Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[Great Gatsby]

My car was sitting outside near where they sometimes do demos at my SC when I picked it up from service today. They also do deliveries in the same area as the demo. The presence of an R2 does not mean it's a demo unit.

Fully aware. Both vehicles had Michigan plates. So unless the other vehicle happened to be a customer with Michigan plates in Georgia parked where the demo vehicles are, then I doubt it.

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[schwartz83]

For me, it was everything I expected. Smooth ride, all the Rivian comforts, similar intuitive UI, good size, spacious interior... etc.

The scroll wheels are interesting. I personally had a bit of trouble clicking left and right on the wheel without scrolling at the same time, but probably gets easier with practice.

As an LE R1 owner the autonomous driving was nice and worked well for the couple blocks I tried it.

The wife commented that it's the only test ride she's taken where she didn't identify major negatives from a vehicle.

Pleasant surprise: The all windows switch is a nice feature.

What are others experiences from their test drives?

I agree with what was stated. Just adding my 2 cents. I thought the ride was incredibly smooth on rough city streets. The acceleration felt very good to me. My wife thought it was a little tame compared to our R1T quad. Regen was great. Blinker sound was obnoxious. I remember when the R1s came out that this was a complaint. I didn't think it was that bad. On the R2 it is. The reps laughed when we gave them that feedback and said they heard it from many people. Said it will likely be changed in a future software update. Fingers crossed. I love the roll down back window.

It's my wife's decision as to whether we get it or stick with our R1T. If it was up to me I'd go for it. If money wasn't a concern I'd get it and keep the truck!

 

[graytag]

I agree with what was stated. Just adding my 2 cents. I thought the ride was incredibly smooth on rough city streets. The acceleration felt very good to me. My wife thought it was a little tame compared to our R1T quad. Regen was great. Blinker sound was obnoxious. I remember when the R1s came out that this was a complaint. I didn't think it was that bad. On the R2 it is. The reps laughed when we gave them that feedback and said they heard it from many people. Said it will likely be changed in a future software update. Fingers crossed. I love the roll down back window.

It's my wife's decision as to whether we get it or stick with our R1T. If it was up to me I'd go for it. If money wasn't a concern I'd get it and keep the truck!

I made the mistake of saying the same about the acceleration on Reddit (where common sense is not so common and groupthink prevails). I said I know it IS faster than my base i4 but felt slower and I was inundated with stats.... I'm guessing it's a combo of weight, throttle mapping, center of gravity, etc. As for the turn signal, maybe it's 20 years of marriage and parenting but I can tune out anything. I was in a Tesla Uber recently and found that signal and the ding at every green light far more annoying.

 

[DanDibs58]

I can't really add a lot to what's been said already. Did a test drive yesterday in Woodbridge NJ, had been trying to book on since early June. Really liked the car, although it felt like it desperately needed a front end alignment (at least I hope it did...). Amazed at the rear seats leg room - although I'm only 5' 8", it's really incredible. Liked sitting up high compared to my Model Y. Ride was fantastic across the board, even in Sport setting. I wish the steering was a little firmer - maybe there is another setting for that besides generic 'Sport' mode. But I loved the shape of the wheel. Haptic wheels were no issue to operate. Fit and finish of both the demo and showroom cars was great. Overall, my wife and I were both very impressed and plan to get one next year.

 

[ChrisAttebery]

My wife and I did our fourth (!) test drive last week. We visited the San
Jose store which is right near Hwy 880. We were able to take it 8 miles South to Los Gatos and back. It was really quiet and smooth at 75-80 mph. I’d say that this drive cemented our decision to place an order. Our reservation is currently for Nov-Dec. Hopefully we will get bumped up, but we’ll wait if we have to.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Went on the sixth test drive this morning with my wife doing all the driving for the first time. Will pass along one comment she made as she really got comfortable with one pedal driving: "It's like my sewing machine!"

