Great episode! Hope Rivian (and Lucid) are successful. Came to CR today to recenter after mass murders, inflation, crazy people, war, famine, and disease.
Great review guys…I would say the copying of the Tesla interface is a huge plus…Most Tesla owners, myself included, loved the UI of the Tesla…adjusting mirrors and seats is a set and forget, so makes sense to do it the way they do it…same with vents for the most part. One of my co-workers has one and it’s great…I sat in the back and didn’t have any issues getting in or out and I’ve had both hips replaced, so getting in and out of cars can be challenging for me…not sure why you guys Pooh Pooh learning new buttons on a car…that’s 1/2 the fun of owning a new vehicle…Whenever I guy a new car and they offer me a session with an expert to go over all the functions, I decline…I love finding the new functions and features on my own or among others on forums…On pricing…you look at the pickups that everyone drives these days are pretty pricey…no one except for a few workers on the worksite, are buying base models…Agree on the limitations on this…perfect for the person who just does limited hauling and mostly local…runs to the local farm supply to get hay, wood pellets, mulch, plants, etc…GREAT point on the charging infrastructure…due to the electricity flow, chargers tend to have very short charging cords, requiring you to pull in or back in very close…if you’re hauling with a pickup, it’s difficult to get close to the charging “pump.” But, these things will improve…use it locally, with an occasional long haul, you’re probably fine if you have your charging mapped out.
The complaint about adjusting the windows and steering wheel was dumb. Like you said it’s a set it and forget it thing. I don’t understand peoples obsession with buttons in cars they just get all gross with food and drink and then get sticky.
Something that deserves more credit is the cross members that extend to fit on the roof and/or the bed. That's pretty awesome and really makes you think.
I love my R1T, it's an incredible vehicle in so many ways. It's rare and extremely refreshing to hear your consideration regarding this vehicle and the environment. This is one of the big reasons I drive EV'S and will never drive an ICE vehicle again. Thank you for taking the time to mention these things! I charge via the solar panels on my home, so the impact is even less. What a fantastic and we'll balanced review!
I enjoyed this review even though I'm not a "truck" guy nor would I go any more electric than a plug-in hybrid. If I were in the market for this type of vehicle, the onus for me is the controls. I've been spoiled by the Hyundai & Honda controls that are easy to learn, intuitive & require less time with eyes off the roadway. Sorry Jen had to be in COVID isolation.
Thanks for the clear-eyed review. The R1-T has fantastic capability, but as you have, I have concerns of reliability because of the extensive use of electric gadgets. That’s an excellent observation that most charging stations, including Tesla’s, don’t easily accommodate vehicles with trailers. The exception near me is Electrify America which is pull-through and located in a Walmart parking lot just off an Interstate highway.
Screens without dedicated hard controls for safety related functions such as HVAC Is poor design. If the screen dies, the vehicle may be unusable. Having to look to find soft controls on a screen is also unsafe while a vehicle is in motion.
Let’s be practical and frugal for the average two car family. An around town two wheel drive basic EV (Leaf, Bolt, Niro), and a hybrid or ice car for road trips (RAV4, Outback, Forester ….). You’ll be way ahead than the cost of this beast. I use 4 pod drive on hiking trails , 2 legs and 2 hiking poles.
Whenever I watch an EV review by CR, I am always struck by how backward their thinking is. Supposed automotive experts, that have no idea what a driver profile is. Tesla/Rivian owners don’t adjust their mirrors or steering wheels or air vents when they are driving. They set them on their driver profile when they first get the car. They always get their preferred set up, simply by selecting their profile. I believe Porsche does this as well with the Taycan. Maybe take a look at the actual feedback you are getting from owners. Doesn’t Tesla have the highest brand loyalty of any manufacturer? Why substitute your judgement for the judgment of the people who actual drive the car? Why are you right, and the owners wrong?
