R2 walkthrough review by Doug DeMuro

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Does it? Cause it looks pretty low here? Off the top of my head, I think our 2015 Honda Pilot has better ground clearance. Keep in mind the vehicle in this photo is empty and sitting on concrete. Now load 3 adults in it with some gear and put in on dirt to see the real working ground clearance.

FWIW- I have a day one R2 reservation like many here and I think it would work great for my needs (assuming they rate it for 5,000lb towing), but I would really have to think twice before taking this vehicle "off road". Too much pretty plastic trim close to the ground to get damaged $$$.

Ground clearance for the R2 is listed at 9.8". Best I can find for the Honda Pilot is 8".

Plus you don't have any axles, differentials, exhaust pipes, or gas tank to worry about scraping or nailing on a rock.

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[SDH]

^ I'm sure this will earn me plenty of downvotes, but with it's low ground clearance the R2 seems more suited as a mall-crawler than an "off-road" vehicle. And, a sub $50K SUV mall-crawler that will work for 99.99% of car buyers is just what Rivian needs to stay afloat IMO.

Agree but I think that's propbably the main market. I certainly didn't put down a reservation coz I wanted to off road it. Heck, not really taken my R1T off road tbh.

 

[DB-EV]

Awesome video. R2 or Traveler ... hmm. I am all-in for a dual or tri-motor R2 if they can hit 350 miles of range like the Scout. The range on my R1T Dual motor gen 1.5 is 352 and after owning several EVs, I find 350 is the Goldilocks range for road trips. I really hope Rivian gets this into the market quickly. (I hate that Rivian is not embracing a 800V system for this, though.)

Maybe dumb question: what is gen 1.5? Dual motors before Gen2?

 

[TexasBob]

Maybe dumb question: what is gen 1.5? Dual motors before Gen2?

Yes it was the switch to Rivian-designed dual motors but before the battery packs were changed and the Gen2s came out. They share most stuff with the Gen 1 Quad, but not the drive system.

 

[DaveA]

Pretty sure there will be an off-road package for R2 with bigger tires, etc. These one off rims on a prototype aren't telling the full story me thinks.

 

[George Kaplan]

Awesome video. R2 or Traveler ... hmm. I am all-in for a dual or tri-motor R2 if they can hit 350 miles of range like the Scout.

Your reminder the range on a Scout is currently 0.

Any brand can tout fantastic features and amenities on vehicles which haven’t yet reached pre-production status yet. I think we all recall that Cybertruck was going to feature 400+ miles of range and start at $40K.

When the press conference was held, Biden was POTUS and Scout was clearly anticipating the $7,500 Federal credit to lower the final price. Things are different now, and it would not be surprising to find 18 months hence the Scout will have less range in the final product as a cost-cutting measure.

 

[TexasBob]

Your reminder the range on a Scout is currently 0.

Any brand can tout fantastic features and amenities on vehicles which haven’t yet reached pre-production status yet. I think we all recall that Cybertruck was going to feature 400+ miles of range and start at $40K.

When the press conference was held, Biden was POTUS and Scout was clearly anticipating the $7,500 Federal credit to lower the final price. Things are different now, and it would not be surprising to find 18 months hence the Scout will have less range in the final product as a cost-cutting measure.

As always YMMV. I know that range figures change between reveal and launch on many vehicles. Sometimes it is better than expected (e.g. Fisker Ocean, Silverado, Ioniq 9) sometimes a little worse (e.g. ID Buzz, Ioniq 5N) and sometimes horribly, awfully, WTH-were-you-thinking-this-was-all-a-lie worse (CyberTruck). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Either way, my goldilocks range number is 350 (or a bit better) and that is my must-have for the next vehicle (RJ, please take note!). And - at least for me - I will pay up for some additional performance but not if it comes at the expense of dropping range below my threshold. Here's hoping that Rivian or Scout or both will deliver!

 

[elektrode]

R2 can’t come fast enough.

 

[DuoRivian]

Yes it was the switch to Rivian-designed dual motors but before the battery packs were changed and the Gen2s came out. They share most stuff with the Gen 1 Quad, but not the drive system.

There was no gen 1.5 there were dual motor first gen vehicles. Same electrical architecture and exterior.

 

[TexasBob]

There was no gen 1.5 there were dual motor first gen vehicles. Same electrical architecture and exterior.

ok but:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/my-one-complaint-for-gen-1-5-power-in-front-row.34319/

When Enduro came out, there were a bunch of other small changes that came along (no 12V, USB-C, etc.) so some folks on this forum and elsewhere refer to vehicles made after the Enduro launch as Gen 1.x (some say 1.2 others 1.5).

 

[Donald Stanfield]

^ I'm sure this will earn me plenty of downvotes, but with it's low ground clearance the R2 seems more suited as a mall-crawler than an "off-road" vehicle. And, a sub $50K SUV mall-crawler that will work for 99.99% of car buyers is just what Rivian needs to stay afloat IMO.

It has 9" of ground clearance. After seeing it in person, I realized that it reminds me of a Subaru Forester, and I imagine that it has similar off-road capabilities. So it will be able to do the sort of off-road most people do, logging roads, dirt paths, etc. For me the high end R1's are more mall crawlers even though they are more capable since I wouldn't take a vehicle this expensive on any serious off road trails. Lots of people here do, so perhaps I'm in the minority.

 

[meshugy]

ok but:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/my-one-complaint-for-gen-1-5-power-in-front-row.34319/

When Enduro came out, there were a bunch of other small changes that came along (no 12V, USB-C, etc.) so some folks on this forum and elsewhere refer to vehicles made after the Enduro launch as Gen 1.x (some say 1.2 others 1.5).

Around 13xxx they also stared using the Gen 2 dampers in the Gen 1s.

 

[usulio]

ok but:

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/my-one-complaint-for-gen-1-5-power-in-front-row.34319/

When Enduro came out, there were a bunch of other small changes that came along (no 12V, USB-C, etc.) so some folks on this forum and elsewhere refer to vehicles made after the Enduro launch as Gen 1.x (some say 1.2 others 1.5).

This isn't really accurate, it was more a continuous series of changes made over time. Two 12V batteries to one plus capacitor, subframe change, elimination of frunk 12V port, dual horns to one horn, magnetic frunk attachment to plastic clips, elimination of driver 12V port, placement of horn, Meridian to in-house sound. A Gen 1 quad could have many combinations of these depending on the exact manufacture date.

 

[SANZC02]

1 year closer to R2… ?

Hope everyone has a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

 

[scottf200]

From todays (10-Feb-2026) video.
Doug DeMuro score if you give any weight to such things.

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