Spent 3 hours in a Rivian R1S - comparing it to the Mach E

[CB1234]

A friend took delivery of a Rivian R1S this week (the SUV version). I got to spend several hours in it, and thought it would be interesting to compare it with my 2022 Mach E ER Premium AWD.

In short, the Rivian is amazing. Such a fun car. Without comparing things like looks, here were my impressions of where the Rivian falls short of the Mach E, and where it's superior:

Where the Mach E is superior:

• Charging setup options. The Rivian can be set to charge to 70%, 85%, or 100%. That's it. If you are set to a lower percentage and decide you need to switch it to 100% for a long trip, you need to go into the car and do it there - you can't do it in app.
• Car Play. Rivian doesn't have it. Very surprising to me. And I thought the GPS voice in the in-car Rivian sounded a bit robotic - it was distracting. The Rivian software is just fine, but for people used to Car Play it's annoying to learn another system.
• Blue Cruise/adaptive cruise/lane keeping. The Rivian even at its closest setting stayed pretty far away from trailing the next car using adaptive cruise control - people were cutting in front of us which slows you down more. (Unless we had it set wrong). Also when using the driver assist, at one point in the right lane when a entrance ramp was merging in, it lurched to the right to follow the new lane marking. I feel more comfortable using Ford's Blue Cruise and adaptive cruise control.
• Middle seat legroom. This is a little silly because the Rivian has a third row too, but second row is a bit more comfortable in the Mach E
• Cupholders. Very few in the Rivian, which was weird for an American designed and made car! We Americans love our cupholders!
• Mileage. Rivian is bigger so it uses more juice.

Where the Rivian seemed superior:

• Overall refinement of the center console software. The center screen was easy to use, responsive, and intuitive. To be clear, I don't hate the Mach E center console (it's not like the ID.4 - yikes), but Rivian's was easier, snappier, and more intuitive. Also things like phone as a key are seamless and easy to use.
• Several software options. Things like a "gear guard" mode (basically Sentry mode) and a pet mode. All easy to use, all well designed and easy to get to.
• Acceleration. Just insane. We went full throttle in sport mode from a stop, and it even blows away a GTPE I've been in. Amazing.
• Storage. The frunk is enormous. The back has a ton of room (even before you fold back the third row). The "gear tunnel" is hilarious.
• Third row. I wouldn't use it for adults for a road trip but for quick trips around town it would be just fine.
• Ride. We tried different settings. The normal mode (forget what it's called) is many times more comfortable and less bumpy than the Mach E
• Functionality/Flexibility. This is where the car shines. You can use it for anything and it'll adjust for what you need:
  • You can change the suspension height (even while driving 70mph). It's absolutely wild and fun.
  • It has a "kneel mode" which lowers the entire car when you put it in park, so it's easier to get in and out.
  • It has a "camping mode" that will level the car on uneven ground so you can put a sleeping bag or mattress in the back and use it to camp.
  • Of course you can off road (we didn't), and with all the different modes and suspension heights you can do pretty much anything.
  • A bunch of fun extras - some gimmicky, some useful - an air pump in the back, a portable speaker, a flashlight in the car (yeah that one is pretty gimmicky)
• Turning radius. For a large car, it was amazingly good
• Range and range estimates. You can turn off the back wheel motors to add range - useful when you're on the highway and it made a significant difference. The range estimates were pretty darn accurate for our 200 or so miles of driving.

Overall I came away very impressed. If the two cars cost the same I would buy a Rivian. (Of course, they don't cost the same!). Also, when the charging network gets to the point where I'm comfortable taking long trips in an EV, a Rivian is the kind of car I would want to do it in. Whether for dropping kids off at college, camping, or going on vacation, it just seems like the perfect vehicle.

One other thing about the Rivian - you get a *lot* of attention on the road. Other EV drivers and pickup drivers seemed to notice us the most. We saw several EVs wave at us - a Lucid (first one I've seen), a Mach E, and a zillion Teslas (given we both own non-Tesla EVs, we were jokingly laughing at them - sorry Tesla owners, you're no longer the cool kids on the block).

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[Brymo11]

I live in Bloomington where they are being manufactured. This city loves EVs in general which is atypical for downstate Illinois. RIvian vehicles are everywhere around town, easily the second most common BEV after the Tesla Model 3. There are two just in my neighborhood.

They are outstanding vehicles. I got to look over both an R1T and R1S recently and wanted to buy one, which brings me to a major con...

- The wait list is over 12 months at this point.

 

[CB1234]

I got to look over both an R1T and R1S recently and wanted to buy one, which brings me to a major con...

- The wait list is over 12 months at this point.

Good point! I believe he waited 3 years(!) for his R1S, though of course waits are decreasing as production ramps up. Of course, I waited 9 months for my Mach E so who am I to judge?

