Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[DaveA]

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?

There is motor whine with the 21s. Maybe the 20s minor hum drowns it out.

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[mdpa]

One of the most underrated qualities of an EV is silence. I can pass and slot in between cars before they even realized I passed them. I enjoy the sound of a good engine, but silence has quickly become my favorite feature.

 

[virgnia_rivian]

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.

Yeah, they had most of the Space roped off near the entrance and several employees with iPads. The R2 was farther back in the space and behind another set of ropes.

As for the vehicles, the Space is next to the Macy's garage, but the Rivian vehicles are in the same garage as the RAN.

 

[Redmond Chad]

One of the most underrated qualities of an EV is silence [...] silence has quickly become my favorite feature.

Many people say they enjoy good engine noise, but I suspect it's not really that they enjoy noise. I think it's the association of the noise with the feel of the torque that they enjoy.

Before ordering my first EV, I thought I would miss engine noise. I probably did for a while, but now I love quiet electric vehicles and find loud ICE vehicles to be simply annoying. Along the way you do learn new associations...for example my Tesla Roadster made a noise that sounded very similar to the pod racers in Star Wars, and I sure loved that noise (even though, ironically, it seemed mildly annoying when watching the movie. I guess I wasn't feeling the acceleration in the movie like I did in the car).

 

[tkauftheil]

Strangely, the only sound I really miss is the clunk from the turn signal stalk disengaging.

 

[Great Gatsby]

One of the most underrated qualities of an EV is silence. I can pass and slot in between cars before they even realized I passed them. I enjoy the sound of a good engine, but silence has quickly become my favorite feature.

Many people say they enjoy good engine noise, but I suspect it's not really that they enjoy noise. I think it's the association of the noise with the feel of the torque that they enjoy.

Before ordering my first EV, I thought I would miss engine noise. I probably did for a while, but now I love quiet electric vehicles and find loud ICE vehicles to be simply annoying. Along the way you do learn new associations...for example my Tesla Roadster made a noise that sounded very similar to the pod racers in Star Wars, and I sure loved that noise (even though, ironically, it seemed mildly annoying when watching the movie. I guess I wasn't feeling the acceleration in the movie like I did in the car).

Had this same conversation with my dad, who doesn't believe in EVs and currently has two V8s (Ford Tahoe and an E92 BMW M3). He swears he cannot give up the sound of a V8. And I mean, sure, I get that to an extent. A good V8 does sound great. Funny enough though he loves his Tahoe for how much smooth it is and how you barely hear the engine. Almost like an EV...

However, the current turbocharged 6 and 4 cylinders offerings do exactly that. Annoy me. People call EV appliances on wheels and my counter has become to call ICE cars generators on wheels. I cannot stand the sound of a generator going and that is exactly what driving a muffled or weak engine sounds like. Just unnecessary noise. It doesn't really "add" to my driving experience.

I much prefer the smoothness and quietness of an EV. Hard for me to consider an ICE vehicle now. I do love the sound of a good V8 though and I hope they can stay a while longer. We can cut the crap with all this turbo four cylinder hybrid crap though. How someone can see a base Land Cruiser and top trim R2 at the same price and go Land Cruiser is beyond me.

 

[Apprunner]

Had this same conversation with my dad, who doesn't believe in EVs and currently has two V8s (Ford Tahoe and an E92 BMW M3). He swears he cannot give up the sound of a V8. And I mean, sure, I get that to an extent. A good V8 does sound great. Funny enough though he loves his Tahoe for how much smooth it is and how you barely hear the engine. Almost like an EV...

However, the current turbocharged 6 and 4 cylinders offerings do exactly that. Annoy me. People call EV appliances on wheels and my counter has become to call ICE cars generators on wheels. I cannot stand the sound of a generator going and that is exactly what driving a muffled or weak engine sounds like. Just unnecessary noise. It doesn't really "add" to my driving experience.

I much prefer the smoothness and quietness of an EV. Hard for me to consider an ICE vehicle now. I do love the sound of a good V8 though and I hope they can stay a while longer. We can cut the crap with all this turbo four cylinder hybrid crap though. How someone can see a base Land Cruiser and top trim R2 at the same price and go Land Cruiser is beyond me.

Funny that people associate the sound with torque. I now associate sound with lack luster torque. Got into a V8 mustang and it felt weak as hell compared to my EV. Same with the BMW 340 is just had a ride in. Now engine sound = slow to me.

