Crezz
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TL;DR I'm very happy with the vehicle and experience and I feel as though the value to cost is good so far. There is a lot of room for Rivian to grow and I look forward to seeing that.
Order:
- R1T | Rivian Blue + OC/Dark Ash Interior | 21" tires | Large Pack (originally Max order)
- Manual Tonneau and All weather mats (not delivered)
- Vin 152XX | Preordered late 2021 | Delivered 12/1/2022 | 8 step process roughly 2 weeks prior
- Northeast Maryland
- Coming from a 2012 Jeep Patriot and never owned an EV OR truck (sorry if I call out common features)
- 10 service tickets generated
Criticisms: A long list and I'm being snobby/nitpicking, I am still absolutely in love with it!!
Random side notes
Final thoughts:
The bus stop for my kindergartner is in front of our house, it's totally unnecessary, but my son asked if we can wait for the bus every morning and listen to music in the warm seats together. Looking forward to making these types of memories with our Rivian!
(attaching some interior pics of stuff I found cool)
Order:
- R1T | Rivian Blue + OC/Dark Ash Interior | 21" tires | Large Pack (originally Max order)
- Manual Tonneau and All weather mats (not delivered)
- Vin 152XX | Preordered late 2021 | Delivered 12/1/2022 | 8 step process roughly 2 weeks prior
- Northeast Maryland
- Coming from a 2012 Jeep Patriot and never owned an EV OR truck (sorry if I call out common features)
- 10 service tickets generated
Criticisms: A long list and I'm being snobby/nitpicking, I am still absolutely in love with it!!
- The passenger front door won't open from the inside, have to open the window and open it from outside (or have a wife that forces you to act like some fancy driver and let her out, because it's MY truck that has the issue) - The delivery guide said he has seen it a few times, a wire in the door falls off or something, they scheduled mobile visit to fix 2 weeks out from calling the service center to nudge them - Service Ticket
- The gear tunnel won't open from the software, you hear it detach, but it's not unlocked enough to pull it down physically (have to hit the bed button still) - Service Ticket
- Driver preferences won't save from software, it's getting more and more aggravating when the wifey uses it and switches things - Service Ticket - I also made a second and third one that "entry-exit" won't work because of this, and the key fob works but can't be assigned cause of similar errors.
- Raising the ride height while in "hold" state is hardly ever successful and sometimes makes a crunch sound (I swear it has something to do with breaks interfering). Doing it in park is more successful, but going from low to high in all-purpose mode just flickers the selection on the panel, and if it does work takes well over 90 seconds (less often, but sometimes makes crunching noises in park as well). - Service Ticket
- There is a small click when driving from a full stop and braking to a full stop (using regenerative breaks), not audible all the time, but my foot feels it. - Service Ticket, though I think it might just be a byproduct of triggering in and out of full stop (hold) state?
- One of the apps for music (Tune-In) will randomly jump tracks and the display on the main panel is never correct, I think it's trying to load the next song, and this is a result of poor track buffering/bandwidth. I get showing the next track before switching, but this is more than that - Service Ticket
- WIFI turns off when shifting out of park, killing Alexa and other internet-dependent apps (LTE service still shows bars though). - Service Ticket
- A lot of the time the mobile app fails to connect when I go to preheat the cabin or unlock the vehicle, but it then works after, it's like the first time wakes up something, and the second time it's ready - Service Ticket
- The mobile app should be able to control more of what the panel controls. If I can control frunk, why not gear tunnel? Or bed? Or windows individually? Or set a destination and see the trip details and impact on battery etc. on the app? I think it's a good start, but lots of room to grow here.
- The manual exterior Frunk button is not in an easy-to-find place and will take muscle memory to learn. The delivery guide noted since it's hydraulic action, it could freeze in cold conditions halfway open, can physically push to open the rest of the way, or heat the car up (It has been in the 30s here, no issue yet)
- It really needs the option to move the clock. It's on the right-most side of the center panel, and not very big, have to take your eyes off the road pretty far to see. Can it be moved to the driver's dash console as a setting, or set the size/location on the main console?
