Took delivery yesterday: first impressions and Tesla comparison

[CGM55082]

I nervously took delivery of my R1T yesterday. Nervously because I have read so many stories about people with issues -- and I live 220 miles from the nearest service center. My truck had it's first service visit after I drove it half a block from the Rivian facility because the steering wheel wasn't aligned -- instead of being level at 9 and 3-o-clock it was more like 8 and 2. Not sure why they didn't catch that or thought it was something they could pass on to a customer, but they did take it back to service immediately and got it mostly resolved, though it took two tries and a few hours. The chief tech did it himself the second time. Despite me being a little frustrated by this issue, I will say the tech was awesome as was everyone else. The rest of the truck was in great shape.

The good:
* Very high quality that is immediately noticeable and appreciated
* Drives and feels rock solid
* Very quiet - and I have the 20 A/T tires - also verified with a db reader
* No rattles or squeaks
* Like the versatility of the ride settings
* The sound system is absolutely amazing -- blows away anything else I've experienced in a vehicle and I'm a bit of an audiophile
* Alexa integration worked pretty well for voice commands

The not so good:
* While fast, it does not have the instant "snapiness" of my Model 3 that I love so much -- in fairness, it is a truck after all.
* Software obviously isn't nearly as far along as Tesla
* Driver+ is nowhere near as good as Tesla. It almost veered into another car at one point and I had to take control quickly. It also is so annoying that it will stop working on an interstate (the 101) randomly and repeatedly. Why are only sections of such well-travelled interstates mapped?
* As is well documented, the nav system isn't to be trusted yet. It wanted to re-route me several times and I checked it against Google maps on my phone and determined the re-route from the Rivian would have cost me much more time.

Many of the software issues I'm okay with, because I know they'll get better over time. The lead tech I talked with said software and service (mobile service in particular) are a priority. Said the software updates should be coming every two or three weeks and will be significant updates now that they have enough cars on the road to diagnose and correct issues. On the software front, he said they are working on entertainment features to watch/use while charging (e.g., Netflix, YouTube, games). On the mechanical side, he said the tonneau covers now have some new parts and they are looking at a redesign if it's determined to be necessary.

As to how the R1T compares to the Model 3 that I love, it gets much more difficult. I still need to adjust to the R1T because it's such a different driving experience and is like comparing apples to oranges relative to the Tesla. They sit on opposite ends of the EV spectrum so it's almost impossible to compare them. I'll report back when I get more seat time.

Sponsored

 

[R1Sky Business]

Congratulations... time for a road trip. !!!!

 

[SmorOfNaivir]

The not so good:
* While fast, it does not have the instant "snapiness" of my Model 3 that I love so much -- in fairness, it is a truck after all.

Can you elaborate? What version Model 3 did you have? I have a LR Model Y, and have heard this about the R1T - the lack of snapiness comparative to Tesla. The MY is the fastest car I've driven (with the software upgrade to 4.2 0-60), so I'm curious how the R1T's 3.1 0-60 can feel less snappy. Like, 3 seconds of time isn't a lot of time for comparative analysis, no?

 

[rodhx]

On the mechanical side, he said the tonneau covers now have some new parts and they are looking at a redesign if it's determined to be necessary.

That’s good news. Like many of us the power cover is my one real concern.

 

[Gabe1aron]

I was planning to keep my Tesla after the Rivian arrives for 2 reasons: 1) Tesla’s supercharger network and 2) Native Netflix and Youtube apps. But…. When thise thing both open up to the Rivian, I wont need the Tesla anymore

 

[wsgrunner]

Can you elaborate? What version Model 3 did you have? I have a LR Model Y, and have heard this about the R1T - the lack of snapiness comparative to Tesla. The MY is the fastest car I've driven (with the software upgrade to 4.2 0-60), so I'm curious how the R1T's 3.1 0-60 can feel less snappy. Like, 3 seconds of time isn't a lot of time for comparative analysis, no?

From my perspective, and it’s only been through a recent First Mile Mobile drive as I am still waiting for my R1T to ship from IL, I also have a LR MY and I agree with the OP, it’s fast but not instantaneous, but considering it’s considerably larger and a 7200lb vehicle, so it makes sense to me.