 

[Robaire]

Did a recent test drive. I'm coming from a Tesla M3LR. There's only so much you can get from a 20 minute drive, but I have a few observations. The R2 seems huge coming from a M3. It had the all terrain tires, but was still very quiet and smooth. This seemed better than the Tesla. Good acceleration and handling. The M3 has decent room, the R2 is significantly better, especially for back seat room. Build quality is good, some cheap plastic in the dash. NACS port placement is a plus. I think it's the right choice to have a sturdy, manual charge port cover rather than the thin motorized one on Tesla. Lack of carplay never bothered me with Tesla, so likely won't be a concern with Rivian. The R2 will survive dirt roads or off road, the M3 has no chance at all.

The hardest part was with the software interface. Totally different from Tesla, and will take some getting used to. The mirrors were off starting the test drive. Pulled over and fumbled with touch screen to try and find the right menu. Didn't know how to do a voice command. Finally did a search for mirrors and made the adjustments. Then, didn't realize needed to tap "save" to keep the settings. All went well after that. It would be really nice if Rivian had a tesla like driving display on the main large screen that shows your position in your lane and other cars, bikes, etc around you. The Tesla display is also a great help with parking, especially backing into a spot. I asked Rivian support about this. They responded promptly, said thanks for the feedback, but couldn't say if any future update would have something similar.

I've had preference for a more compact car with good performance and handling. The R2 for me seems to accomplish having good performance and handling despite the bulk of an SUV/truck, and have dirt road/off road capability. IMO, it's and easy choice over a Model Y.

 

[iamnid]

Needing sound is the same as people who need to feel a book in their hands and won't use an e-reader. It's a lot of inconvenience for a mediocre experience.

 

[Tom(myBoy)]

Many people say they enjoy good engine noise, but I suspect it's not really that they enjoy noise. I think it's the association of the noise with the feel of the torque that they enjoy.

Before ordering my first EV, I thought I would miss engine noise. I probably did for a while, but now I love quiet electric vehicles and find loud ICE vehicles to be simply annoying. Along the way you do learn new associations...for example my Tesla Roadster made a noise that sounded very similar to the pod racers in Star Wars, and I sure loved that noise (even though, ironically, it seemed mildly annoying when watching the movie. I guess I wasn't feeling the acceleration in the movie like I did in the car).

I personally miss the feel of manual transmission. Bought a manual in college and loved how I got to decide its RPM and hum, and the feel the transmission while shifting.

So, I used to switch between a fun manual and a practical automatic about every change in cars UNTIL I drove my 1st electric. The instant torque of it sold me…thats all I need.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Finally got to test an R2 today in Richmond (VA). Drove my 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance the whole way from South Carolina, which in my mind is great bc I got to really feel the differences in R2 after having being in my M3P for 6 hours. I've been reading just about everything on this forum so I went in looking for issues or things people have said previously and I ended up being very pleased with the R2. Everyone at the Richmond store was great and very nice too; I know some had bad experiences elsewhere. No deliveries yet there either other than an employee's car. They said next month is their first batch of deliveries; most are going to the midwest (Chicago) west coast (CA) first apparently.

Hopefully I've organized the below thoughts in a helpful way!

Measurements:

• Trunk rear opening height is 30" to roofline. Someone asked about this for a dog crate I think. It slopes up another inch or two once inside, but 30" is the opening height to the trunk floor.
• Trunk floor depth to back seats is 37".
• Trunk latch to ground when open is 77" or 6' 5". There is a few more inches for those who are really tall to fit under when the trunk when open as the latch is the closest point to the ground.
• Frunk struts do not open any further than where they rest after the auto open; someone mentioned or asked about this before. It is a little shallow of an angle then one might expect, but I don't foresee any issues it.

Build quality, fit and finish:

• Nothing looked off to my eye. I checked the trim some said were issues around the doors and didn't notice anything off. Having owned two Tesla's of various years I can confidently say this R2 was as good or better than the latest refresh Tesla's.
• No rattles or noises; cabin is very quiet
• Door thunk is very solid; I slammed every door lol.
• Not sure why everyone complained about the charge port door as it didn't seem flimsy to me; very practical and easy opening like a gas car. No complaints from me. I rather like the "stupid" charge door.

Halo wheels & frunk/rear glass buttons:

• I can see how people may dislike the halo wheels. The scrolling works great and feels nice but side to side is difficult to get right without scrolling the wheel up and down. One tip I found is to hold the entire wheel when clicking side to side vs trying to just press from the front; seems to work a lot better. This is probably something we all will get better at over time, but it is finicky.
• The halo wheels feel fine in the hands but they aren't metal or aluminum like I and many others thought they would be. I don't think they feel cheap but will be interesting to see how they hold up over time as some sort of plastic type material.
• There is nothing wrong with the frunk button; this is simply a consumer education issues. For the frunk you press and hold for maybe half a second and then let go. The frunk release mechanism takes 1-2 seconds to open after but it worked every time for me. People are impatient and try to hit it again which is not needed.
• Nothing wrong with the rear glass button either, but it works slightly differently. To roll it down you press and hold for half a second like the frunk and it rolls down all the way. To roll it back up you have to press and hold for 1-2 seconds before it'll go back up. Rivian advisor told me that is bc of safety it's not instantaneous. I played with the frunk and rear glass button multiple times and it worked flawlessly every time once you understand how it works.

