Ride quality R1S vs R1T? Should I be worried about reviews?

[jaxrivian]

Professional reviewers (Car and Driver, Road and Track, YouTubers) are really bashing the R1S ride quality compared to R1T. For the everyday driver is it really that much worse?

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[electruck]

the question you should be asking yourself is not whether the R1S is that much worse than the R1T, but is it somehow worse than what you are used to.

In my relatively short test drive, I noticed some things that could be improved upon but that's not to suggest that the ride wasn't still quite good.

 

[TexasBob]

Professional reviewers (Car and Driver, Road and Track, YouTubers) are really bashing the R1S ride quality compared to R1T. For the everyday driver is it really that much worse?

I was worried about the same with R1S. Wife and I scheduled a test drive with Rivian, drove a dozen miles over bumps and city streets, flew over train tracks a 40 mph (much to the surprise and amusement of the Rivian guy) and came away perfectly happy with ride and only one HUGE regret: that we did not order two when we had a chance at the old pricing.

My 2 cents: contact Rivian and schedule a first mile ride.

 

[dleewla]

one thing to keep in mind is that its in comparison between the R1S and R1T that the driving dynamics are not as good on the S. am i still concerned though? absolutely. i know Rivian will do what it can via OTAs to improve the S but there may be some things it just can't update that make it drive inferior to the T.

 

[Count Orlok]

Professional reviewers (Car and Driver, Road and Track, YouTubers) are really bashing the R1S ride quality compared to R1T. For the everyday driver is it really that much worse?

My R1S is every bit as good of a ride as the GLS 450 we just sold... except when accelerating with a deep peddle. That is, if you floor it the R1S gets a bit extremely squirrelly and you need to be ready for it.

It is a better ride than my F150h, GLK, and 911. Is it perfect? no.

 

[tgo10000]

If you’ve never driven the R1T you won’t notice the difference, being less than stellar doesn’t equal bad, it’s very good.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

I wouldn't be concerned about it. There's nothing in the physics or mechanics that should make the S an inferior ride, so it's all down to software tuning over time. It's pretty clear they just ported over the tune for the T, which doesn't work perfectly since the S has different physical characteristics to the T, but there's no reason to assume they can't improve that over time.

I know my T has gotten better in terms of ride quality and driving dynamics in the 7 months I've had it. I would expect the same for the S.

And, as others have said, the fair comparison is against your expectations/needs, not against the T, unless you have both

 

[R1Tom]

Maybe the review R1S trucks had the thumping/thunking air suspension that some of us R1T owners have and have been told it is normal. Maybe you will be lucky and get a quiet one. With Rivian you roll the early adopter dice and find out, as some like to say around these parts.

 

[astonius]

I wouldn't be concerned about it. There's nothing in the physics or mechanics that should make the S an inferior ride, so it's all down to software tuning over time. It's pretty clear they just ported over the tune for the T, which doesn't work perfectly since the S has different physical characteristics to the T, but there's no reason to assume they can't improve that over time.

I know my T has gotten better in terms of ride quality and driving dynamics in the 7 months I've had it. I would expect the same for the S.

And, as others have said, the fair comparison is against your expectations/needs, not against the T, unless you have both

Uhh, there certainly is a physical difference between the two: a shorter wheelbase. That absolutely affects handling and ride quality.

 

[SoCalTravels]

We are very underwhelmed and disappointed in the R1S ride. It is bad. It is absolutely a different driving experience than the R1T. The R1S drives like an after thought. Our experience is in line with the professional reviews.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

Uhh, there certainly is a physical difference between the two: a shorter wheelbase. That absolutely affects handling and ride quality.

You should try reading before typing.

Physics work the same whether you've got an S or a T.

The physical characteristics of the two are different, as I clearly said:

It's pretty clear they just ported over the tune for the T, which doesn't work perfectly since the S has different physical characteristics to the T, but there's no reason to assume they can't improve that over time.

EDIT: Fixed an improper quote.

 

[astonius]

You should try reading before typing.

Physics work the same whether you've got an S or a T.

The physical characteristics of the two are different, as I clearly said:



EDIT: Fixed an improper quote.

Your original post has two contradictory statements by saying there’s no difference in physics between the two then immediately mentions the physical differences between the two.

My broader point was you are confidently stating the ride quality and handling caused by their physical differences can be overcome by software alone without any concern over their physical differences (also know as differences in physics).

 

[Inkedsphynx]

Your original post has two contradictory statements by saying there’s no difference in physics between the two then immediately mentions the physical differences between the two.

My broader point was you are confidently stating the ride quality and handling caused by their physical differences can be overcome by software alone without any concern over their physical differences (also know as differences in physics).

Quibble all you want over my language, what I said was proper and correct English. Physics describes the fundamental forces that govern our reality, and those apply equally regardless of what they're being applied to.

Physical characteristics change the EFFECTS of physics, but not the physics themselves.

What I said aligns with this reality.

And yes, since we're talking about ride quality wrt suspension and given that the T and S both have fully configurable suspension via software, this can be fixed via software. T and S will never be 1:1 due to the difference in physical characteristics, but as I said, there is absolutely nothing about said characteristics that prevent the S from having a similar ride quality to the current ride quality of a T.

 

[SoCal Rob]

We are very underwhelmed and disappointed in the R1S ride. It is bad. It is absolutely a different driving experience than the R1T. The R1S drives like an after thought. Our experience is in line with the professional reviews.

What are you comparing it to? Did it get any better after the last update?

I’m hoping that the R1S will be at least as good as our LR3 so these reports of poor ride quality concern me.

For people who are comparing to the R1T, I can see how the shorter wheelbase of the R1S will feel worse. On the other hand, for those of us used to something closer to the R1S already, it may be comparable. I need to schedule a First Mile drive in an SUV…

 

[astonius]

Quibble all you want over my language, what I said was proper and correct English. Physics describes the fundamental forces that govern our reality, and those apply equally regardless of what they're being applied to.

Physical characteristics change the EFFECTS of physics, but not the physics themselves.

What I said aligns with this reality.

And yes, since we're talking about ride quality wrt suspension and given that the T and S both have fully configurable suspension via software, this can be fixed via software. T and S will never be 1:1 due to the difference in physical characteristics, but as I said, there is absolutely nothing about said characteristics that prevent the S from having a similar ride quality to the current ride quality of a T.

Eh, you might have a point if you hadn’t personally used “physics” in a comparative context, but you did. You said the physics shouldn’t make the S an inferior ride, similar to saying you can’t overcome physics when comparing a sports car to a truck. Contextually you were speaking about physics’ effects on a particular body, not the study in general.

And again, you’re stating confidently that the way “physics” in general are acting on the S vs the T, creating an uncomfortable experience in the former, is completely able to be solved via software. Maybe it is (hell I hope it is!), but I also don’t want someone to see your comment and assume it is.

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