Joined the crew! New Gen2 R1S DM Max - owner's impressions & ordering experience

[matt.a]

Hey everyone! After much research and lots of time here and on r/Rivian, we got our Gen2 R1S this week. This is going to be one of those very positive experiences (so far?), so buckle up:

We're coming from a `22 Model Y, so plenty of EV experience, and while that car's been good, the R1S is in a totally different league. Ride quality, interior finish, general utility are all noticeably better. Some specifics:

• I was on the fence about the DM vs. PDM, and I can tell you that the DM is pretty freakin' quick already. Certainly haven't felt at a loss for power at any point, even when sprinting for an open spot in traffic up a hill. Don't stress it - the DM is great.
• We test drove a PDM Gen1 prior to ordering, and the changes for Gen2 are really noticeable. The cabin is very, very quiet, the compressor noise is basically nil, and the porpoising that was pretty pronounced in our Gen1 test is 99% gone.
• L2 charging (Tesla 3rd-gen Wall Connector + TeslaTap Mini 60A) has been flawless. L3 supercharger test on a 3rd gen supercharger with the A2Z Typhoon Pro was totally drama-free, no thermal derating.
• Love the utility of having the tailgate to sit on and a bunch of easily-configurable interior space with reasonable roof height. Family picnics for the win.
• Gen2 Premium Audio with the latest update is... good. With some aggressive EQ work, I found that non-Atmos audio sounds very, very good. Atmos audio is also good, but still very subject to mixing inconsistencies, more so than on my home speakers. Still sounds like it's mostly missing some channels, even after a restart, but only on some songs. Suspect this will get better in near future updates, and not a biggie.

I appear to be the one person who had an absolutely top-notch customer service experience. Here's what I did:

• Placed a custom order in June.
• When the Large+ was announced, I reached out to Chris Hilbert on Twitter – he mentioned having some good sales contacts that could help with the order. He got me connected with a guide (Mo) who was just fantastic. Quick to respond, accurate in what he said, and made the process as easy as can be. He ended up finding a build that wasn't on the shop yet and matched ours perfectly except for the dynamic roof. Spoiler: turns out the roof doesn't cool much, and saving that money is fine.
• When the 2.99% financing for Max builds came out, it turned out that we'd be paying the exact same monthly cost for the Max, so we switched (he was able to mark that same VIN as a Max instead of a Large+). Piece of cake.
• Portland SC was fantastic – also quick to communicate, even on weekends, and were able to move our delivery up twice when the car arrived sooner than expected. I asked for a double-check of 12V, alignment, etc., and they seem to have done it. Pickup was super simple, and they were willing to sit with me while I tested each USB port, made sure doors and panels were lined up ok, and that everything else worked.

We seem to have gotten a good build. Who knows what'll happen from here, but so far it's been an amazing experience, and BY FAR my favorite car/truck that I've ever driven. Hope this helps folks who are researching, and hope to see some of you around PDX!

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[Ohm Boy]

Mazel tov!!! Beautiful color, same as my wife’s R1S. Do the R2s come with a front license plate holder? Awesome looking vehicle!!

OHM BOY

 

[DuoRivians]

Congrats!!

 

[HaveBlue]

Mazel tov!!! Beautiful color, same as my wife’s R1S. Do the R2s come with a front license plate holder? Awesome looking vehicle!!

OHM BOY

Yea congrats to the OP. I have the Gen 1 of that build and the rivian is a super unique vehicle that no one else can touch.

Ohm boy, You can specify if you want the front plate mount installed. Otherwise it's there for you in the frunk.

 

[DaveA]

Panels and gaps look fantastic on yours …looks top notch… My Gen 1 is jealous. ?

 

[COdogman]

Welcome to the family!

 

[NTinkle]

“so we switched (he was able to mark that same VIN as a Max instead of a Large+).”

Is that confirmation that the Large+ is a sw limited Max?

 

[matt.a]

Panels and gaps look fantastic on yours …looks top notch… My Gen 1 is jealous. ?

Yeah, I was surprised at how even everything was! (Even things like the roof panel fitment and the sides of the hood, where I had seen definite issues on Gen 1s that I checked out earlier.)

 

[matt.a]

“so we switched (he was able to mark that same VIN as a Max instead of a Large+).”

Is that confirmation that the Large+ is a sw limited Max?

Yes, this appears to have been confirmed multiple times direct from Rivian. I think it’s a pretty safe assumption at this point. https://riviantrackr.com/news/rivian-confirms-large-battery-safe-for-100-daily-charging/

 

[Ohm Boy]

Yea congrats to the OP. I have the Gen 1 of that build and the rivian is a super unique vehicle that no one else can touch.

Ohm boy, You can specify if you want the front plate mount installed. Otherwise it's there for you in the frunk.

Blue, thanks!! For some reason the license plate frame looks to me like it was not the drill-the-holes-in-the-bumper one that our R1T and R1S have. We went the SnapPlate route.

 

[CompilerBreak]

Congrats! +1 to the Portland Service Center folks from me too. Ordered a spare tire ahead of my recent trip to Bend (coming down from Seattle), original appointment would have been to pick it up on the way back, but it arrived early and they were able to squeeze me into the schedule.

 

[natedogg]

Mind sharing your EQ settings? And congrats!! We took delivery of a 2025 DM Max this month as well and absolutely love it!

 

[matt.a]

Mind sharing your EQ settings? And congrats!! We took delivery of a 2025 DM Max this month as well and absolutely love it!

Sure thing! This definitely isn’t perfect, but the muddiness is gone and there’s still a good amount of rounded low end.

 

[HaveBlue]

Have you tried moving the fader back? My system tends to emphasize the front speakers to much.

 

[matt.a]

Have you tried moving the fader back? My system tends to emphasize the front speakers to much.

I have, yeah. This position actually feels balanced rather than shifted forwards for me – I wonder if seating position plays a role, although I’m about 6’ and have a pretty neutral seating position. ??‍

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