Cancelling my Pre-order, thoughts inside from test drive

[TheMac]

Outdated, except there's literally no other way in the Rivian to get offline music, or audiobook and podcast apps, than through your phone.

Ehhh yes it is outdated, you can use Spotify to do all the above. Might not be your preference but it is possible!

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[Thebandit]

Ehhh yes it is outdated, you can use Spotify to do all the above. Might not be your preference but it is possible!

Spotify in the Rivian does not do offline music at all, as far as I'm aware. It does not do audiobooks. Podcasts are limited to what's on their store, as long as you're online.

If you're out of cell service, Spotify does not work. AM/FM don't work. SiriusXM doesn't work. There is no aux input. USB mass storage for music, podcast, or audiobook files doesn't work.

If you are out of cell range, you are limited to one option: Bluetooth from your phone.

 

[NC-Rivian]

Call me a Rivian shill, but this post is ridiculous.

OK ... You're a Rivian shill!

 

[NC-Rivian]

Summary:

If you want CarPlay buy an ICE vehicle or legacy auto EV. Rivian and Tesla don't need or want CarPlay. CarPlay is a legacy auto crutch.

Ummmm ....GM ICE vehicles don't offer CarPlay.

 

[Alan in Tempe]

I love the R2, with some reservations, and find no other vehicles near as appealing. I would love to trade my First Edition Mach-e for an R2, but maybe not very soon. Here are my reasons, and responses to Horsey's OP.

My Mach-e is great, and I have no need to trade it now, even if 5 years is long enough for me in most cars.

I would love to have the Launch Package R2, but I am almost certainly not going to be able to get one from Rivian, as my reservation was only about 7 months ago. If I can't get LP R2, then I would probably order a Premium, as the only aspect of the Performance that I would really like is the semi-adaptive suspension. I prefer the 20" wheels, and the Premium comes with my preferred wheels and tires standard. I will add the Autonomy+, but maybe not the tow package (haven't decided on that yet). Not excited about any of the colors, as I do like brighter colors, but not so much white, the only bright color offered. Coastal Cloud is my somewhat preferred interior, and would gladly pay $3K if it were a genuine leather upgrade, but $1K for a different color of vinyl seems rather high. My Mach-e has a black interior, and even here in the Phoenix desert, I do not find it too hot, but a cooler color would be appreciated. I expect I will also add the spare tire, in spite of its very high price.

Now, here are the nits of the R2 I share with Horsey. These are his points I mostly agree with, even though none are deal breakers for me.

Above all, the lack of CarPlay/Android Auto...
Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or whatever music app I want...

• Apple Maps is simply better than Google Maps for navigation...
• I rely on on-screen tapbacks for messages while driving.
• App based ETA/location sharing (not text message based)
• Lack of a 19" wheel option with the Launch Edition...
• The Rivian infotainment software features that will be missing at launch...
• Super disappointed that there’s no option to delete the sunroof...
• The color choices were just awful...

Apple Maps is sometimes better than Google Maps. I use both.
I expect the missing SW features will mostly be completed before I have the option to order an R2. If not, then I may delay ordering.

Not having a real FM radio with HD hurts a lot. While my Mach-e (and both my previous EVs and both previous hybrids) has satellite radio and Bluetooth streaming from my phone, I have yet to find a satellite programming I like, and I listen to FM mostly, especially for news, and especially for local news, and I am often have spotty-at-best cell service. Rivian, please add an FM radio to the R2!

Moving on, these I find as might be nice, or perhaps just silly:

• HomeKit support for accessories ...
• Waze....
• Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or whatever music app I want...
• I'm able to write my own apps and use them in CarPlay.
• Siri/Gemini/Alexa is leagues more reliable than any other assistant I've used, especially with personal context.

