Canceled my R1S order :-(

[DynamoLA]

How was your test drive?

My test drive was great! Very knowledgeable sales guy, and took time to go over all the functionality and capabilities. Got to really floor it in some random business park. It was even raining at the time so got to see how it performed on slick pavement. The ride was super solid and smooth (and this was prior to the software update).

I guess I don’t understand the complaints of the Rivian missing features and being “surprised” at the test drive. Yeah the vehicle doesn’t have massage seats or some of the other niceties of the X7, but I would think this is fairly well-known prior to ordering the car.

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[EVfanboy]

My test drive was great! Very knowledgeable sales guy, and took time to go over all the functionality and capabilities. Got to really floor it in some random business park. It was even raining at the time so got to see how it performed on slick pavement. The ride was super solid and smooth (and this was prior to the software update).

I guess I don’t understand the complaints of the Rivian missing features and being “surprised” at the test drive. Yeah the vehicle doesn’t have massage seats or some of the other niceties of the X7, but I would think this is fairly well-known prior to ordering the car.

My test drive was also good. I drove it on sport mode on purpose and it felt awesome. I am very sensitive to bumpy rides (bad back) and the only thing I paid attention to was ride quality. I didn’t care about anything else, space, audio quality, software, etc

 

[EVfanboy]

Does anyone think Dual Motor maybe a better ride than Quad motor? Munro mentioned it in his interview with RJ that it rides like on a cloud. And that guy is super technical. I like his detailed analyses. I don’t see why

 

[JBo1828]

I really wasn’t in a bad mood at all from meeting in a park in a bad neighborhood and I didn’t care that the guy was young (he was actually super nice) so you are misreading that there. I was simply pointing out that it’s surprising that a big corporation would not strive to provide a better test drive experience from the get-go; they should at least set someone’s expectations to know where to go, instead of sending them to an address that makes you feel like you must have gotten lost...

Inspite of the above I was like a kid in a candy store and super excited with a huge smile on my face the entire time. Keep in mind I’ve been in Rivian fan-boy mode for 18 months now. I’ve watched every YouTube video 2 or 3 times, I’ve read many of the forum posts here, good and bad and based on everything I saw and read had already made up my mind. We even got solar at home in anticipation of getting the Rivian or similar.

I’ve driven and ridden in many Tesla’s, so my expectations were already tempered via flat out luxury vs utility and doing something good for the environment etc.

And read, the deal breaker at the end was the ride quality not the other observations which I could have probably lived with if the car would have kept the smile on my face when it came to handling and performance, which sadly it didn’t.

At the end of the day though, spending $108k on a vehicle is no joke and I don’t think it’s unfair to compare it to other vehicles in the same price range.

Car and Driver said the R1T seemed pretty dialed in, so it’s surprising that the R1S seems to ride more truck-like than the actual truck Model.

I've owned everything from Tesla Model S, to Range Rover Supercharged, Escalades, Tahoes, Expedition, Mercedes, BMW (3, 5, 6, 7 series), and a dozen or so exotic sports cars.. The R1S is by FAR the smoothest, most comfortable ride in soft setting on the highway. I agree with the earlier post that says you must have been in sport and low mode. Your opinion of the ride at highway speeds could not be further from the truth.

 

[evhelphub]

I wonder if this is still just an R1S thing.

I love how the R1T rides and this was before the latest update on a model built a year ago. It felt very range Rover ish to me, except of course much heavier.

I think the review is fair. Rivian has to exclude some features to keep the price as reasonable as possible. But I have yet to drive an R1S and wonder if there's a big difference as reported by some.

Weird about the test drive location though. Rivian has always conducted those at the service center where I live.

 

[Tomgriff]

I test drove the R1T and now have an R1S. I think the ride is fine, it does bounce a bit compared to the cars and vans I've owned but much less than the trucks I've owned. I suspect most car-like SUVs are going to have a smoother ride but then they aren't on large all terrain wheels and could never make it to this point on the trail:

Similarly, there really aren't many trucks or cars on the road that are quicker or can corner as well as the R1s. I'm amazed under hard corner how I can feel the torque vectoring working and how little (none really) body roll there is. The reality is the R1 is so fast and corners so well that you can rarely safely test its limits. It isn't perfect and I don't know if I would be a buyer at the new prices. At pre price hike with a tax credit it was an excellent value.

 

[BigGreenR1S]

I test drove the R1T and now have an R1S. I think the ride is fine, it does bounce a bit compared to the cars and vans I've owned but much less than the trucks I've owned. I suspect most car-like SUVs are going to have a smoother ride but then they aren't on large all terrain wheels and could never make it to this point on the trail:

Similarly, there really aren't many trucks or cars on the road that are quicker or can corner as well as the R1s. I'm amazed under hard corner how I can feel the torque vectoring working and how little (none really) body roll there is. The reality is the R1 is so fast and corners so well that you can rarely safely test its limits. It isn't perfect and I don't know if I would be a buyer at the new prices. At pre price hike with a tax credit it was an excellent value.