Tesla/Rivian owners may not adjust their mirrors or air vents while driving... but pretty much all other drivers will when they notice they are not correct. Its a simple thing to do that never distracts you in normal cars. Most people have more then one driver on a car to, so OFTEN you will get in and find things have moved around. Or you loan it to a friend for a weekend, or you are teaching your kid how to drive etc etc etc. Making the items harder to set is unnecessary friction for the theater of progress... its not real progress, its theater. So its a very valid complaint. Tesla having a high brand loyalty has little to do with the quality of the cars themselves but the cult of tesla.
Ask Suzuki Samarai/Jimny owners… Oh wait, you can’t, because CR ruined the American division of the Suzuki company with their conspiracy that the Samurai would easily tip over. Court judgements confirmed that CR lied about its ‘tipping’ results in all publications. It took over 40 attempts, before CR modified the course to purposely make the Samurai tip. Take CR with a grain huge of salt. Rumor has it, the Samurai was cutting into sales of the new, redesigned 1987 Jeep Wrangler. (MSRP $13,000) The Samurai was $8,990 at the time When American companies lobby to limit the foreign competition, all it says to me is America has the inferior product. The current Suzuki Jimny has become a huge success in all the countries it’s sold in. The starting MSRP for a Jeep Wrangler starts at $ 40,000 The Jimny in other markets, starts at roughly $19,000.
Building the Supercharger network was great insight for Tesla. Of course, it is only free for some Tesla models, but regardless, it is much cheaper than buying gasoline.
Rivian recently announced they won't be making very many cars this year. Why? Cannot get the "much less parts" they need to make the trucks. So until their supply problems are solved, don't expect to drive one any time soon.
What's your speculation on the resale value of current EVs 5 years later? Will it depreciates dramatically due to rapid development of batteries with longer range and faster charging? Or for example, in 2030 there will be a battery upgrade for BZ4X 2023 model which will help to retain its value?
Toyota slipped some on quality in the last few years, at least on the Tacoma model, though some flaws have been fixed. My largest complaint is the front brake calipers on the 4x4 have multiple smaller diameter pistons which tend to seize. I have had to replace/rebuild the front calipers on my Tacoma several times, basically replace pads and calipers together at every brake job.
Rivian aping Teslas’s user lane keep assist interface may be a good idea for consistency. A similar example: Chevy’s Bolt has operator controls very similar to those of gas powered cars, thus little learning curve for critical operator skills.
Honestly the absurdity of the complaints you guys comes up with never cease to amaze. Not enough buttons on the inside but too many on the outside. Got it.
Not enough buttons on the inside it's something everybody complains about. I'm not sure about the outside but they should probably know about unnecessary things in cars breaking, testing these is literally their job.
I was one of the first preorders. Went to the launch events. But after delay after delay I needed a car and tapped out. I hope Rivian does well, but they are off to a rough start. Investors put up with Tesla losing money for years because Musk talked a good game and was the first. I’m not sure Rivian is going to have the same leeway.
I'm not a truck person, but if I needed a truck, I would get a Ford Maverick so that I could park it relatively easily. I work a job that only exists in urban areas. Large trucks might work in rural America, but they would be a pain in the city from my point of view.
I have what I like to call the "are they real" checklist. it goes a bit like so -do they have a factory or have a way to build the product? -are the claims they are making reasonable? if they are claiming things even people like ford and Toyota can't figure out, that's a bad sign -is everything CGI, or do they have a prototype (no matter how basic)? -who is the target customer? -what is the time table (hint, really short is bad sign)? one or two bad answers might be acceptable, especially if they can be explained. if they are all bad, forget it. a bonus questions that makes the odds of success go way up -is the company currently making a product to sustain itself during ramp up? -does the company, or it's employee's have prior experience either as a supplier or as former industry experts? the vast majority of companies made it through their initial product launch because they had some other form of income to keep the lights on while the cars development and ramp up were happening. Hennessy, Saleen, Fisker, Koenigsegg, and even Tesla to some degree all fit this bill.
