Is the Rivian R1S One of the Best SUVs Ever Made?

We test the new Rivian R1S across numerous conditions, including driving it to the most remote point on a road in the 48 states. This is the best EV we have tested, and it is arguably one of the best SUVs we have tested. . . period.
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[@StaplesInTents]

The Rivian platform is a brave new way to experience the outdoors. Limitations aside, it represents what modern travel will become. Thanks for showing the capabilities of the R1S.

[@garrettm949]

What a handsome vehicle! Looking forward to seeing more and more of these on the road. Thank you for the review Scott.

[@williamelkington5430]

Excellent review! Thanks very much.

[@bigbueller]

Love the video! Just one suggestion, ditch the music? It's sounds like a beloved character's death scene in a movie, or the intro that didn't make the cut for Game of Thrones. That said, keep up the good work, keep them coming (without the music). I learn everytime I see one of your videos.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@jamtap]

Truly love your review!

[@mack86523]

Great video and great rig!

[@Larrysusmanuk]

Great video, thanks 🤙🏻 I’d love to know what jacket you’re wearing when filming 😬 cheers

[@damirhecimovic7425]

Love the video. Thanks. Did you happen to calculate how many miles it can go pulling the trailer behind? I’m really curious how much of the battery it consumes to pull a trailer.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

our testing showed about 130 mile range with the trailer. So a similar range impact with an ICE. We are currently testing the same trailer behind a GMC V8 and we are getting 8mpg, so about half the range for the ICE too. It is an infrastructure problem IMHO

[@almamdani6564]

Very informative review.

[@SnapCracklePOWPOWPOW]

great video, Scott

[@austinvorwald1551]

What trailer were you pulling? Sorry if I missed it in the video. I think the rivian r1s is an interesting platform to travel offroad in and they look really well made.

[@satyaravva7826]

Cool, nice review

[@jeremyp3630]

Great overview of the capabilities in the use cases I am interested in! Also it doesn't weigh about 9000 lbs, GVWR is around 8500 lbs, so about a 7k lb curb weight.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

If you were to round a GVWR of 8,532 and a tongue weight of 450?

[@sm308racing4]

@@ExpeditionPortalTongue weight is included in GVWR.

[@lunamaria1048]

@@sm308racing4 8500 is almost 9000, so he was hardly wrong lol

[@tyeetamer]

@@lunamaria10487k is pretty different than 9k . . .

[@BorellaFamilyAdventures]

This is cool

[@Aggie4life77]

I’m no expert on the subject, but I look at the Rivian brand and light and or casual off roading. Good for going off the beaten path for camping, etc. I think that is more than enough for most people!

[@nguyenviet3031]

Wowwwww RIVIAN 😍😍😍

[@PatrickRich]

Did you not mention range Scott? or did I miss it. Towing off-road can't be kind for point to point trails. I would be curious to know if you could do the entire white rim with the trailer, for example.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

It has a 300+ mile range. Towing impact is similar to an ICE vehicle. I just towed the same trailer with a V8 powered GMC, and am getting 8.8 mpg. So half the range too. The difference is infrastructure- gas stations are everywhere.

[@nathanjohnson3668]

You can also bring gas cans when off road. I suppose you can bring a generator and gas cans for the EV.

[@woolengrappler]

How did the range drop when towing that trailer? Other overland notables would be the size to storage ratio with the high payload, rear cargo area and frunk capacity as well as all the nooks and crannies around the vehicle for storage and organization.

[@LarsDennert]

It will be half on the pavement and really bad offroad. ICE cars also get horrible mpg offroad

[@karloskelly]

Not all. My Touareg TDI doesn't drop much off-road. Trailer towing, on road, 5000 lbs Micro Minnie dropped it from 29 to 15 however.

[@kylealden]

@@LarsDennert You'll actually see less range impact (as a %) from the trailer off-road than on-highway. By far the biggest loss from towing is aerodynamic, which is less of a factor at trail speeds. You're less efficient overall at trail speeds and on loose/high-resistance surfaces, but the trailer itself won't add as much beyond that as it will on highway.

[@xLopez210x]

I am a tesla fan but only for the supercharging infrastructure. That being said i do love everything about the Rivian except for the first batch of deliveries. I ultimately had to get a model y which, sadly, doesn’t allow me to off road but i did take it to Overland expo east camping in it. If the charging infrastructure improves i would definitely choose something other than a tesla. It’s a nice toy

[@jabberwolf7348]

Ironically, in California I've been to charging locations where there is a wait for Tesla charging and the 350kw charging stations are empty. We do need more fast charging in most states but going up to Yosemite Oregon and Southern California were pretty painless .

[@creativecatalyst1]

So honestly, what are the range and battery levels on this particular test drive? I'm skeptical that the batteries on an EV are going to last an entire 3 day boondock trip?

[@kylealden]

Depends on where you go! I did three days boondocking in my R1T in the mountains near Randle, WA area about 75 miles from the nearest on-route charger. I had plenty of battery to get there (with an RTT), power my and friends camp gear for three days (water heaters, charging chainsaws, etc.), do a couple day trips on nearby trails (to poke around in the woods and to bring two full bedloads of firewood back to camp), and actually take a faster route on the way home since I had about 90 miles range left and didn't need the closest charger. I was with friends and within spitting distance of civilization for this trip - I wouldn't have done the same thing alone in a super remote setting (e.g. crossing a desert) without a generator or more serious planning. There are still limitations to EV and they're worth knowing about. But they're less severe than most people think. One big caveat is this is not a great vehicle for boondocking with a trailer. It can tow (and tows fantastic) but the trailer range hit just means your range is pretty limited. I really want to take it ski camping and I just have to accept I either need hookups at the ski area, or a generator.

