KIA EV9 vs. Rivian R1S: Comprehensive Overview, Key Questions, Buy or Lease Scenarios?

[jjswan33]

The EV9 is likely built on the 800V EGMP platform, while Rivian is 400v - so you'd get faster charge times in the EV9 at the right chargers...

Do some research. It has higher voltage than the R1S but not that much difference. The larger battery in the EV9 has lower voltage than its E-GMP siblings. More like 600V vs 450V for the R1. ts peak charging speeds are similar to the R1S but it will hold those speeds longer. So put it all together it will charge a little faster to 80% due to those factors and the fact it has a smaller battery.


To OP my thoughts..

Some reasons you might want the EV9:

- Second row captains chairs
- Sun roof that opens
- ADAS that works on any road with a capacitive steering wheel
- Potentially lower cost depending on configuration, more discounts available

Some reasons you might want the R1S:

- Better off-road/adventure vehicle
- Software architecture, updates etc
- You want a car that can go 0-60 in 3-3.5s

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[Epicloop]

Two very different EV SUVs, yet with a lot in common. Afully loaded EV9 GT-Line available for thousands less than the starting price of the base R1S. If it wasn't for the lack of a proper frunk and deep well on the KIA EV9, the choice would have been easy. Therefore, we are set on the R1S and very excited to join the party.

They both have amazing lease deals and it's not uncommon to see the EV9 GT-Line go for >$60K fully loaded. It's a bargain if you don't need additional space.

The EV9 is more of a station wagon/CUV & the R1S is actually an SUV which explains the price disparity.
What sold me on the R1 line is the versatility & I absolutely love the frunk
.
My R1S pro's:
-Driving economy vs ICE @ $2L
-Towing capabilities
-Off Road/Winter driving capabilities (clearance)
-Versatility
-Storage space
-Styling

Con's
- Price (there are equally/more expensive similarly capable ICE SUV's)
-lack of sun shades(what were they thinking?)
-Max pack cost (its barely a large +)
-Weight (CT is lighter)
-Need a R1S on T platform with improved 2nd & 3rd row legroom and access & 180kwh pack.
-lack of V2V/V2H

If it was me I would go used, my low vin 58xx R1S has been pretty flawless & achieves 300+ miles Vancouver to Seatac & back with QM 20A/T using conserve.

 

[Dustyshades]

Hot take incoming -

Heat pumps are not as important as people make them out to be

Here’s my reasoning

1. they lose effectiveness in super cold temperatures where cold starts to impact range the most
2. Battery temps and resulting range hit are most important for long distance road trips. These types of trips are planned, which means if your car has scheduled trip / preconditioning capability (Rivian does), you can warm up your battery in advance and mitigate a lot of the cold range penalty

Now, does that mean heat pumps are worthless or that I wouldn’t want a heat pump? No, I would still prefer one. It’s just not a make or break feature, more just like a fun bonus if the car has one. Also something I would consider paying for as an add-on, but really depends on how much of an upcharge it would be.

 

[Jiji]

Actually I can charge my Kia EV6 on Tesla chargers. I use the Tesla app, it doesn't do pass through like Rivian, but it works fine. Just because Ford and Rivian have 'deals' doesn't mean other CCS vehicles can't use Superchargers, all you need is an adapter (I have A2Z).

This would be huge if true at NACS adapter required SCs. Back in March there were many EV influencers with the beta Ford adapter showing it didn’t work In non-Fords.

Of course MagicDock SCs charge all CCS1 EVs so they don’t count.

 

[ThisIsMyHandle]

I've found that anything listed on Telsa website as NACS compatible works fine.... (and yes magic docks as well)

 

[usulio]

Sometimes looking at more research makes the decision more confused instead of less.

You say "range is our primary consideration", yet the 270-mile range EV9 was going to be an "easy choice" over the 400-mile range R1S, except for storage space.

You mention the price difference between the cars, yet you're ignoring the R1S DM Large Pack (350 miles of range) and shopping the much pricier QM and DM Max.

While digging into all the details is fun, at the end of the day I'd try to list the 3-5 things that really matter to you.

 

[sub]

The EV9 is likely built on the 800V EGMP platform, while Rivian is 400v - so you'd get faster charge times in the EV9 at the right chargers...

But half speed (or worse) charges at the wrong chargers. And the most reliable chargers (Tesla) are the "wrong" ones.

With everyone moving to Tesla chargers (that don't currently support 800v charging) I wouldn't consider a 800v vehicle right now since they won't be able to take full advantage of the supercharger network even after adapters are available for their brand.

 

[GogglesPisano]

I've watched a few of the reviews on the EV9. One of the things that would absolutely bug me is that the safety settings and other small nitpicks you program, reset to default every time you get in. That would absolutely drive me bonkers. I don't know if that has changed yet or not. Also, the last Kia I was in used a generic color for the vehicle on the screen. Didn't matter if you bought blue, red, etc. The car on the dash was white. And the car on the charging screen wasn't even the one I was driving. Small details like that would never fly at Rivian. The screen on my R1S even shows the wheel option I have.

Overall, I feel Rivian is more in tune with what the consumer wants out of the vehicle and makes sure to have regular updates to the UI as a result. I think Kia is more in the mindset of set it and forget it when it comes to updates. Our Rivians have continued to get better with age in dramatic ways, not just small improvements or bug fixes. I don't know if that is the case with Kia.

