Sponsored

Pherdnut

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Threads
32
Messages
640
Reaction score
753
Location
Chicago
Vehicles
2015 Mazda CX-9
Edit: one concern I totally blanked on added below before TEST DRIVE

Edit edit: Also forgot re-confirm the phenom of everybody who works at Rivian being absolutely jazzed about the brand, happy to the be there and very happy to answer questions. Nice folks.

TLDR: It is very good.

PRE-TEST DRIVE

First time I saw it in person. There were three trucks to check out on site demoing camping, storage, and materials but also different colors and all three of the LE/Adventure interiors. The trucks were just a smidge smaller than I would have expected even though I was well aware of their dimensions. This didn't bother me and made me feel better about driving them in a city. They are noticeably a smidge larger than a Taco.

As hoped, every interior felt like the world melting off my shoulders. The seats were very comfortable. The interior design promotes a sense of calm. There's just the right amount of space in the front seats all-around. It was hard to get out of the trucks when I started feeling like I was being an interior-hog. There were three on display, each with 1 of the 3 LE interiors. I got to the point of feeling like I was being an interior hog in all three of them.

I didn't test the rear seats. No kids. Friends shouldn't get too comfortable in my R1T.

I'm not a sound nerd but I noticed how good the sound was. R1T blasting of the Pixies' Surfer Rosa was beyond adequate. It was exceptional.

Every color I saw looked great. El Cap, White, Black, Forest Green, Blue (does not disappoint from the pics), and yes there was one yellow test drive truck that kept catching my eye every time it passed by. In person it inhabits a weird place between school bus and mustard for me. And every interior looked fantastic to me. Much better than the CG from the configurator. Not helpful, Rivian. Now I have to re-decide a dozen times over again.

Pictures don't do the 22" wheels justice. If I had no intention of trying out some off-roading, I'd be seriously considering them.

UX/UI - The main touch screen is very nice. Pretty responsive for the most part. Minor delays occasionally, when bouncing in and out of nav in particular. The UI is solid. Figuring out how to categorize everything would be challenging and finding my way to stuff did require a little, but not a lot of hunting. The physical context controls they do have on the steering wheel work well. Almost like a couple d-pads but with the up/downs being handled by rollers.

There was merch. Oh yes. Got a navy blue T-Shirt with a tiny compass logo. All I ever really wanted.

Minor criticisms:

* The physical controls work well but they feel a little cheap compared to the rest of the interior. Hop into any recent Mazda and turn a knob or press button. It's much nicer in terms of material quality and tactile feedback than rotating that plastic spikey cylinder or pushing the rockers.

* Paraphrased answer to questions about whether they were pursuing games: "We're focusing more on the outdoors and video games don't really align with that." This might have been somebody going off-script but just in case it's not, @Rivian, please be aware, there's no nature at the Jewel where I'll be hanging out and doing a lot of free level 2 charging if I can't get it wired up in my parking lot in Chicago. Even if adventure charging opens up by the lake, I won't be looking to have nature-gasms there while the truck charges in the middle of January when I'll likely be between camping trips. Games are a no-brainer in any EV that doesn't charge from near-0 to 80% in 5 minutes or less. Don't ignore streaming video either. Hopefully the hardware is up to both.

* Whyfor no have launch green, limestone and Canyon Red in the test drive fleet so we can see all the colors in person finally?

* Edit: It was kind of weird no power tonneau was shown. They were saying to reduce on wear and tear(?). This makes the question of whether the tonneau would be deployable if the motor dies even more important to me. Definitely prefer motor redundant doors and such.

TEST DRIVE

FD: I'm new to EVs and off-roading.

The co-pilot isn't just there to keep people from doing something stupid. S/he is also there to make sure you know that no really, the truck can actually do that thing on the course you're about to do.

Single-pedal driving is pretty easy to adapt to. And the truck has a lot of play in the accelerator where it counts. When you want to crawl it's easy. When you want to rocket you have to let it know, which is not hard, but hard to do by accident.

0 to 60 in 3 seconds the second time did not get old.

I forgot the steering wheel seemed a bit small the second I started driving.

The 4-motor factor is legit. They slowly upgrade the off-road tests to the point where you become aware of how rapidly the truck seems to adapt to changing circumstances. Big tipping on the roll and pitch axes and I didn't feel like I was in danger of the truck rolling over even once. Tests ranged from gravel, dirt, tackling big bumps with one side of the truck for a lot of roll, etc.

The finale is a maybe 45 degree hill up really rocky terrain and definitely a 45 degree dirt hill down. The crawl up was done at a few mph the whole way. This is where you really see that EV torque factor. It's moderately intimidating but they do a good job of building up your expectations of what the truck can handle up to that point.

