2024 R1S - The Suburban Mom Review

[Beaker23]

I am posting this based on my experience driving both my R1S and 2 loaner Rivians over the course of a month (long story for another time but not due to a huge issue with the car itself) and because this is the type of review I was looking for when determining my configuration based on my expected needs for a vehicle. This review is not intended on getting into the nitty gritty of these cars - I don't have the bandwidth as a working mom to care that much. I just wanted a pretty car that did its job and if that is what you are looking for this review is for you. I took delivery the day after Mother's Day 2024 which seemed appropriate.

First - the motor: When determining whether to get the quad or the performance dual motor - I got really hung up. This was not helped by the fact that Rivian kept offering me the quad for the same price after I configured and locked in the performance dual. But let's be real, the only off roading this car was going to do was in a dirt overflow parking area at an event or in a field at a pumpkin patch that even a Ford Focus can handle. I went with the performance dual motor because it had plenty of power and the range on the battery would be better for family trips. Even though it meant waiting an additional few months to take delivery, it was the right decision for a family car.

My two Rivian loaners only reinforced my decision as the right one for a family car that will never see backcountry, offroad trails. My car was in the shop for a month and the first loaner was an R1T quad with the offroad/beefy tires. It sucked battery and wasn't as smooth a ride as I was used to. Not surprising. (Also it was a truck and not the best for a monthly Costco run.) After about 1 1/2 weeks I switched to a R1S quad with the sport wheels. It was ok - still seemed to suck battery and the ride just didn't feel as smooth. I clearly wasn't missing anything by not getting the quad and the battery suck just annoyed me since I was used to the dual.

Second - the battery pack: The debate between the large battery pack and the max pack was the second hardest. We occasionally take long family trips and the charging time and frequency was a concern. I settled on the large battery pack because the added mileage didn't make sense for the price difference. Also, with the performance dual motor I figured the 340ish range would be sufficient before we would need a longer pit stop on a trip for food and bathrooms. This assumption has turned out to be correct. I can also take longish work trips for the day on one charge and have yet to worry about running out of charge.

Third - the fun stuff: I loved the Forest Green color from the moment I saw it on Rivian's advertising. That was it - no other color was going to do. This car is FUN! So get what color makes you happy when you go out to the garage to make sure your kid closed the garage fridge door after sneaking a third juice box. Black interior was key due to kids.

I spent a weekend fretting over the wheels. I have never in my life cared about the rims on my vehicles other than they shouldn't look ugly - a very technical measurement. But my husband was very clear: If you are going to spend this much on a car, get the right wheels. Obviously, I didn't want the beefy tires since I was told they would be louder. Practically speaking - a mom needs to be able to yell over any road noise to the kids in the third row with enough force to get them to stop fighting. I ended up with the sport dark 22" wheels since they looked best with the Forest Green. (I did warn you this was not a technical review.) They turned out to be a very smooth ride and a great decision. Also, they do look great!

A final note on utility. This car is amazing! I have a large car seat and a booster in the second row and no leg room issues. We load it up with deflated paddle boards (3), pumps, lifejackets, cooler etc. and have plenty of room since we also have the use of a frunk. I have shuttled around my kids and their friends with no complaints about leg room or airflow for the 3rd row. The tailgate is also the perfect place for shoving those little feet into cleats or other sports required shoes. I am a bad parker and am always adjusting - you can feel the maneuverability of this car and I love how it handles tight parking lots. The list goes on.

My recommendation for the suburban mom: R1S, performance dual motor, large battery pack. Color that makes you happy and the sport wheels to match.

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[Electrified Outdoors]

great thanks for sharing!

 

[COdogman]

Great review! I don’t have kids but I would just turn up the stereo so I wouldn’t be able to hear them fighting back there.

FWIW those who have owned both Quad and Dual motor Rivians feel the dual off roads better, so I don’t think you lost anything in that respect.

 

[PappaBolt]

Nice write-up. As a family hauler it’s such a game changer in the EV space. Out of curiosity, any major issues with the early service concerns?

 

[PaythePiper]

Nice write-up. As a family hauler it’s such a game changer in the EV space. Out of curiosity, any major issues with the early service concerns?

I cringe at how many times I see ‘car was in the shop for a month’. Yikes

 

[Beaker23]

I cringe at how many times I see ‘car was in the shop for a month’. Yikes

So this one was unique which is why I said it wasn't a major issue with the car. Most of my minor fixes have been done in my garage by a mobile technician in less than an hour. I had some paint chipped that needed repairing after they fixed a door panel. They sent it to a newly contracted body shop who did an amazing job on the paint (can't even tell there was an issue) but who was not familiar with Rivian bumpers so they snapped the clips on part of the bumper and a new one had to be shipped out from Normal IL. (can't reattach once the clips are snapped) I actually laughed - can you imagine being the one who did that just trying to repair a small area? He or she had a bad day. The Rivian service people were great and I did have a Rivian loaner the entire time.

