Anyone reconsidering their R2 reservation?

[VoodooRivian]

I’m keeping my first day reservation until my number is called and then I’ll decide. I have similar concerns as the OP and from my perspective reading my daily forum updates I’m very concerned about the quality at launch and the service centers ability to handle increased volume.

I have a very early Model 3 so I know what it’s like to be the first kid on the block with a new car. And the issues that come with that. I had lots of issues the first few months but Tesla handled them quickly and always with a cool Model S P100D to rip around town. All the issues were software related. But after a few months it became steady state and has been very reliable and FSD works amazingly well.

I also had a good friend buy a R1S, had nothing but problems with the car and our local service center, and sold the car six months after taking possession.

I really hope Rivian gets their act together and the R2 is a big hit and I buy one. But I’m not optimistic.

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[RivAW]

I originally had a CT on order and was interested in an SUV as well. Tesla didn't have one, and the R2 seemed like a good option. I didn't buy the CT and bought an R1T, and I am now totally reconsidering my R2 purchase for a myriad of reasons.

Rivian service is already stretched thin it seems and with long wait times. I think it will get worse, probably much worse, at least in the year the R2 debuts. So getting my R1 or possibly R2 serviced will be much worse.

The wind noise issue that I've seen to some extent in all Rivians I've driven is worse than it should be. Who knows if the R2 will be any better and this wind noise has soured me a lot on the brand. Especially given how much work I've put in to mitigate and it is still worse than it should be.

Overall I have a lot more concerns about the R2 now than before I became the owner of an R1. I see the challenges the brand is facing from the inside. There are clearly some headwinds and the R2 is a make or break product for Rivian. If they don't deliver, I think it will crush the brand.

There are a lot of things I love about my truck, don't get me wrong, but it has been a pretty sobering experience in a lot of ways. I understand the challenges of a startup and bringing a new brand and models to the public. I've worked for 2 extremely well known car manufacturers, so the effort isn't lost on me. I also come from an engineering background.

The things that really annoy me is how quickly they dead-ended the Gen 1 trucks with software. How many issues my truck has experienced so far. Now I have a new with some clunk that sounds like the fasteners they had to retorque earlier. The continuing wind noise saga. Just look at all the threads here on wind noise. I drove Gen 2 trucks and they have it too. Having to find a DIY fix to deal with vampire drain. That is like EV 101 stuff to minimize energy loss. It is like having a hole in your gas tank that continually leaks fuel. Overall, it costs Gen 1 owners likely over $10,000,000 annually on a collective basis.

I was a Day 1 R2 reservation holder but is an opportunity to order came up tomorrow, I'd probably wait a bit before I pulled the trigger, if I did. So at this point, I am likely a maybe or more of an R3X aficionado than R2. Having the R1 in a lot of ways has negated the need/desire for an R2. Since ownership my opinion of the brand has gone from a 10 to a 7 based on my experience. That factors in how much I love driving the truck, terrible Driver+, the issues I've had, the service center quality of work, rework, wait times, etc.

This isn't to complain about Rivian. Everyone's experience is different. I am curious to see how many people are still interested in an R2 at this point who reserved one earlier. I setup the poll to allow for 2 selections. So you could be a maybe but you think your ownership experience could be better.

How exactly did they "dead end the G1 vehicles"? My G1 R1T gets the monthly updates and new features excepting those that are not possible due to hardware limitations. It has been almost entirely problem free and is one of if not the best vehicle I have owned (out of many). That is hardly unreasonable and your prior experience and engineering background should make that understandable and reasonable, even if you don't like it.
My only issue(s) with R2 are that I like the R3X better and may not be ready to give up my G1 R1T when my R2 order comes up.

 

[R1Thor]

I'm keeping my reservation, because it was $100 and you never know (anything) until it comes time.

That said, we'll likely *NOT* be pulling the trigger...

...because my wife got impatient and traded her FXT for a Demo R1S that we couldn't resist

It seems there's quite a divergence in experiences and expectations.

We now have a 2023 Adventure QM R1T, and a 2022 Launch Edition R1S. They're both phenomenal. All of the minor nits we had were corrected by service.

Rivian will learn from the R1 series and make the R2 appreciably better. But it comes with expectation that: it's going to be more of a 'broader market' available vehicle. So, I also anticipate it'll have fewer bells and whistles than the R1 vehicles. That's just how it'll be to be affordable. Nothing wrong with it, but I do suspect some people with specific expectations would be disappointed 'downgrading' from an R1S/R1T to an R2. That said, there are others who mightn't be using the full capabilities of their R1 and want a smaller footprint, and they'll be delighted.

Expectation is the thief of joy.
I love my truck and plan to keep it until I can no longer. I don't foresee anything more alluring on the horizon. It meets all of my needs. And my wife feels the same about her R1S, so unless something incredible happens between now and then, we'll keep the R1S and see you guys on the trails

 

[DayTripping]

How exactly did they "dead end the G1 vehicles"? My G1 R1T gets the monthly updates and new features excepting those that are not possible due to hardware limitations. It has been almost entirely problem free and is one of if not the best vehicle I have owned (out of many). That is hardly unreasonable and your prior experience and engineering background should make that understandable and reasonable, even if you don't like it.
My only issue(s) with R2 are that I like the R3X better and may not be ready to give up my G1 R1T when my R2 order comes up.