 

[FrankieJ]

Can you elaborate? What version Model 3 did you have? I have a LR Model Y, and have heard this about the R1T - the lack of snapiness comparative to Tesla. The MY is the fastest car I've driven (with the software upgrade to 4.2 0-60), so I'm curious how the R1T's 3.1 0-60 can feel less snappy. Like, 3 seconds of time isn't a lot of time for comparative analysis, no?

I’m with you on the snappiness. It will blow the doors off a Model 3. Those that have experienced the acceleration in my R1T have compared it to a roller coaster. Some have actually gotten dizzy. I totally agree with his assessment of the sound system. Others on this forum have referred to the sound system as decent but not great. I have listened to several high end systems and in my opinion some are close but none are better.

 

[jffkm]

Can you elaborate? What version Model 3 did you have? I have a LR Model Y, and have heard this about the R1T - the lack of snapiness comparative to Tesla. The MY is the fastest car I've driven (with the software upgrade to 4.2 0-60), so I'm curious how the R1T's 3.1 0-60 can feel less snappy. Like, 3 seconds of time isn't a lot of time for comparative analysis, no?

I don’t own one yet but the first drive experience I had with the R1t was very similar and I have a model 3 dual motor. It’s all about the pedal mapping and distance. It requires way more travel to get the truck moving faster vs a flick of the heel/toe on the model 3. The end result is if you aren’t launching and jamming the pedal down, it can feel less responsive and slower than the 3. I had the same impression. 0-30 model 3 feels faster but From 30-60 though the pull was very strong in the truck vs model 3.

 

[hed]

I really like our R1T. Our particular vehicle has o only one tiny issue (floor peg) but everything else is almost perfect. Paint, gaps, interior fit and finish. The more I drive it the more I like it.

Oddly enough owning the Rivian gave me more appreciation for our '21 M3P. That car is just so smooth, easy and fun to drive. I thought we would sell our M3 after we received the R1T but instead have decided to keep it for a while longer.

In regards to the acceleration feel the Rivian is a different expreince than the M3 acceleration. M3 is more of an event I would say, more visceral in a way. I think because the R1T is bigger, probably more insulated, you sit up higher, etc. that its a more muted, yet powerful take off.

,02

 

[SANZC02]

I nervously took delivery of my R1T yesterday. Nervously because I have read so many stories about people with issues -- and I live 220 miles from the nearest service center. My truck had it's first service visit after I drove it half a block from the Rivian facility because the steering wheel wasn't aligned -- instead of being level at 9 and 3-o-clock it was more like 8 and 2. Not sure why they didn't catch that or thought it was something they could pass on to a customer, but they did take it back to service immediately and got it mostly resolved, thought it took two tries and few hours. The chief tech did it himself the second time. Despite being a little frustrated by this issue, I will say the tech was awesome as was everyone else. The rest of the truck was in great shape.

The good:
* Very high quality that is immediately noticeable and appreciated
* Drives and feels rock solid
* Very quiet - and I have the 20 A/T tires - also verified with a db reader
* No rattles or squeaks
* Like the versatility of the ride settings
* The sound system is absolutely amazing -- blows away anything else I've experienced and I'm a bit of an audiophile
* Alexa integration worked pretty well for voice commands

The not so good:
* While fast, it does not have the instant "snapiness" of my Model 3 that I love so much -- in fairness, it is a truck after all.
* Software obviously isn't nearly as far along as Tesla
* Driver+ is nowhere near as good as Tesla. It almost veered into another car at one point and I had to take control quickly. It also is so annoying that it will stop working on an interstate (the 101) randomly and repeatedly. Why are only sections of such well-travelled interstates mapped?
* As is well documented, the nav system isn't to be trusted yet. It wanted to re-route me several times and I checked it against Google maps on my phone and determined the re-route from the Rivian would have cost me much more time.

Many of the software issues I'm okay with, because I know they'll get better over time. The lead tech I talked with said software and service (mobile service in particular) are a priority. Said the software updates should be coming every two or three weeks and will be significant updates now that they have enough cars on the road to diagnose and correct issues. On the software front, he said they are working on entertainment features to watch/use while charging (e.g., Netflix, YouTube, games). On the mechanical side, he said the tonneau covers now have some new parts and they are looking at a redesign if it's determined to be necessary.

As the R1T compares to the Model 3 that I love, it gets much more difficult. I still need to adjust to the R1T because it's such a different driving experience and is like comparing apples to oranges relative to the Tesla. They sit on opposite ends of the EV spectrum so it's almost impossible to compare them. I'll report back when I get more seat time.

