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

[Chewy734]

I’d love to get the opinions of someone with an R1S going southbound on the 405 between Santa Monica and LAX. How’s the ride? Does it feel like you’re going to vomit? Or is it the pretty typical gut jarring annoyance?

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[888tom888]

Perspective and taking other people's words for things. One is essential: perspective the other makes no sense in my world. I don't know you, yet I should take your version/vision of what you experience??? Really. I have an R1S. I love it. It is unique and quirky. Yes, in MY experience (owing BMW M cars and a Tesla M3P) it is bumpy and loose. Then I remind myself i'm driving a truck/suv not a BMW or Tesla. So my suggestion for those of you that have ordered a R1S, find a center, schedule a ride/drive and make up your own mind. Nobody knows you better than you. Screw the people that post reviews. What makes their opinion better than YOURS??

 

[RBR1S]

I've only driven an R1S, never an R1T. That said, I walked away very disappointed in the ride. It seemed unsettled on any roads that weren't completely smooth. Compared to my current Grand Cherokee (which also has air suspension), the R1S ride was lacking. The Jeep is just so much more composed over any type of rough surface.

On smooth roads, the R1S seemed pretty good though.

You have my attention with the JGC comparison. I have a '14 JGC and I've lovingly put 129k on it and am very used to how it handles and feels. I've taken it all over the western US and in places no JGC was probably supposed to go (screw you locked forest service gates 10 miles in). But if you're saying that $100k suv has a worse ride than one half that cost, I'm sad.

WA roads are garbage (I'm pretty sure I drove over a prius used to fill the pothole down the road) and are in no way smooth. If you've ever down I-5 just North of Seattle, you know that exactly 63mph will make you feel sick in 63 seconds; road harmonics get you bouncing to the point locals know better than to drive in the right lane at speed. Porposing - HA, try pogosticking.

Is the R1S REALLY that bad? Mostly I'm worried about people in 2nd row (3rd row be damned, I didn't want it to begin with) as they are the ones that are most likely to end up car sick. And yes, we all remember the ride in some of those old "luxury" cars. Didn't one of the auto magazines(C&D) say "it rides like the back seat of an Buick". I remember those rides... (if you don't let me out, I'm going to paint your seats with lunch).

 

[White Shadow]

You have my attention with the JGC comparison. I have a '14 JGC and I've lovingly put 129k on it and am very used to how it handles and feels. I've taken it all over the western US and in places no JGC was probably supposed to go (screw you locked forest service gates 10 miles in). But if you're saying that $100k suv has a worse ride than one half that cost, I'm sad.

WA roads are garbage (I'm pretty sure I drove over a prius used to fill the pothole down the road) and are in no way smooth. If you've ever down I-5 just North of Seattle, you know that exactly 63mph will make you feel sick in 63 seconds; road harmonics get you bouncing to the point locals know better than to drive in the right lane at speed. Porposing - HA, try pogosticking.

Is the R1S REALLY that bad? Mostly I'm worried about people in 2nd row (3rd row be damned, I didn't want it to begin with) as they are the ones that are most likely to end up car sick. And yes, we all remember the ride in some of those old "luxury" cars. Didn't one of the auto magazines(C&D) say "it rides like the back seat of an Buick". I remember those rides... (if you don't let me out, I'm going to paint your seats with lunch).

Keep in mind that my only experience with Grand Cherokees are upper level models that come with air suspension. I honestly don't know how the coil spring versions of the Grand Cherokee ride and handle. That said, I will tell you for sure that there's a big difference between an R1S and a Grand Cherokee when it comes to the way they ride and generally feel on the road. The Grand Cherokee's air suspension feels so refined and dialed in. And if you think about it, why wouldn't it? They've had many years to perfect it. The air suspension in the Grand Cherokee is basically a slightly modified Mercedes ML air suspension back from the Daimler-Chrysler era.

On the other hand, my limited wheel time in an R1S left me feeling like the suspension calibration wasn't quite finished yet. Sort of like it's not dialed in. It felt unsettled to me. It's hard to describe in words, but at times it felt loose and harsh at the same time. Just generally unrefined....but I think they will improve it for sure. It's not the kind of ride I'd expect in a vehicle approaching $100K, that's for sure. SUV or not, there's lots of room for improvement when it comes to the suspension system in the R1S.

 

[dub_style]

we only had the R1S for 3 days before getting the most recent update. So can’t comment on how much it really improved.

our comparison is what we are used to driving before getting the R1S. Lexus RX, Highlander, and F150. All “ride” substantially better and are more comfortable for passengers.

I must enforce I’m only commenting on the ride itself. The handling, acceleration, and breaking are great. It’s just the ride feeling every bump, rattle, and rut in the road and how it vibrates into the vehicle that is terrible.

I also drive a Lexus RX, which has one of the smoothest rides out there. I am expecting a bit of a bumpier ride, but I have also ordered the 20" wheels.

I see you have the 22'' wheels on your R1S. Which I have heard are the roughest out of all 3 wheel options. Have you test drove a R1S with AT 20''s to compare?