I lol'd but realized her point - if you've ever operated a sewing machine with a typical foot pedal that you can feather the speed with, it's a great analogy, especially if you're trying to convince someone who hasn't tried OPD yet.

Other quick observations. It was 89 and sunny. The car was warm when we got in but cooled off very quickly. We drove for about 45 minutes and the top of my balding head had no issues. Put my hand on the glass before starting up, during and after the drive. It was warm but not hot. It was cooler than my Mazda sunroof to the touch after it had sat in the sun for about 90 minutes.

As a passenger, I found myself pondering just how visible the front hood is more than I've done as a driver. Wondering how lighter coolers, especially reflective Esker Silver might create a lot of glare? Anybody with a Silver R1 who could comment?

 

[bentin]

Test drove one in Dallas, first time driving an EV since taking out an EU spec BMW i3 ages ago. It was pretty much what I expected, much more civilized than my Golf R (big shock) and great to get a sense of the overall size of it and handling, all were nice surprises.

 

[CD1973]

Wife and I did a test drive today Saturday 11 JUL 2026 in downtown Atlanta. Temps were around 90 degrees. Our guide was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the check in process was quick and easy.

HVAC: We were both quite surprised at how cool the car's interior felt. The Atlanta sun can be brutal, but the cabin was quite comfortable. The glass top was slightly warm when touched, but I did not feel heat radiating into cabin. Airflow was good and did not need to be adjusted during drive.

SOUND SYSTEM: We did not pay much attention to the sound system.

SETUP: Setting up the car to drive was a breeze with the Halo wheels. Adjusting mirrors on the fly was just a bit tricky.

DRIVING: One pedal driving was easier than I thought it would be, though out of habit, I did rest foot on brake pedal at stops, and would probably continue to do so at least in the unpredictable Atlanta traffic. Acceleration was as expected - FAST. Handling was limited due to the test roads, but chassis still felt balanced and planted to road surface.

PARKING: Parking was a little tricky just due to traffic, though I thought there might be an option to have car self park, but the multiple cameras helped tremendously.

INTERIOR: seats were comfortable and rear seats had exceptional leg room. Rear lights have a cheap plasticky feel to them. With seats folded down and tailgate closed, my ~5-10 frame has just enough space to lay down. My head hung a bit off the seat back edge, but had plenty of room to the front seat. I do think there is a custom fitted mattress that would extend further toward front of cabin.. There are no grab handles in the front seats and maybe not in the back.

FRUNK AND TRUNK: Frunk was a little smaller than expected, but can also serve as a cooler with its own drain. Frunk is also a great place to store smelly outdoor gear. Frunk opened to a lower height, but could be manually raised to a full height. Love the drop glass in the tailgate. Forgot to ask if tailgate height can be set to lower default.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Will we buy? Possibly, but no deposit was put down. I would much prefer to have the option of downgrading to 19 inch wheels. I am not completely sold on the glass rooftop (we live under and drive under many trees). We only drive about 9,000 miles per year, so gas savings is limited. Current car works quite well so no immediate needs to replace.

 

[drivetorun]

I would much prefer to have the option of downgrading to 19 inch wheels.

Agreed -- those are actually my favorite wheel design of all the ones offered.

 

[MiltonD]

My wife and I drove a silver R2 in Visalia, CA a few weeks ago where the temperature was 107 F. Between the AC at full and the vented seats, we stayed pretty comfortable. I'm used to glass roofs with my Polestar 2 Volvo XC40 Recharge. The roof in the R2 didn't bother me at all. I did note that the roof glass was indeed hot to the touch. Everything worked as expected and I'll be pleased to place my order in September/October. The only things that I have minor concerns about are the two discussed-way-too-much items: lack of grab handles and lack of CarPlay. I don't want to get anyone started on those topics again. They are topics of interest, but certainly not enough for me to call the vehicle "bad" or to cancel my reservation. Given my late probable order date, I should be able to get my Borealis exterior and Coastal Cloud interior. Looking forward to it!

