Switched from Launch Edition Quad to Dual Motor Max Pack Performance -- my impressions / review

[NineElectrics]

- Fit an finish on the new dual motor has sightly improved. Liftgate alignment is decent now. There's one paint issue and the third row silver trim still is still off when viewed from the rear. Hood is slightly misaligned, and one plastic moulding is way off.
- Definitely missing the 12V ports.
- Elevation sound is definitely worse than Meridian sound, and Meridian sound wasn't all that great. Definitely going to take it to a shop to see if they can replace every single speaker (or as many as they can).
- Regen isn't as strong on the dual motor. This is slightly annoying, but I'll get used to it.
- It's slower off the line. This was expected, and I don't mind.
- Motor whine seems about the same.
- Camera quality is still meh.

EDIT: the door handle is missing parts. See attached photo.
EDIT 2: The horn sounds like something a clown might have on their bicycle.
EDIT 3: This car seems to "tock" a lot more than my quad did. This occurs while the suspension is changing height. 'm not sure if the cabin is quieter, or I'm listening to less music, or what. I'm used to the tock, but even I am bothered by its incessancy. I think it might drive some mainstream consumers bonkers.
EDIT 4: The charging pad is still completely useless for me.
EDIT 5: My detailer found a lot of minor scratches in the paint. Most can be polished out. They described the paint as "orange peel", which I'd agree with: the texture is not exactly flat. I like the look, though.
EDIT 6: The detailer found two chips in the paint.
EDIT 7: The passenger door pops and the sunroof can rattle on icy roads.

BUT:

- The dual motor drives better. I don't know if it's tuning, or just that new car smell, but it's smoother, and the suspension might be slightly better now, too. It definitely lurches less off the line.
- The infotainment map view seems slightly smoother. Again, this could be placebo.
- Compressor noise might be reduced.
- The surround view doesn't glitch now that there's no front license plate mount.
- The cabin is pretty quiet.
- No rattles! Of course, a new car has no opportunity to accumulate junk or wear.
- The differentials (probably) give better lateral stability in winter conditions.
- I have a modicum of extra range, which actually will make all the difference for some particular drives into the mountains in the winter.

The (in-person) delivery experience at the service center was top notch. Great work there, Rivian.

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[CharonPDX]

Yeah, on the Meridian vs. Elevation… If there were an actual high-quality audio source, it might matter. But streaming+HD Radio means I can’t plug in my even 256 kbps AAC, much less lossless/hi-res audio, so the fancy system is wasted.

 

[JoulesVerne]

Yeah, on the Meridian vs. Elevation… If there were an actual high-quality audio source, it might matter. But streaming+HD Radio means I can’t plug in my even 256 kbps AAC, much less lossless/hi-res audio, so the fancy system is wasted.

Tidal's HiFi Plus Max quality streams are supported by Rivian's app. Though it hasn't been updated to use the new terminology from Tidal. It is still called "Master" which used to be MQA, which sounds great. Tidal now calls MQA and high sample rate FLAC "Max" as they transition their library to FLAC.

I have the Meridian system and the difference between Spotify's max quality and Tidal's max quality is pretty stark, with Tidal earning their money in my opinion.

 

[NineElectrics]

I stream both Tidal and Bluetooth AAC from my iPhone. I can hear the difference between Meridian and Elevation audio even over Bluetooth AAC.

 

[JoulesVerne]

I stream both Tidal and Bluetooth AAC from my iPhone. I can hear the difference even with Bluetooth AAC.

Cramming highly compressed/lossy music over Bluetooth is never going to sound great.

Funny that Tidal's big innovation is streaming CD quality music (until you pay for the HiFi Plus tier). The tag line should be "Hear your music like it's 1992!"

 

[shortblondemark]

Funny that Tidal's big innovation is streaming CD quality music (until you pay for the HiFi Plus tier). The tag line should be "Hear your music like it's 1992!"

In my older age I might argue there’s been no good music since then anyway

 

[NineElectrics]

Just discovered this. Oops! How did this pass quality control?

 

[Enjen]

What prompted the switch? Was there something about the Quad that wasn't ideal for you? Or something in particular about the Dual you were after?

 

[NineElectrics]

What prompted the switch? Was there something about the Quad that wasn't ideal for you? Or something in particular about the Dual you were after?

