Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[virgnia_rivian]

My confirmation email for my demo (scheduled for tomorrow) says 2 drivers and 3 passengers allowed.

Our email from Rivian:
”Unfortunately, due to the condensed schedule for the R2, we can only accommodate one driver at a time for these demo drives.”

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[RedAero42]

I finally had time for a demo drive in Tempe AZ today and here are my simple impressions:

0) Overall a very good experience and I'll stick with my reservation and place an order when they are ready.
1) Suspension modes -- the differences between "soft" up to "hard" (or whatever it was called) were more subtle than I expected but still noticeable and no complaints. I have no experience with this opportunity in a car otherwise though 'cause all my vehicles have been "dumb".
2) Air Conditioning -- sun was out later this afternoon and hot (108F-ish), had no problems staying cool. I'd say the experience from the glass roof was similar to the Ford Mach E that we have (warm but not uncomfortable). Also I agree the higher fan speeds are noticeable and loud at "7" but not annoying to me since thats an extreme short term setting in my opinion. High on any car I've had was loud just like this... once the cabin temp was settled the "4" setting was just fine and not annoying. I brought my thermometer to compare to my car and it was blowing a nice near 45F in the vents.
3) Rear glass exterior button hardly worked -- I have confidence they'll fix that by the time I get one and it won't prevent me from ordering.
4) Esker Silver -- they have a water bottle inside the lobby that is allegedly esker silver but it is far from what is apparent in those recent marketing images. I really hope its more like the marketing images because the water bottle silver color was not attractive.
5) Audio -- I agree the quality is not great but I think its an OK compromise for everywhere else the $$ goes into this vehicle. This will not deter me.

Good luck to everyone on their decisions.

 

[SANZC02]

Funny, I never even tried the audio on my test drive, just not important to me, I’m sure it will be fine for my old ears.

I do not recall anyone mentioning the 15 minute energy graph. On the R1 it goes from 0-4 and the heavy middle line is 2. On the R2 it goes from 0-6 and the heavy middle line is three. On my drive it hung around that middle line very similar to how the R1S hovers around it‘s middle line. I took that as a good sign the effeciency would be decent for us.

 

[NoICE]

As an early (March 2022) R1T owner, I've been interested in the R2 given my goal to "downsize". Yesterday, I was skeptical going into my Demo drive at the Caledonia (Grand Rapids, MI suburb) center. I fall into the classic love-hate relationship with my Launch Edition R1T. Love what it can do, hate the litany of faults (panel fit, wind noise, 12v battery, water sloshing, damper failure, jounce lines, ting washers, window failure, tonneau covers(3), loose trim pieces, etc.) I went into this R2 demo drive with great skepticism and emerged with some optimism. Here is my summary:
1) The fit / finish are far better than my early R1, although the R2 panel fit (hood) was not ideal.
2) The interior space is amazing given the external dimensions.
3) No squeaks or rattles over rough roads. None. This vehicle was far quieter than the recent R1S loaner I had when my R1T dampers failed.
4) Radio system was OK. They moved the speakers from the doors (which now can accommodate huge water bottles) and the sound definitely comes from low in the center console. Nothing premium here. An upgraded sound system would be a nice option given how quiet the vehicle is. My 2022 LE Meridian is the best I've heard in a vehicle, and it set a benchmark.
5) Driving dynamics far exceeded expectations. Much more tossible than the active air suspension R1T. It's not a sports sedan but amazing for as SUV.
6) Seat position and comfort are spectacular. I've loved my R1T seats, and this makes Rivian 2/2. Volvo better take notice. Rear seat space is plentiful, even for my 6'4" frame.
7) Haptic wheel controls on the steering wheel take a little learning, but work really well. The super-helpful sales rep (Ben) suggested I place a finger on the back of the haptic wheel with my thumb on the front for better control of the push-pull feature and that was a game-changer. They didn't feel "plasticky" at all.
8). A/C was effective and quiet, with the seat ventilation more powerful than anything I've experienced.
9). Yup, the slide-down tailgate window is the best feature.
10). Rivian's ongoing refusal to embrace Apple CarPlay comes across as an arrogant data-grab. It really goes against their rugged individualism mantra, or the "customer choice" vibe RJ repeatedly espouses. Even the snooty German Porsche and BMW brands offer CarPlay in their EV's..... It's a choice Rivian does not want to offer.
11). Real world highway range remains a big question. EPA data comes from the manufacturer and is not independent. I worry the Rivian's estimate is overly optimistic given the battery size, weight, and frontal surface area despite the low Cd. I await further independent, real-world testing (at both 70mph and 80mph), but the "small" battery (2026 standards) and older 400v platform might make me look elsewhere for a real, road-trip vehicle.
12). The biggest challenge for Rivian is demonstrating some ruggedness and reliability, (think Tacoma). I've counted over 40 service ticket items and over a dozen trips to service centers for my R1T. Consumer Reports' crappy reliability ranking of Rivian is real, despite how much people love the vehicle. It's a shame, because the lousy quality issues are all stupid little stuff. My R1T has never left me stranded, but my first-name basis with the service manager is not a good thing.
Overall, I really like the R2, and was pleasantly surprised. But, having felt like a beta tester for R1, I'll let someone else do this for the R2.

