Anyone purchased the vehicle without test drive?

[CBRacerX]

No test drive or test ride here. The first Rivian I ever sat in was the one I purchased on the day I picked it up from the factory

Same.

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[rutiger]

Took a short ride as a passenger in my friend's G1 R1S.

Tri Max coming in a few weeks. I've bought several vehicles without ever driving them, riding in them, or many times without even seeing them in person.

 

[NY_Rob]

2020 Ford Explorer ST Dimensions:
199″ L x 79″ W x 70″ H
Curb Weight: 4,700lbs

Rivian R1S Dimensions:
201″ L x 82″ W x 77″ H
Curb Weight: 6,462 lbs

Something to consider.. the R1S is slightly longer, slightly wider and quite a bit higher than your Ford, it's also about a ton heavier then the Ford.

I'd take a test ride if I could. I have no doubt that you'll be blown away by the tech and power of the Rivian, but it's a larger heavier vehicle compared to what you're driving now.

Also, how many hours are you from a Rivian Service Center?

 

[malditofman]

Hi folks, I'm new here and deciding to make R1S purchase but we live near Seattle and the closest shop for test drive is either Vancouver BC or Portland OR. So asking here to see if anyone purchased R1S without test driving it? I watched lots of youtube videos so I have an idea about how it would feel but driving is different thing. I purchased my current ford explorer st without test driving it because I knew I'd love it and I did. I'm having same feeling for R1S as well but R1S is much more expensive and electric. I have test driven F150 lightning if that helps. Thanks.

Over the years I've always done a test drive on all the vehicles I've bought, but the test drive itself was never the clincher. The drive was offered by the seller so I took the opportunity. I knew what I wanted ahead of time so the test drive honestly wasn't really required. I would have bought anyway. I don't shop around like crazy for vehicles and try this and try that. If you can get a test drive near you, go ahead. But I suspect you'll love a Rivian purchase without a test drive.

 

[AnninSI]

No test drive, drove it home (850 miles) from the pick up location...and fell in love.....still in love with my R1S. But it really is your personal comfort level.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Took delivery of my R1T in March 2023. Had never driven one before. Almost zero EV experience. Only rode once in a Tesla. Came from the world of Chevy trucks. Night & day difference. My delivery person at Richmond SC spent about an hour driving around the block with me, then I immediately hit the highway for the 90 mile drive home. By the end of that I felt like "an old pro", LOL.

As others have said - read lots of forums and YouTube videos. You'll be fine.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

We test drove in Portland twice before ordering our R1S.

At this price, we needed those test drives to feel confident.

We have grown confident in our vehicles AND in the Portland Service Center.

***

After a few months' experience with Rivian and with the R1S, we were ready to buy an R1T Demo in Maryland, sight unseen.

You are the expert in what makes YOU feel confident, @someuser.

Very best wishes!

 

[Supratachophobia]

Hi folks, I'm new here and deciding to make R1S purchase but we live near Seattle and the closest shop for test drive is either Vancouver BC or Portland OR. So asking here to see if anyone purchased R1S without test driving it? I watched lots of youtube videos so I have an idea about how it would feel but driving is different thing. I purchased my current ford explorer st without test driving it because I knew I'd love it and I did. I'm having same feeling for R1S as well but R1S is much more expensive and electric. I have test driven F150 lightning if that helps. Thanks.

Yes.

 

[bfilippo]

Yep, I live in Maine 3.5 hours from SC in Chelsea. I thought about waiting until I went to Denver in October to drive it, but then my Honda Pilot was actively dying (alternator, etc), so I pulled the trigger on a gen2 R1T as soon as I saw my configuration available so I could snag the F&F discount they offered very briefly last month to boost quarterly sales.

No regrets, love this truck. I do already have a Tesla Model Y, so not my first EV experience.

 

[Javito’s]

I did.
Sold my Tesla Model Y Performance 7 months ago and ordered a Quad 2024 R1s without driving or testing the vehicle before.
I was walking one Sunday morning, and saw a Rivian dealership, Bellevue(WA). Tons of Rivian vehicles and fall in love with the R1s. Following week ordered mine with delivery date March 2024.
Best decision ever.
Have a great weekend you all!

 

[RivAW]

Hi folks, I'm new here and deciding to make R1S purchase but we live near Seattle and the closest shop for test drive is either Vancouver BC or Portland OR. So asking here to see if anyone purchased R1S without test driving it? I watched lots of youtube videos so I have an idea about how it would feel but driving is different thing. I purchased my current ford explorer st without test driving it because I knew I'd love it and I did. I'm having same feeling for R1S as well but R1S is much more expensive and electric. I have test driven F150 lightning if that helps. Thanks.

With current availability there is no reason to buy without a test drive, particularly if you are new to EVs.
You may be able to find a local owner that will meet up and take you for a ride as an alternative.
As a last alternative, if there is a Tesla showroom that is closer; it is easy to schedule a test drive with them so at least you can get a feel for the difference an EV offers keeping in mind it’s a completely different vehicle but offers some important similarities for someone learning about EVs

 

[Rae11]

I was late to the appointment at the Atlanta space due to traffic so I literally had five minutes or less driving. But I had already decided I was going to get it after research so it would not have made a difference

 

[madgrey]

Test drives make a lot of sense in some cases. For example, maybe you are trying to decide which mid-size crossover to buy, in which case a few probably meet your needs on paper. Or, maybe you are the type of person that gets annoyed by small things that would only be found during a drive. Or, perhaps you are on the edge of the bell curve as far as size goes. My wife is on the short side, we ended up not buying a Volvo C30R because the seat belt mount point could not be lowered enough.

For the Rivian, these things didn't apply to me. I wanted an EV because I never drove or owned one and the market didn't have any other EVs with super-car acceleration and large SUV utility. It really wasn't a hard choice. In general, the cars I purchase are unique enough that a test drive isn't going to push me in one direction or another. Also, I've purchased several cars remote (e.g. auction) where the test drive opportunity just doesn't exist. I've never been disappointed because I do my research before hand.

 

[A Land Rover Forever]

I did. This is the best SUV in the world at this moment! I've had 5 Range Rovers and this thing is in a different class! You won't be mad.

 

[DeltaV]

We did not. I did a lot of reading before actually pulling the trigger on our R1S, and the consensus seemed to be it basically dives like an electric Land Rover. Since my wife's previous car was an LR4, and she liked that (frankly she prefers that kind of vehicle, she spent a year and a half in a Mazda CX-9 when the LR did British car things and started leaving fluids I didn't even know existed on the driveway), I figured we'd be ok. Test driving isn't easy here in South Carolina, so it would have been some effort to do so.

And, even though we've only had it a month, it's been pretty good. It does drive like her old LR4. Single pedal driving actually to me just seems like engine braking on a manual transmission car, which is good for us since we drive stick (the LR was my wife's first automatic, I still drive a 6M GTi). Nothing strange yet that's made us regret the decision.

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