PappaBolt
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Don
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2022
- Threads
- 36
- Messages
- 958
- Reaction score
- 1,370
- Location
- Bainbridge Island, WA
- Vehicles
- R1S, Corvette, 911
- Occupation
- Tech
- Thread starter
- #1
After much anticipation, it finally happened: The R1S is the real deal. It's everything I had hope it would be, along with a few quirks. I took delivery a few days ago, but was finally able to go on an extended drive yesterday and get acquainted with the basics and dig into many of the features. We road tripped from Bainbridge Island WA, to Port Angeles and on to Lake Crescent. For those not familiar, this is in the Pacific North West on the Olympic Peninsula. It was about 85 miles out and back. My spec is with all terrain tires so starting range was at 99% and 273 miles in "All Purpose" mode. We found the energy consumption to be very accurate. By the time we got to Port Angeles, range had dropped to 186 miles. This was with periods of aggressive driving to test power delivery and handling, along with more moderate periods of cruising. The terrain was mostly two-lane roads with elevation gains and some twisties as we moved closer to the coast.
Part of this full day immersion was to also locate and test public charging. Even though we could have easily made it out and back, we were able to locate a level 3 charger as we stopped for lunch. An hour later and $19.25 lighter we were back to a full charge. Mission accomplished. Side note, this vehicle gets lots of attention. While charging we noticed several photos being taken. Along the way there were many opportunities for great conversation with questions and comments about what this vehicle is and details about both the R1S and our experience. Overall very positive. My suggestion is to expect some of this as an early adopter and have fun with it.
My overall rating 9.5 out of 10 (more on the quirks below)
Spec: Limestone LE, 20" AT with dark wheels, underbody shielding, VIN 4XX
Power Delivery and Handling
You feel the 835 horses when you press hard on the skinny pedal. It builds a lot of confidence for the driver, especially when cornering or when passing. The suspension was in "Sport" mode for most of the more spirited driving and the R1S felt very planted in and out of the corners. This changed a bit when switching to "Conserve". The front wheel drive delivery was solid but you do notice a drop in power all full acceleration. It's more than ample, but noticeable. The handling did change a bit too, and while I still felt very confident, the pitch in the curves was a bit more evident. I suspect this was more to do with not being in sport mode at the time.
Fit and Finish
The paint quality is very good. Limestone seems to be one of those colors that is a bit like a mood ring. It changes with conditions. Direct overhead sun it's a bit more green hued, twilight and it's more bluish, clouds come in and it's more gray. I like it, a lot. It's a trending color with other OEMs and I suspect it might get dated in time, but for now it's a bit more unique and fantastic. As for body panels and seams. Any fitment issues seem minor. Others may find issues in the pics below and I welcome the feedback. To my untrained eye it looks pretty decent. There is a large gap between the rear tailgate and bumper, but I think this is on all R1S copies and expected.
Right Height Adjustment
The suspension is fantastic, especially in sport. There is still a bit of flexing and a few creaks where road conditions were subpar (typical for western WA). We did test the change in right height from highest to lowest (while parked). It does take a while for the air compressor to build enough reserve to make the change, so just be a little patient. One word of caution: I lowered the height while pressing the brake pedal. This resulted in a lot of creaking and popping and the wheels needed to flex and adjust. At first I thought something was wrong until I realized it was operator error.
Air Compressor / Spare Tire
Speaking of the air compressor, as others have pointed out, the supplied air hose wouldn't attach to the coupling. The plastic trim panel is too close/tight to the coupling and doesn't allow full access to make the connection. I've filed a ticket and already have an appointment to fix this. One other note: I originally pre-ordered with a spare tire, but when offered a spec without one I jumped at it. So I'm without a spare and with no way to purchase one until Rivian makes them available in the gear shop. So that's a disappointment.
Rear Tie Downs
For some reason I only received a single tie down per side (total of two). Which make them less useful for what they are intended. I thought I'd seen two per side (total of four) in other deliveries. Perhaps I'm wrong or there are supply chain issue, but I'm curious about other's experience here.
Key FOB
Only one FOB was delivered with the vehicle. I've read that others received two. When I Inquired I was told only one is supplied with delivery and I could order (and pay for) another one if desired. I've done that via a service ticket since they are not available in the gear shop. Again, I'm curious what others have received both with R1T and R1S deliveries.
Front License Plate
This one was a disappointment. Since I unfortunately live in a state that requires them, the SC opted to install the front plate holder as a part of delivery. I would have preferred to have purchased the SnapPlate accessory and done a non-destructive install. As-is, the SC actually riveted the front plate holder in place. So now if I want to remove it, I have to drill out the rivets and plug the holes. It's not a deal breaker but hmmmm... rivets? really? See pic.
Navigation
Getting to know the navigation was interesting and just ok. Rivian chose to go their own way and build their own experience. Emphasis on "their" own way. I get it.. better control over the customer experience with the ability to do off-road maps, overlay charging, etc. Those are pluses, but at the expense of customers having to learn a proprietary platform whereas simply integrating a familiar experience (CarPlay/Android) would have brought more of a customer-focused and positive experience. Much as been written about this this already so nothing more to add here. But I'll be watching and it will be interesting to see how this works out long term. For us early adopters I don't think there's hope for CarPlay integration in the future as I think this is more than a software update.
Note: The volume on the voice guidance can't be controlled separately from the music audio and it's way too soft and can't be heard. There's no fix to boost the nav volume without blasting the music (per a ticket I filed). Supposedly Rivian is working on a fix. Again, curious what other have experienced. Please comment if I've missed something.
