Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[ribuck97]

Did a drive at the San Diego Miramar location this morning. Surprised how much smaller it was in real life. My wife would love the easier lower entry. Everything seemed so much tighter and dialed in compared to my 2025 Gen 2 R1S. Tight, solid, nimble, quick.

The rear window exterior controls were finicky, and I was not as impressed with the Halo wheels as I thought I would be. They felt too light and hollow. I had imagined them having a heavier, nicer feel-like a volume knob on a vintage Marantz or Pioneer receiver. They do spin as you click in or out, but I quickly found that I could use my thumbs on either side of them to push down on the steering wheel, with a slight nudge towards the Halo, I could easily click without spinning.

The acceleration was awesome, even on a brief, quick section going from 50 to 80 mph. It is a pretty incredible vehicle. I don't think I am ready to give up the size and range of my Max, but it is tempting. The audio seemed comparable to my "Premium Audio"-not great, not terrible, just not impressive. Forgot to try the ventilated seats. The smaller driver's display cracked me up--it's just so much smaller than what I'm used to, but glad it's there. Rivian did an impressive job, I just need a reason to get one. Reserved within the first 5 minutes of the presentation but I have not received the configuration email yet.

Nice to hear... I'm in the decision point of TM3 to R1S or R2 with the tradeoffs of size/range/complexity vs agility/simplicity/cost on a utility with kid/dog/activities in mind.

Thx for the answer on 60-80 pull

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[Alan in Tempe]

Just finished a test drive in Scottsdale (Phoenix). There were at least 5 R2s at the showroom, including the one inside. To be very clear, I loved it! But there are nits to pick. The halo haptic wheels worked fine, but I was prepared from all the previous posts. When grabbed thumb in front and finger in back, an easy reach for my average sized hands and my wife's smaller hands, it was quite easy to separate the tilt in/out, push in/out and rotate up/down. None-the-less, getting the to the function I was looking for was tedious, and just using the center display proved easier for most adjustments. The UI will take getting used to. The handling was amazingly good, significantly upgraded in nearly every respect to my Mach-e. Biggest surprise is that the R2 has NO radio receiver. The "radio" is streaming only. My two most frequent driving areas are either where I love listening to the local stations, or so remote that cellular connection is iffy at best. An FM radio works well in both cases, and is free. My wife's biggest gripe was the step up height to get in/out of the car. I found that acceptable, but the Mach-e is easier in/out. Also, the AC could barely handle the 105 degree heat, where the Mach-e does fine. The seat ventilation is very loud, like a lot of radio static, and the main vents, even on high do not blow all that much, nor do they aim easily. It did handle the heat, but it sure seemed strained in doing so.

 

[GaryL]

60K and no FM or CarPlay?

 

[Dark-Fx]

60K and no FM or CarPlay?

No AM either

 

[GaryL]

The Lighting started out with FM and no AM then Ford unlocked the AM bands. Is there no receiver at all that could be software updated in the future?

 

[NinjaWrap]

Coming from a Tesla MY, it will be difficult to give up the premium sound that car offers.

I’ll be coming from a Cybertruck which has one heck of a sound system especially after the latest update (wife has a new Y so I also know how good that is)

That and FSD will be the hardest parts. I’ll also miss steer by wire specifically from Cybertruck. It’s so nice. Someday I hope it’s standard in all vehicles. Everything else I will not miss.

 

[Mos Eisley]

OK - here're my thoughts after spending a little more than an hour in the R2 playing with the tech, poking and prodding. This was not a test drive.

Quick background: I don't own a Rivian. I've test-driven the R1S in various guises five times. I had high hopes for the R2 and made a reservation last Winter. The last few days, I've been experiencing cold feet, which is not normal for me. I'm a tech-forward guy, always run the beta's on my iPhones and research to a fault.

But for some reason, I was beginning to fear that buying a $60k vehicle that is launching with some features that are barely alpha, let alone beta would be a bad idea. Then there's the drumbeat in forums and social media of "everything that is wrong with Rivians"... I'm well aware that forums collect enthusiasts and the gripers; regardless, I've been seriously doubting my choice of an R2 the last few days.

Over the past few weeks, I retested or drove for the first time an Ioniq5, a GV60, the Lyriq, Volvo EX30 and today, the car that was supposdely cancelled in the US then showed up at a dealer this week, the 2026 KIA EV6. The EV6 was the car I almost bought in 2022.

