Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[Jeremy3292]

Looks like Toyota is about to release an EV Highlander. Car & Driver.

Not an off roader, a soccer mom SUV.

Sponsored

 

[oregonridet]

Not an off roader, a soccer mom SUV.

Yeah. My bad.

 

[graytag]

Not an off roader, a soccer mom SUV.

Not to mention Toyota's recent reliability hasn't exactly been stellar....now you throw in a new platform.

 

[DuoRivian]

Not an off roader, a soccer mom SUV.

As the Highlander has always been.

 

[hsctiger]

didn't realize I posted on the wrong thread! apologies for the double-post but I learned a few things worth sharing...

Just got back from my test drive in Richmond, VA. After driving an R1 in December, I really liked the size of the R2. Half Moon Grey color, too BTW. It was a pretty color but I think I'd still go with launch green or forest green if my number gets called that late.

I'm coming from a 2014 Model S where some EV things just weren't figured out yet. Like A/C. Mine SUCKS. R2? Wife approved. Huge pickup.

Fit and finish inside certainly wasn't as fancy as my wife's Mercedes but still quite comfortable. And the seats are a huge step up from my MS (another thing Tesla hadn't figured out in 2014). Forgot to ask if the seats were real or fake leather. Not a deal-breaker either way, just curious. It was just a more functional interior than my MS. Good spots to put your phone, large cup holders (also not figured out in 2014), more logical placement of things.

I agree the screen in front of the steering wheel is quite small. I found myself ignoring it and looking at the larger screen. It might be about 4" high x 16" wide.

Some intel I got from the sales rep...

1. There isn't a pre-ordained number of Launch Editions Rivian plans to make. My reservation (very late) may result in a Performance R2. Or it may still be LE. Nobody knows.
2. He said to "expect a ton more deliveries in July and August. A ton more." But Richmond has only delivered employee cars so far. There was a transport truck at the SC, but alas he was only picking up ICE cars. No deliveries.
3. Rivian is cognizant of the service center crunch that happened to Tesla when they launched 3 and Y. It's hard to say if they're prepared to handle the volume or not but at least they know the crunch will happen. Better than Tesla.
4. I asked if they would consider opening non-warranty repair to independent mechanics and he said there was already a Rivian authorized service provider program? That was interesting.
5. He said remote service is still TBD on R2. Could be available; could have an upcharge; could be free; could be unavailable to R2. They won't decide until they get a good sense of R2 reliability. Hopefully it won't have as many temperamental circuits like our favorite droid.
6. The sales part of the Service Center was hopping. Tons of demo drives of all models going on. My sales guy said he hadn't sat at his desk all day.

Definitely keeping my deposit and making sure my preferences are updated, even if it means it'll be a while before my number is called.

 

[3dogfl]

That's good to know. I got the demo confirmation. It says 15 minutes of drive time. What was your experience?

Full 30 minutes, plenty for me first time, but plan to go again in a week or two.

 

[citizen]

Overall very positive driving dynamics. Lighter weight compared to the R1 is noticeable. Love the halo wheels and interior isn't a step down from the R1. Dual gloveboxes are great . Second row is great! Didn't realize there wasn't a screen in the second row even though I attended the R2 reveal.

Love the retractable rear window but am wondering how many shattered rear windows we'll see. Took some videos and photos during my impromptu demo drive (while waiting for my R1S front light bar to be replaced).

 

[Horsey]

Honestly, having never been in a Rivian before, I’m really disappointed in the software. Rivian assistant wasn’t working, none of the menus were intuitive (I was hunting for far too long looking for an assistant button, home button, and it just overall felt bad to use. The halo wheels were awful; I just couldn’t get left and right clicks to trigger. The software integration with them was awful and I found myself not immediately understanding when I could go left/right/forward/backwards in a menu.

The sales rep straight up couldn’t answer any intermediate level questions, and just seemed in a rush to get back to his desk in the empty waiting room.

The lack of 2 pedal driving (forward creep) was unbelievably disappointing.

Super disappointed in the lack of menu customization. I really want a customizable control center with my favorite toggles.

Super disappointed that there’s no option to delete the sunroof. I’d much much much prefer have a metal roof.

Above all of that, I miss CarPlay/Android auto.

Edit: for reference, I've never sat in the front seat of a Tesla (I rode in one for an Uber once), so I'm going into the test drive completely unspoiled by Tesla. I've only driven dumb cars, Ford loaners (with CarPlay), and my Lightning.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Honestly, having never been in a Rivian before, I’m really disappointed in the software. Rivian assistant wasn’t working, none of the menus were intuitive (I was hunting for far too long looking for an assistant button, home button, and it just overall felt bad to use. The halo wheels were awful; I just couldn’t get left and right clicks to trigger. The software integration with them was awful and I found myself not immediately understanding when I could go left/right/forward/backwards in a menu.

The sales rep straight up couldn’t answer any intermediate level questions, and just seemed in a rush to get back to his desk in the empty waiting room.

The lack of 2 pedal driving (forward creep) was unbelievably disappointing.

Super disappointed in the lack of menu customization. I really want a customizable control center with my favorite toggles.

Super disappointed that there’s no option to delete the sunroof. I’d much much much prefer have a metal roof.

Well, glad you dodged that bullet!