Love to hear from others that love theirs—and those are exactly the kind of reviews that had me so excited for so long! Pre-price hike and with the tax credit we may have given it another hard look. Not at $108k + tax out the door though…

 

[BigGreenR1S]

Credit to the OP for sharing his views. Of course, all of our biases come out in personal narratives, and he is simply expressing subjective experience. There are plenty of future buyers who share the excitement and fanaticism the OP had waiting for the vehicle; unfortunately, he was disappointed when he met his hero. His expectations were not met, and I hope his review is helpful to others. As another poster commented, it depends what you were looking for from a vehicle.

When I had a Maserati Gran Turismo, I looked past all the electronic failures in order to enjoy the magnificent sound of a V-8. With my BMW i3 I forgave the limited range, in exchange for gokart-like zippiness around the suburbs. The 2023 G63 AMG, (about which I complained extensively on the Mercedes-Benz forum) was my least favorite vehicle! At that price point there were unforgivable flaws that cars a quarter of the price failed to have, and the thrust and sound of its V8 power plant failed to make me forget.

Our R1S replaces every SUV/FamilyVan we will need. With space for 3 children and 2 100lb dogs it is the perfect daily driver, transporter/limo service, and adventure vehicle without the guilt of internal combustion. It is my Electric JLR Defender (2 years before LR releases there’s)

The R1S is a different experience for every owner. For some it fails to live up to the hype, for others it will exceed expectations. Find solace that tastes and preference are entirely subjective- some people find it weird that I enjoy running 5 miles to work and 5 miles back regardless of the weather.

What is inexcusable to one person, is simply irrelevant for another.

You could not have said it better!
For one, I never thought in a million years I thought this thread would get so many folks riled up. Was just trying to be helpful in sharing my own experience — the literal moral of the story was make sure to try it before buying. Full stop. I literally almost ordered mine the previous week when the order window opened and had to restrain myself to wait for the test drive.

On the other hand I am ‘effing appalled at all the trolls and haters here who jumped on this thread to do nothing than project your own hate and stereotypes on someone who not only do you not know, but someone who literally came here to say he was SAD about having to cancel his order. To those of you here who “actually” drive Rivians, I am so happy I will not part of your effing ASSHOLE community!

Not only do you not know me, but you know nothing about the homeless epidemic in California, what’s a safe neighborhood and what is not a safe neighborhood and you know nothing about my own socioeconomic background or my political preferences to be able to comment one way or another anyway.

For all of you getting your panties in a wad because someone dared to criticize the car you happen to own (or not), you should try hanging out on other car forums, which pretty much consist of people complaining about shit, but who also manage to somehow be incredibly civil towards one another.

Whether this forum needs more moderation, or it whether it happily recruits and encourages all of the assholes here, I for one will happily be peacing out now! ?

 

[BigGreenR1S]

TLDR; Dude likes to write long reviews about things we already know as owners, compares R1S to luxury SUVs, disappointed to find they aren't the same. Moves on.

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[BigGreenR1S]

I read about halfway through, then stopped somewhere in the middle. Some cars just aren't for you. It's strange that you wrote a novel about it. I agree with you about the turn signal. Strange noise. Also too quiet. Also, IMHO, too high on the display and I can't see when they are on because they are blocked by the wheel. That's my biggest complaint so far. I understand that different cars are different because they are different. Therefore they aren't going to offer the same stuff you might believe you are entitled to. This is an off-road truck. Not an X7 or RR Sport.

Speaking of RRS, I've owned two. They are very seductive. You go into the showroom, you put your butt in the gorgeous interior, you are offered Keureg coffee. It's not even a question that you might leave without one. Then there's the issue of actually owning one. I spent half of my Saturdays sitting in the dealer service waiting room. Drinking the same putrid Keureg coffee and sitting with the same owners from the previous Saturday. It was like a support group for abused Land Rover owners. If I'm ever seduced again while driving past a dealership, I remind myself of the sworn oath to never own another JLR vehicle again. I don't care if the interior feels like money or if the suspension soaks up the road better than the R1S or a Tesla. They've lost me forever. And I cannot even imagine the nightmare one would be with the added complexity of a high voltage electrical system needed to propel the wheels.

I love all the people here who made all kinds of judgements about me because I happened to mention what I drove before. I had a RR for 5 years and happily sold it for many of the same reasons you mention, particularly because every LR dealership is full of douchebags who do nothing but try to take advantage of people because they think they have money. It doesn’t change the fact that an RR is every bit as capable stock out of the showroom as an R1S, if not more so, yet so many of you seem to be so happy to overlook that, even though a base RR is actually the same price as an R1S now…think about that for a minute before putting your you know what where your mouth should be.