These I the points I find worthless, or disagree with:

• Personal wallpapers. ..
• I don't want to be "advertised" the brand at every turn in the software...
• I want the UI to have Glass-like transparency throughout.
• Lack of accessories compared to Teslas...
• The halo wheels were awful outside of vertical scrolling;...
• The lack of 2 pedal driving (forward creep) was unbelievably disappointing.
• The sales rep straight up couldn’t answer...
• Autonomy+ issues...
• Cruise control/driving dynamics...

I could be wrong, but I find most people who don't like 1 pedal driving, don't know how to properly use it, or never really tried to learn how to feather the pedal on the deceleration side just as they already do on the acceleration side of the pedal travel. The only advantage of free coasting is not having to keep your foot on the pedal at all. The "neutral" or free coasting position of the pedal is easy to find and hold.

 

[Zoidz]

Coming from a model Y, my biggest issues were the ride/handling that still felt too trucklike to me, hoping that's due to the AT tires which I won't be buying, and the steering scroll wheels left-right motion. The first one is a dealbreaker but realistically I need more driving time with the road tires to make a decision and the, second one can probably be improved. Everything else ranged from fine to excellent for me.

Considering that Rivians are a true SUV with real towing capacity, off road chops, etc. and not a bubble crossover SUV on a car platform like the Y, why would you expect the ride to not be truck like?

This is the exact same comment that was posted countless times when the R1S came out - "Why does it feel and drive like a truck?" Answer: "Because it is."

 

[SEPA R1T]

Ummmm ....GM ICE vehicles don't offer CarPlay.

This is not true. My wife's Suburban has both CP and AA. And for what it's worth, I find the interface for both frustrating at best. I can understand the concerns for the offline music and ability to use other apps on your phone, but I, personally, don't have those issues and i much prefer the Rivian solution to the Suburban's CP/AA.

 

[Great Gatsby]

Considering that Rivians are a true SUV with real towing capacity, off road chops, etc. and not a bubble crossover SUV on a car platform like the Y, why would you expect the ride to not be truck like?

This is the exact same comment that was posted countless times when the R1S came out - "Why does it feel and drive like a truck?" Answer: "Because it is."

For the R1S, since it literally shares a platform with a truck, makes sense. The R2 is its own thing, so it wouldn't necessarily makes sense for it to feel truck like. I do disagree though to the original point of the poster that the R2 drives like a truck.

I actually find the R2 drives much closer to the Model Y than it does the R1S.

 

[Zathras]

I'm going to make this post a list of all the things that led to my decision to cancel my pre-order. Hopefully this information will be read by someone who can use the information to make a better product in the future! My whole investigation into the Rivian software/hardware has essentially been a good-faith investigation into the brand.

