Is the Model X now a better buy over R1S? (WARNING: NO ELON MUSK DISCUSSIONS)

[R1TS]

Just my opinion, but they're not even in the same class of vehicle. The X is a CUV, the R1S is an SUV and way more capable.

R1S may be more capable for certain adventures.
But, the Model X is a lot more family friendly as a people mover.

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[ohseedee]

Ugh the Elon Musk rabbit hole again…

Back on point (hopefully) -
I find the “apples vs oranges” comments ironically on point. If you are in the market for some fruit with your lunch, why would you not compare apples and oranges? The X and the R1S have a lot more in common than they have different. Both are 3 row EVs capabile of hauling up to 7 people with relative comfort and luxury at about the same price. This is what almost all people care about, so for most they are indeed comparable. I like off roading so I got an R1T on 20” ATs, but most people have never and will never do it. And if I got an R1S I’d probably get 21” wheels and never take it off road.

Most people are not enthusiasts like us on this forum and dont really have the strong opinions that I’ve read here. They are just looking for a car that fits their needs and budget. Most people looking for a 3-row EV who don’t care about off roading are probably not going to put $1K down on an R1S to get it delivered who knows when if they can get behind the wheel of model X now for about the same price. When the X was 6 figures, waiting for a 78K R1S made sense. I bet a lot of people who are considering the R1S will jump at the X’s new price.

It will be interesting how things play out once Rivian gets through all the pre-orders. Right now demand is a lot higher than supply, but that will change soon.

I’m several months away from making any sort of decision. EV9, ID Buzz, Ex90 are options I have my eye on too. Getting kids in and out of 2 car seats is important while still keeping the 3rd row usable. From the videos I’ve seen I don’t think the X or the R1S are particularly good at that, but does sound like the 6 row configuration of the X is better however the price is a bit much.

If this was my daily driver it would 100% be an R1S and not even close (because of how much I love my R1T after 6 months and 6k miles). But my wife doesn’t really have the passion for vehicles like I do, so making it specs and price focused makes way more sense.

 

[Headingley]

My girlfriend is wanting me to re-consider the R1S for her and look at the X now with the price difference. This X price, especially with the tax rebate, makes the R1S harder to justify. Even with the R1S being pre-price hike for $80K. Also considering she kinda freaked out when I told her Rivian doesn't have lane centering on anything but Interstates and kinda is crappy even there.

IMO this X price is going to eat significantly into Rivian's demand and her and I both feel the Rivians re-sale value is going to take a decent hit. The post-price-hike R1S's going for $100K are going to pile up shortly.

YES. IMHO this price drop will absolutely eat R1S sales. The vast majority of Rivian owners likely use their vehicles as daily drivers...as such the "apples" comment won't apply to a significant portion of the customer base. Yes the vehicles have different functional attributes...so if your an "off-roader" then yes the R1S is the way to go. I suspect for most people the decision will be something like:

I'm looking an electric vehicle (many it will be their first) and want an SUV.

Thats why this comparison between X and R1S is valid. The price difference is now significant and thus I dont see how this wont cannibalize R1S sales. For Rivian to stay competitive they need to build and service the car at a price that keeps them competitive. I don't think they'll accomplish this until the new models, enduro motors, and refinements in production happen. To the OP...this is a Rivian forum, so my interpretation of the post is that there is a significant bias here. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Rolnitzky]

I have both vehicles, I like the Model X only for the FSD, otherwise the R1S is better in all aspects, size, comfort, ride.
Many R1S preorders are grandfathered into the old $7500 tax credit.

 

[Throwdown]

If this price drop happened sooner I would've bought a model x 100% I love my r1t but I don't need a truck. I didn't reserve early enough to get the Rivian credit

 

[Stickboy46]

i find it a bit crazy that anyone considers a Model X ... Luxury ..

 

[Boston Bill]

Yea, we love our model Y but the range is about 20-30% off on highway driving. Whatever method they used to manipulate the EPA testing system is dumb cause it’s nowhere near real world range. That said at under $80k the model X long range finally seems reasonable in pricing. Definitely a good option for many. If they had the 6 seater for that price I would be tempted.

Yes. Tesla got caught for lieing about range/mileage.

 

[Epicloop]

Ugh the Elon Musk rabbit hole again…

Back on point (hopefully) -
I find the “apples vs oranges” comments ironically on point. If you are in the market for some fruit with your lunch, why would you not compare apples and oranges? The X and the R1S have a lot more in common than they have different. Both are 3 row EVs capabile of hauling up to 7 people with relative comfort and luxury at about the same price. This is what almost all people care about, so for most they are indeed comparable. I like off roading so I got an R1T on 20” ATs, but most people have never and will never do it. And if I got an R1S I’d probably get 21” wheels and never take it off road.

Most people are not enthusiasts like us on this forum and dont really have the strong opinions that I’ve read here. They are just looking for a car that fits their needs and budget. Most people looking for a 3-row EV who don’t care about off roading are probably not going to put $1K down on an R1S to get it delivered who knows when if they can get behind the wheel of model X now for about the same price. When the X was 6 figures, waiting for a 78K R1S made sense. I bet a lot of people who are considering the R1S will jump at the X’s new price.

It will be interesting how things play out once Rivian gets through all the pre-orders. Right now demand is a lot higher than supply, but that will change soon.

I’m several months away from making any sort of decision. EV9, ID Buzz, Ex90 are options I have my eye on too. Getting kids in and out of 2 car seats is important while still keeping the 3rd row usable. From the videos I’ve seen I don’t think the X or the R1S are particularly good at that, but does sound like the 6 row configuration of the X is better however the price is a bit much.

If this was my daily driver it would 100% be an R1S and not even close (because of how much I love my R1T after 6 months and 6k miles). But my wife doesn’t really have the passion for vehicles like I do, so making it specs and price focused makes way more sense.

