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What surprised you - preferably in a good way?

CommodoreAmiga

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I'm continually impressed with the practicality of the front trunk, gear tunnel, and tonneau cover.

I knew the front trunk and gear tunnel were going to be great features -- but they've been even better than I originally imagined.

I didn't really care about the powered tonneau cover, but I optioned it so I could take delivery. I absolutely LOVE IT, now. Mine has been flawless (knock on wood) and I really hope it remains so until Rivian develops a robust retrofit. I don't want to lose it!
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ImAI

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carmigo

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Thereā€™s a 12v outlet under the info-trainment screen. Iā€™ve watched dozens if not hundreds of videoā€™s and haven't seen that outlet on any of them. Not sure why that made me so happy to find.

How bright the flashlight is

and that new car smell
Love that new car smell.
 

md11phlyer

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Echo ride quality, performance, fit and finish, storage, etc. You can watch every video on YT and it just doesn't do it justice. It's literally 2 or 3 vehicles packed into one. Those who've seen my previous posts know I'm no fanboy but man am I growing to love this truck.

The number one "surprising" thing for me was the sound quality and how much I love the Spotify integration. The Meridian system is better than expected, especially when tuned for your preferences, and I love not having to touch or look at my phone to get all my music on Spotify.
 

Biturbowned

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Probably not a good thing, but the amount of attention this thing gets is incredible. The gear guard videos are usually good for a good laugh. I had heard about this in some of the review videos prior to delivery, but yeah itā€™s constant.
 

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domoplaytime

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The R1T is a great vehicle!
  • I love the impressive regen braking from all four motors, it really makes one pedal driving an amazing experience in a city with big hills, wet roads, distracted drivers, stop-burning cyclists and insane pedestrians.
  • The gear tunnel of course is amazing, and turns my truck into a bug-out buggie (or mobile shelter-in-place cabin) with several days of food, water, tools and supplies on board at all times.
  • I love that the stiff suspension allows it not to handle like a truck.
  • Features I was surprised to enjoy so much include heated steering wheel and bird's eye view.
  • I also like the safety features that warn of a need to brake, recenter in the lane, or mind cross traffic while backing up.
  • Given the length of the truck, I really appreciate the responsiveness of the proximity sensor feedback when parking in my garage.
  • And perhaps most of all, I love that it's one of the smaller new trucks available on the market.
 

TxBeachRivian

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Surprises,
The comfort. Was worried about the leg room for a growing teenager. Not an issue and he loves it. Also just feels roomy, making for comfortable road trips.

The enjoyment of watching gear guard videos.

The amount of time I send on the forums and thinking about the vehicle after delivery

The community, and how I feel connected to a bunch of strangers based on my vehicle ownership, including other EV (non Rivian) owners

The amount I love the frunk, and how fun it is to open it when people donā€™t know it exists.

The ride and how many errands I can come up with to make another trip.

How much I enjoy road trips, the planning is fun for me, and I enjoy doing something that is perceived as hard by non-ev owners.
 

TxBeachRivian

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I've got two that surprised me. Owner since May. At night when the car unlocks, light from the side mirrors light up the ground in front of the front doors to aid in climbing in. I call it the "bat signal". Surprisingly, I just noticed a month a two ago, that inside the vehicle at night the faux wood door paneling lights up but it is subtle. Not sure if it is new or I just never noticed before but it makes the Rivian feel even more elegantly made.
Note you can adjust the level of the accent lights on the right side of the lighting page.
 

Grajjie

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For me it would be just how practical the frunk is. Most of my grocery shopping I can just put everything in the frunk and for those times I only need to get a handful of things I can put it in the frunk net and not worry about it rolling around.

Even the past few Costco trips I was able to fit everything in the frunk. Wasn't a massive trip and didn't have anything bulky (but still $250-300 worth of stuff) all fit in the frunk and I was surprised. The only thing I put in the cabin was the $1.50 hot dog and drink I got on the way out lol

Other than that I am really impressed by the handling. Coming from a M340i this thing feels closer to that than most SUVs I've driven in the corners. Doesn't feel anything like a 7k+ pound pickup. I want to buy a beer for the person (or team) whose idea was to put hydraulic roll control in the R1.
 

Dark-Fx

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Surprised how much I don't like tent camping on the ground after having the rooftop tent on the truck for a season. Especially after Rivian implemented the automatic leveling so it we can park at an angle that works the best for the site without needing to consider slope at all.

Having to find a spot without obstructions on the ground, roots, rocks, etc when the ground is covered in wet fall leaves totally sucks. No more pounding tent stakes into the ground either.

Having the awning on the truck gives us space to be outside and out of the rain. Don't have to hide in the tent to stay dry.
 

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moosehead

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Disclosure: I'm a Rivian fanboi but tend to be loud about certain needs hopefully in a constructive way.

My favorite positive surprises:

1) Truck is absolutely worth the money even though I overpaid for it privately. Not kidding.

2) While performance and adjustability is outstanding all around, I'm still stunned how an uber truck so capably and comfortably serves daily driving duties. It is a joy to drive whether normally or aggressively.

3) Vehicle has gotten appreciably stronger with successive OTA updates, including what used to be my biggest complaints: a wonky Paak and no snow mode. Rivian delivered on snow mode and the PaaK is noticeably better if not very good. Haven't used my fob in 90 days, same for keycard even though it still is in my wallet.

4) As a long-time petrol head I was a bit worried about the transition to EV. It was relatively easy despite my still ignorant knowledge base relative to a ton of experts on this forum.

I'm optimistic about a powered tonneau fix even if it takes some time, and hopeful for better UI/infotainment. The aftermarket is responding as well.
 
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kurtlikevonnegut

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Like many, the most surprising thing for me is just how well behaved it can be and how comfortable it is to drive. It's hard to believe that you can be driving around in a totally normal fashion in total comfort, but if you get the urge you can just hammer it and it transforms into a rocket tank.

I legitimately love driving to and from work every day.
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