Final thoughts
The quirks are minor and overall the experience has been fantastic. I am very pleased so far and look forward to many happy miles. This is a first generation product and as an early adopter quirks are expected. There is so much they got right. In time this will get better and better. For those still waiting, it's worth it. You will not be disappointed. Please comment with corrections or questions and I'm happy to update.
FWIW, during my first road trip I only passed one other Rivian the entire day, a black R1T. I waived
Part of this full day immersion was to also locate and test public charging. Even though we could have easily made it out and back, we were able to locate a level 3 charger as we stopped for lunch. An hour later and $19.25 lighter we were back to a full charge. Mission accomplished. Side note, this vehicle gets lots of attention. While charging we noticed several photos being taken. Along the way there were many opportunities for great conversation with questions and comments about what this vehicle is and details about both the R1S and our experience. Overall very positive. My suggestion is to expect some of this as an early adopter and have fun with it.
My overall rating 9.5 out of 10 (more on the quirks below)
Spec: Limestone LE, 20" AT with dark wheels, underbody shielding, VIN 4XX
Power Delivery and Handling
You feel the 835 horses when you press hard on the skinny pedal. It builds a lot of confidence for the driver, especially when cornering or when passing. The suspension was in "Sport" mode for most of the more spirited driving and the R1S felt very planted in and out of the corners. This changed a bit when switching to "Conserve". The front wheel drive delivery was solid but you do notice a drop in power all full acceleration. It's more than ample, but noticeable. The handling did change a bit too, and while I still felt very confident, the pitch in the curves was a bit more evident. I suspect this was more to do with not being in sport mode at the time.
Fit and Finish
The paint quality is very good. Limestone seems to be one of those colors that is a bit like a mood ring. It changes with conditions. Direct overhead sun it's a bit more green hued, twilight and it's more bluish, clouds come in and it's more gray. I like it, a lot. It's a trending color with other OEMs and I suspect it might get dated in time, but for now it's a bit more unique and fantastic. As for body panels and seams. Any fitment issues seem minor. Others may find issues in the pics below and I welcome the feedback. To my untrained eye it looks pretty decent. There is a large gap between the rear tailgate and bumper, but I think this is on all R1S copies and expected.
Right Height Adjustment
The suspension is fantastic, especially in sport. There is still a bit of flexing and a few creaks where road conditions were subpar (typical for western WA). We did test the change in right height from highest to lowest (while parked). It does take a while for the air compressor to build enough reserve to make the change, so just be a little patient. One word of caution: I lowered the height while pressing the brake pedal. This resulted in a lot of creaking and popping and the wheels needed to flex and adjust. At first I thought something was wrong until I realized it was operator error.
Air Compressor / Spare Tire
Speaking of the air compressor, as others have pointed out, the supplied air hose wouldn't attach to the coupling. The plastic trim panel is too close/tight to the coupling and doesn't allow full access to make the connection. I've filed a ticket and already have an appointment to fix this. One other note: I originally pre-ordered with a spare tire, but when offered a spec without one I jumped at it. So I'm without a spare and with no way to purchase one until Rivian makes them available in the gear shop. So that's a disappointment.
Rear Tie Downs
For some reason I only received a single tie down per side (total of two). Which make them less useful for what they are intended. I thought I'd seen two per side (total of four) in other deliveries. Perhaps I'm wrong or there are supply chain issue, but I'm curious about other's experience here.
Key FOB
Only one FOB was delivered with the vehicle. I've read that others received two. When I Inquired I was told only one is supplied with delivery and I could order (and pay for) another one if desired. I've done that via a service ticket since they are not available in the gear shop. Again, I'm curious what others have received both with R1T and R1S deliveries.
Front License Plate
This one was a disappointment. Since I unfortunately live in a state that requires them, the SC opted to install the front plate holder as a part of delivery. I would have preferred to have purchased the SnapPlate accessory and done a non-destructive install. As-is, the SC actually riveted the front plate holder in place. So now if I want to remove it, I have to drill out the rivets and plug the holes. It's not a deal breaker but hmmmm... rivets? really? See pic.
Navigation
Getting to know the navigation was interesting and just ok. Rivian chose to go their own way and build their own experience. Emphasis on "their" own way. I get it.. better control over the customer experience with the ability to do off-road maps, overlay charging, etc. Those are pluses, but at the expense of customers having to learn a proprietary platform whereas simply integrating a familiar experience (CarPlay/Android) would have brought more of a customer-focused and positive experience. Much as been written about this this already so nothing more to add here. But I'll be watching and it will be interesting to see how this works out long term. For us early adopters I don't think there's hope for CarPlay integration in the future as I think this is more than a software update.
Note: The volume on the voice guidance can't be controlled separately from the music audio and it's way too soft and can't be heard. There's no fix to boost the nav volume without blasting the music (per a ticket I filed). Supposedly Rivian is working on a fix. Again, curious what other have experienced. Please comment if I've missed something.
Final thoughts
The quirks are minor and overall the experience has been fantastic. I am very pleased so far and look forward to many happy miles. This is a first generation product and as an early adopter quirks are expected. There is so much they got right. In time this will get better and better. For those still waiting, it's worth it. You will not be disappointed. Please comment with corrections or questions and I'm happy to update.
FWIW, during my first road trip I only passed one other Rivian the entire day, a black R1T. I waived
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