 

[Mos Eisley]

My wife and I drove a silver R2 in Visalia, CA a few weeks ago where the temperature was 107 F. Between the AC at full and the vented seats, we stayed pretty comfortable. I'm used to glass roofs with my Polestar 2 Volvo XC40 Recharge. The roof in the R2 didn't bother me at all. I did note that the roof glass was indeed hot to the touch. Everything worked as expected and I'll be pleased to place my order in September/October. The only things that I have minor concerns about are the two discussed-way-too-much items: lack of grab handles and lack of CarPlay. I don't want to get anyone started on those topics again. They are topics of interest, but certainly not enough for me to call the vehicle "bad" or to cancel my reservation. Given my late probable order date, I should be able to get my Borealis exterior and Coastal Cloud interior. Looking forward to it!

This is the first I’ve heard of a Silver R2 anywhere for the public to see. How was the color? Any pics?

 

[jhlf30]

Drove a White R2 in Gaithersburg, MD. I have a Tesla Model 3P so its not apples to apples, but in short, loved the R2 and i’ll be ordering a Catalina Cove/Coastal Cloud R2 with 21” wheels in my Aug-Sept window.

Wife and i each drove about 6 miles. I was in sport tune, max regen to see how it operates in context of 1k heavier than M3P and 9.6 in ground clearance. It was comfortable over bumps, seat as comfortable or more than M3P. High regen was impressive, seemed similar to M3P (i drive in insane mode mostly). Didn’t do to much hard acceleration and cornering but enough to be impressed with its performance and agility for a bigger vehicle which has outstanding off road chops.

Materials are good quality for my standards, i like the Patagoiaesque interior, and exterior panel fit seemed tighter than my M3P. I like the exterior button operation for back window. Drops in one press, but hold down to raise. Frunk electric grab close better than my M3P. Frunk doubles as cooler with drain plug, pretty cool to double as cooler and substantial storage area.

My wife chose the ride in all purpose mode, lower regen and she said it was a better ride than her Ioniq 5 AWD which is stiffer.

The haptic wheel is fine, but there is a lag from input to response whether its radio volume or climate compared to Tesla but the learning curve to use it does not seem steep. Maybe update will improve it. Software stack seems likewise easy to master to adjust things easily like my Tesla. Sound system only tested with radio but maybe not quite as immersive as my M3P but certainly something i could be happy with (and again OTA update may improve it). We both agree turn signal noise is rediculous and hopefully it goes away with an OTA, or at least option to silence.

its a very spacious 5 seater, luxurious for us in a sport adventure package. No vehicle is perfect, but for me, its pretty true to how rivian described it on March 7, 2024 when i enthusiastically reserved it.

 

[mellowthecat]

Welp. I got super lucky today. I got to drive the R2 and iX3 back to back. Just 2 hours apart. I want to preface this review with, I don’t plan on buying an R2 and I cancelled my reservation last month. Take this with however many grains of salt you like. I’m also going to avoid comparisons because I don’t care to start an argument.

The Good

• Honestly the R2 is nicer than I thought it would be. I was impressed by it overall. I had an FJ40 20 years ago, and I love a boxy off-roader.
• Frunk worked great
• Rear window worked well even though the SC employee said they have a mind of their own, but I put it up and down multiple times, and it was flawless
• It was quiet. No rattles or squeaks
• Seats are soft
• Ventilated seats worked great and was quiet
• Software was snappy and worked well
• Back seat space felt huge
• Suspension is quiet and felt great

The Bad

• The AC. It was 92* out, and the AC was struggling set at Lo. It made my Forester set 68* feel ice cold.
• The pano roof was so hot I couldn’t put my hand on it
• The interior is not as nice as the R1, but I would t expect it to be either. A few pieces of trim look cheap
• The way the car delivers power and regen makes the car drive jerky. I’m sure this is something I would get used to, but I made myself seasick, and I was in all purpose mode with regen set to low. The way the regen and power are delivered doesn’t feel smooth
• The seats. What is up with the seats? They feel like the 3/4 seats that were in my FJ40. There is support to bottom of your shoulder blades. Then it just disappears and falls back so far it may as well not be there.
  

overall I feel the car is very nice for its price point, and I think it’s well worth $60k

 

[DuoRivian]

Welp. I got super lucky today. I got to drive the R2 and iX3 back to back. Just 2 hours apart. I want to preface this review with, I don’t plan on buying an R2 and I cancelled my reservation last month. Take this with however many grains of salt you like. I’m also going to avoid comparisons because I don’t care to start an argument.

