First 40 miles of R1S ownership compared to BMW IX50 and Tesla Model Y Performance

[beyondgravity]

Disagree on interior quality comparing to Q5 and X3. Way more plastic and rubber materials in those. Except the steering wheel, the vegan leather and materials on Dash and Doors outshines all BMWs that don’t have the Full Merino option. Speaking from 30 years of BMWs. I’d be tempted to say that the steering wheel leather in the Rivian will also hold up better than that soft-touch M wheel leather. Where the cheap BMWs score is fit & finish of interior versus Rivian.

iX has one of BMWs high end interiors so not surprised it would be slightly ahead of the Rivian.

I so agree with you on Q5. For me Rivian is way... better than Q5 I had.

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[mikehmb]

Hey @mikehmb , mind sharing what you did at Hollister SVRA? This whole world of off-roading is new to me and I may be down that way soon. What trails were you on? Reservation needed? Time commitment? Love to hear more if you're willing to share. TIA

For one, I put the underbody shield to the test and it passed. lol

There‘s SO much there to play on. Many of the man-made features are things I don’t feel comfortable bashing my Rivian on, but a built Jeep - totally.

There are also a ton of just fun steep fire roads, lots of artificial washes, less catastrophe-inducing obstacles, etc. It was pretty quiet when we were there so we got to drive all the way around the park without getting in anyone’s way.

Entry fee: $5 - no reservation required.

Time to visit the entire park: as long as you want! We’re usually done after a couple of hours, but I could see spending a day there if we had friends along in their trucks.

 

[Rivian Head]

Posting day 1 impressions of Rivian R1S. Own an IX50 and X5 m50i. Previously owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y performance.

• Smooth delivery but had a paint defect. Never ordered a vehicle before from BMW, Mercedes, Lexus that would have passed QC with this defect. My specific Model Y Performance did not have any paint defects. Guide says mobility service can fix it and so accepted delivery but detailer I took it to is skeptical this can really be fixed (especially in mobile service setting).
• Interior quality is more comparable to base configured lower-end products from the European “luxury” guys. Think X3, Q5, glc. Nice enough if you check your expectations and better than Tesla Y and arguably X/S. But doesn’t have sense of occasion.
• Driving is “fine“ and inline with my expectations given truck roots. I think the IX and X5 m50I handle better on the twisties. Maybe it was the weather but traction on launches were a little squirrelly. Rivian has off-road capabilities while the IX does not but I don’t anticipate going off-road much if at all. Leaving it in sport mode helped a little with body roll (is there any impact to tire wear like eco mode??? pointers would be appreciated).
• Air suspension is ok in default setting. IX air suspension is more refined with less bounce while handling potholes, rough roads with ease.
• Interior cabin is quiet enough but IX is much quieter on highway driving. Motor whine was considerably louder and not in a good way on R1S. IX is nearly silent except at very slow speeds. I think Tesla Model Y had less motor whine. Hopefully Enduro motors are quieter.
• Infotainment seems well laid out and snappier than IX. More comparable to Tesla. Assume it won’t be as customizable in terms of look (like the Tesla GUI) while IX does have some stylish graphics.
• Just preference but wish R1S steering wheel was beefier.
• Wish there was a way to adjust side bolsters on seating but otherwise comfortable.
• Had low expectations on sound. Exceeded my expectations. Not the best but nowhere near the worst I’ve heard At this price point.
• I can understand now why there are aftermarket running board options.
• Love the amount of the storage capacity and 3rd row legroom.

Only 40 miles in and it’s now at the PPF installer. At the pre-March 2022 price of ~$80k, it has met my expectations other than the paint defect (wonder if that “binding contract” I signed will still make me eligible for the $7500 pre IRA tax credit). I don’t think I would be happy at the current $96k pricing and would instead go with the Enduro option. It’s an impressive first showing from Rivian but I still think today I prefer the IX more. May just let the wife have the Rivian.

As I have owned R1S, R1T, model X, and test drove IX and EQS suv, I would agree with you. It’s ride quality (NVH) is a bit below its other EVs in its price range. I purchased both R1T and R1S with pre March price hike, so I am happy with both. But with price increase, there are other compelling choices. I just purchased a new model X at under 80K, and I think it is the best bang for the buck in high end EV segment for most consumers who simple drives around and shuttling kids. Compared to R1S, new model X gives more car-like refined ride. You know you are riding a truck chasis when you ride R1 platform albeit very refined.
KIA 9 comes available at 70K, and new Volvo EX90 starts under 80K. But None can match versatility of R1S. But if all you want is Luxurious transportation, occasionally up to seven people in safety, then there already exist better choices. Then there are Lucid Gravity, Genesis GV90 and Hyundai Ioniq 7 slated for 2024-2025, there will be more competition which I think is great for Consumers.

 

[jermwarfare]

Tired of hearing the Rivian interior doesn’t have a “sense of occasion”. The vehicle and its capabilities is an occasion compared to all those others. And am I the only one who thinks it is too nice inside and wish it was more focused on durability?

 

[LeftMySoulinNM]

Posting day 1 impressions of Rivian R1S. Own an IX50 and X5 m50i. Previously owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y performance.