I would say that the X & the R1S have as many things opposing as they do in common, might as well compare it to a hybrid Sienna.
For those that like off roading the R1S is the better choice of the Rivians.
I would say the EV9, Id Buzz, & Ex90 would also be a better buy over the R1S using the same credentials.
Yes the X may sway buyers but those were not the buyers Rivian was targeting anyway.
Rivian is putting a dent in the ICE SUV market, I am not sure they are too concerned about the bland X. The market is plenty large enough for the R1S.

The price difference is now significant and thus I dont see how this wont cannibalize R1S sales

The X buyer market is insignificant. The R1S is after the significant ICE SUV market many of which are still more expensive than the R1S and still lack the performance.
I don't see many towing their boats & trailers with their X, actually I don't see many X at all however that may change.

 

[CrazyOne]

If you are eligible for tax credit or have charging infrastructure issues where you live, buy X. At the same price, S. It's more capable and safer. Height and weight improves passive safety.

I don't know why someone with sub 300k income would spend $100k on a car. Perhaps some are wealthy and cash poor. Or have bad financial sense.

 

[Vinnynj]

I am about to take delivery of R1S in a week or so. I use Autopilot/FSD over 95% of my drive (Model Y). From everything I have read so far, Driver + is super basic cruise control and doesn’t compare to Autopilot (enable on any street, lane change, etc). I realize Rivian has been improving Driver + but there is no guidance/timeline for additional Driver + features.

With the recent Tesla price drop, I am considering getting a Model S with FSD and move my pre-price hike R1S to hold.

 

[swhme]

I have an R1T, like it a lot.

Have had 4 or so Teslas, an S/X/3/S and a few things I notice is Tesla estimated range is way over estimated, Rivian seems spot on mostly. Rivan is nice inside, quality is pretty good. Tesla quality hasn't gotten much better. Our 2022 S had seat rattles, interior pulling away at roof, dash rattles galore, etc. Hated it in a 100K car. The X doors are cool but kind of are a pain at times to deal with and slow at times you need them to close fast. It was probably my favorite Tesla though by far as it is room. The 6 seater is cool but bit annoying for storage. 7 seater is practically worthless for 3rd row and Rivian seems at least somewhat better. As far as capability goes, the Tesla is delicate... delicate wheels to scrape, lower to the ground, feels like a crossover car. The R1 platform feels higher up and more capable for sure.

This is all spot on. I’m sitting in a rental MX right now, charging up, can’t wait to get home to my R1T this evening

 

[R1TS]

If you are eligible for tax credit or have charging infrastructure issues where you live, buy X. At the same price, S. It's more capable and safer. Height and weight improves passive safety.

I don't know why someone with sub 300k income would spend $100k on a car. Perhaps some are wealthy and cash poor. Or have bad financial sense.

Why can’t someone making $250K buy a $100K car?
You generalizing so much with that statement.

 

[R1TS]

i find it a bit crazy that anyone considers a Model X ... Luxury ..

I find people who think Rivian is a luxury to also be funny because not even Rivian considers themselves a luxury brand. Tesla isn’t a luxury brand as well.

Luxury and creature comforts in other brands are much better than both Rivian and Tesla, even in SUVs that cost $30K less.

The battery and electric motors are what makes these electric cars cost as much as they do.

 

[SpawnyWhippet]

I've been looking for options for an EV family hauler. I have an R1T, so zero need for another "adventure" vehicle. Was considering Model Y, but I need a bit more size. Model X was too expensive, and I was not considering it. The Volvo EX90 looks like an option but not clear what the price will be yet. I was thinking R1S is probably the #1 choice for me and I do have a reservation, but I just realized that with the new price on the Model X it's now pretty competitive.

Cheapest Model X is 79,990. Only 5 seats, but you get 348 miles range and 3.8 0-60.
Cheapest R1S is $78,000. You get 7 seats, but you only get 260 miles of range and 4.5 0-60.

If you care about range and don't need more than 5 seats, the Model X looks pretty good. But if you configure them as similar as possible the Model X is a lot cheaper.

Model X dual motor with 7 seats, 348 miles range, and 3.8 0-60 = $83,490
R1S dual motor with 7 seats, 340 miles range, and 3.5 0-60 = $89,000

That being said, I have a quad R1T so I don't care that much about 0-60 times for this buy, so in reality I wouldn't get the performance dual-motor R1S, so would be looking at $84,000 if I went R1S. I also don't really need 7 seats, so would probably get a $79,990 Model X. So about $4K cheaper to go with the Model X for my needs.

Plus considering you can actually buy a Model X at that price today and they are not even shipping dual motor R1S yet and probably > 1 year to get one if you don't have a reservation, makes the X look like a decent pick.

I know Rivian well with 6K miles on my R1T so I know what to expect. I've never owned a Tesla nor have I driven an X, but I've read that the Model X is a bit more refined and quieter. Plus the model X is a lot more efficient. Anything I'm missing?

I've owned both. I had the X P100D with L+. It felt pretty poorly screwed together compared to the R1S, and the range was nowhere near what they claimed. If I hyper-miled it, drove at 55mph on the highway, took 30 seconds to accelerate up to 50 from the lights, no HVAC or radio on, full use of regen etc, I would maybe get 80% of the claimed range. I I drove normally, with AC on, regular acceleration, I would achieve something like 70% of the claimed range.
The 340 mile R1S will probably go 50 miles further than the 348 mile X.

 

[moosehead]

Welp, putting Musk aside, if you also overlook the lesser fit and finish, homogeneous design, lack of OR ability and clearance, overtly overstated range, and garage banging gullwing doors, then sure go ahead and get the X.

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