Good analysis for Bob. I think if you tow it's a question of how often and how far vs. the time to charge. If it's a short range (200 miles or less) and a couple times a year, I would eat the extra hassle. If it's more range or more often, it becomes a burden. People are seeing about 150miles of towing range and it'll be 1-1.5 hours to charge fully
One year in a Kona EV and I can attest to the life changing shift in car ownership costs and anxieties. $6 to fillerup and just drive. No fumes, no maintenance (nearly); puts "joyride" back in the vocabulary. Long-term value though will have to prove itself because when things start going wrong I can see it getting costly very quickly. We chose the 3 year lease.
Hmm? Geez 90,000 dollars! I wonder how many banks I’ll have to rob to pay the down payment for this truck? Maybe to stay out of jail I’ll wait for something more reasonable in price.
HI JEN, JAKE, AND ALEX, HOW ARE YOU?? 1ST, I HAVE TO SAY, ALTHOUGH THIS SHOW IS PROBABLY DOING A GREAT SERVICE TAKING OUR MINDS AND SAD HEARTS OFF THE TRAGEDY IN TEXAS, FOR A FEW MINUTES, WE, WHO HERE IN CONNECTICUT, LIVED TROUGH SANDY HOOK, SEND OUR CONDOLENCES AND BEST WISHES TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE POOR CHILDREN AND TEACHERS FROM THE ROBB SCHOOL. THANKS FOR LETTING ME POST THAT HERE GUYS. AND ON THE RIVIAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW INNOVATIVE, HOW WELL ASSEMBLED, AND HOW MANY THINGS THEY NAILED SO PERFECTLY RIGHT OUT OF THE STARTING GATE, FOR NOT ONLY A NEW COMPANY THAT NEVER SOLD A PICKUP TRUCK, GAS OR ELECTRIC BEFORE, BUT NEVER BUILT OR SOLD ANYTHING BEFORE, TO BE THAT DAMN GOOD!! ABOUT THE ONLY THINGS I REALLY DONT LIKE ARE THAT THE FRUNK LIFTOVER HEIGHT IS INCREDIBLY HIGH, AND I THINK THE DOOR HANDLES WOULD FEEL MORE NATURAL IN YOUR HAND IF THEY POPPED OPEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!! THAT'S ABOUT IT UNTIL I SEE ONE IN PERSON!! THANK YOU ALL. CHAS ORVIS, PLAINVILLE, CT.
I appreciate the CR information. Please continue segments like this, but also, for the love of God, please refrain from using "filler words." I challenge you to count how many times the phrase "you know" is used..... I couldn't watch the entire video. All I could do was count how many times this crutch phrase was used.
@@golfish8589 lol only if the stock kits $100 which probably won't be this year. I would assume you could sell it for at least what you paid if you really wanted to sell.
As for things to go wrong, and lemon laws, in CA, GM has a lemon every 78 vehicles; Ford every 143; Tesla every 1,553; Toyota every 2, 029. While $95K is beyond may pocket books, the total cost of ownership will be far less with an EV. And most of use, 66+%, buy used anyway. A three year old Rivian may just fit our pocket books and still have the same benefits of a lower cost of ownership over ICE vehicles.
Good very high level overview. BUT - I have to disagree with the whole "add battery to add range" is how it works. Totally not true. Tesla lightens, removes unnecessary switches buttons etc to make the car lighter and simpler. Plus, their BMS is literally decades ahead of Rivian's. These are the differentiators. Rivian, though very nice, needs to get on this underneath. Theres no way this vehicle *needs* a 135kwh battery to get 300 miles of range. Its an engineering problem not a "more batteries is better" problem.
I know what you mean. A lot depends on your use case. If most of your trips are around town + a few road trips, a good solution is buying a smaller, cheaper EV for everyday and renting a large, comfortable ICE for the occasional long trips.
Better go make your reservation for the Aptera. They start production this fall. 1,000 mile range with 100kwh pack. Add solar and you will never need to charger. Smaller batteries are available
All your criticisms are mute. Watch out Tesla coz Rivian has a bright future, these cars are going to shake up the EV market. Trucks are the #1 selling cars in the US because of their functionality. All new technology comes at a high cost at first but prices always even out. Tesla's are not exactly cheap either.
