HokieHaden
Member
- First Name
- Mark
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2024
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 9
- Location
- Nashville, TN
- Vehicles
- 2022 Rivian R1T
- Occupation
- VP, National Accounts
- Thread starter
- #1
I’ve been a Tesla owner since 2018 (2018 Model S and currently 2021 Model Y perf), but I’ve had my eye on Rivian for a long time. My buddy was one of the early adopters on R1T so I’ve seen the product up close - but never test driven one until recently. That changed this past weekend when a local dealer here outside Nashville allowed me to take his R1T Launch Edition (green, 16k mi) home for a weekend test drive. That pretty much sealed the deal for me.
I had to negotiate the deal with my wife
since I’m still in my Model Y lease until Nov (no option to buy it out, trade, etc). We don’t need a 3rd vehicle, but this was the full spec I’d been looking for, with low-ish mileage, so I didn’t want to let it get away. I figured the longer I wait the harder it’s going to be to find a launch edition with lower miles. Now I get to clean out the 3-car garage this weekend to make room for 3 actual vehicles.
This is a XX47XX VIN, 04/22 build launch edition. The biggest concern I had is the Carfax showed 3 prior owners. The dealer talked me through that saying the first owner flipped it to make money, 2nd owner had it, then my sales guy at the dealer is the 3rd owner himself and has put most of the miles on it. Otherwise, no red flags on the Carfax. I figure it’s under warranty for the next 40 months so Rivian will cover any major items. That said, I am a bit concerned with the service wait times I’m hearing about. Reminds me of earlier Tesla experience.
I’ve had a Model S and Model Y (perf) and give Tesla tons of credit for turning me into a EV guy. I won’t go into a detailed comparison of Tesla to Rivian, as I don’t know that I have a different take than what’s already well established. I’ll just say the interior of the Rivian feels to me like a true luxury vehicle, as opposed to Tesla’s simple, clean aesthetic. I don’t think Teslas approach is bad, just different. I’ve had several luxury brands and think Rivian does a better job here. Also, it sounds like a small thing, but I’ve been without a screen behind the steering wheel for almost 3 years, and I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it. Love the Rivian screens and infotainment, so far! Both brands are lacking Apple CarPlay, which has been well covered. It’s a miss for both, in my opinion. But I accept it. I will say, the ride “feel” is SO much nicer in the R1T. I’ve been driving the MYP with 21 in low profile tires; the suspension is sporty and you feel every speck of dust on the road! This R1T has the 20 in with all-terrain tires, so they are super comfortable to ride on. I know range is sacrificed a bit in exchange, but I’ll take it
I will say, the R1T is rated as 3.0 second 0-60, vs my MYP at 3.5, but so far I don’t “feel” that extra acceleration in the Rivian. To be fair, I’ve had it 2 days and am likely babying it a bit at this point.
Another selling point for me is the agreement to allow use of the Tesla superchargers. Again, it’s been covered but they are the gold standard and something I’ve enjoyed as a Tesla owner. It’s always a slight inconvenience to have to charge on a roadtrip, but at least I’ve never had to worry about whether I’ll arrive at a fast charger that doesn’t work. Tesla has built a great network here. My only concern is crowding now that you (I mean WE) non-Teslas will be allowed in. I trust Tesla is working to expand supply to keep up with demand.
I also came into this with no knowledge of Rivian’s assisted driving technology. I’m spoiled to Tesla Autopilot (not FSD) and honestly don’t want a vehicle without similar capabilities. When I first drove the Rivian and used highway assist on the interstate, I was really impressed. To me it’s just as good as Tesla AP and even a touch better as you can change lanes without resetting (something Tesla used to do but then put that feature behind a paywall). The only slight loss for me is not being able to auto-steer on side roads, which I admit I do use on a daily basis with my Tesla.
I’m super excited to have the functionality of a truck! I’m a vehicle guy - it’s my vice, as my wife would say. I’ve had over 30 vehicles since I turned 16 (I’m 49), but I haven’t had a truck since my dad passed and I got his Ford Ranger about 25 years ago. I’m excited to have a truck bed. That said, I am nervous as heck every time I hit that tunneau cover button. It works right now but does make some noise. I’m honestly scared to use it, and that is a bummer.