• Smooth delivery but had a paint defect. Never ordered a vehicle before from BMW, Mercedes, Lexus that would have passed QC with this defect. My specific Model Y Performance did not have any paint defects. Guide says mobility service can fix it and so accepted delivery but detailer I took it to is skeptical this can really be fixed (especially in mobile service setting).
• Interior quality is more comparable to base configured lower-end products from the European “luxury” guys. Think X3, Q5, glc. Nice enough if you check your expectations and better than Tesla Y and arguably X/S. But doesn’t have sense of occasion.
• Driving is “fine“ and inline with my expectations given truck roots. I think the IX and X5 m50I handle better on the twisties. Maybe it was the weather but traction on launches were a little squirrelly. Rivian has off-road capabilities while the IX does not but I don’t anticipate going off-road much if at all. Leaving it in sport mode helped a little with body roll (is there any impact to tire wear like eco mode??? pointers would be appreciated).
• Air suspension is ok in default setting. IX air suspension is more refined with less bounce while handling potholes, rough roads with ease.
• Interior cabin is quiet enough but IX is much quieter on highway driving. Motor whine was considerably louder and not in a good way on R1S. IX is nearly silent except at very slow speeds. I think Tesla Model Y had less motor whine. Hopefully Enduro motors are quieter.
• Infotainment seems well laid out and snappier than IX. More comparable to Tesla. Assume it won’t be as customizable in terms of look (like the Tesla GUI) while IX does have some stylish graphics.
• Just preference but wish R1S steering wheel was beefier.
• Wish there was a way to adjust side bolsters on seating but otherwise comfortable.
• Had low expectations on sound. Exceeded my expectations. Not the best but nowhere near the worst I’ve heard At this price point.
• I can understand now why there are aftermarket running board options.
• Love the amount of the storage capacity and 3rd row legroom.

Only 40 miles in and it’s now at the PPF installer. At the pre-March 2022 price of ~$80k, it has met my expectations other than the paint defect (wonder if that “binding contract” I signed will still make me eligible for the $7500 pre IRA tax credit). I don’t think I would be happy at the current $96k pricing and would instead go with the Enduro option. It’s an impressive first showing from Rivian but I still think today I prefer the IX more. May just let the wife have the Rivian.

You should be fine for your $7500 tax credit. You won’t need to do anything with the binding purchase agreement to get it, just need to have on file - I amended my 2022 returns and got refund in like 2 weeks. Price was a steal for the vehicle (pre-hike + tax credit) IMO. Very happy with ours.

 

[Npa201]

Tired of hearing the Rivian interior doesn’t have a “sense of occasion”. The vehicle and its capabilities is an occasion compared to all those others. And am I the only one who thinks it is too nice inside and wish it was more focused on durability?

So even though I posted this thread, I actually agree with you (and think I’ve said it elsewhere on this thread). Part of the reason this was purchased was to have a vehicle where I don’t need to be precious with how we treat the vehicle as compared to my other vehicles that have upgraded merino leather packages (not just base leather or vinyl). It’s also the reason I chose the black interior vs the ocean coast and to be fair when we did see that in the show rooms, those interiors did have that wow factor. But as much as I wanted that interior, it was the light colored headliner that worried me even more than the light grey vinyl seats for more active usage. So the practical choice won and I’m still happy about that decision for our needs. Hopefully the vehicle’s other capabilities create that emotional bond in time for me. But for other vehicles that I’ve had that had arguably had more practical interiors, I’ve just found myself parting ways with those vehicles faster than other vehicles for me for whatever reason.

 

[HaveBlue]

The Forest Edge interior equals that of our Audi A7 I'd say. I'd expect this as it's ten years newer in design and fifteen years newer in design than our GX470. The three row is better thought out and more usable. The eight vs seven seat is not a very good trade off for how small the GX third row is. If the Rivian isn't a luxury car, I guess I'm pretty behind on stuff. Sure they didn't throw in every possible lux item but there's a line when you are creating the first EV offroad vehicle.

 

[runwithscissors]

My biggest issue is the ride quality on the R1S is trucky on bad pavement (which is everywhere). Hoping it will improve but I doubt it given the wheelbase. Getting in/out of it is a complaint from every single passenger that I've ever had in it. They need running boards from the factory with this because kneel mode just doesn't cut it. I don't mind hopping in it but people struggle with the handles and height.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Disagree on interior quality comparing to Q5 and X3. Way more plastic and rubber materials in those. Except the steering wheel, the vegan leather and materials on Dash and Doors outshines all BMWs that don’t have the Full Merino option. Speaking from 30 years of BMWs. I’d be tempted to say that the steering wheel leather in the Rivian will also hold up better than that soft-touch M wheel leather. Where the cheap BMWs score is fit & finish of interior versus Rivian.

iX has one of BMWs high end interiors so not surprised it would be slightly ahead of the Rivian.

Agreed. I just got the i4 M50 with the full Merino option, and most of the other finishings besides the leather aren't as nice as the Rivian. The vinyl and wood veneer trim are significantly lower quality than what's offered in the Rivian. I give the edge to the R1 on interior finishings even with the lower quality vinyl seats than the BMW leather. The seats in the Rivian stand out less as cheap than the dash and inlays do in the BMW.

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