I didn't ask, but jammed the wheel to the left and jumped on the throttle to test the radius and the traction. It was pretty insanely tight. Better turning radius than my far smaller 2011 CRV by feel, but don't know for sure.
Really, really nice. The paint had a lot of depth, was very rich and looked beautiful in the sunlight. While I love black cars, I find they are challenging to keep clean and show lots of dirt, but it really has me rethinking about the Midnight Black or El Cap instead of LA Silver which I currently hold.
Thank you so much for the review! As someone who just submitted my deposit 30 min ago, I have a ton of questions!Some questions answered…
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved the truck! It definitely exceeded expectations and solidified my commitment to go forward with the purchase as soon as it is available. That said there were a few things I found a bit disappointing and I will share what I can as objectively as possible. Please note that some of the negatives are just my observations and like with any vehicle, personal preferences and level of importance are very subjective and specific to each driver.
I must admit while I went in with a very clear idea of how I wanted to use my time, I was completely unable to keep to the mental script... 30 minutes just simply isn't enough time. When all was said and done they probably stayed with me for nearly an hour, for which I was very grateful. the Reps were nice, friendly, and tried to answer as many questions as they could, but they are clearly guided by corporate rules which limit what they can share and speculate on. They were very guarded and a bit cagey at times about some details and chose their words carefully, but I was able to read between the lines on a few occasions and get some more definitive answers.
Here’s what I found out and some answers questions you all posed as well as my own
Infotainment
Navigation / UI / Voice Command
- Ask explicitly about what routing capabilities exist when offline.
- This was difficult for me to test. Even when I went to some areas where my current Tesla struggles to get data, this vehicle seem to have better LTE signal strength and maintained fast and fluid navigation data and generally good map qualities throughout. The reps said the Navigation works offline but can be limited.
- Test the navigation capabilities in a cellular dead zone.
- I was told that map information is still available when offline and certainly if connected by Wi-Fi, but it wasn't clear to me how that's true that is unless if a map isn't already downloaded. Not convinced on this, but no way to refute or test for sure.
- Can you force download maps in the region for offline use?
- Could not confirm
- Can I use my cellphone as a hot spot?
- you can use your cell phone as a wireless hotspot. The vehicle tethers to your phone just like any other network.
- Store Locations -Home-Work- learning?
- Yes, you can store locations and there is a memory log of your recent locations.
- Will the app allow route selection/navigation to be completed on the app or from google maps and pushed to the truck?
- Could not confirm this and in fact, neither representative had the app, they advised that the car is linked to a specific account and can't just be added to multiple Representatives’ applications. I'm also very eager to get a look at the app and compare it to you the functionality within Tesla's mobile app as a baseline, but so far I can't find hide nor hair on the Rivian app
- If the truck is limited to AT&T LTE, will the truck connect to local wifi for connection where coverage is spotty (such as updates or preconditioning)?
- I'm told that the truck does connect to Wi-Fi, remembers Networks and remote capabilities like pre-conditioning and OTA updates
- Audio - Music - Apps
- Can you store Spotify music offline?
- The rep did not know and it did not appear to when I played with the in-car app, so I highly doubt it. The Spotify app seemed to be very similar to the app in my Tesla.
- Can you select Spotify music quality on the truck?
- Not that I could find
- Any future plans to add more services for music other than Spotify?
- The Reps could not or would not comment, but reading between the lines I didn't get the impression that it seemed likely other than through Amazon
- Can a USB be used for music?
- I’m not sure, but don’t think so
- Confirmation of HD Radio support all trims
- Yes… HD Radio in all trims
- What type of wired connections the audio system has?
- None as far as know or could find
- This would help with what appears to be the potential lack of support of other services and Car Play / AA (realizing you need Cell Service to support).
- The best likelihood of this is through Alexa, though the rep could not confirm. He seemed to think it would be possible and that a lot of Alexis functionality would be present in the car, but then he backpedaled a bit and said he wasn't sure.
Alexa
- Sentry -Video Gaurd
- Dash-Cam- Recording while driving?
- Presently there is no dashcam recording while driving. I found this a bit surprising and hugely disappointing as it is a major safety feature with Tesla and in my humble opinion should be required on every Vehicle Manufactured going forward. Though the reps would not come out and say it, it was clearly implied that this is something already in the works and would likely be available in future software updates. I think it's a huge oversight on Rivian's part and a missed opportunity given the vehicle has 11 onboard cameras and clearly all the capabilities to record.
- Video Storage
- Yes, the vehicle stores all video guard events captured which are activated by a motion detector when the car is locked and the alarm active.
- In-vehicle viewing
- Yes the video library is viewable from the vehicle and allegedly downloadable. The files were nicely organized and easily accessed through the infotainment menu
- Alerts
- Yes there will be alert settings to your phone, go without viewing the app I really can't confirm
Charging
- When will Alexa integration start?
- the rep was not clear but seem to think Alexa integration is imminent in the very near future
- Can you deactivate?
- yes Alexa can be deactivated and you only lose voice commands within the vehicle.
- Will Alexa integration support all Alexa commands that you would get on an Echo, such as playing of other streaming music services (iHeart, Pandora, Sirius XM) and Home automation commands (lights, etc).