I would say how quickly meaningful updates have been dropped for the G1. I am making a comparison with my Tesla ownership as an example.

If the HW was such a limitation, they should have known it up front, and for a high-end vehicle maybe spent a bit more. They didn't even fully utilize what Mobileye could offer in terms of Driver+. The ridiculous aspect of how few roads the POS Driver+ will even work on is laughable. They are 4 years in and they still can't get a smooth UI experience.

I appreciate the updates we get but they are rapidly diverging from what G2 gets. Look at a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and it still pretty much gets all the updates that a 2025 Model 3 will. Some limitations around autonomy might be limited, but even the old autopilot on Tesla on the 2018's is vastly superior to what the G1s have. At least the recent suspension update was a good one. I'll give them credit for that. Still waiting on launch mode for G1.

The vampire drain issue just annoys me every day. It is a like a constant reminder of a failure for something that should have been table stakes. Losing 1% a day is just ridiculous. Could have easily gone with bigger batteries that would have increased the sleep cycles and that alone would have reduced the drain if you had to fire up the main HV battery and systems to charge them. When I spoke to my service center they said plan on changing them about every 2 years. WTH? Hope the G2 trucks are better as it will cost a lot more to replace the battery under the seat if you have to pay someone to do it.

Many things I love about my truck and I hope they'll continue to chase things like vampire drain. I've totally given up on Driver+ and if I didn't have an option with Comma.AI, I'd be very ticked off with its abysmal performance.

Anyway, the writing is really on the wall. Once R2s come out, they'll likely follow Tesla's approach with the S/X platform, focusing on their (hopefully) profitable models while letting the R1s wither.

 

[malditofman]

I originally had a CT on order and was interested in an SUV as well. Tesla didn't have one, and the R2 seemed like a good option. I didn't buy the CT and bought an R1T, and I am now totally reconsidering my R2 purchase for a myriad of reasons.

Rivian service is already stretched thin it seems and with long wait times. I think it will get worse, probably much worse, at least in the year the R2 debuts. So getting my R1 or possibly R2 serviced will be much worse.

The wind noise issue that I've seen to some extent in all Rivians I've driven is worse than it should be. Who knows if the R2 will be any better and this wind noise has soured me a lot on the brand. Especially given how much work I've put in to mitigate and it is still worse than it should be.

Overall I have a lot more concerns about the R2 now than before I became the owner of an R1. I see the challenges the brand is facing from the inside. There are clearly some headwinds and the R2 is a make or break product for Rivian. If they don't deliver, I think it will crush the brand.

There are a lot of things I love about my truck, don't get me wrong, but it has been a pretty sobering experience in a lot of ways. I understand the challenges of a startup and bringing a new brand and models to the public. I've worked for 2 extremely well known car manufacturers, so the effort isn't lost on me. I also come from an engineering background.

The things that really annoy me is how quickly they dead-ended the Gen 1 trucks with software. How many issues my truck has experienced so far. Now I have a new with some clunk that sounds like the fasteners they had to retorque earlier. The continuing wind noise saga. Just look at all the threads here on wind noise. I drove Gen 2 trucks and they have it too. Having to find a DIY fix to deal with vampire drain. That is like EV 101 stuff to minimize energy loss. It is like having a hole in your gas tank that continually leaks fuel. Overall, it costs Gen 1 owners likely over $10,000,000 annually on a collective basis.

I was a Day 1 R2 reservation holder but is an opportunity to order came up tomorrow, I'd probably wait a bit before I pulled the trigger, if I did. So at this point, I am likely a maybe or more of an R3X aficionado than R2. Having the R1 in a lot of ways has negated the need/desire for an R2. Since ownership my opinion of the brand has gone from a 10 to a 7 based on my experience. That factors in how much I love driving the truck, terrible Driver+, the issues I've had, the service center quality of work, rework, wait times, etc.

This isn't to complain about Rivian. Everyone's experience is different. I am curious to see how many people are still interested in an R2 at this point who reserved one earlier. I setup the poll to allow for 2 selections. So you could be a maybe but you think your ownership experience could be better.

Yawn. I can't wait for the R2 for my spouse. My R1T Tri has been near perfect, no wind noise, great handling and performance, floats on smooth pavement, superb off-road. Great service from Rivian during delivery and routine maintenance at Eastvale service center. Yeah, a company delivering vehicles for less than four years won't have hundreds of service centers yet. Rivian has done well by me and many others. Best vehicle experience I have ever had. Drive well.