 

[BigGreenR1S]

Unfortunately, Land Rover abandoned the solid axle, long trailing arms suspension vehicles in favor of independent suspension which gives a softer ride and reduced off road capability. They're all mall crawlers now. I think the old Defender and the Discovery 2 are the last of the off road Land Rovers.

You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about! Do some research!

 

[BigGreenR1S]

I didn't say that complaints were never repeated. I said if CarPlay and massaging seats are that important to you then you should not go drive a vehicle that doesn't have them then complain about it not having those features that you already knew it didn't have.

The X7 is an SUV with 3 rows in a similar price range. That is where the comparison ends though. It's not electric with an adjustable suspension that can run Hell's Gate without modification. It's not fair to either the X7 or the S to compare them. They aren't designed to do the same things.

Homeless people exist. I honestly applaud Rivian for setting up centers in several places around the country that are in transition. To me it says something about the corporate culture that seeks to improve the cities they operate in instead of just leasing space in a business park. so it's a positive in my eyes. The Denver SC is in a neighborhood that used to be pretty rough, but new businesses have moved in and it's getting better. Yes, you might see a homeless person. God forbid they walk around in public.

 

[BigGreenR1S]

Some of the “disappointments” expressed relative to your BMW are fair, but I am really surprised about your description of the ride being similar to a 90s pickup. On that observation, my experience is 100% different. Mine drives like you’re on a cloud, which leads me to believe that you were on the Sports Mode setting, which someone commented on as a posssiblity before. Like many have said, it’s not for everyone. People getting Rivians are paying for the EV tech, and while the Rivian does have a good number of convenience features in it, it doesn’t compare to high end BMWs or Mercedes in terms of luxury features designed to pamper the driver and passengers, but it blows those maker’s cars away, in my opinion, in terms of its EV tech dollar for dollar.

Like I mentioned in the review, it was not. I specifically asked my guide to cycle through sport and comfort so I could feel the difference. I didn’t touch a button, the guide did everything and I confirmed what it said on the display. The ride sucked, but again my suck might be your great. Car and Driver aren’t novices either and clearly they also noticed a stark difference between the R1T and R1S.

 

[BigGreenR1S]

Satellite radio is a good option for remote places. I've had XM in couple of my vehicles in the past and is okay. I rather have Starlink option so one can always install that or have it handy to use.

No CarPlay is not a big deal to me at all. I can stream from my phone need be and check traffic on the phone and compare with Rivian map info.

These are all preferences that one values, and some not so much.

So now that you've vented and told us you've cancelled, do you feel better? Are responses to your opinions what you'd expected?

I do agree that Rivian can do much better and sooner people stop making excuses saying that its a startup, the better. Rivian vehicles have many flaws, just like every vehicle I've owned and know about. Such is life...

I hope your next targeted vehicle works out for you better.

It wasn’t venting and I wasn’t mad, as so many people here are projecting their own anger at seeing someone criticize what they personally happen to like. That’s what’s really going on here, owners and/or fanboys not being able to get over themselves for a minute to actually realize and admit to this vehicle’s shortcomings, while continuing to try and rationalize your decision for buying something that you probably should have been paid to drive as a beta tester instead.

 

[BigGreenR1S]

I too met in that same park in January when I did my First Mile Drive and thought it was strange. The rep at the time said that's where they do their test drives because it's quieter than the service center and people can actually see the vehicles from more of a distance (implying they don't have the space at the service center). I'm not sure, but this may also have something to do with the local business license...the repair center may be listed as a repair center, not a showroom.

When I test drove we did a loop down 680 toward downtown San Jose, and back. mostly on the freeway and a bit on surface streets. Most of the time the truck was in Sport-low suspension setting and I chalked up the rough ride to that. Additionally the person demoing was talking a lot about the sportiness of the truck in general.

When I first got my truck in June, I primarily used AP Soft suspension (20" AT Tires here) and that felt comfortable. Since the last update I primarily use AP Stiff suspension and that feels a bit more like my old Audi SQ7 suspension - firm but not punishing. The only time I put it into "Soft" now is if I'm going to be on the freeway for a while. I make quite a few trips up to the Tahoe Area, and and use AP Soft up to about Placerville, then switch to Sport-Low. I find this gives a good balance of floaty comfort on the freeway bit still allows for some nice handling on the 2-lane roads.

I've found the truck behaves way differently than what the test drive experience was like.

Love that! Glad it’s working out, I honestly wish it would have for me! It’s just a car and it’s just time, hopefully I’ll like the next revision more!

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