I miss having a full size truck

[mikehmb]

I actually sold my original “full-size” Tundra (‘01 - not really full size) once my 2nd kid came around, because the back seat was too small for 2 kids and a dog.

The back of my ‘19 Tundra was cavernous. But no, I don’t miss it. It was hard to park, handled like a noodle, loud as hell, and drank like a sailor.

The extra rear seat room will probably be noticed next time we do a road trip with the dog and both kids, but one of those “kids” is 20 now so they are becoming less frequent.

I can very much see how if you’ve got 2 dogs and a couple of kids you’d be annoyed by the R1T. It’s a little larger than a Tacoma inside, but not much. A heck of a lot more luxurious, though.

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[ksujeff99]

OP, I agree. With two kids (though only one in a seat) and a dog, my Rivian is tight. Thankfully there’s no one in my passenger seat so I can scoot that up and give a bit more room in the back.

I had a ‘13 F150 since new - sold it after getting the R1T. I was mostly over the feeling of the Rivian being smaller until I picked a Expedition from the Hertz lot last month (thanks President’s Club!). Driving that around for the day made me realize a few things

1. The Ford had so many dang buttons and controls. The “complexity” from the driver’s seat made me really appreciate the soothing simplicity of the Rivian
2. The Ford felt very plasticy and overly contoured. Granted it was only an XLT but overall it just felt bloated.
3. The Ford is (and feels) much wider inside.
4. The back seat isn’t even close (I assume the back seat of the Expedition is mostly the same as the back of a new F150). It‘s like twice the size of the Rivian.
5. The Ford drives like a marshmallow. Now again it’s not apples to apples with the Ford being an XLT but again I’d forgotten just how much better the Rivian drives.

Part of me wishes I’d made a Lightning reservation day one, but as someone who spreadsheets every big decision I make, it would have been very difficult to decide between the two. Maybe when Ford comes out with their dedicated EV truck platform I’ll look again but for now I’m staying in the CY R1T club.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Fully understand since the R1T is roughly the size of a Honda Ridgeline. It’s not a full sized 1/2 ton pickup.

Exterior wise, yes. It’s only 6” longer. Interior wise I came from a Ridgeline (Gen1) and it was an easier transition to the Lightning than it was to the R1T when it comes to being a family car.

 

[BourboNole]

No midsize truck can fit two kids and a dog in the back seat.

I have no problem with 2 kids and my 45 pound dog in the back seat. The problem comes when I need to carry all 3 kids in the back. Thankfully only one of mine is still in a car seat, and that is forward facing. If you have two big car seats or an exceptionally large dog, maybe that wouldn't work, but as it is for me I am fine with the dog in the middle laying partially on a kids lap.

That said, the biggest loss coming from my full size Ram was definitely the cavernous back seat. If this is your main vehicle for family hauling, especially long distance, the Rivian may not be the right choice. For me that honor goes to my wife's Yukon so losing the huge back seat was an easy trade off, and for everything else I do I strongly prefer the size and feel of the R1T.

 

[Rivan]

Some times I do appreciate getting Old and not having to deal with the car seats... I am glad Rivian was not here 4 years ago lol

 

[madgrey]

I miss my RAM1500 Limited. It was absolutely huge inside. With the seats folded (they fold back rather than forward) you could fit a small refrigerator in the cab. Ride was marginally better than the R1T (full independent air suspension) and the interior, albeit different, was just as nice.

However, I knew this going in and the R1T is still what I want. I don't have dogs or non-adult kids but still have lots of projects and I'm getting excellent of utility out this thing without having to deal with the size down-sides.

 

[Count Orlok]

Even when I get my R1T I will hold on to my F-150h for a while.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

I do not miss my F250. It was huge and unwieldy and fuel hungry and ultimately didn't really enable me to do much more than I would be able to do in my R1T. It might take a few extra trips in comparison, but it'll be cheaper and more enjoyable to do it.

I'll never buy another full-size truck again, unless I end up on a future property that justifies it, which I doubt it would over something like the R1T+trailer.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I do not miss my F250. It was huge and unwieldy and fuel hungry and ultimately didn't really enable me to do much more than I would be able to do in my R1T. It might take a few extra trips in comparison, but it'll be cheaper and more enjoyable to do it.

I'll never buy another full-size truck again, unless I end up on a future property that justifies it, which I doubt it would over something like the R1T+trailer.

Except a F-150L could be had for cheaper and be just about the same in terms of efficiency. You jus t have to accept the fact that you’d be a grown man feeling like a 5 year old when climbing into the bed. That part I do not miss. I truly do not understand why most trucks nowadays need the bed to be at 642 feet off the ground.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

Except a F-150L could be had for cheaper and be just about the same in terms of efficiency. You jus t have to accept the fact that you’d be a grown man feeling like a 5 year old when climbing into the bed. That part I do not miss. I truly do not understand why most trucks nowadays need the bed to be at 642 feet off the ground.

There is no truck on the market that is as cheap for me on a cost per mile travelled basis as my R1T is, given the cost of electricity for me at home and how rarely I fast charge. Certainly not my F250, and no ICE F150 either.