 

[Glembi2]

Heat pumps are not as important as people make them out to be

Based on what I’ve read here, the usefulness of heat pumps decrease with larger cabin sizes compared to pulling heat off the motors. Meaning, scaling a heat pump to heat the R1S cabin would require more energy than using the motors’ latent heat.

I’m in Northern Virginia and have not had an issue with the heat. Just turn on the middle row vents and everything is fine. The AC is noisy at times but only for a minute or two. The AC in the front row seats is COLD.

The frunk is a lot more useful than I expected. It is perfect for everything muddy.

The biggest selling point for me was the underbody shield. We are off-road once a month for our volunteer work. Not having to worry about damaging the underbody is a huge relief. But if going off-road is not in your future, the shield is mostly irrelevant.

Camping mode is awesome! The fold flat second and third row seats make the R1S a mini RV. And HVAC while sleeping is glamping.

With respect to charging times based on the internal voltage, remember that is an ideal charging rate. Our last 600 mile trip was a pain. Two of the three chargers, while rated for 350 kWh, limited themselves to ~60 kWh (adding more than an hour to a 10.5 hour trip). I’m sure accessing the Tesla chargers will reduce these situations.

 

[Tango45]

- ADAS that works on any road with a capacitive steering wheel

I know there's many who are, to say it mildly, not fans of Driver+, so this is a big YMMV thing... and I'll accept that I have a 2022 Ioniq 5, and that I'm driving on established roads in the right part of the country... but, I don't find much difference between Driver+ and HDA 2.0 (which is what the EV9 uses). In the end, it's an automatic cruise control that can take curves and change lanes. For changing lanes, I actually like the Rivian better because the HDA 2.0 is really finicky about doing that for you and you end up just having to do it yourself anyway.

Having looked up whether the EV9 does use HDA 2.0, I noticed they have the video rear view mirror and the heads-up display. I don't have the first, but would appreciate it, but I do have the second and miss it on the R1S. I'll also say that the surround view looks cool and impresses, but I end up using the normal camera views in 99.9 of situations.

I've watched a few of the reviews on the EV9. One of the things that would absolutely bug me is that the safety settings and other small nitpicks you program, reset to default every time you get in. That would absolutely drive me bonkers.

This. 100x this. That emergency rear accident avoidance system that I keep complaining about can be turned off, but 1) turns back on every time you start the car and 2) still activates when it is turned off. I'm honestly trying to convince my wife to trade it for the R2 and then trade the R2 for the R3X she really wants. I... I think I might hate the Hyundai...

 

[jjswan33]

I know there's many who are, to say it mildly, not fans of Driver+, so this is a big YMMV thing... and I'll accept that I have a 2022 Ioniq 5, and that I'm driving on established roads in the right part of the country... but, I don't find much difference between Driver+ and HDA 2.0 (which is what the EV9 uses). In the end, it's an automatic cruise control that can take curves and change lanes. For changing lanes, I actually like the Rivian better because the HDA 2.0 is really finicky about doing that for you and you end up just having to do it yourself anyway.

Having looked up whether the EV9 does use HDA 2.0, I noticed they have the video rear view mirror and the heads-up display. I don't have the first, but would appreciate it, but I do have the second and miss it on the R1S. I'll also say that the surround view looks cool and impresses, but I end up using the normal camera views in 99.9 of situations.

I also own an Ioniq 5 and agree the ADAS is not a perfect system, I just like that it can work on most highways. I will also disagree about the lane changes, at least in the Ioniq 5 you can signal and just change lanes on your own and the HDA stays active vs. canceling in D+ but YMMV indeed. I largely don't have any other major complaints about D+, other than it doesn't work if you have anything mounted over the antennae.

One difference between HDA in the Ioniq 5 and the EV9 is that in the EV9 the steering wheel is capacitive rather than resistive so you don't have to constantly put force on the wheel like in the Ioniq 5.

 

[JerseyGreens]

I came from a Telluride to the R1S...I do miss the captains chairs but thats about it...

If I were at the same point OP is...I'd lean to the Rivian for one hallmark reason - the software architecture and frequency of updates. These are supercomputers on wheels...

 

[Rivdog]

Don’t forget the “cool” factor. Part of why I bought the Rivian is that it was something totally new and special - an electric truck that could go 0-60 in 3 seconds from a new manufacturer. I hope I’ll be able to own something REALLY special if I make it to retirement, but this was my opportunity to have more than just a vehicle to get me from A to B. There’s something to be said for that too.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I've never seen an EV9 but this thread got me curious enough to google a picture of one. And - wait - do the EV9 doors really open like this? ?

 

[Tango45]

I also own an Ioniq 5 and agree the ADAS is not a perfect system, I just like that it can work on most highways. I will also disagree about the lane changes, at least in the Ioniq 5 you can signal and just change lanes on your own and the HDA stays active vs. canceling in D+ but YMMV indeed. I largely don't have any other major complaints about D+, other than it doesn't work if you have anything mounted over the antennae.

I'm sure my I5 knows what I say about it on here and is just being spiteful by refusing my lane change requests or not doing them to my desired level of precision/speed. D+ doesn't disengage anymore on lane changes, though, so that's what leveled the playing field in my world. Before that update, it was decidedly inferior to HDA 2. I do acknowledge that some areas/roads are better mapped for D+ usage than others, so it's much rarer for D+ to give my the brush off than it might be for others.

My mileage has clearly varied... don't talk trash about your I5 in forums, or scream obscenities at it while pounding on the steering wheel when it tells you to drive safely. It holds a grudge.

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