The Good

• Honestly the R2 is nicer than I thought it would be. I was impressed by it overall. I had an FJ40 20 years ago, and I love a boxy off-roader.
• Frunk worked great
• Rear window worked well even though the SC employee said they have a mind of their own, but I put it up and down multiple times, and it was flawless
• It was quiet. No rattles or squeaks
• Seats are soft
• Ventilated seats worked great and was quiet
• Software was snappy and worked well
• Back seat space felt huge
• Suspension is quiet and felt great

The Bad

• The AC. It was 92* out, and the AC was struggling set at Lo. It made my Forester set 68* feel ice cold.
• The pano roof was so hot I couldn’t put my hand on it
• The interior is not as nice as the R1, but I would t expect it to be either. A few pieces of trim look cheap
• The way the car delivers power and regen makes the car drive jerky. I’m sure this is something I would get used to, but I made myself seasick, and I was in all purpose mode with regen set to low. The way the regen and power are delivered doesn’t feel smooth
• The seats. What is up with the seats? They feel like the 3/4 seats that were in my FJ40. There is support to bottom of your shoulder blades. Then it just disappears and falls back so far it may as well not be there.

overall I feel the car is very nice for its price point, and I think it’s well worth $60k

good write up - can you compare and contrast with the iX3 (didn’t know they were available for test drive yet).

 

[mellowthecat]

good write up - can you compare and contrast with the iX3 (didn’t know they were available for test drive yet).

The iX3 is not available for test drive yet. I drove it in the ultimate driving experience here in Raleigh.

the cars could not be more different. A couple of weeks ago, I replied to someone saying the R2 was a muscle car and the iX3 was a roadster. It was actually spot on.

The R2 feels unwieldy with unlimited amounts of power, but there is something unpredictable about the delivery and regen that I can’t put my finger on. The iX3 is a surgeon’s scalpel. It’s smooth. It’s even. It’s predictable. There is less body roll and the car overall doesn’t feel as cumbersome. The grip in the corners for the iX3 is actually quite surprising.

Frunk and trunk go to the R2. The way the Frunk opens on the R2 is far superior to the iX3’s old school hood pop

AC for sure goes to the BMW. The pano roof was also way less hot to the touch. It was warm compared to hot

Seats in the iX3 were more comfortable but the overall material used on the interior goes totally to the R2. The dash material and the seat material were superior in the R2

Both vehicles were quiet. But I don’t know if they were using a different tire compound at the UDE event, but I got zero tire noise. I did have tire noise on the 21” wheels in the R2

Back seat was much roomier in the R2

Suspension is toss up. I liked the limited body roll of the iX3, but because it drove on a course I’m not sure it was a fair comparison. Both suspensions felt great and compliant.

for some reason in the R2 I couldn’t get the steering wheel set up to a comfortable level to where I would see the instrument panel through it. Pano display on the BMW is awesome and crystal clear. Every car should have a display like this over the steering wheel wheel not through it. The steering wheel in the BMW felt better in hand, and overall the steering was better in the iX3

For me and my family the iX3 is the better car. The way the power is delivered and softer regen makes it much more pleasant to drive. I have a daughter that gets carsick. Also, I didn’t feel like when I drove the R1 it was as jerky as the R2, so I was confused by that. Maybe a software update can fix it. Plus it gets very hot here in NC. It was 100* all last week. I would need to tint the R2 to help the AC situation out.

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