- The steering wheel heating is weaker than I hoped, wonder if it's a safety limitation.
- The stitching/seems on the steering wheel are a bit annoying of a texture.
- I do feel like I'm going to break the left side of the driver seat with getting out, either the leather or the plastic wall underneath, putting my weight on the edge too much. I'm 180 and 5'11 (don't judge me, giving you all a reference). I didn't break the fabric on my last car, but the cheaper plastic wall underneath did after a few years.
- The 4 interior cabin lights are bright and respond to touch well, but they could have used a little love in design, they are just ugly squares that first felt like airplane reading lights.
- The panorama roof is tinted well, I didn't like it at first (never had one before), but it's growing on me. However, the trim on the inside is not clean on the interior where the fabric meets glass, another place that could use a little plastic outline/trim or something to help make a better transition.
- The delivery guide noted on the gear tunnel to close it a certain way, because of the panel design it's very easy to dent if pushing from the center, and instead just hold from the edge and "whip it". Now I'm forever delicate about closing it.
- Driving in reverse is definitely faster than expected, even after reading that it would be. It's a bit scary when in a tight space in a crowded parking lot, otherwise I don't mind it.
- The "oh-shit" handle is about an inch higher than my last vehicle. I used to hold it while driving sometimes with my elbow at bottom of the window, and was weirdly comfortable - I know I shouldn't complain because I'm sure it's a result of the cabin being more spacious.
- I, like most, ordered auto tonneau, but had to switch to manual or none - pretty disappointing where with Max pack they said you could just wait longer, but this, they didn't give the option to wait, I would have waited a little longer for it (maybe 4-6 months longer?).
- Delivery was over 30 minutes late, I ended up calling my guide and delivery was just a few minutes behind that call. I didn't make a stink, because with the Maryland service center transitioning (the delivery guide said hoping early 2023 opening?) they had to come from Richmond, Virginia (3 hours away) - BUT, I wish they communicated they would be late! This is why I enjoyed Rivian before receiving the vehicle, the hurt is less when you keep strong communication/transparency, which they do.
- The vehicle is really quiet, for the most part. I am getting some of the wind noise while driving like others note, even just doing 30-40mph. There is a little noise here and there shifting from reverse to drive or other states, some in accelerating, but nothing I feel I need to service ticket about yet.
- Gear guard video capturing works well, but I think it can be smarter. My wife works the graveyard shift and takes it in, there is a free charger not far from where she is, so she'll leave it charging, outside, away from her, for more than a couple of hours. This is a great use of it. HOWEVER, a grocery parking lot, when you're in the store for 15 minutes tops, captures 5 camera angles as separate videos (2 minutes each) many times - I think it should trigger based on the object's movement, meaning if someone walked by the back of the truck, why is it triggering/capturing the front? Maybe turn it on if the motion of the object shifts from one camera to the next? - Better yet, put all 5 angles as a single video. I might be splitting hairs, but could save energy, storage space, and time it takes me to review the video instead of checking all camera feeds for each.
- Gear guard triggered off of rain drops falling from camera 3 times over a 6-hour period in light rain. (sorry, being snobby)
- The gear tunnel tiny compartment holding the first aid/air compressor hose is a bit flimsy on the part of the storage closest to the tunnel when down. It only latches from the top and the bottom is loose and flimsy, and can potentially break in the long run.
- Automatically turning off the auxiliary state when parked and while in the vehicle is a bit annoying. I wish you could change the amount of time in settings (unless I'm missing it). After about a minute it kills a lot and you have to press the brake to wake it up again.
- In the life of the truck, I can see it getting old requiring the service team to do the majority of maintenance, I enjoy DIY.
- The spare tire compartment is very hard to close for me. It doesn't latch easily and if it's not right, closing the bed makes a crunchy sound, so it takes two hands and a lot of force toward the end to close.
- Moving the vent flow path while driving is not easy, I also think this whole experience can be improved, it takes a lot to get used to matching flow to the desired angle.
