Tesla owner since 2013 feeling drawn into Rivian orbit...

[PeterSK]

For this raffle can you be anywhere to enter it? If the Rivian is a prize I can always collect it for my wife on the extremely slim chance I won.

US residents only.

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[PeterSK]

Thanks for all of your comments and insights, @Andy96734 @kizamybute' @the long way downunder @Donald Stanfield @Cosmacelf @Zorg @jebinc @av8or and others! What a conversation this sparked - it does remind me of earlier TMC days.

My X had issues early on - panel/trunk/door alignment was so bad at delivery it spent 10 days at a Tesla authorized body shop to straighten things out, conveniently timed while I was on a business trip. And I had some front suspension parts, one of the motors and an axle replaced under warranty in the first few years. They even replaced the driver's seat three times (!) because of odd folds in the seat leather (I gave up asking after two, the service center did the third on their own). It has autopilot 1.0 (Mobileye) which works fine on the highway, and while I wish it had the 100 instead of 90 battery for additional range, free supercharging helps make up for it. It's worked very well for the primary long distance drives I do from Boston - NYC, Lake Champlain area, and NH/VT ski areas, and I've fit five kids and a dog for some long drives. After 6.5 years it has 65,000 miles on the odometer, it's definitely my highway cruiser vs. my 2018 3 and then 2020 Y which are used more for local trips.

Glad to hear that most of the issues you all raised re Rivian are fixable in software, and that they are well funded to eventually get there. Perhaps a year or so from now will be good timing, both for software and non-Tesla charge network buildout. I was aware of some EA fast chargers near our usual West Lebanon, NH stop - but then saw this on Plugshare. Are all of these stations so poorly maintained?

Looking at the map, New Hampshire has few chargers - and the map is deceiving because many that are there, are located in car dealerships where a) there are few amenities nearby, b) access is restricted, or both. Others are in shopping centers which is better, provided they are reasonably close to highway exits.

In my early Model S days with few Superchargers around, I had to plan our Champlain trips around leisurely lunch stops of 1.5-2 hours while at a public level 2 Chargepoint. I've since gotten spoiled by the many Supercharger options, and not having to worry about whether they're working.

How do you guys do it with your Rivians?

 

[popoga]

One thing I've noticed is that EA chargers tend to be out for no reason. There's a number on the side of each which - if called - can pop them back into service. Feels incredibly stupid when you're going from futuristic EV tech to calling in to a switchboard, but it is what it is.

I'm between houses right now (cmon market, get rational) but am lucky to have cheap charging at work. I think between parking structures and home charging most folks' needs don't extend to the commercial EV grid as much as they might. I do feel the lack of that Supercharger network though, kinda jealous of the Tesla owners there.

Btw, I'm in for a ticket or two. Thanks for posting

 

[WSea]

Just completed our first road trip over thanksgiving. Seattle Boise round trip hitting 7 different EA stations and maxed between 168-220kw. Only issues were some difficulty with phone connection at one station requiring 3x plug/unplug, then in Boise had to wait 10 minutes due to a couple of teslas testing out their new adaptors. Was pleasantly surprised. EA was great experience

 

[SantaFeSpence]

I’ll be getting my new Model X within the next 6 weeks, and my R1T whenever they start producing ones with the MaxPack (no EDD). To me, that’ll be the best of both worlds!

 

[NY_Rob]

^ expensive world!!

 

[White Shadow]

Well, you do ride higher, but not too high. It is actually a lot lower than another full size SUV, like the Infinit QX80 or Nissan Pathfinder. It is also a very tight ride. Feels smaller than other full sized SUVs.

I see people say similar things often. The R1S is a midsize SUV. The Pathfinder is also a midsize SUV. So is the Grand Cherokee and the Explorer. This is the size class that matches the R1S. If you compare the Rivian with a Tahoe, Expedition, or Wagoneer, then of course its going to be quite a bit smaller.

 

[PeterSK]

I've seen a few Rivians - almost all R1Ts - around Boston of late, and because we wanted to record a TikTok ad for our fundraising raffle, and I wanted to see some Rivians up close, on the afternoon of January 1 I drove to the Chelsea Service Center with my youngest. I had to promise her a Rivian t-shirt and bandana, and a pair of new Adidas, to get her on board with it, but she did a great job! There's no fence around the lot so I parked my X near an R1S, quickly filmed and left.