• Above all, the lack of CarPlay/Android Auto is the biggest factor in my decision to cancel. The Rivian software is not better than CarPlay, and based on the other posts that I've read spanning years of Rivian software developments, I can comfortably say at this point that the speed of software iteration at Rivian is not confidence-inspiring. I don't want to wait for the Rivian software to "maybe someday" duplicate all the functions already present in CarPlay, when I can simply just use CarPlay right now. Below I'll list things that I cannot duplicate from CarPlay/AA within the Rivian software ecosystem:
  • HomeKit support for accessories (and Google/Alexa integrations on the Android side), especially a garage door opener. Granted, Rivian has the best implementation of this in their software because they emulate an old radio frequency based dumb-opener, but I need this functionality on day 1, at no charge.
  • Waze. I want the mapping software to have a social element to it. Waze essentially is a democratic service that allows for alerts that would otherwise be illegal/gray area if integrated into major mapping apps like Google Maps. I want to know where the speed cameras are, where obstructions are, and I want to hear from other drivers what they think about local roads, whether that info is "politically correct" or not.
  • Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, or whatever music app I want. I don't want to rely on Rivian software building an app. I want to be able to use any media app at all times.
  • Apple Maps is simply better than Google Maps for navigation. I use both Apple Maps and Google Maps, and Apple's maps generally are the most performant, and look the most polished. The old days of Apple Maps leading you off a cliff into a lake have been passed over by almost a decade now.
  • Personal wallpapers. I don't want to look at a large scale cartoon drawing of the car I'm already driving in. It's a lot like flying an American flag in America. "You're in America, so no need to state the obvious." I want customization.
  • I don't want to be "advertised" the brand at every turn in the software. CarPlay/AA does a fantastic job removing the car branding so I can have my own personal customization to make the car feel like "mine".
  • I'm able to write my own apps and use them in CarPlay.
  • I want the UI to have Glass-like transparency throughout.
  • Siri/Gemini/Alexa is leagues more reliable than any other assistant I've used, especially with personal context.
  • I rely on on-screen tapbacks for messages while driving.
  • App based ETA/location sharing (not text message based)
• Lack of accessories compared to Teslas. Almost all of the hardware/software features that Tesla doesn't support can be added with aftermarket parts. CarPlay/AA, auto presenting doorhandles, LED lightbar customizations, Sunroof covers, extra physical knobs (thanks in part to the extensibility support offered by the Tesla infotainment software), driver display, etc. Tesla Accessories. To be fair, Rivian does have accessories too, but they're not nearly as powerful as the competition, because of the lack of volume sales, and support by Rivian corporate.
• Lack of a 19" wheel option with the Launch Edition. I want to be able to maximize range, and to do that I need the smallest, lightest possible wheel. I asked about buying a set of 19" wheels, and I was told not to bother doing so by the salesperson.
• The Rivian infotainment software features that will be missing at launch. Never ever buy a product predicated on the promise of future software features. Also, if these basic features from the R1 can't make it to the R2 by launch, it'll take even longer for software features to be released based on customer feedback on the R2.
  • Rivian Assistant
  • Camping Mode
  • Garage Door support
  • Climate Hold
  • Pet Mode
  • Gear Guard will be present but with limited functionality.
• The halo wheels were awful outside of vertical scrolling; I just couldn’t get left and right clicks to trigger. The software integration with them was awful and I found myself not immediately understanding when I could go left/right/forward/backwards in a menu. Pressing into the wheels and pressing behind the wheels felt better than left/right clicks, but I wanted them to feel like the middle click on a mouse, and absolutely didn't feel that in my hands-on.
  • Scrolling with the wheels felt better than excellent. Definitely the best scroll wheel I’ve ever used in any product, ever.
• The lack of 2 pedal driving (forward creep) was unbelievably disappointing.
  • people coming from an ICE car are going to be disappointed by the lack of 2 pedal driving. Parking into a tight garage is also way harder without a coasting feature.
• The sales rep straight up couldn’t answer any intermediate level questions, and just seemed in a rush to get back to his desk in the empty waiting room. Not super confidence-inspiring service. These vehicles that are software defined need a rep dedicated to all the particulars, because if I can't find something in the software with my 20 years of software development, a non-tech person would be just lost.
• Super disappointed that there’s no option to delete the sunroof. I’d much much much prefer to have a metal roof. Here in the southwest, having a sunroof that can't be covered up is a huge loss.
  • besides the obvious heat-issues, getting a crack is a giant pane of glass on the roof is just not something I want to be possible. Here in the southwest, rocks fly at you all the time, and glass coverage isn't free anymore like it used to be with insurance.
• Autonomy+ issues
  • I couldn't get the car to switch lanes autonomously on my test drive (on excellent surface streets; I didn't have time to get on the highway to test it there)
  • I couldn't find an auto park function. I had to park the vehicle manually when I returned to the service center.
• Cruise control/driving dynamics
  • I really liked being able to set a speed in the cruise control with the +1 and +5 increments, but my Prius/Rav4 did a better job of that with the single pull down/push up for incremental speed changes in cruise control speed. The knobs method on the R2 felt worse from a UX perspective.
  • The brake regen felt like I was hard braking even with the lightest and most careful manipulation of the accelerator pedal. I simply couldn't come to a clean, limo-like stop like I can in my Lightning (which has 2 pedal, coasting mode enabled)
• The color choices were just awful. I wanted more bold color choices besides Catalina Cove and Borealis. Ideally, I'd want a watermelon green, but that's just me.
  • since these cars are made to order, there shouldn't be an issue with custom color selection if they're hand painted anyway
  • give me an RGB slider to customize the paint to whatever I want in the configurator (I'd be willing to pay extra for this)