This truck is nuts. Based on what I've heard people say about ICE off-roading, a lot of us are going to be noveaux off-road wankers who basically got to ignore a large swath of an entire skill-set because we started with R1Ts. But what I saw and did with this truck in my test drive felt a lot nuts.

The test drive trucks were SILENT. No safety noise that I could hear.


Minor criticisms:

* Really boring drive back to Chicago in my ICE SUV. Thanks a lot Rivian.
Sponsored

 
Last edited:

Blur1t

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
259
Reaction score
252
Location
Mason
Vehicles
R1T Launch, Subaru Cross trek
Occupation
Enrolled Agent
Thanks! Great review!!
 

Gerolsteiner

Active Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
34
Reaction score
56
Location
Chicago
Vehicles
2022 Model Y
Occupation
Renewable Energy
Great review! Did they have a Chicago address on file for you? I was under the impression we were out of the range for the Normal test drives but now I…I…I just don’t know what to believe
 

Sponsored

LaunchGreen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Threads
5
Messages
524
Reaction score
1,105
Location
California
Vehicles
Range Rover
I need to find a new place for tacos, I’ve been getting ripped off
 

DuckTruck

Well-Known Member
First Name
Duck
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
Threads
33
Messages
2,343
Reaction score
6,228
Location
PNW
Vehicles
Corvair, BMW325, Acura Legend, XC60, '16 Caddy ELR
Clubs
 
Pherdnut,

Thanks for the great story about your experience. It's so cool to hear how much fun you had and to know we're so close to seeing these beauties rolling around the country. It's also nice to hear your observations about the amazing capabilities of the R1T. Thanks for sharing! (BTW, They somehow managed to ruin all of my cars while I was away, as well. They're noisy, smelly and way slower than I remember.)

While you had to leave the truck in Normal, did you at least keep the Perma-grin? It's kinda hard to lose. ?
 
Last edited:

wicked2112

Well-Known Member
First Name
Kenny
Joined
Jun 5, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
314
Reaction score
295
Location
Salem Oregon
Vehicles
Subaru Outback & CrossTrek
Occupation
Warranty & Product Integrity Manager - Yakima Racks.
Clubs
 
TLDR: It is very good.

PRE-TEST DRIVE

First time I saw it in person. There were three trucks to check out on site demoing camping, storage, and materials but also different colors and all three of the LE/Adventure interiors. The trucks were just a smidge smaller than I would have expected even though I was well aware of their dimensions. This didn't bother me and made me feel better about driving them in a city. They are noticeably a smidge larger than a Taco.

As hoped, every interior felt like the world melting off my shoulders. The seats were very comfortable. The interior design promotes a sense of calm. There's just the right amount of space in the front seats all-around. It was hard to get out of the trucks when I started feeling like I was being an interior-hog. There were three on display, each with 1 of the 3 LE interiors. I got to the point of feeling like I was being an interior hog in all three of them.

I didn't test the rear seats. No kids. Friends shouldn't get too comfortable in my R1T.

I'm not a sound nerd but I noticed how good the sound was. R1T blasting of the Pixies' Surfer Rosa was beyond adequate. It was exceptional.

Every color I saw looked great. El Cap, White, Black, Forest Green, Blue (does not disappoint from the pics), and yes there was one yellow test drive truck that kept catching my eye every time it passed by. In person it inhabits a weird place between school bus and mustard for me. And every interior looked fantastic to me. Much better than the CG from the configurator. Not helpful, Rivian. Now I have to re-decide a dozen times over again.

Pictures don't do the 22" wheels justice. If I had no intention of trying out some off-roading, I'd be seriously considering them.

UX/UI - The main touch screen is very nice. Pretty responsive for the most part. Minor delays occasionally, when bouncing in and out of nav in particular. The UI is solid. Figuring out how to categorize everything would be challenging and finding my way to stuff did require a little, but not a lot of hunting. The physical context controls they do have on the steering wheel work well. Almost like a couple d-pads but with the up/downs being handled by rollers.

There was merch. Oh yes. Got a navy blue T-Shirt with a tiny compass logo. All I ever really wanted.

Minor criticisms:

* The physical controls work well but they feel a little cheap compared to the rest of the interior. Hop into any recent Mazda and turn a knob or press button. It's much nicer in terms of material quality and tactile feedback than rotating that plastic spikey cylinder or pushing the rockers.

* Paraphrased answer to questions about whether they were pursuing games: "We're focusing more on the outdoors and video games don't really align with that." This might have been somebody going off-script but just in case it's not, @Rivian, please be aware, there's no nature at the Jewel where I'll be hanging out and doing a lot of free level 2 charging if I can't get it wired up in my parking lot in Chicago. Even if adventure charging opens up by the lake, I won't be looking to have nature-gasms there while the truck charges in the middle of January when I'll likely be between camping trips. Games are a no-brainer in any EV that doesn't charge from near-0 to 80% in 5 minutes or less. Don't ignore streaming video either. Hopefully the hardware is up to both.