 

[PaythePiper]

So this one was unique which is why I said it wasn't a major issue with the car. Most of my minor fixes have been done in my garage by a mobile technician in less than an hour. I had some paint chipped that needed repairing after they fixed a door panel. They sent it to a newly contracted body shop who did an amazing job on the paint (can't even tell there was an issue) but who was not familiar with Rivian bumpers so they snapped the clips on part of the bumper and a new one had to be shipped out from Normal IL. (can't reattach once the clips are snapped) I actually laughed - can you imagine being the one who did that just trying to repair a small area? He or she had a bad day. The Rivian service people were great and I did have a Rivian loaner the entire time.

Excellent. Glad they took care of you.

Your review was awesome. You sound like a cool lady who appreciates cars. Not many of you exist lol.

Our search of a 3 row SUV (replacing a minivan that wifey is just ready to move on from) has been a chore. We do outdoors and off-road stuff, so obviously the Rivian checks a lot of boxes. The reliability has me concerned, but with great risk comes great reward?

 

[MidnightRivian]

Thanks for sharing your review. I would love to see your Forest Green Rivian if you have any pictures you can share.

Enjoy the Rivian and the precious memories you create with your family.

 

[Sidney]

Our search of a 3 row SUV (replacing a minivan that wifey is just ready to move on from) has been a chore. We do outdoors and off-road stuff, so obviously the Rivian checks a lot of boxes. The reliability has me concerned, but with great risk comes great reward?

There are tons of people (like me) with no issues. We just dont post. With around 100,000 vehicles on the road now, there are going to be a lot of issues, and people with issues are way more likely to post.

Every once in a while theres a "leave a comment if you haven't had issues" post that brings folks out of the woodwork.

 

[jbssfelix]

I agree with all of your sentiments, especially as a fellow Forest Green R1S owner.

While ours also spends 90% of its life pounding pavement to school and Costco, the other 10% is to appeal to dad who wants to thrash it as hard as possible on off-road trails. We, therefore, opted for the quad/large/20"/underbody combo (dual wasn't available then). Considering the longest road trip we've ever done in it has been about 200 miles RT, I wasn't concerned about the range hit. And as we came from the equally massive barge of a Land Cruiser 200, the ride quality wasn't really a consideration.

But yeah, I think we've convinced about 4-5 neighbors into a Rivian, as it does an impeccable job being a "White Denali" replacement for all the moms out there. Sadly, all but one has been pre-referral code, so no free camp kitchen just yet for us lol.

 

[VanCityMike]

Thanks for sharing your review. I would love to see your Forest Green Rivian if you have any pictures you can share.

Enjoy the Rivian and the precious memories you create with your family.

There are a LOT of photos online.

 

[MidnightRivian]

There are a LOT of photos online.

The dual motor with silver calipers and sport dark wheels combination with Forest green is not found online too often. All I saw was quad motors with 22" Sport Dark Wheels.

Thanks for sharing the link.

 

[HeyEllwood]

Great review! I don’t have kids but I would just turn up the stereo so I wouldn’t be able to hear them fighting back there.

FWIW those who have owned both Quad and Dual motor Rivians feel the dual off roads better, so I don’t think you lost anything in that respect.

It's really nice now because I can turn it up to like 8 instead of 18 and it drowns everything out .

 

[Schroederhc]

I am posting this based on my experience driving both my R1S and 2 loaner Rivians over the course of a month (long story for another time but not due to a huge issue with the car itself) and because this is the type of review I was looking for when determining my configuration based on my expected needs for a vehicle. This review is not intended on getting into the nitty gritty of these cars - I don't have the bandwidth as a working mom to care that much. I just wanted a pretty car that did its job and if that is what you are looking for this review is for you. I took delivery the day after Mother's Day 2024 which seemed appropriate.

First - the motor: When determining whether to get the quad or the performance dual motor - I got really hung up. This was not helped by the fact that Rivian kept offering me the quad for the same price after I configured and locked in the performance dual. But let's be real, the only off roading this car was going to do was in a dirt overflow parking area at an event or in a field at a pumpkin patch that even a Ford Focus can handle. I went with the performance dual motor because it had plenty of power and the range on the battery would be better for family trips. Even though it meant waiting an additional few months to take delivery, it was the right decision for a family car.

My two Rivian loaners only reinforced my decision as the right one for a family car that will never see backcountry, offroad trails. My car was in the shop for a month and the first loaner was an R1T quad with the offroad/beefy tires. It sucked battery and wasn't as smooth a ride as I was used to. Not surprising. (Also it was a truck and not the best for a monthly Costco run.) After about 1 1/2 weeks I switched to a R1S quad with the sport wheels. It was ok - still seemed to suck battery and the ride just didn't feel as smooth. I clearly wasn't missing anything by not getting the quad and the battery suck just annoyed me since I was used to the dual.

Second - the battery pack: The debate between the large battery pack and the max pack was the second hardest. We occasionally take long family trips and the charging time and frequency was a concern. I settled on the large battery pack because the added mileage didn't make sense for the price difference. Also, with the performance dual motor I figured the 340ish range would be sufficient before we would need a longer pit stop on a trip for food and bathrooms. This assumption has turned out to be correct. I can also take longish work trips for the day on one charge and have yet to worry about running out of charge.