I didn't see an R1S in my chosen Forest Green, but seeing other colors in person has me wondering about other choices. E.g. the Launch Green in the video looked nicer than I expected, and the Limestone and Rivian Blue. Decisions, decisions...

Here's the video we went with. Please check out the raffle and buy a ticket if you can - we are way behind track. Thanks in advance!

 

[COdogman]

I've seen a few Rivians - almost all R1Ts - around Boston of late, and because we wanted to record a TikTok ad for our fundraising raffle, and I wanted to see some Rivians up close, on the afternoon of January 1 I drove to the Chelsea Service Center with my youngest. I had to promise her a Rivian t-shirt and bandana, and a pair of new Adidas, to get her on board with it, but she did a great job! There's no fence around the lot so I parked my X near an R1S, quickly filmed and left.

I didn't see an R1S in my chosen Forest Green, but seeing other colors in person has me wondering about other choices. E.g. the Launch Green in the video looked nicer than I expected, and the Limestone and Rivian Blue. Decisions, decisions...

Here's the video we went with. Please check out the raffle and buy a ticket if you can - we are way behind track. Thanks in advance!

She did wonderful! And she did a wonderful job working her Dad over for some free stuff for very little effort

I will definitely buy a raffle ticket.

 

[PeterSK]

She did wonderful! And she did a wonderful job working her Dad over for some free stuff for very little effort

I will definitely buy a raffle ticket.

Thanks! Actually I think she would have been fine with the t-shirt and bandana, but her big sisters took her to the mall and pushed her to ask me for the new sneaks, which just barely appear at the end.

 

[TeslaToRivian]

This looks like the thread for me! TLDR: Should I bail on my Tesla Plaid Model X for an R1, and is my reasoning insane?

Like others here, I have been with Tesla since the beginning - circa 2012. I started as a Tesla fanboy, then a fan, then became tolerant, and am currently intolerant.

I own have a Plaid Model X and put an order on an R1S almost two years ago. I recently decided I might also like the R1T, so I switched the configuration. My Model X is paid for, so my decision is not financial. I am just trying to figure out which car I want to own.

As other's mentioned here, the Model X is packed with cool features, most of which I don't care about. Falcon wing doors are cool, but incredibly annoying in my garage. Rear entertainment screen is cool - for five year-olds, but not for my college and high school kids. And, it's a feature I paid for, but don't need (annoying). I sit between between uninterested and actually opposed to the whole self driving concept. It may be a transportation standard in a number of years, but I don't want to pay to be a beta tester. Whoops, already did that. More than once... Auto presenting doors and auto closing doors used to be my favorite features. I don't really care that much about these any more. Auto open works well sometimes, but not always. Auto close is nice, but if you ever do it in public, there is a 98% chance someone will yell across the parking lot: "uh, dumbass, you forgot to close your door..." Gaming? Uh - no. Watching Netflix in my car? Naw. Did it once on a road trip, but why do you need this if you own an iPad? So, these are things that are cool to some, but I don't really care about.

I hate the yoke. It was a huge point of discussion over at TMC and most early drivers gave feedback saying they either didn't mind it (one guy called it a "nothing burger"), while others said they actually preferred it. I hate it, mostly because of the incredibly stupid horn and lack of stalks. The yoke shape is annoying and at times awkward. But, I could live with it if I had a horn in the center of my wheel. I have encountered numerous situations that literally put me in danger because I couldn't find my horn quickly. Tesla is tacitly acknowledging the stupidity of the yoke, and for a cool $700, I can now get in line to order a round steering wheel, which will deliver in March. I've lived through Elon's timelines in the past, and have no faith in any Tesla timeline.

So, those are some of the things I own, but don't care about and things I dislike about the actual car. But, it feels like 90% of my decision falls into the jaded customer category. I had an absolutely terrible experience waiting to take deliver of my Model X. Without further boring you to death with details, I felt like a victim of lies and indifference from Tesla. The company now just feels arrogant. It feels like the car is full of design compromises because Elon thinks something is cool, and they annoy me when I drive the car.

