Test drove gen 2 R1S today (PDM, Max) -- Initial Pros & Cons Review

[Electron]

From what people say, it makes it sound like Tesla has by far the best sound system in its price class. I really gotta check it out some day. My 2023 T has the original Meridian system and it is significantly better than any other stock system I’ve ever heard. Interesting to me to hear people discuss how much better the Tesla system is because it’s hard for me to understand what I’m missing other than maybe some more punchy bass.

Tesla at every level from the 3*, Y*, S and X have a well tuned premium system. The 3 and Y for sure beats anything in its class, while the S and X are among the best at that price point. There are other great systems at the $80K+ range.

This is not to hype up anything by any means, but the difference with Tesla and Rivian is that Tesla actually tuned their system to bring out the most out of their hardware. The actual speakers aren't anything uber special either, but man does those paper cones perform.

I'm pretty confident with a good tune of the stock Rivian system, plus a better sub+amp, it would sound much better and be deserving to be in such a nice rig like the Rivian.

If I were to nit pick, the Tesla is very strong in the mids and bass, while the Rivian is strong in the highs and mids; however, it's (Rivian) unbalanced and not tuned well at all comparatively.

This is the stock sub in a Model Y. Looks very underwhelming by its looks, but it performs well. It's paired to an amp so in my books Rivian has Zero excuse to have miss the mark in this department.

This is one of many after market subs, Plug n Play for the Model Y.

I'm pretty optimistic with after market options for the Rivian, but it would be nice to see plug n play kits like there are for Teslas.

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[ForeverOnTheWaitlist]

I thought $20k would be the difference between what I could fetch for my R1S Quad Gen 1 and the Gen2 Dual Max, or thereabouts. Granted with fewer options. Good to know on the range being optimistic. Leaning towards keeping mine.

 

[sirna7]

The problem IMO is where the 1.3 cu ft is coming from. If it was just 1 inch removed from each dimension, that wouldn't be so bad. But it is a random chunk cut out of the middle.

If you are trying to store 10,000 ping pong balls then yea, you are just losing 10%. But if you are trying to store suitcases, or any other largish, rigid objects, it is more like 50% - 100% reduction in capacity. The lower portion is essentially worthless now if you were hoping to fit anything large and rigid in the Frunk.

I am currently able to fit 1 stroller in the front trunk (if I remove the wheels). I am pretty sure that on the new design it would fit 0. That is a 100% reduction in the number of strollers. Which is pretty significant, because the stroller also doesn't fit behind the 3rd row without disassembling it.

It sounds like Gen 1 is 100% meant for you ?

 

[R1Tom]

From what people say, it makes it sound like Tesla has by far the best sound system in its price class. I really gotta check it out some day. My 2023 T has the original Meridian system and it is significantly better than any other stock system I’ve ever heard. Interesting to me to hear people discuss how much better the Tesla system is because it’s hard for me to understand what I’m missing other than maybe some more punchy bass.

I love my Meridian. I also feel it is best system I have had in a vehicle and I won't be willing to give it up anytime soon.

 

[DoubleTake]

Rivian needs to improve communication here. Because some employees I've asked thought it was the same system with Dolby Atmos added.

I've been told different answers on whether or not the hardware which operates the infotainment screen has been upgraded as well. I believe the answer is that it's the same from gen 1 and only the ADAS is improved.

Wassymn comfirmed in Kyle video that the infotainment computer is the same as gen 1

 

[Hillbilly]

My microwave is 1.3 cu ft, and the difference here is only 1.2 cu ft (from 11.1 cu ft to 9.9 cu ft)

I’ll gladly give up the space smaller than my small microwave any day for space for a heat pump and reduced cabin noise.

Let’s be real, at least for me, I rarely use the frunk of my Tesla Model X because there is plenty of space in the trunk for everyday stuff. The frunk is definitely useful for road trips once in a blue moon when everything is packed to the max.

Frunk space is vital for my Costco runs in the R1T. Not a big issue for the R1S though.

 

[strykerwsu]

Frunk space is vital for my Costco runs in the R1T. Not a big issue for the R1S though.

Shouldn't be too big of issue as I use the Gear tunnel for those runs as well. Along with tonneau have never had an issue with not enough space. Unless you are buying big items then just use tie downs.

 

[Hillbilly]

Shouldn't be too big of issue as I use the Gear tunnel for those runs as well. Along with tonneau have never had an issue with not enough space. Unless you are buying big items then just use tie downs.

