny fit; pics attached.

Took a pop-up demo drive in Duncan today with 20" AT vs. the 21" I took in Richmond above. I could not tell the difference on the 20" Very mild tire and rides perfectly fine at 75 mph. Not noisy at all.

They 100% fixed the haptic wheels in the latest 2026.24 update. Much easier to use and much less finicky. Can push easily without it wanting to scroll up too. Definitely a noticeable difference then the launch date software.

They also fixed the AC vents not blowing the right direction on the screen. I got them to blow in my face easily and quickly on the screen.

The sound system seems the same; no issues; perfectly adequate for me. The bass shakes the rearview mirror too lol.

On Autonomy+ the steering wheel vibrates ever so slightly as another user noted. Known software bud apparently. Other than that Autonomy+ works great. I don't use FSD to drive me to Publix or religiously like some do; I only use it on road trips. That's where Autonomy+ will work perfectly fine for me.

NVH was good and the same as the other unit I drove.

Sport mode absolutely launches after an initial small delay spool up. It's like it needs a second to start moving the big boxy SUV but then just absolutely rips.

Back seat is still the winner here for space; lots of room. Personally wish it was in the trunk more but to each his own.

Will be buying once forest green and coastal cloud are available in 2 weeks or so!

 

[SANZC02]

We picked up our R2 yesterday.

Comparing it to our G1 R1S just a couple of thoughts. I really think they have a winner with the R2, hopefully they will get many more people in the seats for the test drives so they can experience it.

1) The interior is much quieter in the R2 than the R1S.
2) I can feel the power difference, especially in all purpose. The R2 is no slouch but not as quick as the G1 R1S Quad.
3) R2 motors are much smoother than the Bosch motors in the R1S, no noticeable motor whine either in the R2.
4) Speed in the R1S is deceptive, several times now in 45 and 50 mph zones I thought the cars in front were going slow only to look down and see we were in the 60s
5) Interior in the R1S is a little nicer but the drop off is not that much compared to the price point.

If anyone is still on the fence about the R2 do yourself a favor and go for a test drive.

 

[NinjaWrap]

I already made a separate post with my thoughts but I wanted to mention a couple important notes here

The sound system, while definitely not as good as my Cybertruck and not as good as wife's Model Y, is more than adequate as long as you adjust the equalizer. I don't know who set the one I drove, or if it came like that from the factory, but it was absolutely terrible sounding at first - empty and tinny. It was set with low bass, then kind of an M shape in the EQ with mids higher than both highs and lows. Then once I adjusted it to a V with bass all the way up, it sounded like a decent mid tier sound system.

I didn't get to go on the highway, but I did use UHF in heavy 6pm traffic, and felt totally relaxed. Better than basic autopilot, nowhere near FSD yet. This will be the hardest part for me. I have used FSD since before it was public beta. I use it every day. But also, Tesla taking away the ability for me to adjust my speed has ruined the overall FSD experience for me as I live in a town that enforces speed limits and on top of that half the speed limits in my town are incorrect now. So I've been driving manually a lot more for the last six or so months.

This is Cybertruck specific, but man is it hard to drive any other car once you've exclusively driven with steer by wire for a couple years. I have not driven any other car on the road since early 2025. The first couple minutes of driving the R2 felt like I was a teen driver getting behind the wheel for the very first time. It was actually funny and I wish my wife had been taking video at that moment.

Overall through, the vehicle feels more refined than Tesla. The new Y is nearly perfect inside, but the detail is still on the minimal side. It doesn't feel like Rivian is stripping things to boost margins (even though they really need some margins sooner than later).

One last thing: the floor mats. Wife and I both love them, but the carpet under the floor mats and on the seat risers is very cheap feeling. I will definitely get some aftermarket all weather mats that cover all of the carpet. That stuff will get so dirty.

 

[gecko10x]

Will be buying once forest green and coastal cloud are available in 2 weeks or so!

Same config for me

 

[Dennisis]

Demo drive yesterday. Just wanted to note a couple things:

1. Sound system was perfectly adequate for me. If people hadn’t complained about it, I wouldn’t have known any different.

2. Seats seemed OK. The upper part people have complained about was no issue for me (I’m 5’9”), but the rear portion of the part you sit on felt a little hard. I didn’t spend a ton of time adjusting it though. Cooled ventilation is nice.

3. Haptic Oreos seems fine in terms of mechanics. Wasn’t immediately intuitive how to initiate the cards with them, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out relatively quickly.

4. Was not able to see Esker Silver. Even the staff hadn’t seen it in person. Catalina Cove was kind of “meh” in person. I’m leaning toward the Forest Green.