 

[Pops97]

I had my R1S test drive last week. I was expecting to be wowed. I was disappointed to the extent of worrying about Rivian's total available market if they don't fix it. The ride, as others have mentioned, transmits everything (my test drive R1S had 21" wheels). It has a much worse ride quality than the Defender 110 (fair comp, in my opinion, for the general buyer). The combination of the stiff ride and jerky nature of the regen braking* at mid-speeds - the on/off the accelerator on a 45mph local road with lots of stop lights and traffic - caused me to worry that the test drive is going to turn potential buyers off. When the Model S first came out, their test drive to purchase conversions were extremely high. With the current ride, I think the R1S segment is much smaller than I expected (Bronco, Rubicon, etc.), and I think new to electric buyers won't be convinced vs. something like the Defender. Fixing this needs to be a priority if they want to access the person that wants a capable off-road SUV for 5-10 days a year and good around town/road trip car for the rest. I walked away from the test drive unsure of whether this is actually the best segment to electrify if the weight of the vehicle is causing the ride to be so poor (ie, this is the best we're going to get given a 7000lb vehicle). And I don't want to go with a smaller battery because I don't trust the public charging network and this would be my family road trip car.

*I'm on my 3rd Tesla, so this is not a 'newbie to regenerative braking' problem.

 

[Zybane]

Ya if Tesla came out with a true mid-size SUV that could off-road, they would absolutely dominate.

There is a big gap in their portfolio. IMO the X is a silly over-priced vehicle, the Y being a great value but too small and basically no off-road capability. The Cybertruck is coming but not everyone wants a pickup bed, and going to be too large for any real off-roading.

 

[mkg3]

I had my R1S test drive last week. I was expecting to be wowed. I was disappointed to the extent of worrying about Rivian's total available market if they don't fix it. The ride, as others have mentioned, transmits everything (my test drive R1S had 21" wheels). It has a much worse ride quality than the Defender 110 (fair comp, in my opinion, for the general buyer). The combination of the stiff ride and jerky nature of the regen braking* at mid-speeds - the on/off the accelerator on a 45mph local road with lots of stop lights and traffic - caused me to worry that the test drive is going to turn potential buyers off. When the Model S first came out, their test drive to purchase conversions were extremely high. With the current ride, I think the R1S segment is much smaller than I expected (Bronco, Rubicon, etc.), and I think new to electric buyers won't be convinced vs. something like the Defender. Fixing this needs to be a priority if they want to access the person that wants a capable off-road SUV for 5-10 days a year and good around town/road trip car for the rest. I walked away from the test drive unsure of whether this is actually the best segment to electrify if the weight of the vehicle is causing the ride to be so poor (ie, this is the best we're going to get given a 7000lb vehicle). And I don't want to go with a smaller battery because I don't trust the public charging network and this would be my family road trip car.

*I'm on my 3rd Tesla, so this is not a 'newbie to regenerative braking' problem.

I hope you're right about the assessment.

I'm tired of waiting so please let more people cancel so that my number comes up sooner

 

[strykerwsu]

I had my R1S test drive last week. I was expecting to be wowed. I was disappointed to the extent of worrying about Rivian's total available market if they don't fix it. The ride, as others have mentioned, transmits everything (my test drive R1S had 21" wheels). It has a much worse ride quality than the Defender 110 (fair comp, in my opinion, for the general buyer). The combination of the stiff ride and jerky nature of the regen braking* at mid-speeds - the on/off the accelerator on a 45mph local road with lots of stop lights and traffic - caused me to worry that the test drive is going to turn potential buyers off. When the Model S first came out, their test drive to purchase conversions were extremely high. With the current ride, I think the R1S segment is much smaller than I expected (Bronco, Rubicon, etc.), and I think new to electric buyers won't be convinced vs. something like the Defender. Fixing this needs to be a priority if they want to access the person that wants a capable off-road SUV for 5-10 days a year and good around town/road trip car for the rest. I walked away from the test drive unsure of whether this is actually the best segment to electrify if the weight of the vehicle is causing the ride to be so poor (ie, this is the best we're going to get given a 7000lb vehicle). And I don't want to go with a smaller battery because I don't trust the public charging network and this would be my family road trip car.

*I'm on my 3rd Tesla, so this is not a 'newbie to regenerative braking' problem.

It’s not the weight as R1T suspension is awesome. I have not driven an R1S so can’t comment directly. However from reviews the shortened wheelbase is assumed to be the culprit. I have so many questions why they shortened on the S. From manufacturing gains of commonalaity to more room inside for 3rd row seems keeping the same was way to go. I’ve only seen off-road angles mentioned on why shorter.

Regen braking is new to me, never even ridden in EV before delivery. She walked me through during test drive and after 5 min was comfortable. However, I can see as a turnoff if not prepared . My wife hasn’t driven truck yet, so interested to see her perspective. As she could care less about EV.

overall most reviewers are still really high on it. If Doug likes it though it must be quirky.

 

[windblowlc]

Ya if Tesla came out with a true mid-size SUV that could off-road, they would absolutely dominate.

There is a big gap in their portfolio. IMO the X is a silly over-priced vehicle, the Y being a great value but too small and basically no off-road capability. The Cybertruck is coming but not everyone wants a pickup bed, and going to be too large for any real off-roading.