 

[123Dallas]

We’re sort of in the same boat as OP. While we love our R1S, it has had its share of annoying issues and service center visits have been far too many. Thumping noise coming from the front every time we come to a hard stop or start, squeaky and rattling interior parts, suspension noises, etc. Nothing major but annoying enough to drive us nuts when it happens. Also whenever we take our vehicle to the SC, many issues we point out are “within spec.” We went through something similar with our first Tesla, but what makes us hesitate in canceling our reservation is the fact that our second Tesla has been flawless. So I’m hoping that the second go around will be much better with Rivian. But like others have said, we’ll wait a bit before they figure out some of the early model issues before taking delivery.

 

[djmrt]

I'm a maybe and it will depend entirely on the tariff situation when it's time for me to make a decision (I'm in Canada). The R2 is my first choice to make my move from ICE to EV. I love the look and capabilities of the R1T but I live in a condo in an urban environment and the R1's are just too big for me. The R2 is an ideal size for me. The only other EV that appeals to me right now is the Audi Q6. I'm not in a hurry to buy a new car so I'll wait until the R2 is available to make a decision.

 

[shamoo]

I love my Rivian R1S (first gen) and put my reservation down for the R2 when it came out. I'll keep it since it was only $100-200? Who knows what new information/features will be announced until release.

Things have changed recently because of the new Scout. That is much more interesting to me at this point and I put a reservation for that one. From what information is available currently, I would 100% choose the Scout over the Rivian R2. I think it looks better and it has better range with the "Harvester". It is also certainly more off-roady.

 

[Rivianero]

Our R1T does everything we want so I personally don't expect we will convert our R2 rez into an order. Was thinking as a replacement for my wife's Leaf, but Nissan just put a free new battery in it, so we will likely keep it longer. Don't see a need to cancel.

Had a day 1 CT res I'm so relieved we didn't act on.

Still have an Aptera rez and small investment. Love the concept but not sure they will make it to production Even if they succeed, my R1T does everything it does (except solar charging) so no real reason to buy. Would love this to exist, but my needs are met.

 

[DJFrerichs]

I am a "Maybe" because if our ideal R2 build tally's up to a lightly used Gen 2 R1T, I am going to probably lean towards a used R1T. Timing, cost & config will play a part. Can't wait to see the R2 config options with cost to help decide and plan going forward.

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

This is a good synopsis of your ownership experience and I hope Rivian is listening. I also hope Rivian is ready for the ramp up of the R2 and everything that comes with it (production issues, recalls, servicing, etc.)

I feel like based on what RJ is leaking to the public that the R2 will be a much more refined and simplified vehicle than the R1s. We’re talking castings, zonal architecture, etc.

It’s somewhat concerning that the Georgia Plant has been put on hold, but they are adding quite a lot to the Illinois Plant to get it ready.

I’m more of an R3 guy. My Model 3 lease will be up in 2027, so I hope it’s available by then. The R2 must sell for the R3 to be a reality though. I wish I could afford both!

 

[mkg3]

It's really refreshing to read many honest feedbacks.

I will not buy R2/R3/R3X or any other Rivian because I bought R1S.

Our experience is okay and our vehicle has been relatively trouble free (some small things - nothing major like dead motor or shutdown). We had pre-price hike reservation so we bought the vehicle once it became available. If Rivian did not honor the reservation price, we would not have and would have bought something else once a suitable EV SUV came along (our R1S is not a replacement vehicle).

We've owned R1S since August 2023 and now has just under 25K miles. We've had plenty of time to live with the vehicle and it has too many shortcomings.

While I am not into lots of plushness, I do expect quality fit, finish and materials, proper layout and driving dynamics and performance for the price. Rivian comes close in each category - some closer than others - but good enough compared to its competitors overall for the current product line. When R2 comes out, it will have very stiff competition and I cannot imagine Rivian changing its DNA to take a different approach based on the prototype being shown.

Over time, I'm certain that Rvian will improve in all categories and build fine vehicles. If and when they do, I will consider Rivian again. Meanwhile, there are too many viable alternatives.

 

[Ilovejunebugs]

Maybe, but only because of how much I have grown to love my R1T. And the fact that it is paid off...I will keep the reservation, for now, until Rivian releases specs for the R2 and then decide. I don't *need* a truck but it's sure been handy to have one...

 

[DJFrerichs]

WI resident jealous of your R1T ....I have been doing too many truck things in a '13 Prius V...thus feel the R1T might be a better fit than the R2 as a replacement to.

 

[miggity02]

I am 5 weeks into my R1T leaser-ship experience. So far, it's been pretty good! I got just the standard dual motor setup with AS wheels and tires. I was a R2 reservation holder just after the launch event. I kept refreshing the reservation link to become live lol. I had no intention of leasing an R1 but the incentives got me out of my Model Y. Love what the R2 stands for and the sizing is perfect for my needs. That being said, Rivian unveiled the R3x too, which is probably the only reason I will not get into an R2. I am also putting a deposit down for the Scout Traveler, range extender undecided as of now. Whichever direction I go, I just hope Rivian offers leases from the jump, although I have doubts about that.

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