Speakers, speakers, speakers:

• First off let me say the sound system is totally adequate to my ear and I had no issues with it. I played with this A LOT as people have endlessly complained about it.
• I can see how some would say it isn't great or world class, but it's not bad. "Tingy" is the wrong word as that is too harsh of a description, but I played a few rap songs I know have good bass as part of the instrumentals and my Model 3 is noticeably richer and fuller.
• I played with the EQ settings, standard, pro mode, "hip-hop" mode, etc. and they were all about the same, maybe it was slightly better here or there.
• If this sound system cost extra like in R1, then it would be disappointing but it's standard equipment on the premium and performance trims so whatever.
• Let me say again though it is totally fine. It doesn't suck, it's not crap, it's totally fine. Is Tesla better? Yes, but Rivian isn't better than Tesla at everything so let's just give Tesla the win on this one lol.

Driving impressions:

• Car is super smooth; very impressed with the NVH. This is probably better than my current Tesla and miles better than the older Teslas. Suspension is for sure better and feels nicer than my current M3P over bumps and potholes, but that could just be due to low to the ground sports car sedan vs upright SUV nature of R2.
• Some said the throttle response wasn't instant like a Tesla when flooring it, which is true but there is some nuance here I haven't seen discussed yet.
• Tesla's are very instant response as someone who drive's an M3P; it's aggressive and rips as soon as you hit the pedal. In sport mode in the R2 the throttle response is very nearly as good as my M3P but maybe ever so slightly less bc it is a big SUV vs a sleek sedan sports car. In all-purpose mode it is a step slower than sport mode but I don't have an issue with it. In conserve mode it definitely doesn't want you to go quick; this is "ECO" mode for sure.

Space, comfort, software, UI:

• The rear trunk is a little smaller than I thought it would be. That's probably on me though bc I knew the length and size of the vehicle, but everyone seemed to think and say it was so big and full of space so my expectations changed. It likely fits in the medium group of SUV's sizing wise, but it is on the smaller side but obviously not a CUV like Model Y.
• I think my disappointment with the trunk space is bc they put those extra few inches in the backseat instead. Plenty of room in the 2nd row which I would have preferred in the trunk. To each his own though.
• Love the room in the front without a massive center console in the way that extends to the dash like in a gas car for the transmission.
• No issues with HVAC, cooled seats, etc. I don't think it's any nosier than my Tesla when it's ripping AC. 90+ outside when I drove in the afternoon today.
• One small issues is software related I believe as some couldn't get the AC vents to blow at their face, which I also struggled with today myself. I figured out angling the vents on the screen somewhat in the middle, leaning towards down and to the right made them blow at my face; I could feel it nicely. Seems like a software bug.
• No issues with the glass roof. My Model 3 today was much hotter, likely bc it is more cramped and the glass is closer to you. I think the angle of the front windshield on Model 3/Y is also part of the reason it gets so hot in there. R2 windshield angle is much more vertical which is better.
• Love, love, love the dual screens. I thought they'd be smaller but they're actually a good size. Camera quality is fantastic. Parking and camera views are so much than Tesla.
• I am going to have to get used to the Rivian UI as I had no idea where anything was or what to click. Couldn't even find the sound settings for the longest time and I feel like I'm pretty intuitive and good with software. Feels like a lot of stuff is buried in the UI, maybe that's by design but there's too many clicks required currently to my eye.

Overall:

• Overall I am very impressed and it lived up to my expectations, especially after having read a lot of negative things on this forum. Every person is different though and that's ok.
• I am thinking of going again next week for another test drive as trying to squeeze it all in in 30-45 min is tough, especially for those of us who don't know how Rivian's UI works or where things are.
• I will be buying once coastal cloud and forest green are available in August!

Bonus:

• My set of golf clubs fit absolutely perfectly in the frunk. I didn't change or move any of the clubs to fit, just plopped the bag right in as is. It is honestly like they made a board room decision on what size the frunk should be and shaped and sloped it perfectly for a set of golf clubs. Uncanny fit; pics attached.