- A 35-mile trip, 42 minutes, in 45 degrees and light the rain in all-purpose mode with 21" tires, low ride height, 80% of the trip was leveled highway, no heated seats, kept cabin at 72, got an average efficiency of 1.7 mi/kWh (vehicle was outside for a few hours before the drive) - seems inline with other folks launching a cold vehicle in lower temps using standard heating features (cabin/seats/wheel). I'm hoping this can be improved over time, RJ hinted at some range improvement through OTA in 2023 in the recent Redburn interview, which is not directly related, but we'll see. The efficiency average for 350 miles is 1.5.
- Wireless phone charging is not reliable, the phone moves off the sweet spot a decent amount while driving.
- Portable speaker
- The controls on the top could have better color contrast, not easy to see the small circle for power at all without bright light. Once power is on they light up which helps.
- The speaker is heavier in comparison to others with similar specs. (because of components to charge and be monitored by vehicle?)
- The frequency response is a little weak in the low ends.
- Checking the charge level could be improved - you have to click the light button twice, and it briefly (2 seconds?) shows either a green/amber/red light which indicates it could be in some large range of power. So, if it shows amber it could be 36% or 74%, no way of knowing unless it's plugged into the truck and you check on the center display (according to the manual).
- Regenerative braking is very quick to learn in the high setting, we keep it there.
- The aerial view as a composite camera angle is extremely helpful when parking (still getting used to parking a truck, so this helps a lot). You can drive with the aerial + front OR back cameras on, it's a little distracting but my kids love watching it.
- The "away from home" setting works very well. I use it to keep gear guard on when I'm not parked at home (in a garage), and also for my phone key to not trigger while I'm at home, since I walk past the parked vehicle often.
- The little details, mainly in the interior, are awesome:
- 5 y/o's favorite part is the accent light on the side of the vehicle when unlocked, I like that you can control their brightness too.
- The natural wood dash is 10x better in person, really glad they switched up ocean coast with the grayish dash - I can't stop touching it, it's a rough but fun texture (probably not for everyone). This is my favorite part of the vehicle so far.
- The accent lights behind the dash and door panels pop really nicely, not too bright but eye-catching, second favorite part.
- The delivery guide gave me a spiel about the default floor mats (not sure if true?) that, "they looked at like Pottery Barn placemats and how they were durable and washable for inspiration." Texture-wise, I get the placemat vibe, but I'm not put off by it, and the interlocking shade design actually matches the white-to-gray ocean coast design well. Was going to cancel my all-weather mat order (they aren't ready yet), but the guide said snow/water isn't captured well with the default mats - I'll make that decision later and see for myself.
- The yellow accents are small but are so powerful, and as you shift viewing them from different angles, the amount of yellow in view shifts. It reminds me of Impression, Sunrise, a Monet painting that abuses the cones in your eyes to make orange appear more the longer you stare. These are what I see the most:
- The steering wheel logo and hood emblem
- The side of the headrests
- Behind the "oh-shit" handle
- The motion of the charging area opening is "the car being a transformer" according to my 5 y/o, it's a nice abstract shape and has a cool sequence from the physical part opening through to the charging lights and their sequence where the connector is, and even on the front lights. My wife thinks it is a bit overkill, I appreciate the effort to make this an engaging experience.
- The vegan leather seems more durable and easy to clean than I expected, the delivery guide said they hosed down someone's interior already and it cleaned up very well - we'll see with 5 and 3 y/o kicking around. This was my biggest fear when dropping this kind of money on a white interior.
- Customer service has been really stellar, just in terms of the people, from the guide at delivery and general guide, the 8-step purchase process support, the folks scheduling the delivery, and the agents on the service center line.
- Service Center sometimes calls me within hours of putting in a service ticket, sometimes it takes 48hr +
- The delivery guide stayed with me for just about 2.5 hours! Not just me asking questions, but we ended up being the same age so there was just friendly conversation throughout - truly made sure I understood the vehicle before leaving.
- The extra storage everywhere we all know about, but little things like where they pack the air pressure hose and first aid kit in the gear tunnel pockets, :: chef's kiss ::
- The storage under the passenger seat in the back is decent in size. I lucked out, my 5 is just big enough to upgrade to a backless booster, while my 3 still has the big fixed car seat. The back row storage hits the driver side and middle section, while the passenger side is over the subwoofer (no storage), so the backless booster behind the driver still gives you access to the storage there!