I stopped in at the Rivian Space today hoping to fenagle a test drive but no luck. However, the guys were incredibly accommodating and let me play around in them for an hour, including giving me almost 15 minutes in one of the testers in the parking lot while they waited for the reservation driver. He told me to crank up the volume as loud as I wanted Frankly - I was smitten with the R2 as soon as I saw it.

Dimensions: After all of the "it's smaller than I thought it would be's" - it wasn't. Bigger actually. Rivian got every single proportion exactly right as far as I want. I'm 6'2". Roomy! Every button, screen and nob is right where I'd want it with very little adjustment once I had the seat set. The vehicle height is ideal. Easy to get in and out. If hand-washing, reaching the roof and across it will be easy. The width: R2 sits wide on it's haunches and it just looks right.

Storage: I'll never use all the storage the R2 offers. The space beneath the back floor is cavernous. Even with a spare, there's substantial room beneath that. With the storage in the armrest, the nicely fitted pullout drawer, the two glove boxes, the door pockets (which I'll never use).... there's a clown-car's worth of storage capacity in R2.

The Seats: VERY comfy. Again, I was in one for most of an hour and never noticed any discomfort.

Interior Materials/Fit & Finish: VERY polished. Tactilely, everything felt good to the touch and under hand. It's got a very buttoned-up, Scandi minimalism and it's done to a high degree. Every bit as well done and generally much better than every other EV I've driven the past few weeks. I like the Coastal Cloud - but I really likely the cozy comfort of this dark scheme.

The Haptic Halo Wheels: Love them. They didn't feel "chintzy" as a couple of reviewers described them. Sure, they're not knurled aluminum billet, but they felt solid and intuitive. Long-term, for all of the work Rivian is asking of them, will be interesting to see how they hold up. If the mechanism will "loosen up with age" they could get to be a little fiddly as I mentioned earlier. New though? Loved them. One other "concern" that I'll want to explore when I get to drive it, how easy will it be to hit them while turning the steering wheel. They're right where I tend to rest my palms in my current vehicle.

Sound System: Let me preface this buy saying I was a symphony musician, broadcaster and audio producer for about 25 years. So I have experience - and strong opinions. And when It comes to car enthusiasts... I'm well aware that every listener has very strong and often opposing opinions on what sounds good to them.

I connected my phone and had a "Test Drive" playlist of exceptionally-produced examples across several genres including Contemporary Pop, Dance/Electronic/House, Classic Rock, Orchestral, Acapella Choral, Solo Cello. All artists/recordings with wide, well-captured sound spaces, broad dynamic range etc. Yes, the obvious and enormous caveat: streaming over Bluetooth. But that's what R2 and just about every other vehicle has... and unless somebody devises a way to install a file system, playback and DAC... that's what we get.

After a recent revisit of an R1S. I get the complaints - the system struggles a bit the properly fill that enormous interior space. That said, after some concerted fiddling with the EQ, the current R1S is/can be really quite good. The R2? It's very good. Miles better than R1. And better than every other EV I drove recently including EV6's Meridian . But it REALLY gets good AFTER you get to know the -thankfully- very granular EQ settings. And 98% of the public really has no idea how to properly EQ audio. The out of the box presets are actually better than most and, with some patient tuning, I was able to get each category sounding quite good, even exceptional to my tastes. If a car can give a rich, honest and transparent playback of groups like Voces 8, HUGE WIN. Rivian always says, "it will get better over time." They are starting with the bar set very high. I'd be happy with it as is and will be excited for how it could be improved. Yup- I said it. A week or so ago in this forum I said you can't software your way around the physical limitations of an audio design. Rivian might prove me wrong, at least in this use case. It's not a Linn turntable and McKintosh tube amp through viintage Magnepans... but this system is very good.

The Frunk: Spacious enough for my needs though I now agree with the discussion that the lack of power opener might be a miss. The hood is heavy/wide and the gas shock does not provide enough assistance. If you're short or more slight, the frunk lid is a bit burdensome. Also, the opening hood height is too low. I'm certain I'll hit my head on it at some point. I could wish for it to open at least another 6-12". Neither are deal breakers for me but room to improve.

The Frunk is fully gasketed and feels very durable inside. Well lit.

Overall- the R2 is a complete homerun... and I haven't even driven it. I went in wanting to be convinced it was the wrong choice, and within minutes was convinced I have to have one.