 

[SANZC02]

Finally got to test an R2 today in Richmond (VA). Drove my 2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance the whole way from South Carolina, which in my mind is great bc I got to really feel the differences in R2 after having being in my M3P for 6 hours. I've been reading just about everything on this forum so I went in looking for issues or things people have said previously and I ended up being very pleased with the R2. Everyone at the Richmond store was great and very nice too; I know some had bad experiences elsewhere. No deliveries yet there either other than an employee's car. They said next month is their first batch of deliveries; most are going to the midwest (Chicago) west coast (CA) first apparently.

Hopefully I've organized the below thoughts in a helpful way!

Measurements:

• Trunk rear opening height is 30" to roofline. Someone asked about this for a dog crate I think. It slopes up another inch or two once inside, but 30" is the opening height to the trunk floor.
• Trunk floor depth to back seats is 37".
• Trunk latch to ground when open is 77" or 6' 5". There is a few more inches for those who are really tall to fit under when the trunk when open as the latch is the closest point to the ground.
• Frunk struts do not open any further than where they rest after the auto open; someone mentioned or asked about this before. It is a little shallow of an angle then one might expect, but I don't foresee any issues it.

Build quality, fit and finish:

• Nothing looked off to my eye. I checked the trim some said were issues around the doors and didn't notice anything off. Having owned two Tesla's of various years I can confidently say this R2 was as good or better than the latest refresh Tesla's.
• No rattles or noises; cabin is very quiet
• Door thunk is very solid; I slammed every door lol.
• Not sure why everyone complained about the charge port door as it didn't seem flimsy to me; very practical and easy opening like a gas car. No complaints from me. I rather like the "stupid" charge door.

Halo wheels & frunk/rear glass buttons:

• I can see how people may dislike the halo wheels. The scrolling works great and feels nice but side to side is difficult to get right without scrolling the wheel up and down. One tip I found is to hold the entire wheel when clicking side to side vs trying to just press from the front; seems to work a lot better. This is probably something we all will get better at over time, but it is finicky.
• The halo wheels feel fine in the hands but they aren't metal or aluminum like I and many others thought they would be. I don't think they feel cheap but will be interesting to see how they hold up over time as some sort of plastic type material.
• There is nothing wrong with the frunk button; this is simply a consumer education issues. For the frunk you press and hold for maybe half a second and then let go. The frunk release mechanism takes 1-2 seconds to open after but it worked every time for me. People are impatient and try to hit it again which is not needed.
• Nothing wrong with the rear glass button either, but it works slightly differently. To roll it down you press and hold for half a second like the frunk and it rolls down all the way. To roll it back up you have to press and hold for 1-2 seconds before it'll go back up. Rivian advisor told me that is bc of safety it's not instantaneous. I played with the frunk and rear glass button multiple times and it worked flawlessly every time once you understand how it works.

Speakers, speakers, speakers:

• First off let me say the sound system is totally adequate to my ear and I had no issues with it. I played with this A LOT as people have endlessly complained about it.
• I can see how some would say it isn't great or world class, but it's not bad. "Tingy" is the wrong word as that is too harsh of a description, but I played a few rap songs I know have good bass as part of the instrumentals and my Model 3 is noticeably richer and fuller.
• I played with the EQ settings, standard, pro mode, "hip-hop" mode, etc. and they were all about the same, maybe it was slightly better here or there.
• If this sound system cost extra like in R1, then it would be disappointing but it's standard equipment on the premium and performance trims so whatever.
• Let me say again though it is totally fine. It doesn't suck, it's not crap, it's totally fine. Is Tesla better? Yes, but Rivian isn't better than Tesla at everything so let's just give Tesla the win on this one lol.

Driving impressions:

• Car is super smooth; very impressed with the NVH. This is probably better than my current Tesla and miles better than the older Teslas. Suspension is for sure better and feels nicer than my current M3P over bumps and potholes, but that could just be due to low to the ground sports car sedan vs upright SUV nature of R2.
• Some said the throttle response wasn't instant like a Tesla when flooring it, which is true but there is some nuance here I haven't seen discussed yet.
• Tesla's are very instant response as someone who drive's an M3P; it's aggressive and rips as soon as you hit the pedal. In sport mode in the R2 the throttle response is very nearly as good as my M3P but maybe ever so slightly less bc it is a big SUV vs a sleek sedan sports car. In all-purpose mode it is a step slower than sport mode but I don't have an issue with it. In conserve mode it definitely doesn't want you to go quick; this is "ECO" mode for sure.