- Auto high beams and auto wipers have worked well - auto wiper is a bit aggressive for the condition, but just preference.
- The auto-brightness for the center panels works well, haven't had to adjust it yet.
- They really hit home the use of icons to simplify things, e.g. everything related to charge will have the same lightning bolt. This makes for easy to learn experience and simple branding.
- The seats heat up in just a couple of minutes, cabin preheating happens way faster than I expected (haven't tried AC/cooling much yet). The split quadrants for temperature changes in the cabin is marriage saving!
- I did not need to take one trip to the DMV and I transferred plates, Rivian handled it all, and the virtual notary process to give them authority to do this was a first for me, definitely weird, but simple.
- I'm glad I splurged a little and got the Rivian Blue body color, it adds more character than I think the other options do (strong opinion, I got my fist-a-cuffs ready if anyone wants to fight me).
- Semi-related, the MyQ wireless garage can work with Alexa voice commands from inside the vehicle if you follow these somewhat back-door steps. Works very nicely. I still connected a garage to the feature, it was easy and didn't take more than a couple of minutes.
- The acceleration and speed are absolutely dangerous with how fun it is. I show it off (like I'm sure everyone does) saying to the passenger "put your head back on the seat" and go 0-60 in what feels like well under 3 seconds. You feel it in your gut, what a thrill.
- The load-bearing gear tunnel doors are really nice, used it a few times already. The delivery guide said not to jump off them because they are 210 lb. max.
- I know I shouldn't say this, but I can't open the gear tunnel without my kids climbing up to crawl through it since it's so spacious.
- The frunk has an open drain for any liquid (bed too obviously), and it's not obtrusive, why is this not in the manual? It's cool, show it off! There's nothing provided to cap it with though, like if you had a frunk full of marbles (new punk band name) that could pass through it. You could probably tape/cork it.
- I complained about the wireless charging for the phone above, but there are 2 USB-Cs right in the center storage with a little opening to let a cable through and sit on that same charging mat so we can get a consistent phone charge.
- Basically, passengers (front and back) get their own USB-C, this is awesome, fingers crossed that this is the primary charge port type for things for the life of the vehicle!
- I'm thankful for the ability to lock the back passenger panel that controls their temperature/seat warming - it's a nice control feature, but need to keep it locked with kids. I asked about its durability with kid's feet and the delivery guide said it has a gorilla guard exterior and should hold up.
- The portable speaker is a really nice included addition.
- It charges out of the way in the vehicle, very easy to access.
- You can charge it via USB-C too.
- The bottom has a nice sturdy latch if you wanted to buckle it onto something to carry.
- Each wall is a speaker, so it pushes sound from all sides.
- It has some ambient light on the base you can control which makes it look nice at night.
- The table of content is organized and integrated into the Owner's Guide PDF very well. It's accessible through the mobile app and directly in the vehicle on the center display.
Random side notes
- It had 22 miles on it when delivered and a 97% charge
- I haven't played with Driver +, don't have use cases for all driving modes, don't have anything to tow yet, haven't had an OTA update yet, and haven't tested the 12v outlets (others work).
- I originally got the wall charger, but work from home so ended up sticking to a NEMA 6-20 that already existed in the garage (returned Rivian's) - 220V/20amps only, but saving a few thousand on the installation - Getting 7 mi/hr which is enough for our use right now.
- Original Max pack preorder, and I switched to the large after the major delay announcement in fall 22, got matched to a truck a week or two after that change.
- Vampire loss was 1% over 13 hours in a 55-degree garage when left unplugged - seems in line with others (though I know some have it far worse).
Final thoughts:
The bus stop for my kindergartner is in front of our house, it's totally unnecessary, but my son asked if we can wait for the bus every morning and listen to music in the warm seats together. Looking forward to making these types of memories with our Rivian!
(attaching some interior pics of stuff I found cool)
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