thebwk
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My son and I drove down to Chicago today to take in the Museum of Science and Industry, and then to trade my 2018 Audi S6 for my new 2023 R1S. It was quite the day, especially considering that it was my first time driving a Rivian. And that the first drive was after taking ownership of my stunning limestone R1S.
Not going to lie, when my guide texted me the delivery address yesterday, my first thought was that it was pretty sketch. I mean it was in a wilderness park parking lot. So I felt reassured when we pulled up and there was an R1S there for someone else’s first mile.
Long story short, the trade and delivery went as smooth as it could have. But holy shit was I nervous on the drive down. I kept imagining the worst, that some idiot driver would rear end my Audi and derail the R1S transaction. The young lady thoroughly walked me through every facet of the vehicle. And when she needed time to check out my trade, I took the time to QC the exterior. To my surprise there weren’t any major concerns. Although I’ll look it over again tomorrow when the endorphins have subsided to their normal levels.
The drive home exposed my learning curve. Brake regen is no joke and one pedal driving takes some getting used to, especially when approaching stop lights with vehicles in front of you. The new car smell was wonderful, and it is true that scents have a magical link to memories in your brain. I do not have a photographic memory, but the scent immediately flooded my mind with the various brand new car experiences that I have had the pleasure of enjoying. 2000 Civic Si. 2005 4Runner. 2012 Passat TDI. 2018 S6. The smell let me relive them all!
I guess this has turned into a long story after all. The drive home was incredible. I definitely missed the sound of my former twin turbo V8, but the commanding view and the effortless torque made me forget about the car I left behind. Sure, I caught myself missing the ability to text my wife with CarPlay, but I had my son sitting shotgun to relay messages. I definitely caught myself speeding on a number of occasions. Attribute that to the stealthy torque, but also to the lack of heads up display. I will miss that feature every time I drive her. I never had to glance at the dash in my S6 to know my speed or the speed limit. They were always prominently displayed in my field of vision. Maybe the R2S will gift us with this nearly mandatory convenience.
The bourbon in my glass is causing me to be more wordy than I had planned. I’ll close by saying that my son and I had an excellent time together, and he was able to share in the purchase of our family’s first EV. He did, however, suffer more battery percentage anxiety than did I. Then again he panics when his iPhone is down to 65%. We arrived home with 47%, and since my level 2 charger is scheduled to be installed on Monday, she sits in the garage plugged into a normal outlet charging away at a rate of 1-2 miles per hour.
All in all a wonderful experience. Thanks Rivian. And thank you Colton for sharing it with me.
Ben
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