 

[graytag]

12). The biggest challenge for Rivian is demonstrating some ruggedness and reliability, (think Tacoma). I've counted over 40 service ticket items and over a dozen trips to service centers for my R1T. Consumer Reports' crappy reliability ranking of Rivian is real, despite how much people love the vehicle. It's a shame, because the lousy quality issues are all stupid little stuff. My R1T has never left me stranded, but my first-name basis with the service manager is not a good thing.
Overall, I really like the R2, and was pleasantly surprised. But, having felt like a beta tester for R1, I'll let someone else do this for the R2.

This is the biggest piece for me. I was a beta for the Wrangler 4Xe and that went about as expected- FML for that 2 years. My hope is that Rivian learned a ton from the early adopters of the R1 platform- appreciate your service toward the cause!

 

[Rivian-E]

I've owned an Gen 2 R1S (Dual Standard) for over a year and a half at this point. Over 19K miles driven. Here are my impressions after a relaxed solo R2 demo.

1. You can really feel there difference in the weight of the R2. That 2,000lbs lost makes for a huge improvement in the R2 agility and reactiveness.
2. It's surprisingly roomy. I'm 6'5" and I felt incredibly comfortable in the vehicle. Even with the driver's seat set to accommodate me, I had more than enough room to sit "behind myself".
3. Similarly, the seats felt almost more comfortable to me. I'm sure my opinion would change after longer driving, but I was quite comfortable overall.
4. The Halo wheels are both really awesome and take some getting used to - specifically the left and right motions. The actual scrolling experience is great. The left and right motion often lead to a scroll up or down inadvertently as well.
5. The software is very responsive and intuitive. There is going to be a learning curve to break muscle memory for drivers coming from an R1, but overall, I really like the changes.

Some Cons:

1. I did not like the cameras...they had almost a weird vignette effect and did not seem nearly as clear or crisp as those on my Gen 2 R1S.
2. I'm somewhat saddened by the loss of power close on the frunk and on the charge port door - both of which I use regularly.

The nitpicky:

1. The vehicle that I drove had some weird body gap/alignment issues on the charge port door. With a brand-new, production vehicle again will come the minor tooling adjustments that have decreased the occurences of gaps and defects coming off the line with the R1.
2. The software is going to be a bit glitchier given its newness. This too will subside, but I already noticed a few glitches during the demo.
3. Not sure I am a fan of the software changes on the climate controls...would need to spend more time with them.

Overall - I was very impressed. The vehicle felt very "Rivian". I did not feel like I was stepping down in quality at all. Will be very excited to see when I get my invite to order.

 

[virgnia_rivian]

Just finished our demo drive at the Tysons Corner, VA showroom.

First, a few technical items:

• Tysons currently has (2) R2 demo drive units, (1) R2 display unit (around VIN 200)
• They also have (4) R1S and (1) R1T demo unit

We had a 2p appointment, they didn't get to us until 2:45p. They said they're having trouble staying on track. The cars are parked in the garage on the opposite side of the mall from where the Rivian space is located.

The showroom R2 looked very good. Build quality is solid. Everything appeared to be working, glove boxes, frunk, windows, etc.

This Rivian space is in a busy shopping center and one thing that threw me was that they wouldn't let anyone into the space without providing their personal info. A name and email. We saw several people walk away and refuse to do this. This is not how you win new customers.

The drive itself, once they found out we owned an R1 they gave us the key fob and let us go. They were helping another couple that was new to Rivian get situated in the other demo unit.