- As mentioned earlier the rep did say that he thought this was the case, but then backpedaled a bit which led me to believe he was speculating and simply not sure. We'll have to wait and see on this one. knowing what I know about Amazon I'm guessing there's going to be as much functionality as possible. Collecting your personal data is the cornerstone of their business, which is why my Alexa will be immediately deactivated from day one. For me, Rivian's alignment with Amazon is the largest disappointment to date. I was devastated when I learned about their investment and involvement in the company.
- Compatibility with my Tesla Charger
- Definitely compatible with my existing level 2 Tesla charger. Obviously requires a Tesla to j1772 adapter, which I currently have. I had intended to connect it to my house and see how many KW the vehicle would draw, but ran out of time. The rep did seem to think I may not get the full capability out of the Tesla charger. They recommend that you go with the Rivian home charger. I will have to wait and see whether any of that holds true.
- Cold Weather impact on range
- I was told by the rep that while cold weather can impact a battery's performance, Rivian’s thermal management system is designed to keep the batteries in an optimal temperature range with minimal power draw. They said that I’d be able to drive, even in the bitter cold, with minimal performance loss.
- I found this difficult to believe as in my current Tesla and here in New York I lose at least 15% to 20% range during weather below freezing, just to keep the cabin and battery at optimal temperatures.
- I'll be pleasantly surprised if that's true, but need to see it to believe it.
- How much range loss with the Off-Road Package?
- I could not get an answer on this and the rep obviously didn't know. Likely that's difficult to gauge and we'll have to see how much weight the off-road package adds. I'm sure there is some range loss, but doubt it will be material enough to prevent purchases who plan on going off-road from getting it.
- Battery charging temp/pre-condition
- I was told that weather will have a small impact on charging time. During very cold weather, some of the energy is needed to warm the battery, but this happens quickly and once up to temperate the battery charges at the normal speed. In hot environments, some of the charging energy will be diverted to cool the battery, however, this doesn't extend charging by any meaningful amount of time.
- EA charging curve. Rivian states or has said in multiple interviews, charging rates up to 200+ kW. Would love to know before taking delivery, what is Rivian’s charging curve on EA DCFC?
- 200 KW is all that the rep would commit to and he was not aware of any charging curve. but we do know there has to be one. Like all batteries, there is a charging speed parabola where the KW curve peaks, levels off and then drops off.
- Also if LE vehicles will be capable of 300kw+ or will those be vehicles down the road?
- The rep could not confirm this and I wouldn't bank on it in the near future, but expect that down the road they will be increasing charging capabilities to keep pace with competition.
- DCFC info and peak hardware capabilities of the LE trucks would be great (ie, can the LE truck handle 300 kW+, or is it limited to ~220 kw).
- Right now I wouldn't expect anything above 200 KW. Even in my Tesla I've been at yay charging locations that advertise 150 kw and I could only draw just over 100kw.
Space, Weights, and Measurements
Tourneau cover
- Ease of getting into the back seat without the door fully open (ie parking spots next to vehicles). All I've seen so far is the door fully open with people getting in...?
- I hadn't thought of it, but when I tested this was actually pretty difficult. Due to the shape of the door, the larger part of the opening is at your feet and trying to get out when the door was only about one foot open was tricky. My son who is about five foot seven and quite slender was able to do it with ease, but it took a bit more maneuvering for me. If this is something you routinely struggle with in a crowded parking lot, it will definitely be an irritant.
- Measurements of the tray underneath the divider in the frunk would be very helpful. What's the maximum size (h,w,d) you can fit in the frunk with the divider up or removed. Rivian changed the design and now it appears too narrow to fit a 12v fridge in the frunk
- I removed the tray divider and measured from the bottom to what I eyeballed as the top of the frunk and it came in at about 21 in. The hitch is the bottom of the tray is tapered and quite narrow at the very base and deepest point and only measured about 9"s. If you were looking to put the base of a small fridge oh, I don't think it would work even with the trailer moved as it is not square and flat all the way to the bottom. Also the power source in the front is a 12v cigarette lighter cannon plug and not a 110v if that's what you were thinking to do.
- Any plans for an OEM fridge for the front trunk?
- The rep did not know but said they would get back to me.
- Does seat adjustment accommodate a short person?
- I put the seat all the way forward and in the most extended position for a short-statured driver. It seemed fairly accommodating, but there's no way for me to gauge the actual reach. The steering wheel does extend and the seat goes fairly far forward, but I have no way of knowing what that translates into in the way of a persons height. That said I did note that the pedals do not extend. My son who is 5’ 7" Had to move the seat back after I adjusted it forward in order for him to feel comfortable, so it should likely accommodate someone who is in the 5 foot to 5’2” range, but to be fair I am just estimating.
- Available adjustments: 8-way power, 4-way power lumbar: slide (2 way), recline(2 way), tilt (2 way), Lift (2 way), Lumbar (4 way)
60-0 distance?