 

[sparked]

Honestly, having never been in a Rivian before, I’m really disappointed in the software. Rivian assistant wasn’t working, none of the menus were intuitive (I was hunting for far too long looking for an assistant button, home button, and it just overall felt bad to use. The halo wheels were awful; I just couldn’t get left and right clicks to trigger. The software integration with them was awful and I found myself not immediately understanding when I could go left/right/forward/backwards in a menu.

Some software like Rivian Assistant is delayed for R2 since it's entirely new hardware. Here's a recent quote from RivianTrackr:

The features missing at launch include Rivian Assistant, Climate Hold, and Pet Mode. Gear Guard will be present but with limited functionality. The SiriusXM app will not be available at launch, and neither will Google Casting or YouTube. And if you like camping, there’s no Camp Mode app either.

 

[rbdavis808]

The lack of 2 pedal driving (forward creep) was unbelievably disappointing. ... Super disappointed that there’s no option to delete the sunroof. I’d much much much prefer have a metal roof.

Have to say I agree on both of these points.

I really don't get the dogmatic viewpoints on both sides of the OPD feature. I love OPD myself but there are legitimate cases for coasting at times. My wife does NOT like OPD and I'm nervous about her R2 test drive, particularly as Rivian regen is very heavy. I was able to sweet-talk an impromptu 15-minute R2 drive while on travel far from home a few days ago, and discovered that even light R2 regen is heavier than our Ioniq5's max regen. Not so bad that I won't get used to it, but my wife won't be happy. Frankly, I think the regen paddle system on the Korean and some other EVs ought to be as standard as an accelerator pedal. No excuse for any EV to not have both OPD and not-OPD.

I get the sunroof's connection to adventure branding, but in warm sunny climates they're a stone cold loser. And HowTF do the front seat passengers, i.e., the car owners (read: buyers) get any use from it in any case? I have to say some of the discussions on this forum about how tinting and maybe even below-the-glass sunshade products could possibly lead to cracked glass are not giving me warm fuzzies.

 

[r2fb]

Went on a test drive today at Blauvelt, NY. I agree that left-right click with the wheels is hard but otherwise they work great. Absolutely loved the screens, software, and graphics. Much prettier than Tesla. The power is more than enough and I did like the commanding driving position, seeing the hood, and general airiness of the cabin, it felt like I was in a Range Rover. Sound system is either bad or it may just need some tuning up, not sure. The accelerator pedal is actually as direct as Tesla in software but it feels like hardware wise they put in two different springs instead of one consistent one like Tesla so initial travel of the pedal gives very little power and you need to floor it to get the Tesla like immediate acceleration. But it's not that bad, I got used to it fast. Regen at standard is just like Tesla, I tried setting it to max and that was way too much regen.

Now comes the biggest disappointment, it felt like a truck and not a car like the Model Y. Ride comfort was bad in such a way that your butt isn't that bothered but the suspension feels loose as in a truck. I was expecting a carlike drive so that wasn't great. Setting it to firm helped the handling but comfort was still bad. When I got out I saw that it had the 20" AT tires so I'm hoping that's what's behind that feel. They didn't have one with 21" street tires available to drive. That was my biggest "dealbreaker" in my test drive otherwise I can see myself liking it enough to own it. If not I think I will have to go for an European brand to get that sporty handling without compromising ride quality too much.

 

[DaveA]

Went on a test drive today at Blauvelt, NY. I agree that left-right click with the wheels is hard but otherwise they work great. Absolutely loved the screens, software, and graphics. Much prettier than Tesla. The power is more than enough and I did like the commanding driving position, seeing the hood, and general airiness of the cabin, it felt like I was in a Range Rover. Sound system is either bad or it may just need some tuning up, not sure. The accelerator pedal is actually as direct as Tesla in software but it feels like hardware wise they put in two different springs instead of one consistent one like Tesla so initial travel of the pedal gives very little power and you need to floor it to get the Tesla like immediate acceleration. But it's not that bad, I got used to it fast. Regen at standard is just like Tesla, I tried setting it to max and that was way too much regen.

Now comes the biggest disappointment, it felt like a truck and not a car like the Model Y. Ride comfort was bad in such a way that your butt isn't that bothered but the suspension feels loose as in a truck. I was expecting a carlike drive so that wasn't great. Setting it to firm helped the handling but comfort was still bad. When I got out I saw that it had the 20" AT tires so I'm hoping that's what's behind that feel. They didn't have one with 21" street tires available to drive. That was my biggest "dealbreaker" in my test drive otherwise I can see myself liking it enough to own it. If not I think I will have to go for an European brand to get that sporty handling without compromising ride quality too much.

If you thought R2 was truck-like, then you've never driven an R1 I guess? Suspension felt super tight and sporty on the 21s for me.

 

[r2fb]

If you thought R2 was truck-like, then you've never driven an R1 I guess? Suspension felt super tight and sporty on the 21s for me.

Nope, I never cared for vehicles that big and heavy, coming from a MY and a Q4 and R2 is similarly sized and weighted so I expected a similar driving experience.

 

[Jeremy3292]

A Model Y and an R2 could not be more different vehicles IMO. The Model Y is a car that was bloated to a be a CUV (on the Model 3 platform). The R2 is a true SUV that maintains a unibody design and not body on frame like a truck, but is still a substantial size and feels like an SUV.

I don't understand why people would cross shop these other than price and they're the only really viable EV's these days, but they're very different.

Sponsored