Offroad? They haven't been able to in 15 years. Cybertruck was promised a year and a half ago. Absolutely dominate? 20% price drop to move a glut of inventory. Accepting government money to open superchargers to rest of country. If I'm a recent Tesla buyer, I would be furious. The days of Tesla dominance are over.

 

[Prime]

Offroad? They haven't been able to in 15 years. Cybertruck was promised a year and a half ago. Absolutely dominate? 20% price drop to move a glut of inventory. Accepting government money to open superchargers to rest of country. If I'm a recent Tesla buyer, I would be furious. The days of Tesla dominance are over.

I don’t think Teslas ever tried to do the off road thing, guess we’ll see how the CT does. As a company, if you follow the production and margin stats I think the dominance is just beginning. They made more profit that all of Toyota group with their subdivisions (ie Lexus / Subaru etc) in 2022. Even at their large price cuts they’re outpacing every automaker on margins, they also don’t have dealerships to deal with or have any spend on advertising like all the major US automakers.. costs low, production efficiency high (think giga-castings), margins great. You may not like Tesla or the CEO, but the business is doing just fine and its competition is going to have a tough time dealing with the new prices IMO.

There are certain things I don’t like about the Tesla approach, but I do respect the constant design evolutions to decrease costs and increase build efficiency. Add to that that they’re heavily investing in battery production and now mining and refining of raw materials. I don’t know of any other automaker thinking that far ahead.

 

[R.I.P.]

Offroad? They haven't been able to in 15 years. Cybertruck was promised a year and a half ago. Absolutely dominate? 20% price drop to move a glut of inventory. Accepting government money to open superchargers to rest of country. If I'm a recent Tesla buyer, I would be furious. The days of Tesla dominance are over.

Yeah, sorry. A whole lot of people with a lot more pedigree than you disagree.

 

[windblowlc]

Yeah, sorry. A whole lot of people with a lot more pedigree than you disagree.

This is Munro ranting about Tesla margins and what not - has nothing to do with what I said.
What I said was Tesla days of dominance are over. It's not 15 years ago where there are no competition. Consumers now have many choices, great many choices to choose from. Last I looked, just about close to 40 EV companies around the world have one or more models in their line up. While Tesla has delayed production of the Cybertruck year after year, we get Rivian R1T/R1S, and Lightning orders got filled within days. If Tesla can absolutely dominate, they wouldn't have a glut of inventory and wouldn't have to cut prices 20% while consumers line up for other options.

Munro was ranting about some guys knowing more than him and his company on Tesla margins, more than the 3 books he produced. LOL. I could care less. I said Tesla days of dominance are over. And a whole lot of people with a lot more pedigree than I agree. Like Lucid and Rivian, KIA and Hyundai, BMW and Mercedes, Audi and Porsche, VW and Volvo, GM and Ford, RAM and whatever... you get the gist.

 

[Monkey]

It’s not the weight as R1T suspension is awesome. I have not driven an R1S so can’t comment directly. However from reviews the shortened wheelbase is assumed to be the culprit. I have so many questions why they shortened on the S. From manufacturing gains of commonalaity to more room inside for 3rd row seems keeping the same was way to go. I’ve only seen off-road angles mentioned on why shorter.

I've wondered this about the R1S since the beginning... Why shorten it? Or since they did, why not offer a long version as well? None of the arguments for off-road angles make any real sense as the longer wheelbase of the R1T handles brilliantly off-road. The 2nd row seating in the R1T (and presumably the same in the R1S) is already cramped enough as it is... I'm expecting the third row in the R1S to be yet again another torture chamber for normal sized adults. I have yet to sit in an R1S to know. That's what the third row is in the Model X - a torture chamber. Normal or larger adults can't sit safely in the third row of the X... And definitely not comfortably other than for a quick trip somewhere. In the third row of our X (that we owned for over 4 years) I couldn't sit upright without cocking my head to the side. I'm only 5'8" but have rather short legs/ long torso. Also barrel-chested with broad shoulders. Built like a gorilla, I guess.

 

[DB-EV]

I've wondered this about the R1S since the beginning... Why shorten it? Or since they did, why not offer a long version as well? None of the arguments for off-road angles make any real sense as the longer wheelbase of the R1T handles brilliantly off-road. The 2nd row seating in the R1T (and presumably the same in the R1S) is already cramped enough as it is... I'm expecting the third row in the R1S to be yet again another torture chamber for normal sized adults. I have yet to sit in an R1S to know. That's what the third row is in the Model X - a torture chamber. Normal or larger adults can't sit safely in the third row of the X... And definitely not comfortably other than for a quick trip somewhere. In the third row of our X (that we owned for over 4 years) I couldn't sit upright without cocking my head to the side. I'm only 5'8" but have rather short legs/ long torso. Also barrel-chested with broad shoulders. Built like a gorilla, I guess.

Just like me. Apparently 6 footers are fine in the third row for an hour or so.

If it wasn't shortened it would be longer as an SUV than any SUV you could imagine. It is like a few inches shorter than a Yukon.

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