Perhaps the dumbest reason I am considering bailing on my Tesla: it's too nice. I managed to put a scratch on the trunk and rear spoiler the other night and I was incredibly bummed. Every time I park next to a curb, I worry about scraping my rims. I think with a Rivian, I'd have a car that has incredible performance for it's size, cool features, great handling, but that does not give me heartburn every time I approach a curb.

What I really LOVE about the Plaid is the performance. I like the speed, but more than the actual speed, I love the handling. The car is decent sized, but drives like a sports car. I sit higher than a sedan, but don't feel like I am in a huge SUV. Will I miss this in the R1T? I know it's a totally different car for a totally different customer, but from what I am reading the R1T is pretty sporty.

My wife thinks I am ignoring her at the moment, so I'll wrap up this stream of consciousness! Feel free to share your thoughts!

 

[domoplaytime]

What I really LOVE about the Plaid is the performance. I like the speed, but more than the actual speed, I love the handling. The car is decent sized, but drives like a sports car. I sit higher than a sedan, but don't feel like I am in a huge SUV. Will I miss this in the R1T?

You will miss the handling, even if just from the weight difference. I miss the confidence and precision I felt I had with my 2015 S. But I love my R1T. sw00n

 

[PeterSK]

This looks like the thread for me! TLDR: Should I bail on my Tesla Plaid Model X for an R1, and is my reasoning insane?

I tend to agree with you. I’ve been very happy with my 2016 X P90D, but it’s almost 7 years old and will be out of extended warranty in a year. A new X would be more expensive, and bring with it things I like but also things I don’t like now (3rd row is tight for my growing kids, luggage capacity is limited). Not a lot has changed other than 0-60 (3.8 sec is plenty fast), the interior (I’m happy enough with the original) and new things I don’t think I’ll like (stalkless steering control, whether yoke or wheel). So for me it’s time for a change. I’m sure the R1S will feel big and tall at first, and I’m not excited that it will be considerably less efficient, but I’m looking forward to it.

I do think you should carefully consider the R1T length vs the R1S. R1S is 2.5” longer than the X, and R1T is 17” longer than that. My need for seating rules out the R1T, but the length also wouldn’t work for me parking in Boston and environs. It might not bother you, but something to think about.

 

[TeslaToRivian]

I tend to agree with you. I’ve been very happy with my 2016 X P90D, but it’s almost 7 years old and will be out of extended warranty in a year. A new X would be more expensive, and bring with it things I like but also things I don’t like now (3rd row is tight for my growing kids, luggage capacity is limited). Not a lot has changed other than 0-60 (3.8 sec is plenty fast), the interior (I’m happy enough with the original) and new things I don’t think I’ll like (stalkless steering control, whether yoke or wheel). So for me it’s time for a change. I’m sure the R1S will feel big and tall at first, and I’m not excited that it will be considerably less efficient, but I’m looking forward to it.

I do think you should carefully consider the R1T length vs the R1S. R1S is 2.5” longer than the X, and R1T is 17” longer than that. My need for seating rules out the R1T, but the length also wouldn’t work for me parking in Boston and environs. It might not bother you, but something to think about.

Very good thoughts. Also, it makes little financial sense to make the change since my car is paid for. I may stick with it for now and wait for Rivian to work out more kinks.

 

[TeslaToRivian]

So, I appear to be getting closer to a Rivian. I just got all the emails about a guide and 8 steps to delivery, etc.

I am leaning towards keeping my MX Plaid, but want to hear from any other Tesla drivers out there who can comment on the driving experience of an R1 vs. a Tesla.

I drove a Denali XL as a daily driver for 18 months between selling my prior Model X an taking delivery on my current one. The R1T is shorter than the Denali, so I know I can handle it. But, how does it feel to drive? Does it have roll? Is it boxy?

If I know the new, round steering wheel retrofit and a center horn, I'd almost certainly keep the Model X. But, per a service advisor, it will not. Tesla has a tendency to not communicate to their employees, so he may very well be wrong. If he's not wrong, though, it would push me to consider getting out of my Model X.

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