Space, comfort, software, UI:

• The rear trunk is a little smaller than I thought it would be. That's probably on me though bc I knew the length and size of the vehicle, but everyone seemed to think and say it was so big and full of space so my expectations changed. It likely fits in the medium group of SUV's sizing wise, but it is on the smaller side but obviously not a CUV like Model Y.
• I think my disappointment with the trunk space is bc they put those extra few inches in the backseat instead. Plenty of room in the 2nd row which I would have preferred in the trunk. To each his own though.
• Love the room in the front without a massive center console in the way that extends to the dash like in a gas car for the transmission.
• No issues with HVAC, cooled seats, etc. I don't think it's any nosier than my Tesla when it's ripping AC. 90+ outside when I drove in the afternoon today.
• One small issues is software related I believe as some couldn't get the AC vents to blow at their face, which I also struggled with today myself. I figured out angling the vents on the screen somewhat in the middle, leaning towards down and to the right made them blow at my face; I could feel it nicely. Seems like a software bug.
• No issues with the glass roof. My Model 3 today was much hotter, likely bc it is more cramped and the glass is closer to you. I think the angle of the front windshield on Model 3/Y is also part of the reason it gets so hot in there. R2 windshield angle is much more vertical which is better.
• Love, love, love the dual screens. I thought they'd be smaller but they're actually a good size. Camera quality is fantastic. Parking and camera views are so much than Tesla.
• I am going to have to get used to the Rivian UI as I had no idea where anything was or what to click. Couldn't even find the sound settings for the longest time and I feel like I'm pretty intuitive and good with software. Feels like a lot of stuff is buried in the UI, maybe that's by design but there's too many clicks required currently to my eye.

Overall:

• Overall I am very impressed and it lived up to my expectations, especially after having read a lot of negative things on this forum. Every person is different though and that's ok.
• I am thinking of going again next week for another test drive as trying to squeeze it all in in 30-45 min is tough, especially for those of us who don't know how Rivian's UI works or where things are.
• I will be buying once coastal cloud and forest green are available in August!

Bonus:

• My set of golf clubs fit absolutely perfectly in the frunk. I didn't change or move any of the clubs to fit, just plopped the bag right in as is. It is honestly like they made a board room decision on what size the frunk should be and shaped and sloped it perfectly for a set of golf clubs. Uncanny fit; pics attached.

Good write up, thanks.

I think you will adjust to the UI pretty quick. I have an older Tesla and it did not take long to get adjusted to my R1S UI.

I think existing R1 owners are going to have a small adjustment as well as the UI on the R2 is a little different than the R1 series. I was told the R1 would get the modifications at some point but there was no timeline they could share.

 

[rbdavis808]

Halo wheels & frunk/rear glass buttons:

• I can see how people may dislike the halo wheels. The scrolling works great and feels nice but side to side is difficult to get right without scrolling the wheel up and down. One tip I found is to hold the entire wheel when clicking side to side vs trying to just press from the front; seems to work a lot better. This is probably something we all will get better at over time, but it is finicky.

Agreed entirely.

As someone who spent a career writing event-loop-driven GUI apps, this really seems like something that could be tweaked by software. Instead of processing every scrolling detent motion event instantly, first pause for a short interval to see if it's quickly followed by a left-/right-/in-/out-bump, and if so then ignore the transient detent motion and just process the larger bump motion event.

They do need to get this right, or they're going to transform what should be a really useful and nifty GUI advance into a niggly annoyance that just pisses people off.

 

[Jeremy3292]

Agreed entirely.

As someone who spent a career writing event-loop-driven GUI apps, this really seems like something that could be tweaked by software. Instead of processing every scrolling detent motion event instantly, first pause for a short interval to see if it's quickly followed by a left-/right-/in-/out-bump, and if so then ignore the transient detent motion and just process the larger bump motion event.

They do need to get this right, or they're going to transform what should be a really useful and nifty GUI advance into a niggly annoyance that just pisses people off.

You know more about this than me so I hope it is something that can be fixed. It seems like something that should work well, so I don’t doubt it can be good. I was just a little shocked at how difficult it was to press side to side. Scrolling up and down is great and feels nice.

 

[graytag]

I'm just back from my second test drive. I still really like the R2. It's a great all-around vehicle and, if I truly needed a new car right now, I'd pull the trigger. I have zero complaints other than I really wanted to lease and I can't, no matter what kind of math and "logic" I apply make it sensical. If anyone wants a ES edition I ordered 2 weeks ago, I hope you are expedited when I cancel. I also wanted to thank all of you on the forum for the great advice and thoughts as I placed my order and built up excitement. I'm sure I'll have quite a bit of envy as they start filling the streets but I'll sleep better knowing I wasn't impulsive.

Til then, be safe and enjoy those R2s!

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