Just test drove a Model X...

[zipzag]

The X is closer to a minivan than an SUV. The vehicle Tesla makes that is closest to an SUV is the Cybertruck.

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[paco180]

After owning 3 Teslas, (S, X, 3) I left Tesla because, once you buy a vehicle from them, you are on your own, ( They have a team to keep you from going to service center) poor customer service, and vehicle service experience. Uber credit, no loaner, after expending 80-90k for a vehicle.
and now no stalks, no parking sensors, ect….. You now pay more for less. No thank you!

 

[Count Orlok]

The X has a much more refined gentle cycle and also helps keep The Count's thong speedos clean. Oh... wait... The Count thought this was a thread about a maytag washer...

 

[Chris TX]

R1S is much more nimble than the model X. Are you kidding me? This review lost all credibility once that was said.

And the software is just at different levels of maturity. For where Rivian’s is, it is written much better and at higher quality.

Driven both. I agree with the OP that the R1S is more nimble than the MX, which feels like a floaty car since it's based on the Model S. Turning radius for the MX is about 1ft less, but put the R1S in Low ride height and feel to Stiff, and it rides on rails compared to the MX.

 

[Glembi2]

You can drive an R1S hard at turns without losing confidence it’ll miss the turn. It can take absorb more Gs, speed out of turns, generally be pushed harder.

The MX simply doesn’t have adequate suspension to do this. It’s fast for going straight but that’s it.

Still trying to get my head around this one.

My experiences with Teslas are limited to the 3 and that was limited at best. Ive never pushed my R1S, thinking it would not hold a line but now everyone is making me question that assumption. Maybe it can?

 

[TexasBob]

After owning 3 Teslas, (S, X, 3) I left Tesla because, once you buy a vehicle from them, you are on your own, ( They have a team to keep you from going to service center) poor customer service, and vehicle service experience. Uber credit, no loaner, after expending 80-90k for a vehicle.
and now no stalks, no parking sensors, ect….. You now pay more for less. No thank you!

If Tesla is losing good customers like you, they need to get very worried!

My experience has been different. Just tonight we discovered a problem with my wife's model S: the self-presenting door handle on the passenger side is sticking. At 6pm I put in a mobile service request on the app. By 6:45 the request had been approved and the estimate ($0.00) had come in for my approval. By 7:30 pm the service had been scheduled for day after tomorrow at my house.

When the Tesla system works it is fantastic (just like Rivian mobile service). When it does not it alienates otherwise loyal customers. smh.

 

[mkg3]

Still trying to get my head around this one.

My experiences with Teslas are limited to the 3 and that was limited at best. Ive never pushed my R1S, thinking it would not hold a line but now everyone is making me question that assumption. Maybe it can?

You're not wrong. Others just have a different take and experience.

Model X has lower CG, lighter by 1800 lbs roughly, and has lower lock-to-lock steering wheel turn.

R1S w/22" in sports mode is a very sporty truck with neck snapping acceleration but the tires have a very poor performance compared to Continentals summer tires that Model X Plaid has, not to mention the staggered f/r tire size optimized for handling to match the power bias towards the rear motors.

My personal experience is that I'll take Tesla handling over Rivian every time on the road. Off-road, clearly the Rivian has an edge. After pushing my R1S through twisty mountain roads (sports mode, stiff, lowest, traction control low), I felt uncomfortable pushing it where on the same road I could push Tesla. The primary reason, I believe for me, is the sitting position is too high and also could feel the tire limits, even with super light steering feedback on R1S.

As a 7K lbs ESUV, R1S is probably the best handler for this type of a vehicle and better than any ICE SUV too. MX is not an eSUV, really. Just because it has a hatchback and an option for the 3rd row seat doesn't make it so. Its a station wagon - a sedan with some cargo space beyond the normal trunk/boot.

I keep hoping that a better tire option will come along from Michelin... no not the LTX M/S2, more like Pilot Sport A/S or Cross Climate 2 by the time I need to replace my 22" OE tires.

 

[Prime]

After owning 3 Teslas, (S, X, 3) I left Tesla because, once you buy a vehicle from them, you are on your own, ( They have a team to keep you from going to service center) poor customer service, and vehicle service experience. Uber credit, no loaner, after expending 80-90k for a vehicle.
and now no stalks, no parking sensors, ect….. You now pay more for less. No thank you!

Maybe you left prematurely? I just tried the full self driving that became available on our MY and am pretty blown away. I never tried the beta so this is my first experience and it was a great one. For service our Model Y got a loaner when we needed it or an enterprise loaner if they didn’t have vehicles. In my experience one visit to Tesla fixed my issues. Rivian has taken 6 visits and we are still on the same issues..

I had a loaner driver tell me anmong all the EV service centers Rivian gets the most pickups for loaners by far.

 

[fyton2v]

I own a Tesla and don't yet own a Rivian. It's clearly an apples vs. oranges vehicle comparison. Aside from both being EVs, they aren't the same. How do the companies compare? We know Tesla doesn't give a s*** about customers. Is Rivian as bad or headed in a similar direction?