I'm only at 5.5k miles so far (as I said, I didn't need to drive much when I lived in the city) and my total cost to charge at fast chargers has been ~250$ (mostly when I took a trip to see family in another state). I would have to do some guesstimates to determine how much the remaining mileage has cost me, but at .12$/kwh [extra bonus -it's almost entirely green energy (mostly hydro)] it's probably been an insanely small number for that many miles.

My most recent vehicle comparison is driving my Defender around - I'd put about 1k miles on it a month (I mostly had it before I moved back to the city) and would have to fill the tank 2-3 times per month, at an average cost of 70-90$ (at the time, and fuel was a bit cheaper then) depending on price fluctuations. I would guess I was paying ~150$/1000 miles driven in fuel costs in that. My F250 was definitely far worse when it came to fuel economy as compared to the Defender, though that was several years back and fuel would have been cheaper then as well. If my math is right, with my R1T average efficiency being approximately 2miles/kwh, that means 1k miles in my R1T costs me 60 dollars.

 

[rhumbliner]

Some times I do appreciate getting Old and not having to deal with the car seats... I am glad Rivian was not here 4 years ago lol

Apparently you’re not “old enough”. With the arrival of my two granddaughters I’m back to car seats again.

 

[Scoiatael]

Sounds like you need an F150 Lightning. I actually had a shot at both trucks, and ended up picking the R1T because the Ford dealer low balled me on trading in the R1T. For me, R1T was the better decision because I like having a slightly smaller truck. Lightning is still a great truck though. Pretty much only other option is to wait for the Silverado EV, though that is starting out at $100k+. Probably be 2025 until they release some mid-trim options for that.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

There is no truck on the market that is as cheap for me on a cost per mile travelled basis as my R1T is, given the cost of electricity for me at home and how rarely I fast charge. Certainly not my F250, and no ICE F150 either.

I'm only at 5.5k miles so far (as I said, I didn't need to drive much when I lived in the city) and my total cost to charge at fast chargers has been ~250$ (mostly when I took a trip to see family in another state). I would have to do some guesstimates to determine how much the remaining mileage has cost me, but at .12$/kwh [extra bonus -it's almost entirely green energy (mostly hydro)] it's probably been an insanely small number for that many miles.

My most recent vehicle comparison is driving my Defender around I'd put about 1k miles on it a month (I mostly had it before I moved back to the city) and would have to fill the tank 2-3 times per month, at an average cost of 70-90$ (at the time, and fuel was a bit cheaper then) depending on price fluctuations. I would guess I was paying ~150$/1000 miles driven in fuel costs in that. My F250 was definitely far worse when it came to fuel economy as compared to the Defender, though that was several years back and fuel would have been cheaper then as well.

F-150L = F-150 Lightning….both use electricity and pretty darn close in terms of efficiency.

 

[mkg3]

I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat but this baby sized R1T is making me miss my '14 F-150 and it's archaic yet totally functional features and size. Anybody else having a hard time getting over their full size truck?

The 4.5 foot bed was killing me the other day moving things from garage to garage. I ended up bungying my pressure washer in the back seat. Tried to load a SUP on the crossbars over the bed, not going to happen without the majority of it hanging precariously past the bed. Raining out and need to move stuff in the bed with the tonneu closed. Boxes too tall gotta put them in the back seat. Working at night and need a good bed light? Those lights on the rear of the cab are just brake lights, your only option is the mood lighting in the actual bed. Wanna throw a weedeater back there diagonal? Nope.

The inside is killin' me too Smalls. Can't load up the family and the dog unless the dog's head is resting on the center armrest. With a kid in a rear facing car seat behind me I can't put my seat where I want it (I'm only 5' 10"). My daughter on the other side is 4 and the passenger seat back is basically a perfect foot rest for her grimy little feet. The bright side is it's not a long reach if I want to hand her a snack, hell she's like RIGHT THERE!

Don't get me wrong, the drive, fit and finish and performance are all top notch. Half of me loves it and half of me just wants a real truck again. I'm seriously considering a trade or cashing out to get a Lightning just due to the size. Apologies for the bitch fest but I had nowhere else to turn.

Actually am surprised that this is a discovery or that its a surprise.

Did you not know the size of R1T before purchase? You probably would feel the same effect, if you go from R1T to Maverick or Santa Cruz or Tacoma.

Yes you can say that its new truck and was not available to see early on when making the deposit. Since that time and taking the delivery, plenty of opportunity to find out if you actually find the size sufficient or not.

Personally, I don't like large vehicles so Rivian is about as big as I ever want to get. My street has 2 Lightning owners and I've looked at their vehicles up close. It's a full size truck and much larger than R1T so I get what you're saying. As a R1S future owner, glad it's not the size of Expedition (or Extinction as I call them) or Tahoe.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

F-150L = F-150 Lightning….both use electricity and pretty darn close in terms of efficiency.

Ah, I missed connecting the "L" to it being a Lightning. Yea, that's totally fair, it is pretty close in terms of efficiency, so perhaps my statement was wrong and there is approximately 1 full-size truck on the market that could match my R1T.

I meant to specify ICE vehicles. I don't want a Lightning even if it is the same cost to operate as my R1T though. I've got other reasons for being against full-sized trucks besides the economy of them.

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