How does your Rivian stack up?

[skyguyscott]

The Rivian R1T is remarkable in many ways, but just for grins, I thought it would be fun to evaluate my 2026 Rivian RiT compared to all other vehicles I have owned. How does yours stack up?

1. 1971 Pontiac Ventura: This sister of the Chevy Nova was the first and cheapest car I ever owned, got me through HS, college, and first few years of work
2. 1979 Mazda RX-7: Hands down, the most fun, fun, fun car I've owned -- so many fond memories with that go-cart -- looked so cool, too!
3. 1991 Honda CRX Si: The roller skate was my first new car purchase, wasn't quite as much fun, but the front-wheel drive got me through snow the RX-7 likely wouldn't have.
4. 2003 Nissan Murano: Took a chance on a new model and was rewarded with probably the most luxurious vehicle ever owned, and surprisingly versatile and great utility -- it had heated seats, which, by definition, made it my first "old man's car."
5. 2014 Nissan Pathfiner: got a good deal on a dealership model when my Murano started to age, easily the most comfortable-riding vehicle owed to date, yet it had significantly more towing capacity than that of the Murano.
6. 2026 Rivian R1T: By far the most expensive vehicle ever purchased, even with TCO taken into account. My first pick-up truck has great utility, remarkable software, and I love the power. Easily the most handy and utilitarian vehicle owned to date -- and quickest, with handling that's way better than anyone has a right to expect, better than any pick-up I've driven.

I should mention that I have had remarkably good luck, service-wise, with all of my vehicles. Yes the old Pontiac got unsustainably expensive towards the end, and the seals on the RX-7's wankel started to age, but I dodged most bullets, except for when my then girlfriend destroyed the transmission on the CRX whilst I was attempting to teach her how to drive a stick (in the Rockies, no less!) in what was the beginning of the end of that relationship.

If I had all these vehicles lined up in the same condition as they were when I first purchased them, which would I choose? My heart belongs to the Mazda, but I know I'd choose the R1T just because needs change throughout life.

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[DuoRivians]

Most fun to least fun:
1. 2024 Mazda Miata (ND3), manual
2. 2023 Rivian R1T (mostly bc of its versatility)
3. 2004 BMW 330 (e46) manual
4. 2018 Tesla Model 3
5. 2025 Rivian R1S
6. 2015 BMW x5
7. 2021 Tesla Model Y
8. 2022 Tesla Model S

In terms of reliability, most to least:
1. Mazda Miata
2. BMW 330 e46
3-7. It’s too close to tell.
8. Rivian R1T. Unfortunately, it’s been the least reliable car. I’ve had to take it to the service center close to 20 times for repairs, malfunctions. But, I still like it and it’s paid off, so I’ll drive it until I can’t haha.

 

[skyguyscott]

Yeah, I have yet to met anyone who's driven a Mazda and didn't like it. Sorry about your luck on the truck, FWIW, I know many others here share in your pain.

 

[CharonPDX]

My standard line is "it's the best vehicle I've ever owned… But it also cost twice as much as any other vehicle I've ever owned, so it darn well better be."

My vehicles-owned list:

• 1974 Audi Fox - inherited as my first car in 1992, donated in 1995, as it was in such terrible shape nobody would willingly pay money for it. (My grandmother purchased it new in 1974, and drove it into the ground. When my grandparents retired, they gave this to my parents with the proviso "the first kid to get their driver's license gets it." My older sister delayed getting hers, I got it as soon as I turned 16, so this became my car.)
• 1991 Subaru Justy - purchased used 1995, sold in 1997. Absolute blast of a vehicle, the R3X reminds me of it, hitting me right in the nostalgia. Excellent fuel economy on-road, perfectly capable off-road. Engine only exploded once, but was cheap to replace.
• 1994 Ford Escort GT - purchased used in 1997, as I was going to college in Arizona, and could not handle another summer in the Subaru with no AC. Way too much fun for a college student to owned, it drove from Phoenix to Las Vegas in under 3 hours for New Year's Eve 1997-98. (Well before I-40 went through, and before I-11 was even a twinkling in a lawmaker's eye.) Died on a freeway in Phoenix in 1998. (Tire blew out as I was changing lanes, I overcorrected, spun into a freeway retaining wall at 1 AM. Amazingly happened when I was driving super-calmly.)
• 1999 Hyundai Accent L - purchased new in 1999 upon starting my 'first real post-college job," the cheapest new car money could buy. No power steering, no AC, manual crank windows. Sold in 2007, after putting over 150,000 miles on it.
• 2004 Toyota Prius - purchased new in 2004. My first automatic transmission vehicle - simply because the Prius was only available with its planetary CVT hybrid gearbox. Upon purchasing this, I decided I would never again purchase another gasoline vehicle. A bold decision, considering at this point, there were exactly zero "mass production" EVs available. The "first generation" EV1/RAV4/Ranger/S-10 had been discontinued and mostly recalled and crushed, the Tesla Roadster wouldn't start shipping for a couple years. Handed down to my oldest kid after his car died in 2018, with over 200,000 miles on it.
• 1998 Subaru Forester - inherited from my mother-in-law on her passing in 2006. Ended up selling the Accent and my wife's mid-90s Ford Explorer, replacing both with this. It was the "efficient enough to be a daily driver, useful enough to replace the Explorer for camping road trips." Handed down to my oldest kid in 2021 after the Prius had its catalytic converter stolen and was declared a total loss by his insurance. (Inherited, not purchased, so met my Prius-time pledge.)
• 1996 Ford F-250 Powerstroke - Purchased used in 2015 because we were going to spend a month in Vancouver, BC for the Womens World Cup, and it was cheaper to purchase a used pickup and a used cabover-camper and use our campground chain membership to stay in the campground 20 miles from Vancouver than it was to stay in a Vancouver hotel for a month. Was probably driven less than 10,000 miles in seven years of ownership. Truly a "weekend warrior". Sold to my uncle in 2022 a month before our R1T arrived, as his F-250 was stolen as he was driving up to our city. Sold for double what I paid for it in 2015 - and my uncle said he was getting too much of a discount off what it was worth. This would be the last manual-transmission vehicle I'd own.
• 2015 BMW i3 - Purchased used in 2018. First EV, finally met the Prius-time-purchase pledge. Replaced the Prius as primary commuter. Traded in in 2022. Only second automatic transmission vehicle I'd owned - after the Prius.
• 2019 Arcimoto FUV - the "midlife crisis fun purchase" vehicle. Although in no way spur-of-the-moment. I'd put down my deposit in 2012. (Thus starting my history of "deposits for EVs years before they ship.") Still have it.
• 2014 Tesla Model S 85 - Purchased used in 2021. Wasn't really planning on this purchase, but the Prius had died, and our son was unemployed thanks to the pandemic, so we gave him the Forester. Bought this as a temporary until the Rivian arrived, and to test out "can we live with a longer-range EV as a primary longer-distance vehicle" test. Sold in early 2023, shortly after its warranty expired.
• 2021 Ford Mach-E - Purchased new early 2022 as a "leftover 2021 model year" vehicle. Replaced the BMW i3 that had outlasted its warranty and no longer had 3G service. The *plan* was for this to become my primary vehicle, and the due-later-in-the-year Rivian to become my wife's primary vehicle. We'll see how that pans out. Sold in 2025.
• 2022 Rivian R1T - Yes, cost double the Mach-E. Which was the most expensive vehicle purchase prior to the Rivian, made only months earlier. (Prius was most expensive before Mach-E.) Replaced both the Tesla and the F-250. In theory. Took my wife multiple months to be willing to part with the Tesla in favor of this and the Ford. Will own this until it is no longer fiscally responsible to repair/keep on the road.
• 2016 Tesla Model S 90D - Purchased used in 2025. As it turned out, my wife very much enjoys riding in the Rivian, not so much driving it, as even "midsize pickup" Rivian is too big for her to feel comfortable driving/parking in the city. So she mostly drove the Mach-E. And the Mach-E was just too harsh a ride for her. So last year she decided she really wanted back in a Model S with an opening sun roof. After a couple months searching nationwide to find "a unicorn" (opening sun roof, 90D not P90D, so it has the two small/reliable motors, free Supercharging and free Premium data so we never have to pay Tesla a penny) found one half the continent away. Will probably own this until it becomes fiscally irresponsible to keep on the road. (Unless we win a CCAN or something and can pick another "higher end" EV with an opening sunroof, like a Macan or something. Although before getting this Model S, I did try to convince her to get a Fisker Ocean, yes, after the bankruptcy/liquidation.)

 

[Count Orlok]

67 Ford
24 INEOS
22 Rivian
71 Ford
69 Ford
88 FJ62
Huffy Thunder Trail
etc

 

[McLovin]

Too many cars to list, but I’ll just say that my ‘24 R1T is my favorite vehicle to date, followed closely by my ‘92 Acura Integra, then our ‘01 XC70. The latter two had 150k+ miles, and practically no issues. 26k on the truck, and no major issues so far.

 

[Yamazaki]

How does my Rivian stack up against all other vehicles that I've owned...?
Well, unfortunately at this point my Rivian is still imaginary... so not as good at transportation as anything else I've had.

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