Third - the fun stuff: I loved the Forest Green color from the moment I saw it on Rivian's advertising. That was it - no other color was going to do. This car is FUN! So get what color makes you happy when you go out to the garage to make sure your kid closed the garage fridge door after sneaking a third juice box. Black interior was key due to kids.

I spent a weekend fretting over the wheels. I have never in my life cared about the rims on my vehicles other than they shouldn't look ugly - a very technical measurement. But my husband was very clear: If you are going to spend this much on a car, get the right wheels. Obviously, I didn't want the beefy tires since I was told they would be louder. Practically speaking - a mom needs to be able to yell over any road noise to the kids in the third row with enough force to get them to stop fighting. I ended up with the sport dark 22" wheels since they looked best with the Forest Green. (I did warn you this was not a technical review.) They turned out to be a very smooth ride and a great decision. Also, they do look great!

A final note on utility. This car is amazing! I have a large car seat and a booster in the second row and no leg room issues. We load it up with deflated paddle boards (3), pumps, lifejackets, cooler etc. and have plenty of room since we also have the use of a frunk. I have shuttled around my kids and their friends with no complaints about leg room or airflow for the 3rd row. The tailgate is also the perfect place for shoving those little feet into cleats or other sports required shoes. I am a bad parker and am always adjusting - you can feel the maneuverability of this car and I love how it handles tight parking lots. The list goes on.

My recommendation for the suburban mom: R1S, performance dual motor, large battery pack. Color that makes you happy and the sport wheels to match.

Nice!

 

[DB-EV]

I am posting this based on my experience driving both my R1S and 2 loaner Rivians over the course of a month (long story for another time but not due to a huge issue with the car itself) and because this is the type of review I was looking for when determining my configuration based on my expected needs for a vehicle. This review is not intended on getting into the nitty gritty of these cars - I don't have the bandwidth as a working mom to care that much. I just wanted a pretty car that did its job and if that is what you are looking for this review is for you. I took delivery the day after Mother's Day 2024 which seemed appropriate.

First - the motor: When determining whether to get the quad or the performance dual motor - I got really hung up. This was not helped by the fact that Rivian kept offering me the quad for the same price after I configured and locked in the performance dual. But let's be real, the only off roading this car was going to do was in a dirt overflow parking area at an event or in a field at a pumpkin patch that even a Ford Focus can handle. I went with the performance dual motor because it had plenty of power and the range on the battery would be better for family trips. Even though it meant waiting an additional few months to take delivery, it was the right decision for a family car.

My two Rivian loaners only reinforced my decision as the right one for a family car that will never see backcountry, offroad trails. My car was in the shop for a month and the first loaner was an R1T quad with the offroad/beefy tires. It sucked battery and wasn't as smooth a ride as I was used to. Not surprising. (Also it was a truck and not the best for a monthly Costco run.) After about 1 1/2 weeks I switched to a R1S quad with the sport wheels. It was ok - still seemed to suck battery and the ride just didn't feel as smooth. I clearly wasn't missing anything by not getting the quad and the battery suck just annoyed me since I was used to the dual.

Second - the battery pack: The debate between the large battery pack and the max pack was the second hardest. We occasionally take long family trips and the charging time and frequency was a concern. I settled on the large battery pack because the added mileage didn't make sense for the price difference. Also, with the performance dual motor I figured the 340ish range would be sufficient before we would need a longer pit stop on a trip for food and bathrooms. This assumption has turned out to be correct. I can also take longish work trips for the day on one charge and have yet to worry about running out of charge.

Third - the fun stuff: I loved the Forest Green color from the moment I saw it on Rivian's advertising. That was it - no other color was going to do. This car is FUN! So get what color makes you happy when you go out to the garage to make sure your kid closed the garage fridge door after sneaking a third juice box. Black interior was key due to kids.

I spent a weekend fretting over the wheels. I have never in my life cared about the rims on my vehicles other than they shouldn't look ugly - a very technical measurement. But my husband was very clear: If you are going to spend this much on a car, get the right wheels. Obviously, I didn't want the beefy tires since I was told they would be louder. Practically speaking - a mom needs to be able to yell over any road noise to the kids in the third row with enough force to get them to stop fighting. I ended up with the sport dark 22" wheels since they looked best with the Forest Green. (I did warn you this was not a technical review.) They turned out to be a very smooth ride and a great decision. Also, they do look great!

A final note on utility. This car is amazing! I have a large car seat and a booster in the second row and no leg room issues. We load it up with deflated paddle boards (3), pumps, lifejackets, cooler etc. and have plenty of room since we also have the use of a frunk. I have shuttled around my kids and their friends with no complaints about leg room or airflow for the 3rd row. The tailgate is also the perfect place for shoving those little feet into cleats or other sports required shoes. I am a bad parker and am always adjusting - you can feel the maneuverability of this car and I love how it handles tight parking lots. The list goes on.

My recommendation for the suburban mom: R1S, performance dual motor, large battery pack. Color that makes you happy and the sport wheels to match.

Good for you! I am guessing this is much of the use case of this vehicle.

I take mine off road a fair bit (soft sand) but laughed out loud at the monthly costco run - the R1s eats up costco sized packages.

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