I don't have the bed cover and usually keep camp chairs and files in the gear tunnel, so frunk space is at a premium for me.

 

[Golfer04]

Got to take the gen 2 R1S out on a 15 minute test drive. As a previous quad motor R1T owner, I wanted to share some thoughts on some of the positive and some things that were a bit of a bummer.

Good stuff:

• Motor whine is essentially gone and you can really only hear it when you open the throttle.
  
  
• The cameras are fantastic, as advertised.
  
  
• The AC noise in the cabin has certainly been reduced (more on the AC in the section below, though).
  
  
• I'll be buying the electrochromic roof.
  
  
• Throttle mapping is significantly improved, with smoother, more predictable acceleration.
  
  
• Build quality was very good. It seems like Rivian has notably tightened some things up, including the dashboard, door grab handles, and various components that had more of a plasticky sound before, or didn't fit the way that they should.
  
  
• Really enjoy the new UI, which was quite responsive.
  
  
• The sliding tray will be much more useful than the camp speaker imo.
  
  
• Cabin noise (or lack thereoef) was solid, even with the AC off trying to hear the motor whine. I don't know that I can say it's objectively better than gen 1 from this test drive, as we didn't drive highway speeds, but it certainly removed city traffic noise entirely.
  
  
• The new light bars are a very welcome change. There's more depth to them and they help break up the "face" of the vehicle. Photos don't do it justice.
  
  
• The new aero wheels look pretty cool in person and they ride quite well.

Not so good stuff:

• The AC took forever to get cold and then cool down the cabin. I'm talking at least the first half of the test drive it was a bit warm. This a miss, which you can solve with preconditioning. It's still quite loud on the outside, NBD there.
  
  
• The suspension was interesting. I can't compare it to another R1S, because I haven't spent a lot of time in one. We used all purpose, middle height, and soft settings and it was a bit bouncy for my liking.
  
  • Sport mode could possibly fix this. With these settings though, you can feel the weight sloshing around.
    
    
  • Don't take my initial feedback to heart. The R1T and R1S do ride differently and changing the settings could have made a big difference.
    
  
  
• The front trunk is a bit smaller than I had hoped. Still very usable for a grocery haul or small cargo. If that's the tradeoff to get a heat pump, works for me.
  
  
• There's a little bit of lag with the turn signal camera feed. Sometimes it works as expected, but others you can see the feed glitch or it's slightly behind real time. Maybe a software update can patch this.

Other:

• This R1S had the new base sound system. It was fine and better than less expensive vehicles. Is it good for this price point? No.
  
  • It doesn't have much depth or a ton of bass, but the speakers can be turned all the way up without distorting the sound.
    
    
  • Would I pay $2,000 to upgrade to the previous base sound system? No.
    
    
  • Tesla has them beat pretty bad here, unfortunately. Maybe a super-premium option will become available.
    
• There was an R1S on display with the Ascend trim. I wouldn't upgrade to a tri-motor to get it personally. It looks very nice, but the OG Rivian interior still holds its own.

All in all, you can certainly tell the vehicle is a lot more polished, with many of the initial concerns being addressed, and most of the changes are very welcome or net neutral for me.

Looking forward to getting into a new R1T this fall.

Any chance you reset trip A and checked efficiency? I'm really suspect on the Rivian range estimates on Gen 2. Needs to be well over 3mi/kw on average to meet their estimates. Especially when they told Kyle C on the Gen 1 dual he has now (for some upcoming race) there would be no real difference.

 

[YouKnowWhatsUp]

I keep reading comments on the Tesla sound blowing away the Rivian stock sound. At least on our 22 Y, I think the sound is pretty darn comparable to what we have in the R1S.

In terms of AC, they are both pretty loud when cooling initially but then I find they both quiet down nicely as they get to temp. And I enjoy the ventilated seat in the R1S while the cabin gets there.

My 21’ Model Y and my current 23’ model 3 are so much better then my 24’R1T. Do you listen to music with bass? The sound system is terrible in comparison. There is no low end. It’s slightly better than the base system I had in a 2012 BMW 328. I have gotten used to it but I know not to crank it because the bass disappears above 16.

 

[YouKnowWhatsUp]

Tesla at every level from the 3*, Y*, S and X have a well tuned premium system. The 3 and Y for sure beats anything in its class, while the S and X are among the best at that price point. There are other great systems at the $80K+ range.

