R2 semi-active Suspension on Performance Trim

[JDnLinda]

Can someone please explain to me when the Semi-active suspension on the R2 Performance comes into play?

As far as I can ascertain, it is only available on the Performance trim. I want the most comfortable ride I can get, and don't expect to be off-roading or using rally mode very often. I like just about everything else the R2 has to offer (size, interior, looks, etc), and I am ready to migrate to EV from my current ICE vehicles (Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland & Wagoneer S2). Both have Air Suspension.

I am not in a particular rush to purchase my R2 (Order invite expected in Nov) and might be perfectly happy in a Premium Trim, but I would like to make an informed decision as to whether the Semi-active suspension, or lack thereof will make a noticeable difference in my low-key around-town driving. I typically drive less than 4000 miles/year. If the Semi-active suspension makes a tangible difference, than I will stick with LE Performance.

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[Dark-Fx]

Whenever the suspension goes up or down. The semi-active part means it can be dynamically tuned for every bump verses being stuck to one profile.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Someone can gladly tell me I'm wrong if so, but it seems to be more of a gimmick than anything actually useful. It's not air suspension.

 

[Apprunner]

Someone can gladly tell me I'm wrong if so, but it seems to be more of a gimmick than anything actually useful. It's not air suspension.

It mitigates a bit of body roll on firm vs. soft. Its not a huge change in firmness between the two but its definitely noticeable.

 

[Redmond Chad]

Nobody knows for sure; and especially not me - I am far from a suspension engineer. Even Rivian may not know for sure as they may still be working on suspension tuning for the Premium.

But I suspect the Premium will be at least as comfortable as the Performance. Any (perhaps small) difference between them will likely be tuned so that the Performance is stiffer when driving aggressively.

 

[Parallax]

In my demo drive I toggled between All Purpose and Sport while taking some roundabouts and the body roll difference between the two modes is noticeable. If you're one (like me) that hits roundabouts hard then the Sport mode will be nice but if you just want the most comfort it may not mean anything to you and you'd be happy with the Premium trim.

 

[SDH]

For round town steady driving, it won't make any difference and not worth paying the extra.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Someone can gladly tell me I'm wrong if so, but it seems to be more of a gimmick than anything actually useful. It's not air suspension.

I was surprised how much of a difference it makes if you have it in sport vs off-road rally. It's very noticeable. Maybe not as much as on R1 with the cross-linked dampers, but it's still significant.

 

[macb00kemdanno]

Someone can gladly tell me I'm wrong if so, but it seems to be more of a gimmick than anything actually useful. It's not air suspension.

I had similar active dampers in my 2017 Audi A4 2.0t with Performance package. It had Auto, Sport, and Comfort, IIRC. Auto didn't make much sense to me, but Comfort gave it a more plush ride, with less harsh impacts over road imperfections. It was especially nice and cushy on the highway.

Sport mode stiffened it up, and you felt more impact harshness, but body roll was greatly diminished, and it handled a lot better. Rather than constantly pick between the three, I just left it in Sport all the time.

 

[dleepnw]

The problem is no one outside of Rivian has driven a vehicle other than the Performance trim with the semi-active suspension. Until they either release the Premium/Standard trim or have them available as demo vehicles or for reviewers, we don't know what the ride difference will be. When I did the demo drive, I really couldn't tell the difference between Firm/Moderate/Soft just driving down the street or on the freeway. I'm honestly not sure if thats worth the money between Performance and Premium.

 

[rvnxyz001]

If it is similar to what is in the Model Y Performance, it will be a very nice feature. In the Tesla, Soft mode makes a huge difference in how it handles speed bumps, for example. But I'm not sure how useful the Firm setting really is in the R2. It is not a racing car, after all...

And I found the Model Y Performance much more comfortable than the Premium Model Y, so maybe the R2 is similar. Not sure.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I was surprised how much of a difference it makes if you have it in sport vs off-road rally. It's very noticeable. Maybe not as much as on R1 with the cross-linked dampers, but it's still significant.

I was surprised how comfortable it was in Sport-Firm compared to the R1 that feels absolutely bone-rattling over any bump in that mode.

Does Rally allow for a lot more roll than Sport?

 

[Dark-Fx]

I was surprised how comfortable it was in Sport-Firm compared to the R1 that feels absolutely bone-rattling over any bump in that mode.

Does Rally allow for a lot more roll than Sport?

It just really absorbs everything. Washboard on my R1S makes the dashboard bounce and deflect a ton. R2 doesn't have that issue at all.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

It just really absorbs everything. Washboard on my R1S makes the dashboard bounce and deflect a ton. R2 doesn't have that issue at all.

Impressive. Have you noticed any significant difference in body roll between moderate and firm? I don't have enough seat time to tell for sure.

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

Someone can gladly tell me I'm wrong if so, but it seems to be more of a gimmick than anything actually useful. It's not air suspension.

The Performance has three more driving modes than the Premium and definitely more than the Standard. The semi-active suspension allows for these extra modes which are: Rally, Soft Sand, and Launch Mode.

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