R1S - 2 weeks - different perspective, same conclusion (it rocks)

[EVfanCA]

Thanks for the reply! Yes, that's all correct and valid points and I appreciate the counterpoint. Couple replies, though--
* I believe they could deliver essentially all the same features without collecting or storing your location history server-side, just leaving it on the car.
* When you "opt out", they still store your location to within 7-mile accuracy.
* Much telemetry is not opt out, like collection of vehicle telemetry such as dynamics and torque.
* Rivian may change their mind about selling or sharing data, they may be subpoenaed by law enforcement, they may have rogue employees who access the data and use it nefariously. Just holding the data is a risk.

I emphasized location data, but they collect many other kinds, for example they collect imagery from the external cameras (and used to collect the internal camera), so Rivian has saved pictures of your garage, pictures of you camping, etc. In addition to your link, that one is here https://rivian.com/legal/privacy-adas-notice

PS Rivian also collects information on you "from public sources, including public forums", so ... hi Rivian!

Great points and agreed. There are certainly additional protections that can be put in place and I think they will be over time. One important note though is that that ADAS privacy notice applies only to "Rivian vehicles that are owned by Rivian" - i.e., company vehicles they are specifically using for this purpose. They are currently not collecting external images from customer vehicles except during an incident or certain safety triggers (e.g., emergency braking). Just don't pull into your garage too fast lol... Also the collection of information from public forums is actually a good thing IMO - they can identify bugs and get ideas for feature improvements from owners' posts!

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[usulio]

They are currently not collecting external images from customer vehicles except during an incident or certain safety triggers (e.g., emergency braking).

Thanks - that looks like my mistake! The wording at the top of the ADAS privacy statement only mentions Rivian-owned vehicles. The wording in the general privacy statement confused me:

Personal Data Captured During ADAS Vehicle Public Filming. The processing of your personal data (e.g., image, license plate) that may occur when we capture live public video footage and images using Rivian vehicles for the purpose of improving our Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (“ADAS”) and the vehicles’ safety features. That processing is described in our ADAS Vehicle Public Filming Data Privacy Notice.

Maybe they meant "Rivian-owned" vehicles rather than just "Rivian vehicles".

 

[usulio]

Updates to review 2 months later

Vehicle: R1S, quad-motor, 20" wheels, all-terrain tires.

Overall: great experience. Getting close to 2k miles, some around town and some shorter road trips. Mostly pavement and dirt roads.

More good

• Range. If you stay under 65mph, the range is great even on all-terrain tires and lots of elevation changes. Perfect for Colorado type trips where I can get 300 miles of range (2.3 - 2.4 mi/kWh). (edit: mostly not in Conserve either)
• Regen. I complained about the regen warning coming on quickly, but I think they might've addressed that with software updates, and also, the regen is still pretty strong even when the warning is on. (thread about regen)
• The total storage is really good. We road tripped with 4 people, 2 dogs, and a bunch of camping gear + toys with no external storage. We filled all 7 seats going to the airport to drop off 4 people and their luggage, which fit (barely) by taking out the spare tire cover and frunk platform to store the bigger luggage. However, see below.
• I figured out the FM radio keys (favorite stations, left/right skim) and now it's much more usable.
• Fun to drive. What else can I say?

Neutral

• Cruise control is not bad overall, but I kind of wish it was "dumb". It saw imaginary pedestrians on the side of the road and emergency braked, which wasn't very safe or fun for anyone.

More bad

• Fitting big stuff in the R1S can be finicky. The vertical space in the back is limited. If a box is taller than 28 inches, it might not fit into the back. Fitting anything sizable behind the upright 3rd row seats can be hard. The frunk and spare tire compartment are shaped funny, so you have to be creative to utilize them.
• Phantom drain. Didn't have any until I did my first software update. Now 2% drain per day, which is just inexcusable IMO.
• One-pedal driving with a sensitive pedal has its cons. More than an hour is tiring on the foot. Needs care and concentration in parking lots etc.
• Air compressor could be a bit better and more user-friendly (thread about UI).
• Climate system is a bit hard to use while driving. Doesn't remember settings for 3rd row vents.
• Lack of a power button for the car is frustrating.

 

[ElGuapo]

Great write ups and agree on most points.
What do you mean by “lack of a power button”?

The HVAC annoys me as it either doesn’t remember and/or doesn’t save last settings or anything to profile. So every time I get in I have to adjust it again.

 

[usulio]

What do you mean by “lack of a power button”?

I mean there's no way to manually turn the car "off" or "on". Turning off would be nice to shut off the music and HVAC and lights sometimes. And just knowing the car is powered down. Turning on and staying on would be nice for when you're cleaning, airing up tires, hanging out on the tailgate listening to the radio, etc. It''s a bit silly that the car will just turn itself off when there are doors open, even if you've been actively opening and closing them.

It's an example of how the car likes to try to guess what you want and not give you ways to actually control what you want, which isn't my preference...

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