You succeeded in producing the worst review I have read so far. i'm a CarPlay user and I have zero interest in having it in my R2. Just like Apple, Rivian wants to control the software stack, and there is zero chance you're going toget as good a user experience from CarPlay for many reasons, including the fact Apple failed at designing a car. Their implementation of Carplay for trip planning, finding chargers, how much time you'll spend there, and what percentage your car will have is simply not available in CarPlay in anyway close to what Rivian is already doing. I've seen a demo of CarPlay in a supported car. It was laughably feature-challoenged.

Waze? The R2 uses Google Maps. Waze is going to be an option if it isn't now. Or does Google use something else?

I've used the Autonomy+ on my demo drive and it was pretty sweet considering the stage of development it is in. It is going to be superior to Telsa self driving in the not-too-distant future simply because Tesla is hobbled by being camera-only, while the R2 is already using cameras and radar and will have LiDAR. If you want Level 4, the R2 will be there next year.

Even so, there are only two cars that will support the autonomy I want, and that's Tesla and Rivian. And I'm not buying Tesla for multiple reasons. But the biggest one is Rivian is going to bypass them pretty quickly in autonomy, and I can get it for $2,500 for the life of the car. And you can't even get that kind of a deal with Tesla any more, even at their price of $8,000 when it was available.

 

[NC-Rivian]

This is not true. My wife's Suburban has both CP and AA. And for what it's worth, I find the interface for both frustrating at best. I can understand the concerns for the offline music and ability to use other apps on your phone, but I, personally, don't have those issues and i much prefer the Rivian solution to the Suburban's CP/AA.

Incorrect. Don't know how old your wife's GM is but it is a known fact that going forward, GM will *NOT* offer Car Play: GM cuts CarPlay from all new cars, here’s the swap

 

[SEPA R1T]

Incorrect. Don't know how old your wife's GM is but it is a known fact that going forward, GM will *NOT* offer Car Play: GM cuts CarPlay from all new cars, here’s the swap

Fair point and I didn't realize that happened. Her Suburban is a 2024.

And just to defend myself.....your statement did not specify "NEW" GM ICE vehicles don't come with CP.

 

[R1TCntrlMaIzzy]

This type of post, and many of the other ones, were expected. But, so many bashing the R2, the company is odd, interesting. Even when some of the points, gripes, I say wants(which many are known to not be available or even planned to be), are valid.

For me, so far, this R2 post takes the cake. Due to the OP inferring constructive criticism is good, with the first point being CP. I agree that constructive criticism is good, but come on.

In any case, Riv is trying to get a larger market share. So this feedback is expected, and worse. I just pray the service model improves vs the opposite.

EDIT: Not that it matters. I did not read pass the CP point.

 

[foofoo]

Too many toxic comments on this site. I'm fine with anyone reporting what they perceive and value. Not everyone will agree. OP posts their experience of the vehicle and things they value in a car. So far, so good. And then others pile on, suggesting OP is dumb, irrational, unreasonable, etc. That's not ok.

 

[NC-Rivian]

Fair point and I didn't realize that happened. Her Suburban is a 2024.

And just to defend myself.....your statement did not specify "NEW" GM ICE vehicles don't come with CP.

Well ... OP was comparing *NEW* vehicles and my response was giving in that context without consideration for any all previous years' vehicles. Surprised that you missed the uproar when GM made the CarPlay deletion decision.

 

[SEPA R1T]

Well ... OP was comparing *NEW* vehicles and my response was giving in that context without consideration for any all previous years' vehicles. Surprised that you missed the uproar when GM made the CarPlay deletion decision.

All good.....probably just me taking posts too literally at face value. Not sure how i missed it, but i don't really follow GM all that closely either.

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