R1T owner on pickup trucks vs. SUVs

[gd_r1t]

For context, I'm not a pickup guy (have never needed one). I got the R1T because I loved the Rivian tech, driving capability, quality and brand. I'm a single guy and at the time felt that the R1S is mainly for families with kids, so I defaulted to the pickup truck.

I absolutely love the Rivian, and I think they've improved on the pickup category in a huge way, so this is not at all a criticism on Rivian or the R1T, but rather my personal opinions on pickup trucks vs. SUVs generally, after 4-5 months of R1T ownership and doing various things with it (cross-country road trip, skiing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, biking, etc.).

If you don't haul large items, I would guess the R1S is more practical for most people than the T. Here's a few reasons in no particular order:

1. More interior cabin storage, especially if folding seats down:

• Skis fit and load easier, and often no need for cross bars
• Higher storage space to stack items vs. the pickup bed cover is significantly lower and therefore actually far less storage volume
• The R1S storage is also more modular to configure depending on the current trip's load of items vs. people

2. Access to a truck bed is not as easy as an SUV:

• Pickup:
  • Push up a heavy tailgate, open/close a tonneau cover and reach over, climb up into the bed to get things, etc.
  • Snow accumulates on top of the bed’s tonneau cover, so you can’t freely open it in these situations (or else dump piles of snow into the bed on your things). You need to clean it off, and this is a pain
• SUV: Powered lift gate, tall entrance, can access the storage from the rear or 2nd row doors

3. I haven't yet driven the S, but I imagine there are some perks with the shorter wheelbase and overall length with maneuverability and turning, easier to park generally and certainly for street parking

4. The R1T's gear tunnel is super cool, but I'd rather have more traditional interior cabin storage. Some limitations with the gear tunnel:

• Narrow tunnel shape meaning larger items, suitcases, skis, etc. won't fit
• It's hard to access the tunnel in parking spaces with adjacently-parked cars

There's still some really unique and cool things about the truck (camp kitchen, and actual pickup truck things). I also prefer the aesthetics of the R1T. But for the majority of people not using the pickup bed for traditional truck-like things, I'd recommend the R1S even if you don't have a family with kids.

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[zefram47]

Giant fail for R1S...no full size spare. Inexcusable for an "adventure vehicle" that's meant to go off-road / off-grid. And don't play the I'll store it inside card because it takes up way too much room.

 

[Speedrye]

I used to have trucks, but opted to move to an SUV and keep a small trailer for those rare times I need to actually haul something. Thankfully I have the space to do so.

Definitely agree with the above about needing a full-size spare. You can tell Rivian was designed by engineers/software types with no input from anybody that goes off the asphalt.

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