For what it's worth, the Rivian spaces thought my number probably wouldn't come up until... next Spring.

 

[DuoRivian]

OK - here're my thoughts after spending a little more than an hour in the R2 playing with the tech, poking and prodding. This was not a test drive.

Quick background: I don't own a Rivian. I've test-driven the R1S in various guises five times. I had high hopes for the R2 and made a reservation last Winter. The last few days, I've been experiencing cold feet, which is not normal for me. I'm a tech-forward guy, always run the beta's on my iPhones and research to a fault.

But for some reason, I was beginning to fear that buying a $60k vehicle that is launching with some features that are barely alpha, let alone beta would be a bad idea. Then there's the drumbeat in forums and social media of "everything that is wrong with Rivians"... I'm well aware that forums collect enthusiasts and the gripers; regardless, I've been seriously doubting my choice of an R2 the last few days.

Over the past few weeks, I retested or drove for the first time an Ioniq5, a GV60, the Lyriq, Volvo EX30 and today, the car that was supposdely cancelled in the US then showed up at a dealer this week, the 2026 KIA EV6. The EV6 was the car I almost bought in 2022.

I stopped in at the Rivian Space today hoping to fenagle a test drive but no luck. However, the guys were incredibly accommodating and let me play around in them for an hour, including giving me almost 15 minutes in one of the testers in the parking lot while they waited for the reservation driver. He told me to crank up the volume as loud as I wanted Frankly - I was smitten with the R2 as soon as I saw it.

Dimensions: After all of the "it's smaller than I thought it would be's" - it wasn't. Bigger actually. Rivian got every single proportion exactly right as far as I want. I'm 6'2". Roomy! Every button, screen and nob is right where I'd want it with very little adjustment once I had the seat set. The vehicle height is ideal. Easy to get in and out. If hand-washing, reaching the roof and across it will be easy. The width: R2 sits wide on it's haunches and it just looks right.

Storage: I'll never use all the storage the R2 offers. The space beneath the back floor is cavernous. Even with a spare, there's substantial room beneath that. With the storage in the armrest, the nicely fitted pullout drawer, the two glove boxes, the door pockets (which I'll never use).... there's a clown-car's worth of storage capacity in R2.

The Seats: VERY comfy. Again, I was in one for most of an hour and never noticed any discomfort.

Interior Materials/Fit & Finish: VERY polished. Tactilely, everything felt good to the touch and under hand. It's got a very buttoned-up, Scandi minimalism and it's done to a high degree. Every bit as well done and generally much better than every other EV I've driven the past few weeks. I like the Coastal Cloud - but I really likely the cozy comfort of this dark scheme.

The Haptic Halo Wheels: Love them. They didn't feel "chintzy" as a couple of reviewers described them. Sure, they're not knurled aluminum billet, but they felt solid and intuitive. Long-term, for all of the work Rivian is asking of them, will be interesting to see how they hold up. If the mechanism will "loosen up with age" they could get to be a little fiddly as I mentioned earlier. New though? Loved them. One other "concern" that I'll want to explore when I get to drive it, how easy will it be to hit them while turning the steering wheel. They're right where I tend to rest my palms in my current vehicle.

Sound System: Let me preface this buy saying I was a symphony musician, broadcaster and audio producer for about 25 years. So I have experience - and strong opinions. And when It comes to car enthusiasts... I'm well aware that every listener has very strong and often opposing opinions on what sounds good to them.

I connected my phone and had a "Test Drive" playlist of exceptionally-produced examples across several genres including Contemporary Pop, Dance/Electronic/House, Classic Rock, Orchestral, Acapella Choral, Solo Cello. All artists/recordings with wide, well-captured sound spaces, broad dynamic range etc. Yes, the obvious and enormous caveat: streaming over Bluetooth. But that's what R2 and just about every other vehicle has... and unless somebody devises a way to install a file system, playback and DAC... that's what we get.

After a recent revisit of an R1S. I get the complaints - the system struggles a bit the properly fill that enormous interior space. That said, after some concerted fiddling with the EQ, the current R1S is/can be really quite good. The R2? It's very good. Miles better than R1. And better than every other EV I drove recently including EV6's Meridian . But it REALLY gets good AFTER you get to know the -thankfully- very granular EQ settings. And 98% of the public really has no idea how to properly EQ audio. The out of the box presets are actually better than most and, with some patient tuning, I was able to get each category sounding quite good, even exceptional to my tastes. If a car can give a rich, honest and transparent playback of groups like Voces 8, HUGE WIN. Rivian always says, "it will get better over time." They are starting with the bar set very high. I'd be happy with it as is and will be excited for how it could be improved. Yup- I said it. A week or so ago in this forum I said you can't software your way around the physical limitations of an audio design. Rivian might prove me wrong, at least in this use case. It's not a Linn turntable and McKintosh tube amp through viintage Magnepans... but this system is very good.