- Powered –Automatic
- The cover is allegedly powered but was deactivated on this vehicle and all the test vehicles from what I can understand. It seems to me they're having issues with the covers functioning reliably and I expect it is one of several things that could be holding up or slowing down production. The rep did not say this directly, but when I asked the question he did awkwardly skirt the issue.
- How much weight can it hold?
- The reps did not know but said they would get back to me
- How much weight does the off-road package add?
- The reps did not know but said they would get back to me
Random
- The reps did not know but said they would get back to me
- 0-60 with the 20s, 21s or 22s
- Allegedly the speed tests are performed with the all-terrain 21’s
- He did think he might lose a little torque coming off the line with the 22s. Personally, I'm torn as to which Tire to go with as I really like the rims with the 22s, but also like a little extra meat on the tire for mild off-roading, bad weather, and New York City potholes. I might get a set of winter rims and tires.
Tires-Rims 22 vs 20 vs 18
Despite having less than an hour with the vehicle oh, I am much more confident after seeing it first-hand. The black R1t they provided really has me rethinking my LA Silver selection, but I would have to of course I understand the impact it would have on my delivery date if one makes a build change.
- Can I change my build? / Will it affect my order since I'm torn about rim size they told me I'd have to wait until my guide contacted me which he expected would be op later than November
- Is 20" tire louder than 21"s?
- The vehicle I drove had 20s and I thought it was quite quiet. The rep told me he didn't think the 21 or 22 made any material difference in road noise, but I don't necessarily think that's true.
- DB Ratings or anything on noise?
- No details or information on Noise or DB ratings
- Details on the turning radius
- I asked about the turning radius and the rep said he did not know but would get back to me.
- Driver-assist
- Limited ability but did activate and was able to maintain speed. I use autopilot on my Tesla while driving on the highway only, so as long as it has basic Lane maintenance and Diego separation I think it'll do just fine. Again this is a subjective feature that I imagine will vary widely from person to person.
- When will the pedestrian sound be enabled (assuming you don't hear it in the test drive)?
- Pedestrian noise was not active in this vehicle. It was a recent, but pre-production vehicle with 1400 miles on it. The rep did confirm that pedestrian noise is coming since it's a regulatory requirement, but he did not know what it would sound like. If I had to speculate, it will be pretty pleasing if you consider the bird-chirp for the car-lock/unlock and the simulated heartbeat sound of the turn directionals
- App walk-through?
- sadly this was not available and no one had the app.
- Will the website be updated with real pics
- “Soon”… lol
- Store?
- Same - "soon"
- Has trial Membership has been activated on this truck. If so, would you be allowed to turn it off, so you can see how the truck operates without it? If it's not allowed, find out what features will be removed if you choose not to subscribe. Maybe even find out what optional plans will be available. None of these are major questions, as I will find out at some point. Only if you happen to think about it
- What are the paid subscriptions available? What functionalities I lose if I do not subscribe?
- I wasn't able to ask these questions...sorry.
- What data is collected? Can I opt-out from sharing? Is that bundled with something else I would like to have?
- The rep did not know the answer but again committed to get back to me. He recommended I visit their Privacy Policy page to best understand our data collection policies. (I put the link above, but haven’t read it yet)
- Can I go back to the previous version after OTA update is applied?
- Same for this one the rep didn't know but would follow up.
- R1S Questions
- What is wattage on R1S 110V AC outlet? Does it have one?
- Yes, he knew that it has two 120v outlets total"
- One center console and one cargo area
- Both are up to 15 amps
- Is R1S design complete or it is still being refined?
- They weren’t sure
- Why is R1S towing capacity lower than R1T?
- The tow rating is dependent on the rear tow structure. The rep stated Rivian made the engineering decision to increase the capacity of the R1T but didn’t carry the increased weight of that structure into the R1S
A few things to note that there was an issue several times when trying to deploy the liftgate, either from the rear bed button or within the vehicle. It took several tries, but I'm guessing it could just be an idiosyncrasy related to this vehicle. I haven't heard anything else, nor seen any issues in the many videos posted on YouTube.
Additionally, when I first got in the driver's seat to begin the test drive, I received a vehicle warning stating “Driving Unavailable, Call for Service”. I had to reboot the MCU in order to clear the it out and put actually get the vehicle into "drive". The reboot was performed by holding the hazard button, (located overhead in the center, just above the rearview mirror) and the left-hand toggle button down for about 15 seconds until the screen blacked out and re-boot began. After that, there was no issue and the vehicle seemed to function normally without any other glitches.
As previously reported by others the nav screen is a bit laggy, but not at all like the early generation Tesla's, just not as fluid as the current map versions now and I think this is something they can improve.
Despite reports I've seen and read (motor trend) I found the user interface and the infotainment screens to be quite intuitive and not at all difficult to find what you were looking for. I'm sure the learning curve will differ for many and this is another area of subjectivity and it's hard to give an absolute assessment. You'll just have to try it for yourself and see.
Bottom line and despite some small disappointments, I think this is one of the nicest trucks on the market, (depending on what you need/want it for). It's not too big, not too small, is extremely capable and seems to be a home run, ticking almost every box on my list. All we need now is for Rivian to deliver!
Hope this helps a little bit...follow-ups welcomed.
Best regards to all,
Kevin