14:50 Oh please cr stop crying about buttons and reliability. Today’s cars have more buttons and wires than 10 Ford model T’s combined and they are more reliable than that model t could ever be. The Lexus LS has buttons and electronics galore and yet IT’S THE MOST RELIABLE CAR EVER IN YOUR TESTS AND IT HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. You 3 are almost feeble in your thinking. It’s crippling.
Also As_he_cs_it: "THE BUTTON ON MY RADIO JUST CAME OFF IN MY HANDS THIS LEXUS IS A PIECE OF CRAP WHEN YOU PAY THIS MUCH FOR A CAR YOU DO NOT DESERVE THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT OR I WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT I REFUSE TO PUT UP WITH THIS PIECE OF JUNK CAR".
Mixed emotions here about R1-T’s huge battery; it isn’t needed around town, except situations of not charging every day. The R1-T as a four-door family city car is goofy - too much tool for the job. I would like to see the back seat deleted and the cargo box extended to make the R1-T a serious work vehicle. That stubby four foot bed is best for a few bags of mulch; it is even too small to haul many recreational ATVs.
CR - Wrong , battery & Drivetrain EFFICIENCY is the most important. adding Batteries to an Already HEAVY & INEFFICENT vehicle , is only going to Result in DUMB range. Legacy auto & Startups (Rivian) need to Strip weight & gain Higher Efficiency. they need to go to Structural battery , 4680 cell and Front & Rear GIGACASTINGS. the Problem with Startup & Legacy auto is , MOST are still using COMPLIANCE Platforms and not a LEAN Clean sheet build. so far NONE are able to match Tesla weight, EFFICIENCY and Range .
I've got an order in and can't wait to get my hands on it! With dealer markups these days, you'd be lucky to get a new TRD Tacoma for less than $50K. Then, factor in maintenance and $5+ gallon a gas, etc etc. Oh, and no more emissions.
Price a loaded Ford Lightning and the cost vs Rivian is about the same...and look how many orders Ford has. So to answer your question..."a lot of people are going to buy the Rivian!" Self included.
CR - 315 miles on a over 135 kwh pack is not Great Range, lower weight or Efficiency. Tesla is more Efficient due to lower weight and Greater Range w/ Smaller battery.
I wish we could have a Suzuki Jimny… But CR destroyed Suzuki back in 1988. Any vehicle that takes 40 attempts to roll, and requires modification of the track to purposely make it tip… means that journalistic integrity has been sacrificed. The Jimny is still sold all over the rest of the world, and it’s a huge success. CR was probably paid by Chrysler to smear the Samurai, so Chrysler could boost their ‘87 Wrangler sales. I just hope CR learned to be impartial by not stepping on the little guys to help the giants. We shall see.
To new of a vehicle not to mention overpriced. Consumer Reports would recommend the Subaru Soltarra electric built by Toyota but not available yet thats all they recommend Subaru and Chevrolet-approved by JD Power-rotten gas mileage on both.
game hunting seasons are to quiet in scenic nature where the stealth approach won't acquire the natural attention attractive octave that animals are ironically used to hearing
All of these electric cars are over hyped. They’re just toys for rich people. Not enough infrastructure or even up to date infrastructure to support mass volume electric cars.
I’ll caveat this with the fact that I do not know what country you reside in, and that the comments I make on cost are relative. I’ll also take some liberties in presuming you’ve had little experience with EVs. The hype is real. Drive one - live with one, and you will gain an appreciation. In the US, there are nearly a dozen models to choose from that fall below the current average price of a new car, with more coming. Those with little disposable income may not find much comfort in that, but your comment about rich people is unfounded. Stopping for gas is incredibly inconvenient. I leave my house with a full “tank” because home doubles as my “gas station”. I rarely need to stop to charge while I’m out, but when I do; there’s no shortage of options in my area. Where infrastructure does need to be better is in rural areas, and where convenience is concerned; faster charging. Both will be addressed in time. People didn’t continue walking because horses needed to eat/drink when those might be scarce resources, and no one is hiring wagon trains to ship goods out of fear there won’t be gas stations for trailers.