The Frunk: Spacious enough for my needs though I now agree with the discussion that the lack of power opener might be a miss. The hood is heavy/wide and the gas shock does not provide enough assistance. If you're short or more slight, the frunk lid is a bit burdensome. Also, the opening hood height is too low. I'm certain I'll hit my head on it at some point. I could wish for it to open at least another 6-12". Neither are deal breakers for me but room to improve.

The Frunk is fully gasketed and feels very durable inside. Well lit.

Overall- the R2 is a complete homerun... and I haven't even driven it. I went in wanting to be convinced it was the wrong choice, and within minutes was convinced I have to have one.

For what it's worth, the Rivian spaces thought my number probably wouldn't come up until... next Spring.

Thanks for the detailed write up. I would be curious what your EQ settings are to get the best sound.

 

[Mos Eisley]

60K and no FM or CarPlay?

Doesn't have a spinning wheel or washboard either.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Thanks for the detailed write up. I would be curious what your EQ settings are to get the best sound.

I should have taken pics but did not. You can customize each preset and also create two other additional custom presets. In each genre, it was more a matter of stretching the highs an mids a bit and occasionally, lightly reigning in the bass. Cool thing - it's very quick to open the EQ and make feathering adjustments on the fly. Great way to accommodate the variability in every recording.

 

[KRG]

Agreed on the acceleration. I'd be interested to hear feedback from those that drove on the highway and managed something like a 60 to 80 mph pass acceleration.

Oh I did that numerous times. I can confirm it was nuts in those maneuvers as well.

 

[KRG]

OK - here're my thoughts after spending a little more than an hour in the R2 playing with the tech, poking and prodding. This was not a test drive.

Quick background: I don't own a Rivian. I've test-driven the R1S in various guises five times. I had high hopes for the R2 and made a reservation last Winter. The last few days, I've been experiencing cold feet, which is not normal for me. I'm a tech-forward guy, always run the beta's on my iPhones and research to a fault.

But for some reason, I was beginning to fear that buying a $60k vehicle that is launching with some features that are barely alpha, let alone beta would be a bad idea. Then there's the drumbeat in forums and social media of "everything that is wrong with Rivians"... I'm well aware that forums collect enthusiasts and the gripers; regardless, I've been seriously doubting my choice of an R2 the last few days.

Over the past few weeks, I retested or drove for the first time an Ioniq5, a GV60, the Lyriq, Volvo EX30 and today, the car that was supposdely cancelled in the US then showed up at a dealer this week, the 2026 KIA EV6. The EV6 was the car I almost bought in 2022.

I stopped in at the Rivian Space today hoping to fenagle a test drive but no luck. However, the guys were incredibly accommodating and let me play around in them for an hour, including giving me almost 15 minutes in one of the testers in the parking lot while they waited for the reservation driver. He told me to crank up the volume as loud as I wanted Frankly - I was smitten with the R2 as soon as I saw it.

Dimensions: After all of the "it's smaller than I thought it would be's" - it wasn't. Bigger actually. Rivian got every single proportion exactly right as far as I want. I'm 6'2". Roomy! Every button, screen and nob is right where I'd want it with very little adjustment once I had the seat set. The vehicle height is ideal. Easy to get in and out. If hand-washing, reaching the roof and across it will be easy. The width: R2 sits wide on it's haunches and it just looks right.

Storage: I'll never use all the storage the R2 offers. The space beneath the back floor is cavernous. Even with a spare, there's substantial room beneath that. With the storage in the armrest, the nicely fitted pullout drawer, the two glove boxes, the door pockets (which I'll never use).... there's a clown-car's worth of storage capacity in R2.

The Seats: VERY comfy. Again, I was in one for most of an hour and never noticed any discomfort.

Interior Materials/Fit & Finish: VERY polished. Tactilely, everything felt good to the touch and under hand. It's got a very buttoned-up, Scandi minimalism and it's done to a high degree. Every bit as well done and generally much better than every other EV I've driven the past few weeks. I like the Coastal Cloud - but I really likely the cozy comfort of this dark scheme.