Winter range on the quad, with winter tires, and a cargo rack, and bitter cold, can sometimes be as little as 180 miles. That's not quite enough in some situations. When you go into the mountains, there is no charging, so that means a trip of only 90 miles out. I also wanted to switch into a lease for peace of mind around resale value. Finally, I had a ton of initial problems with the quad, which was one of the early ones, and I am hoping for fewer surprises as the car ages.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Just discovered this. Oops! How did this pass quality control?

Between shifts? Lunch break? Early Monday or late Friday?

 

[Supratachophobia]

- Fit an finish on the new dual motor has sightly improved. Liftgate alignment is decent now. There's one paint issue and the third row silver trim still is still off when viewed from the rear. Hood is slightly misaligned, and one plastic moulding is way off.
- Definitely missing the 12V ports.
- Elevation sound is definitely worse than Meridian sound, and Meridian sound wasn't all that great. Definitely going to take it to a shop to see if they can replace every single speaker (or as many as they can).
- Regen isn't as strong on the dual motor. This is slightly annoying, but I'll get used to it.
- It's slower off the line. This was expected, and I don't mind.
- Motor whine seems about the same.
- Camera quality is still meh.

EDIT: the door handle is missing parts. See attached photo.

BUT:

- The dual motor drives better. I don't know if it's tuning, or just that new car smell, but it's smoother, and the suspension might be slightly better now, too.
- The infotainment map view seems slightly smoother. Again, this could be placebo.
- Compressor noise might be reduced.
- The surround view doesn't glitch now that there's no front license plate mount.
- The cabin is pretty quiet.
- No rattles! Of course, a new car has no opportunity to accumulate junk or wear.
- The differentials (probably) give better lateral stability in winter conditions.
- I have a modicum of extra range, which actually will make all the difference for some particular drives into the mountains in the winter.

The (in-person) delivery experience at the service center was top notch. Great work there, Rivian.

I'm currently hovering over a quad purchase in the store with prehike pricing. Would you say the dual is a better value/better iteration?
What has been your real-world efficiency improvements over the quad?
Does conserve mode on the quad account for any extra range worth mentioning?

Basically, if you could do over, would you have been pleased with the dual to begin with?

Edit: oh, and any differences DCFC?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I'm currently hovering over a quad purchase in the store with prehike pricing. Would you say the dual is a better value/better iteration?
What has been your real-world efficiency improvements over the quad?
Does conserve mode on the quad account for any extra range worth mentioning?

Basically, if you could do over, would you have been pleased with the dual to begin with?

Edit: oh, and any differences DCFC?

This is how I looked at it when I was deciding on keeping my 10/2021 config as PDM-Max, or switch to QM-L:

• Features per dollar, pre-hike QM-L is relatively a good deal. And if you're also thinking in terms of final cost including taxes and fees, or want wiggle room to pick an additional-cost color, the lower purchase price matters.
• If you are not concerned about higher final purchase price... And the slight edge on efficiency and/or range is more important to you—than extra drive mods and outright performance—DM & PDM is your uncle.

I don't think charging speeds are different enough to be a deciding factor. If I could do it all over, I wouldn't have done any different. I didn't want to pay more for the idea of having less of everything except the extra 30-40 miles of range. Still don't. YMMV.

 

[NineElectrics]

I don't think charging speeds are different enough to be a deciding factor. If I could do it all over, I wouldn't have done any different. I didn't want to pay more for the idea of having less of everything except the extra 30-40 miles of range. Still don't. YMMV.

I agree with this, even though I did in fact do the switch to DM. The pre-hike pricing for the quad is a great deal (especially if you get the tax credit). The DM really just gets you extra range, which isn't worth it for most people. It just so happens to be worth it to me.

 

[itselectric]

@NineElectrics - you're saying the motor whine is about the same? Is that all of the time or just when both motors are engaged? Any sense of how it compared to conserve mode on the quad?

One thing I'm personally hoping for with the DM is motor whine that is reduced. I know some like it, but I have an unfortunate affliction where I can hear high pitched noises much more clearly and loudly than most people. It sucks.

 

[Supratachophobia]

@NineElectrics - you're saying the motor whine is about the same? Is that all of the time or just when both motors are engaged? Any sense of how it compared to conserve mode on the quad?

One thing I'm personally hoping for with the DM is motor whine that is reduced. I know some like it, but I have an unfortunate affliction where I can hear high pitched noises much more clearly and loudly than most people. It sucks.

Samsies, good question. I heard a dual motor roll away yesterday and zero whine.

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