I saw the forest green on an R1T on Monday and changed my mind, Launch green all the way IMO. Somehow it just looked cheap to me vs the Launch Green. See it in person before you commit.

 

[macb00kemdanno]

I test drove the above R2 in KnightDale this past Sunday. My impressions line up with most of the comments already made. I drive a Gen 1 R1T.

I thought the A/C, cooled seats and sunroof were a non-issue.

The Sound system was okay, definitely not the same as the R1Ts Meridian. But I listen to podcasts 90% of the time.

The interior was really nice but you do feel the minimization from the R1. it was still very handsome and exudes the Rivian design aesthetic.

When accelerating onto the interstate I experienced a definite, unexpected feedback from the steering wheel like a tire was tracking in a groove. It instantaneously released and then reacted the other direction. It lasted about 1 second and never felt again. I mentioned it to the Rivian guide and he suggested that I bumped the stalk and engaged lane assist. Probably.

My biggest concern is the sight lines and the seat. Getting the steering adjusted to see the drivers display is just awkward and I never found a sweet spot. I am 6’2” and you definitely feel the seat support just below the shoulder blades and then nothing above. I mean it’s not horrible or anything. Will this break in over time? Dunno

The haptic wheels do feel lightweight. I wish they possessed more inertia like that of metal or weighted wheel.

Overall, the vehicle is sexy. Drives great. Love the Catalina Cove blue. Will await the light interior. Plan to trade in the R1T, which I love, but as previously mentioned I do not want to drive it past its warranty.

I will take another test drive before ordering.

1) That's the same one we drove (on my second test drive). Even took it to run some errands near Triangle Town Center in Raleigh

2) You drove nearly 3 hours from Lake Norman just for a test drive?

 

[gecko10x]

I saw the forest green on an R1T on Monday and changed my mind, Launch green all the way IMO. Somehow it just looked cheap to me vs the Launch Green. See it in person before you commit.

Saw Forest Green (R1T) and Catalina Cove (R2) in person last weekend and I really liked the green. Fully agree though that seeing in person is best.

 

[Lysdexic]

1) That's the same one we drove (on my second test drive). Even took it to run some errands near Triangle Town Center in Raleigh

2) You drove nearly 3 hours from Lake Norman just for a test drive?

What choice did I have? The pop up demo center in Duncan S.C. wasn’t available yet and their availability is still limited.

 

[Millbarge]

2) You drove nearly 3 hours from Lake Norman just for a test drive?

Sounds like a nice day trip....

 

[macb00kemdanno]

What choice did I have? The pop up demo center in Duncan S.C. wasn’t available yet and their availability is still limited.

I mean, I get it. But driving 6 hours round trip on I-40/85 for 30 mins. You’re a braver man than me. My wife would have given me the death stare

 

[Lysdexic]

I mean, I get it. But driving 6 hours round trip on I-40/85 for 30 mins. You’re a braver man than me. My wife would have given me the death stare

It was a nice roadtrip. The test drive was scheduled for 11AM on a Sunday morning. Left early, minimal traffic and stopped and had breakfast. If the Duncan demo drives don’t increase availability, I will probably do it again.

 

[yesimahuman]

My wife and I test drove the R2 today. 21" wheels. I've been driving a used gen1 R1T dual for the last few months which I absolutely love, so that's my reference. Various reactions:

• So. Much. Legroom. I know the rear was known for legroom but the front legroom is huge.
• Side mirrors feel oddly small but I'm coming from the R1T so just used to bigger ones I guess
• The rear glass feature I absolutely love. Being able to drop all windows all at once as well is really fun. Great summer car
• Being able to drop the rear glass gives this car a really unique ability to haul things like longer pieces of lumber which would probably be even easier to do in the R2 than my R1T!
• I found the seats to be softer and almost more comfortable than the gen1 R1T seats, but hard to say without a longer trip
• Sound system was perfectly fine, but we're not bass people. I would be perfectly happy with it
• Acceleration was crazy, felt stronger than my R1T dual which is already very fast
• Haptic wheels felt fine, didn't love the left/right click but really a non-issue and will quickly get used to them
• So much storage. Compared to my old Model Y this thing is absolutely cavernous. I love the two gloveboxes as well and they are much deeper than I expected. Everywhere you look there's storage.
• The charge port door feels like garbage. I am scratching my head why they cut so much there when it's something you're going to interact with frequently. It feels so flimsy and cheap even compared to the cheaper Model Y I had before.
• This might sound silly but I left feeling like I want this car with an option for a slightly higher trim level for a bit more money to feel like I'm not taking a step back from our two existing cars which have more premium materials and details. Maybe one day they will come out with that because the size is perfect compared to the R1S which we don't need.
• My wife enjoyed driving it and she has almost zero EV driving experience. The demo car was in high regen which was way too high for her. I adjusted it down through the levels and she seemed to like the lower levels more but I like high as I'm used to that.