Hmm. Toys? We've had a Nissan Leaf for almost two years now. It's been on road trips and in-town hauls alike. We've charged on the road only a handful of times. Most charging at home. Five-dollar a gallon for gas? How are them apples?
Electric cars predate ICE cars and are well over a century old product / idea. They were, in fact, "toys" for the rich in an age of horses and steam, before being replaced by ICE. "Just Toys for the Rich" - That's how ALL new (or new again) consumer tech / products start out as: "toys" for the rich and early adopters, which eventually become affordable and commonplace for everyone else.
@@listofromantics Electrics do predate combustion vehicles, but they haven't been in constant production, development, and advancement as the I.C.E. has. I.C.E. have benefited of over a century's worth of consistent evolution. Add the total amount of time EV have been produced for. It doesn't add up to 100 years, at least not yet (remember, there have been significant gaps between the times EVs popped up and stopped, popped up again, and stopped).
CR - Rivian is not new, they just have not PRODUCED anything before. the Rivian truck itself is more than a DECADE old and outdated. they are using LESS Advanced battery cell than Tesla in 2022. they are using outdated Computers , MCU , Infotainment and Software. their Drivetrain is OK but its Underpowered , compared to Tesla PLAID Drivetrain. Tesla is planing on using QUAD motor PLAID Drivetrain in the Cybertruck.
CR: I wish there were buttons for the stuff we set once like mirrors and steering wheel! Also CR: There are too many buttons for things you use every day like frunk, doors, and tonneau!
I wish y'all would put a value on our environment. Sure, save on money on a Ram. But geez. How long is this a sustainable line of thinking? Pony up; go electric.
I understand. The CO2 break-even for the Rivian is probably around 100K miles. That would take Bob 25 years at 4K miles per year. Better yet, he could just rent a truck when he needs one, but he sounds wealthy, and wealthy folks don't like rentals.
CR - Rivian is a COMPLIANCE bev Truck. Rivian does little of their own Engineering , Rivian has NO in house Technology. ALL of Rivians Technology comes from Suppliers . Whereas Tesla Fremont is 80% in house and Tesla China is 95% in house. Rivian needs to be LESS Wrong , needs to do Better.
You are spot on about pickup truck drivers being a reckless bunch. However, the affordability scale for this truck is still out there for the yahoo kind to own.
@@hereigoagain5050 first of all, if that isn't belligerence I don't know what is. Secondly, the reason people who drive pickup trucks are so belligerent is because they need an electron microscope to take a pee.
@@danhoang6335 the real upside to this thing is however that if some peckerwood gets his hands on one of these, he can't fart black smoke in your face like these rolling coal ignorant hillbillies do.
CR....please don't convey inaccurate statements. EVs have an equivalent number of parts as conventional cars- period!!! Keep in mind that literally everything except the powertrain is basically identical to a normal car- therefore same number of parts. As per the powertrain, well this is where EV proponents get selective in their counting- a battery pack is not one part, nor is an electric motor, inverter and other components. And like conventional cars, EV batteries, motors and inverters have cooling and heating systems and these can be significantly more complex than those in a conventional car. Ok? so - EVs have an equivalent number of parts and complexity and you shouldn't sell the engineering short in these vehicles.
@@stephenj4937 agreed although no one should equate fewer moving parts with durability or reliability but CR is the perfect organization to evaluate these factors on a car by car basis
Sure. ICE drive trains are much more complex and harder to design and to build than EV drive trains. Electric motors are way superior in all ways except one: gas tanks are incredibly cheap, easy to manufacture, small, and light compared to batteries.
Oh please.... An electric motor has a stator, rotar and two bearings. No brushes The ev "transmission " is just a couple of reduction gears and bearings. Thats it ....