I think the speed is a perception thing. When Kyle from Out of Spec did their EV drag race shootout, the R1T on the 20 inch AT was dead even with a model 3 performance until about 60 then just pulled away until it hit the speed limiter

That is the slowest wheel configuration for the R1T. Even on those wheels it was not slower than a Model 3 performance.

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

I had my first mile drive last week. At first I found the R1T to be kind of "a big lug." Like driving a tank. Steady as can be, heavy, thick, broad.

Then I let the pedal go past halfway as we merged onto the freeway. ZOOOOOOOM!!!!

I knew the specs, but had no idea it would do *that* quite the way it did.

It's almost like the first 50% of the pedal is mapped for safety and parking lot driving and the second 50% of the pedal is mapped for Interstellar travel.

I have a feeling that I could get used to this pretty quickly. Surely it wouldn't take long before it's all been mapped by your intuition and you can easily alternate between the acceleration realms as needed.

By the way, my tank comment was meant in the best way possible. The truck didn't feel like a sports car to me. And it didn't feel like a truck. It felt like I was driving the Alpha vehicle of the road. A powerful "king of the jungle" vehicle that was so confident it didn't have to flaunt a thing.

I haven't felt anything like that before.

Yeah, I could definitely get used to it.

 

[kylealden]

I'm also surprised on the Model 3 comparison. I had a Model 3 Performance for a couple years and the R1T feels just as fast, but more surprising (since it's a big truck). And certainly much more impressive at mid/high speed acceleration, where the M3P started to lose its pull above 60-70 or so.

The rest of what you wrote mostly resonates with me, especially on initial quality (and doubly so on interior). I'm late on writing up my thoughts, but the number one thing that has impressed me is actually software - the R1T infotainment is just so much snappier than Tesla's, and no utterly indefensible broken things (the Sentry Mode viewer in the Tesla has been either completely or mostly broken 75% of the time since it came out, and is currently utterly unusable in my car).

Driver+ hasn't bothered me - might be a road/mapping issue but in Seattle roads it's fine where it works. Admittedly I haven't used it as much as Autopilot - I got sick of Autopilot's bad behavior a year or two ago and have all but stopped using anything but highway lane following in my Model Y. I do miss the manually-initiated lane changes but I won't feel ripped off if Driver+ never gets much better.

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

Congratulations on your purchase! A bit confused on the performance comparison to a Model 3 though.....A non-performance Model 3 is 10+ car lengths behind in less than an 1/8th mile, but the R1T has a slight delay in software on full throttle pedal depression, so this is probably the snappy' that seems to be missing.... My neighbors 2021 Model 3P is about 5+ car lengths behind at the 1/8th mile....almost dead even off the line (half a car length for Rivian when battery is warm).....

 

[ironpig]

It’s crazy that anyone is even benchmarking the R1T against the Model 3P which is 3000lbs lighter with a .23 Cd.

When I test drove the R1T I was absolutely shocked when it accelerated like my non-performance Model S. That’s flat out insane for a pick up truck.

If you are going to benchmark it, compare it to the Raptor and the TRex. And the R1T leaves both in the dust.

 

[CGM55082]

Can you elaborate? What version Model 3 did you have? I have a LR Model Y, and have heard this about the R1T - the lack of snapiness comparative to Tesla. The MY is the fastest car I've driven (with the software upgrade to 4.2 0-60), so I'm curious how the R1T's 3.1 0-60 can feel less snappy. Like, 3 seconds of time isn't a lot of time for comparative analysis, no?

So two things come to mind. The R1T is obviously fast, but it's also heavy. The Model 3 Dual Motor I have is instant -- you touch the accelerator and the car is already there. The Rivian is much heavier and you feel that weight. I don't get the immediate snap that I do with the Tesla. A good way to describe it is a 0 to 60 comparison. The Tesla launches off the line, where the Rivian feels like its weight causes it to squat initially and then come on strong. It could also be the difference in suspension and the significantly more travel that the Rivian has, but feels slower from 0 to 30 than the Tesla, but then pulls harder and is faster 30 to 60.

The other issue that I think impacts the feel of the R1T is the fact that the throw of the accelerator pedal is so much longer. It's also mapped differently than the Tesla, so it doesn't feel as sensitive to small incremental movements of the pedal. It's hard to describe, but that's about the best I can do to explain the difference.

Sponsored