* Whyfor no have launch green, limestone and Canyon Red in the test drive fleet so we can see all the colors in person finally?

TEST DRIVE

FD: I'm new to EVs and off-roading.

The co-pilot isn't just there to keep people from doing something stupid. S/he is also there to make sure you know that no really, the truck can actually do that thing on the course you're about to do.

Single-pedal driving is pretty easy to adapt to. And the truck has a lot of play in the accelerator where it counts. When you want to crawl it's easy. When you want to rocket you have to let it know, which is not hard, but hard to do by accident.

0 to 60 in 3 seconds the second time did not get old.

I forgot the steering wheel seemed a bit small the second I started driving.

The 4-motor factor is legit. They slowly upgrade the off-road tests to the point where you become aware of how rapidly the truck seems to adapt to changing circumstances. Big tipping on the roll and pitch axes and I didn't feel like I was in danger of the truck rolling over even once. Tests ranged from gravel, dirt, tackling big bumps with one side of the truck for a lot of roll, etc.

The finale is a maybe 45 degree hill up really rocky terrain and definitely a 45 degree dirt hill down. The crawl up was done at a few mph the whole way. This is where you really see that EV torque factor. It's moderately intimidating but they do a good job of building up your expectations of what the truck can handle up to that point.

This truck is nuts. Based on what I've heard people say about ICE off-roading, a lot of us are going to be noveaux off-road wankers who basically got to ignore a large swath of an entire skill-set because we started with R1Ts. But what I saw and did with this truck in my test drive felt a little nuts.

The test drive trucks were SILENT. No safety noise that I could hear.


Minor criticisms:

* Really boring drive back to Chicago in my ICE SUV. Thanks a lot Rivian.
Thank you for sharing! Sorry about your ride home!
 

mike22co

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Aug 2, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
90
Reaction score
148
Location
Centennial, CO
Vehicles
Tesla Model 3, BMW X3 (x2), s00n R1S
Occupation
Person
While you had to leave the truck in Normal, did you at least keep the Perma-grin? It's kinda hard to lose. ?
i hope we get to see your PERSONAL R1T tomorrow!
 

Craigins

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2021
Threads
2
Messages
1,555
Reaction score
2,355
Location
Chicago Suburbs
Vehicles
Rivian R1T
Occupation
Software engineer
Clubs
 
Great review! Did they have a Chicago address on file for you? I was under the impression we were out of the range for the Normal test drives but now I…I…I just don’t know what to believe
I'm out in the western suburbs and I was invited, going down on the 30th.

OP: sounds like a great time, hoping my visit is similar.
 

Sponsored

LeoH

Well-Known Member
First Name
Leo
Joined
Jun 12, 2020
Threads
4
Messages
371
Reaction score
440
Location
Illinois
Vehicles
RIVIAN R1S, Tesla S, MAzda CX-30, Toyota Sienna
Occupation
Software Engineering Director
I'm out in the western suburbs and I was invited, going down on the 30th.

OP: sounds like a great time, hoping my visit is similar.
I am in the western suburbs as well and got the invite for October 3rd. It seems many of us from around here got the invites in the past 10 days or so.
 

KurtP

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
72
Reaction score
135
Location
Philadelphia
Vehicles
BMW X5
I am hoping to hear more about the build quality and materials used inside - I saw some of the pictures of the back of the seats (and pockets) which looked somewhat cheap.
Until I get the opportunity to test drive the R1S (which I assume has the same seats and interior config), can someone speak to the feel of the materials used?
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Pherdnut

Pherdnut

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Threads
32
Messages
640
Reaction score
753
Location
Chicago
Vehicles
2015 Mazda CX-9
I am hoping to hear more about the build quality and materials used inside - I saw some of the pictures of the back of the seats (and pockets) which looked somewhat cheap.
Until I get the opportunity to test drive the R1S (which I assume has the same seats and interior config), can someone speak to the feel of the materials used?
I mentioned the controls on the steering wheel feeling a smidge subpar materials-wise, but overall I liked the interiors an awful lot. Everything felt well-made/solid for the most part. Didn't get a super close look at the back of the front seats though.
 

Craigins

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2021
Threads
2
Messages
1,555
Reaction score
2,355
Location
Chicago Suburbs
Vehicles
Rivian R1T
Occupation
Software engineer
Clubs
 
Build in at least an hour before or after to check out the trucks they have on display.
Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the heads up.

Have a 12:30 slot, figure I'll do the event then hit avantis for a late lunch and take some back for the family.
Sponsored

 
 




Top