 

[Maquis]

This city loves EVs in general which is atypical for downstate Illinois.

Ain’t that the truth! ?

 

[highland58]

We have seen several Rivians in this area, including a couple of Amazon vans, they do look awesome.

 

[joebruin77]

I am intrigued by the Rivian and would consider it as my next EV. However, at least at present, there is one major problem. The nearest Rivian Service Center to my home is about 60 miles away. In LA traffic, it can take 1 1/2 hours or more to get there. I know Rivian says they offer mobile service. But there are certain repairs that simply cannot be done by a mobile technician.

Personally, I would never own an EV unless I was within a 15 min drive of an authorized service center.

 

[John Urbanowicz]

I think only the R1T has the gear tunnel, not the R1S.

 

[jay1122]

I never get American's obsession over large SUV. 7000+ lbs. What is so fun driving a tank? Need Quad motor to really move that thing. Is the efficiency higher than 2.5Mile/Kwh? I want a light weight 2 seater EV sports car.

 

[dmastro]

I never get American's obsession over large SUV. 7000+ lbs. What is so fun driving a tank? Need Quad motor to really move that thing. Is the efficiency higher than 2.5Mile/Kwh? I want a light weight 2 seater EV sports car.

How about the Lotus Evija?

I think many people purchase larger SUVs because of the flexibility to haul boats and campers, lots of soccer and lacrosse gear, families, etc. 2-seaters are much more limited in application.

That said, I can't wait to become an empty nester a buy a little 6-cylinder Boxster. For a small lightweight sports car, I really want the feel of a manual transmission and engine.

 

[jay1122]

How about the Lotus Evija?

I think many people purchase larger SUVs because of the flexibility to haul boats and campers, lots of soccer and lacrosse gear, families, etc. 2-seaters are much more limited in application.

That said, I can't wait to become an empty nester a buy a little 6-cylinder Boxster. For a small lightweight sports car, I really want the feel of a manual transmission and engine.

I am pretty sure utility is not the reason why someone buys $90K R1S or Cadillac Escalade. Hmm, if I am that loaded probably a compact SUV daily and another 2 seater Porsche or Corvette for weekend.

 

[dmastro]

I am pretty sure utility is not the reason why someone buys $90K R1S or Cadillac Escalade. Hmm, if I am that loaded probably a compact SUV daily and another 2 seater Porsche or Corvette for weekend.

I'm sure there are many reasons why people buy them.
- Realtors can tour lots of people to houses.
- Independent contractors in general can depreciate larger vehicles faster so it might economically behoove them.
- Some people with large families may prefer to drive an EV, so the Rivian.
- Or prefer luxury vehicles so the Caddy as opposed to say an Expedition.
- Some want to sit up high to see the road, or it gives them a feeling of safety driving a large vehicle.
- Others want something big as status or to compensate for also having a small car.

I'm sure that's just scratching the surface of reasons why people like large SUVs.

If I was that loaded, definitely a nice truck, crossover, and roadster.

 

[unguessable]

R1S = R1T - roof on the back. May be better to compare it with lightning

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I never get American's obsession over large SUV. 7000+ lbs. What is so fun driving a tank? Need Quad motor to really move that thing. Is the efficiency higher than 2.5Mile/Kwh? I want a light weight 2 seater EV sports car.

Yeah, I know what you mean. My Mach E barely fits in my garage and neither of the Rivians would come close to fitting. Perhaps someday Rivian will make a small SUV for those of us who don't need something huge...

OK, one can hope ?

 

[CB1234]

Couple updates I've learned:
1) You can modify the max charge via the app. So that's not a disadvantage after all.
2) One-pedal driving on the Rivian is, and this is a direct quote, "waaaay better" than the Mach E. Much smoother.

For those looking for a smaller/cheaper SUV or truck, Rivian is coming out with the "R2" in a few years, and will probably be a better comparator to the Mach E. They're clearly following the Tesla ramp-up strategy of making the most expensive models first then scaling to cheaper models.

And interestingly enough, the R1S is actually not exactly the same as the R1T with a roof - their fronts through the first set of doors *is* identical, but then the R1S is a little shorter than the R1T. I will say, I've been in an Expedition and other monstrous SUVs, and this is definitely smaller than them.

I do think there are use cases for large SUVs - my friend has 3 kids, 2 big dogs, and they're all incredibly active lugging a bunch of stuff and traveling several hundred miles all the time. It would be impossible to do what they do in a smaller car or SUV. This is the only EV that would work for their use case as of today.

It's nice to see different types of EVs become available for different user needs. So yes, we need a 2-seater small sports EV as well!

 

[NJDevFan30]

Thanks for the post and your take on the R1S! Reservation holder here.

Any other R1 owners on here? Would love to hear your opinions.

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