At the end the service manager showed us the different color options and we're set on Borealis. Our invite comes in Sept-Oct and we're definitely getting it and ditching our last ICE SUV (2014 buick enclave). At this point we're leaning towards the 20" tires as we live in the upper midwest and have to contend with serious snow and deep potholes, and I like the A/T look and better options for replacement tires.

 

[windshieldfarmer]

Same config for me

My wife and I test drove the R2 today. 21" wheels. I've been driving a used gen1 R1T dual for the last few months which I absolutely love, so that's my reference. Various reactions:

• So. Much. Legroom. I know the rear was known for legroom but the front legroom is huge.
• Side mirrors feel oddly small but I'm coming from the R1T so just used to bigger ones I guess
• The rear glass feature I absolutely love. Being able to drop all windows all at once as well is really fun. Great summer car
• Being able to drop the rear glass gives this car a really unique ability to haul things like longer pieces of lumber which would probably be even easier to do in the R2 than my R1T!
• I found the seats to be softer and almost more comfortable than the gen1 R1T seats, but hard to say without a longer trip
• Sound system was perfectly fine, but we're not bass people. I would be perfectly happy with it
• Acceleration was crazy, felt stronger than my R1T dual which is already very fast
• Haptic wheels felt fine, didn't love the left/right click but really a non-issue and will quickly get used to them
• So much storage. Compared to my old Model Y this thing is absolutely cavernous. I love the two gloveboxes as well and they are much deeper than I expected. Everywhere you look there's storage.
• The charge port door feels like garbage. I am scratching my head why they cut so much there when it's something you're going to interact with frequently. It feels so flimsy and cheap even compared to the cheaper Model Y I had before.
• This might sound silly but I left feeling like I want this car with an option for a slightly higher trim level for a bit more money to feel like I'm not taking a step back from our two existing cars which have more premium materials and details. Maybe one day they will come out with that because the size is perfect compared to the R1S which we don't need.
• My wife enjoyed driving it and she has almost zero EV driving experience. The demo car was in high regen which was way too high for her. I adjusted it down through the levels and she seemed to like the lower levels more but I like high as I'm used to that.

At the end the service manager showed us the different color options and we're set on Borealis. Our invite comes in Sept-Oct and we're definitely getting it and ditching our last ICE SUV (2014 buick enclave). At this point we're leaning towards the 20" tires as we live in the upper midwest and have to contend with serious snow and deep potholes, and I like the A/T look and better options for replacement tires.

My wife and I test drove an R2 yesterday with the 20” wheels. I echo much of what has been observed. I have a projected Aug/Sept order window and am looking at replacing a 2024 BMW IX50 (expiring lease) and a lifted 2020 Wrangler Rubicon with my next purchase.

A few other observations;

My wife and I found the seats more comfortable than the expected. My wife is 5’4”, I am 6’3. Seats are great IMHO.

We found the drive, even on the soft setting, a bit bouncy…like a mid sized pickup. Not bad, but certainly a set back from our IX50…though dramatically better than the Jeep.

The ride and wind noise were surprisingly quiet. While step in was quite conservative, acceleration was incredibly strong once the go pedal was mashed.

Build quality was good with uniform panel gaps and decent paint application.

Though the outside temp was 86 degrees and sunny, the AC was effective and acceptable. As others have reported, the cooled seats are effective but noisy. I might add they are not noisier than those in our 2025 Aviator.

We like that a temporary spare can be purchased and stored, unlike most other EVs. Having experienced the inconvenience of a flat on an EV, this is a big deal to us/me.

Given that I want some off-road capability yet love the way EVs drive, the R2 might be a great option.

 

[graytag]

Maybe I'm grossly oversimplifying some of these comparisons but they strengthen the argument- for some- in going R2. I have had multiple BMW and Audi SUVs plus more recent "rugged American Offroaders-" Bronco, Wrangler, with 3rd car GX460 and LR3 peppered in. If I were choosing a daily family hauler, strictly for the city, I'd go iX3 99/100. Where I believe the R2 offers the most compelling use case is it offers 95% of what my Wrangler and Bronco did without compromising any semblance of road manners.

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