Finally, I’ll just say how impressed I am with the many “hidden features” crammed into this truck. The camping speaker, flashlight, gear tunnel, outlets, size of frunk, other storage areas, and….my favorite that I didn't even know about until I test drove — that air compressor!! I’m an avid cyclist and look forward to never pushing a manual air pump again. Haha!
I had to negotiate the deal with my wife
since I’m still in my Model Y lease until Nov (no option to buy it out, trade, etc). We don’t need a 3rd vehicle, but this was the full spec I’d been looking for, with low-ish mileage, so I didn’t want to let it get away. I figured the longer I wait the harder it’s going to be to find a launch edition with lower miles. Now I get to clean out the 3-car garage this weekend to make room for 3 actual vehicles.This is a XX47XX VIN, 04/22 build launch edition. The biggest concern I had is the Carfax showed 3 prior owners. The dealer talked me through that saying the first owner flipped it to make money, 2nd owner had it, then my sales guy at the dealer is the 3rd owner himself and has put most of the miles on it. Otherwise, no red flags on the Carfax. I figure it’s under warranty for the next 40 months so Rivian will cover any major items. That said, I am a bit concerned with the service wait times I’m hearing about. Reminds me of earlier Tesla experience.
I’ve had a Model S and Model Y (perf) and give Tesla tons of credit for turning me into a EV guy. I won’t go into a detailed comparison of Tesla to Rivian, as I don’t know that I have a different take than what’s already well established. I’ll just say the interior of the Rivian feels to me like a true luxury vehicle, as opposed to Tesla’s simple, clean aesthetic. I don’t think Teslas approach is bad, just different. I’ve had several luxury brands and think Rivian does a better job here. Also, it sounds like a small thing, but I’ve been without a screen behind the steering wheel for almost 3 years, and I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it. Love the Rivian screens and infotainment, so far! Both brands are lacking Apple CarPlay, which has been well covered. It’s a miss for both, in my opinion. But I accept it. I will say, the ride “feel” is SO much nicer in the R1T. I’ve been driving the MYP with 21 in low profile tires; the suspension is sporty and you feel every speck of dust on the road! This R1T has the 20 in with all-terrain tires, so they are super comfortable to ride on. I know range is sacrificed a bit in exchange, but I’ll take it
I will say, the R1T is rated as 3.0 second 0-60, vs my MYP at 3.5, but so far I don’t “feel” that extra acceleration in the Rivian. To be fair, I’ve had it 2 days and am likely babying it a bit at this point.
Another selling point for me is the agreement to allow use of the Tesla superchargers. Again, it’s been covered but they are the gold standard and something I’ve enjoyed as a Tesla owner. It’s always a slight inconvenience to have to charge on a roadtrip, but at least I’ve never had to worry about whether I’ll arrive at a fast charger that doesn’t work. Tesla has built a great network here. My only concern is crowding now that you (I mean WE) non-Teslas will be allowed in. I trust Tesla is working to expand supply to keep up with demand.
I also came into this with no knowledge of Rivian’s assisted driving technology. I’m spoiled to Tesla Autopilot (not FSD) and honestly don’t want a vehicle without similar capabilities. When I first drove the Rivian and used highway assist on the interstate, I was really impressed. To me it’s just as good as Tesla AP and even a touch better as you can change lanes without resetting (something Tesla used to do but then put that feature behind a paywall). The only slight loss for me is not being able to auto-steer on side roads, which I admit I do use on a daily basis with my Tesla.
I’m super excited to have the functionality of a truck! I’m a vehicle guy - it’s my vice, as my wife would say. I’ve had over 30 vehicles since I turned 16 (I’m 49), but I haven’t had a truck since my dad passed and I got his Ford Ranger about 25 years ago. I’m excited to have a truck bed. That said, I am nervous as heck every time I hit that tunneau cover button. It works right now but does make some noise. I’m honestly scared to use it, and that is a bummer.
Finally, I’ll just say how impressed I am with the many “hidden features” crammed into this truck. The camping speaker, flashlight, gear tunnel, outlets, size of frunk, other storage areas, and….my favorite that I didn't even know about until I test drove — that air compressor!! I’m an avid cyclist and look forward to never pushing a manual air pump again. Haha!
Sponsored