The Haptic Halo Wheels: Love them. They didn't feel "chintzy" as a couple of reviewers described them. Sure, they're not knurled aluminum billet, but they felt solid and intuitive. Long-term, for all of the work Rivian is asking of them, will be interesting to see how they hold up. If the mechanism will "loosen up with age" they could get to be a little fiddly as I mentioned earlier. New though? Loved them. One other "concern" that I'll want to explore when I get to drive it, how easy will it be to hit them while turning the steering wheel. They're right where I tend to rest my palms in my current vehicle.

Sound System: Let me preface this buy saying I was a symphony musician, broadcaster and audio producer for about 25 years. So I have experience - and strong opinions. And when It comes to car enthusiasts... I'm well aware that every listener has very strong and often opposing opinions on what sounds good to them.

I connected my phone and had a "Test Drive" playlist of exceptionally-produced examples across several genres including Contemporary Pop, Dance/Electronic/House, Classic Rock, Orchestral, Acapella Choral, Solo Cello. All artists/recordings with wide, well-captured sound spaces, broad dynamic range etc. Yes, the obvious and enormous caveat: streaming over Bluetooth. But that's what R2 and just about every other vehicle has... and unless somebody devises a way to install a file system, playback and DAC... that's what we get.

After a recent revisit of an R1S. I get the complaints - the system struggles a bit the properly fill that enormous interior space. That said, after some concerted fiddling with the EQ, the current R1S is/can be really quite good. The R2? It's very good. Miles better than R1. And better than every other EV I drove recently including EV6's Meridian . But it REALLY gets good AFTER you get to know the -thankfully- very granular EQ settings. And 98% of the public really has no idea how to properly EQ audio. The out of the box presets are actually better than most and, with some patient tuning, I was able to get each category sounding quite good, even exceptional to my tastes. If a car can give a rich, honest and transparent playback of groups like Voces 8, HUGE WIN. Rivian always says, "it will get better over time." They are starting with the bar set very high. I'd be happy with it as is and will be excited for how it could be improved. Yup- I said it. A week or so ago in this forum I said you can't software your way around the physical limitations of an audio design. Rivian might prove me wrong, at least in this use case. It's not a Linn turntable and McKintosh tube amp through viintage Magnepans... but this system is very good.

The Frunk: Spacious enough for my needs though I now agree with the discussion that the lack of power opener might be a miss. The hood is heavy/wide and the gas shock does not provide enough assistance. If you're short or more slight, the frunk lid is a bit burdensome. Also, the opening hood height is too low. I'm certain I'll hit my head on it at some point. I could wish for it to open at least another 6-12". Neither are deal breakers for me but room to improve.

The Frunk is fully gasketed and feels very durable inside. Well lit.

Overall- the R2 is a complete homerun... and I haven't even driven it. I went in wanting to be convinced it was the wrong choice, and within minutes was convinced I have to have one.

For what it's worth, the Rivian spaces thought my number probably wouldn't come up until... next Spring.

This makes me happy. Glad you fell in love and eased your anxiety.

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

60K and no FM or CarPlay?

Is this a real post or a joke?

 

[FutureTruck]

Nice drive in St Augustine, FL today. Great vehicle, exceeded my expectations.

Maybe this has already been discussed, I didn't read all 10 pages but...

Two things I was disappointed in - I thought phone charger was supposed to be Magsafe/Qi. It's not, unless it was user error. It didn't work with my iPhone 15 Pro Max with magsafe case unless I pushed it way to the right. I thought it was going to "snap" into place like a typical Magsafe/Qi.

No power frunk close. It powers up but not closed. You sort of close it until it stops then it auto closes the rest of the way. Awkward to close.

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

Nice drive in St Augustine, FL today. Great vehicle, exceeded my expectations.

Maybe this has already been discussed, I didn't read all 10 pages but...

Two things I was disappointed in - I thought phone charger was supposed to be Magsafe/Qi. It's not, unless it was user error. It didn't work with my iPhone 15 Pro Max with magsafe case unless I pushed it way to the right. I thought it was going to "snap" into place like a typical Magsafe/Qi.

No power frunk close. It powers up but not closed. You sort of close it until it stops then it auto closes the rest of the way. Awkward to close.

I don’t understand the frunk issue - is it worse than a “regular” hood?

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