Short summary, it drives great. It's super quiet. The motors are nearly silent unless you floor it. (We have an early VIN R1T with the Bosch motors) Build quality is good. The interior is very nice and the seats feel softer than the R1. The cabin is surprisingly spacious and the back seat has a lot more legroom than our R1T, probably slightly less than the second row of the R1S, but we didn't measure.

The biggest thing right now is finding out from Rivian what they can realistically build this year and how long folks are going to be waiting to purchase. Overall we were impressed with the vehicle.

 

[Blue in NC]

I don't own a Rivian and am coming from a Tesla Model 3. My overall impression of the R2 is positive and I still intend to buy one. Just to be sure, I drove the R2 first and then immediately an R1S after. A few observations:

1. I agree you can feel the weight difference between the two. But I was surprised because the R1S in sport mode drove pretty well and to me there was not as big of a difference in driving dynamics as what I expected. Both of them are definitely trucks but drive well. Both of them very comfortable and both felt much bigger inside than their outside dimensions appear. The R1S is very nice and if I needed the extra space at all, I would probably go for the R1S.
2. It's going to be an adjustment for me going from the quick/light handling of the Model 3 to the "truckier" handling of the R2. It was quick but the handling is way "looser" than the Model 3. Not surprising but just an observation. comfortable in the vehicle. Even with the driver's seat set to accommodate me, I had more than enough room to sit "behind myself".
3. The outside dimensions/size of appearance of the R2 are smaller than I expected. About the size of a Honda CRV to me. Again, not surprising in my head but it seemed 'small" on the outside as I approached.
4. The Halo wheels are not the best but I think in time they will be fine or even very good.
5. The CC color was nice. Not maybe eye-catching but not boring. My only worry is that this will be the most popular R2 color.
6. The handling might be tighter with the 21" wheels, but I am definitely going with the 20s now. Even the 20s are large in appearance and they handle reasonably well.
7. I am definitely waiting for the lighter interior so then the question will be whether to wait for Lidar.

 

[AlphaSnowbordergirl]

Maybe we missed this somewhere, but we finally snagged a demo drive appt and we’ve been told only one person can drive. If you show up as a couple you can’t both drive the car. This was news to us. What has everyone else experienced?

I had no problems switching drivers. Heck, the second driver for my test was a friend who decided to tag along that day last minute.

 

[virgnia_rivian]

I had no problems switching drivers. Heck, the second driver for my test was a friend who decided to tag along that day last minute.

It sounds like our local Rivian space came up with this rule on their own.

 

[AlphaSnowbordergirl]

Just finished our demo drive at the Tysons Corner, VA showroom.

The showroom R2 looked very good. Build quality is solid. Everything appeared to be working, glove boxes, frunk, windows, etc.

This Rivian space is in a busy shopping center and one thing that threw me was that they wouldn't let anyone into the space without providing their personal info. A name and email. We saw several people walk away and refuse to do this. This is not how you win new customers.

That is interesting with the requiring name and e-mail. I've been to Tyson's often and that was never a requirement for that space so has to be something to do with the R2. I also agree that it doesn't work in their favor to stay on track with how far you have to walk to the vehicle which cuts into driving time, but not much they can do other than show people how to use it in the show room to cut down the walk around in the garage.

 

[Mos Eisley]

That is interesting with the requiring name and e-mail. I've been to Tyson's often and that was never a requirement for that space so has to be something to do with the R2. I also agree that it doesn't work in their favor to stay on track with how far you have to walk to the vehicle which cuts into driving time, but not much they can do other than show people how to use it in the show room to cut down the walk around in the garage.

The Galleria Space in Edina has no such requirement just to look around and sit in the floor models. You provide that info solely to book/take a test drive.

 

[dleepnw]

During my test drive I did not notice any motor noise from within the cabin. Which is great from an NVH pov, but I kinda miss the motor noise from the R1, kida takes away from the "soul" of the vehicle propulsion. Anyone else wish they had some motor noise in the interior?

 

[tgo10000]

During my test drive I did not notice any motor noise from within the cabin. Which is great from an NVH pov, but I kinda miss the motor noise from the R1, kida takes away from the "soul" of the vehicle propulsion. Anyone else wish they had some motor noise in the interior?

Yeah it’s sounds more futuristic

 

[Motinda]

During my test drive I did not notice any motor noise from within the cabin. Which is great from an NVH pov, but I kinda miss the motor noise from the R1, kida takes away from the "soul" of the vehicle propulsion. Anyone else wish they had some motor noise in the interior?

I prefer feeling acceleration over hearing it.

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