 

[ElGuapo]

The FWDs are an issue for us. We are on our second X and have the same “ghost” sensor issues we had with our 2016 X. The new one is a 2022. They’ve replaced the door sensors but one door still stops about 15% open 80% of the time. Not helpful for carpool!

Otherwise, you can’t really compare the two as the OP mentioned.

Also, Rivian cares about customers but can’t open and staff service centers fast enough. Same issue Tesla had 10+ years ago. So service waits are insanely long. But Tesla service still sucks (see opening paragraph about our FWDs).

 

[bdwalters]

I haven’t driven an X, but I can’t imagine that it isn’t more nimble than an R1S. It handles really well for a truck, but it’s still 7000 pounds. No amount of good engineering can completely hide that.

The X is very efficient compared to the R1s, making it a superior long distance driver.

The Tesla software is also much better overall. It has more features, the games and streaming options are good for bored kids, the navigation is miles better, the voice commands are significantly better, and the self driving isn’t even close. We just got the FSD v12 trial, and it is shockingly good. (I still wouldn’t pay more than $5k for it.) That said, the Rivian software is still pretty darn good for basic organization and functionality. I like it.

I would still take an R1S over an X on looks alone. And the utility and space is much better too. They are very different vehicles.

 

[R1TS]

My parents have an X. The Falcon doors have never failed, but they are a constant annoyance. They don't do anything better than a normal door. Everyone who has to get in and out of them hates them.

As a parent of multiple little kids, it’s a godsend. You don’t realize how much better it is to have automatic doors with kids versus the heavy doors of the X, especially in school drop off and pick up lines when a kid has to open doors themselves or wait for a staff to help. Also, it keeps the rain away from falling down on you when you’re loading and unloading kids.

 

[alacritousOmega]

I was between a Model X Plaid and R1S Quad:

One situation made the choice very easy:

I needed to transport 4x8 sheets from Home Depot. The Model X cant have roof racks. I regularly need to transport supplies. Therefore, I chose the R1S.

That was the moment I decided on Rivian.


Also, I wanted a safe family car with ample interior storage, towing capabilities, room to fit my 9'6" longboard (which does indeed fit inside!).

Hoping Rivian can get past what I'm calling the 'fat baby stage' lol
(Sooo much initial capital that they got a little lazy with optimizations. However, on the other hand we end up with a 150k vehicle for only 95k haha)

 

[Rad_ry]

Do you mean software UI? The software ‘stack’ is not something a customer can discern.

 

[Nacho Rivian]

I had some spare time on my hands today, and on a whim, I decided to go test drive a Model X. Currently I have a R1S Dual Motor Max Pack.

As a little background, I have only driven a Model Y once before, and that was a rental from Hertz. I was throughly unimpressed by it. The ride was harsh and it felt cheap. So I went into the test drive of the Model X with low expectations

Anyway, I dropped by the local Tesla "store" signed up for a demo, was give a key fob and off I went. The Model X in question was a standard 5 seat Model X with a steering wheel and no stalks.

After driving the car on twisty roads as well as on the highway for around 30 minutes, I came away quite impressed - though to be fair I went in with quite low expectations. Here are some of quick observations:

• Very quiet compared to my R1S. I didn't hear any of the motor whine and the wind noise was practically non-existent. To be fair we are comparing an egg to a boxy shaped SUV
• The ride was smoother and felt more planted than the R1S. To be expected as the Model X is a CUV vs the Rivian being an SUV
• As expected, the X felt more nimble and maneuverable than the R1S.
• Brake regen was far less dramatic on the X than the R1S. I prefer Rivian's implementation as I feel it is more conducive to 1 pedal driving.
• The Tesla software stack is simply light years ahead of Rivian's.
• Having the turn signals on the steering wheel didn't bother me... until I had to use them when the steering wheel was turned e.g. signaling out of a roundabout in which case they are utterly maddening
• This vehicle had the horn in the center of the steering wheel. , where it should be
• The R1S simply has far more utility than the Model X if you do outdoor activities such as kayaking, surfing etc as the FWD don't allow for a roof rack.
• Speaking of the FWD, On the one hand they provide amazing access to the rear seats, on the other hand , and as many have reported, they look like trouble waiting to happen. That said, they opened and closed faster than I expected.
• The interior of the X is certainly more spartan than the R1S, but it is honestly didn't feel as cheap as I expected it to be. I would say it is at the level of a 50K vehicle. Certainly no where near the level of a European car in the same price range and absolutely atrocious at pre-price cut levels.

I came away from my experience torn. On the one hand I really liked the software stack, performance, handling, and quiet of the X vs the R1S; on the other hand, I like the utility, style, and ruggedness of the R1S. Ultimately that isn't surprising when you think about the architecture and goal of each vehicle.

At the end of the day, it comes down to horses for courses.

Nice review… but people choose all different cars for more than 1 million reasons. I am all about utility and performance so Rivian is my vehicle..

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