This is not to hype up anything by any means, but the difference with Tesla and Rivian is that Tesla actually tuned their system to bring out the most out of their hardware. The actual speakers aren't anything uber special either, but man does those paper cones perform.

I'm pretty confident with a good tune of the stock Rivian system, plus a better sub+amp, it would sound much better and be deserving to be in such a nice rig like the Rivian.

If I were to nit pick, the Tesla is very strong in the mids and bass, while the Rivian is strong in the highs and mids; however, it's (Rivian) unbalanced and not tuned well at all comparatively.

This is the stock sub in a Model Y. Looks very underwhelming by its looks, but it performs well. It's paired to an amp so in my books Rivian has Zero excuse to have miss the mark in this department.

This is one of many after market subs, Plug n Play for the Model Y.

I'm pretty optimistic with after market options for the Rivian, but it would be nice to see plug n play kits like there are for Teslas.

People that drive 100k vehicles aren’t generally upgrading the sound systems. There isn’t a big market for companies to create these plug and play devices for such an expensive vehicle with low sales volume. It makes more sense for them to create these options for $40-$50,000 Teslas. And even cheaper high volume cars.
The fact that I even have to upgrade, is a problem for a vehicle at this price point. It means that Rivian is not listening to their customers. Everyone has been complaining about this Soundsystem so I don’t know why they sit on their hands and do nothing.
I shouldn’t have to drop two grand into my brand new R1 T and have the entire vehicle taken apart but I will.

 

[ryunited]

My 21’ Model Y and my current 23’ model 3 are so much better then my 24’R1T. Do you listen to music with bass? The sound system is terrible in comparison. There is no low end. It’s slightly better than the base system I had in a 2012 BMW 328. I have gotten used to it but I know not to crank it because the bass disappears above 16.

I guess I've never been one to make a car shake with bass, but I do love a good bass line in a song!

We have a 24 R1S and the sound is great to me. That said, I rarely feel the need to have volume up over 15.

 

[YouKnowWhatsUp]

As suspected the HP has issues cooling. My Tesla and almost every other car with a HP take forever to get cold. This is a bigger deal than most people think. Go read a Tesla forum and all the complaints about HP units.

I’m really starting to think people just don’t know how to use a car air conditioner. I had three Teslas. Two with heat pumps and one without. The air conditioner and heat were faster in the non heat pump model 3 but I’d say I noticed more of a difference with the heat.
My R1T has the coldest a/c I have ever had. I could chill wine in my vehicle. I have preconditioned my truck a couple times and it was 46 inside while it was 85 outside.
Are you not putting in on the lowest setting to cool things? Turning the seat ventilation on? Do you precondition? Use a sun visor in the windshield or roof? I have zero issues with my vehicles in the summer and I go to Arizona where it’s 116°.

 

[Eric9610]

I’m really starting to think people just don’t know how to use a car air conditioner. I had three Teslas. Two with heat pumps and one without. The air conditioner and heat were faster in the non heat pump model 3 but I’d say I noticed more of a difference with the heat.
My R1T has the coldest a/c I have ever had. I could chill wine in my vehicle. I have preconditioned my truck a couple times and it was 46 inside while it was 85 outside.
Are you not putting in on the lowest setting to cool things? Turning the seat ventilation on? Do you precondition? Use a sun visor in the windshield or roof? I have zero issues with my vehicles in the summer and I go to Arizona where it’s 116°.

you proved my point in your comments. Your Non-HP R1T cools faster than any HP car you have owned with precondition or not.

I use pre condition everything you described. HP is just not as good as regular AC! I will take the sacrifice in range for the comfort... People expect more efficiency = more comfort but that's 100% not the way the technology works.

 

[Brian-MS90D]

The AC took forever to get cold and then cool down the cabin. I'm talking at least the first half of the test drive it was a bit warm. This a miss, which you can solve with preconditioning.

This is a negative of using a heat pump. Same was true with my Tesla MYP. You learn quickly to precondition well in advance so that the interior surfaces are not still hot and radiantly heating the cabin. I didn't view it as a negative really because I actually wanted a well cooled cabin before I get in.

There's a little bit of lag with the turn signal camera feed. Sometimes it works as expected, but others you can see the feed glitch or it's slightly behind real time. Maybe a software update can patch this.

This was my opinion with my Tesla MYP too. I'm curious whether there is anyone that can compare the two (Rivian vs Tesla lag)? One would think the hardware in these vehicles would be able to accomplish the camera view within 1ms of the turn signal, but for some reason there seems to be a lag that most deem too long.

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