[@creativecatalyst1]

@@kylealden that's reasonable. My EV experience is still tenable due to the early days of range anxiety. However, I expect the day when range and charging will be comparable to the freedom of ICE cars. I'm sure the R1T/S are capable cars and quite an improvement over any class of truck and SUV. Just wanted a reality check that in real world scenario what to look out for.

[@nnoddy8161]

Total range when towing that trailer??? I am from Australia, how far from a charge was the 'most remote road in the 48 states'? Battery degradation over time? Resale value?

[@ExpeditionPortal]

We have nothing like the remoteness of Australia (I was fortunate to cross the Simpson and the Canning). With the trailer, about 130 mile range. Battery degradation is nil, even after 10 years of normal use.

[@ericbardin5223]

daaaang! you can left foot a modern car??? that impressive in itself!

[@fpartidafpartida]

I was wondering about that. I own an R1S myself and find that the regen breaking to be strong enough to not require left foot breaking. My guess is he’s just so used to doing that in his off-road experience that it’s just second nature to go that route without giving this a try with out it? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@seedballskenya9642]

Sure sounds like it has a broad range of capabilities 😉 Cant wait to see how these preform on East African roads for a few years, reckon they really are Toyota tough?

[@ExpeditionPortal]

They are currently being tested in Kenya. Feedback soon ;)

[@banzaibadger]

It looks great, but too expensive.

[@robertlynch7855]

I’ve been stranded by my R1S in the mountains of Az. 2 hour tow to civilization. Over landing it?…too soon. Too many single point failures that cannot be fixed by conventional means. Bringing a first gen and new tech to remote areas solo is frankly a bad idea. The Rivian service people tbh don’t even know the answers. They know resets. Can’t reset out of cell coverage they say. Great truck though.

[@aaronerickson8878]

lol

[@ExpeditionPortal]

That is why we call it adventure ;) There is so much reward in understanding and pushing the limits of new tech. Congrats on your R1S. Beautiful vehicle.

[@EricMiraglia]

Most remote spot in the lower 48…Kaiparowits Plateau?

[@GA-wq8xq]

Is this where they went?

[@EricMiraglia]

@@GA-wq8xq Not sure! Would love to know, though.

[@creativecatalyst1]

Remote from a charger or from cell service?

[@ExpeditionPortal]

Remote from a paved road and a town/city.

[@timhuckabay]

So if you had 130 miles range while towing the trailer, you were only 65 miles from a charger in the most remote part of the US? I think if you drew a 65 mile circle around all the chargers, you would find thousands of more remote places that you couldn’t go (many with paved roads going to them). I have an R1S on order (for more than a year) but realize I will still need my Bronco for most of my overlanding until the charging network matures.

[@richarddangles8896]

Its good for round the city, but as a expedition vechicle hauling stuff the range is terrible..

[@nathanrobertson3349]

What full size EV SUV are you comparing it to? The Rivian gets 300+ miles on a full charge. It’s best on market as far as I know.

[@richarddangles8896]

@@nathanrobertson3349 Thats with one passenger. The new electric f150 got 250miles to 300 I think but once it towed something it dropped to 90miles. I think we need a hydrogen powered engine with the batteries to charge while it drives. Toyota is doing that.

[@jacob-t-s]

The day they have even half as many EV chargers as gas stations, especially in rural/remote areas, they charge twice as fast, and they can actually operate below freezing, then I'd consider one. Not yet for me, but I see the upsides. And once we run out of oil, the argument of gas vs. electric is moot anyway. Fingers crossed for more hydrogen and other alternatives.

[@TroySavary]

It tows offroad better than Cybertruck drives offroad empty.

[@Scott-sm9nm]

Tow and off road mode ... haha yes that combo would be usefor for 0.0001% of truck buyers.

[@cbh76]

The off road trailer market has exploded in recent years. I’m guessing your not a regular viewer of this channel.

[@Scott-sm9nm]

@@cbh76 Curious. I will investigate further. I'm looking at 22K subscribers and comparing to 10M trucks sold per year. That was my angle. HTH explain.

[@jabberwolf7348]

@cbh76 it's a use case scenario that 99.9% of drivers don't use more than once a year.

[@LarsDennert]

Were you aired down? Feels like no.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

We did air down. Unfortunately, the 20" wheels really limit how low you can go on rocks

[@LarsDennert]

@@ExpeditionPortal good to know. EV specific tires are much stiffer in the side wall for efficiency as well. Even tougher with small side walls. Probably have to go to about 12psi or less

[@kylealden]

@@LarsDennert You probably don't want to go that low at this weight without bead lockers (which are available aftermarket). 30 is plenty for most trails in my experience, anecdotally folks seem to have had no problem at 20 for more aggressive trails, soft sand, etc. The recommended pressure is 48psi.

[@psturk111]

No airbags. Air cylinders.

[@aaronerickson8878]

Too heavy, no chargers in the wilderness = Terrible choice for serious off road use.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

And yet. . . people do it. We drove it to the most remote point on a trail in the 48 states and had plenty of battery capacity remaining.

[@morgangriffith6226]

Most of the anti-EV opposition I've found online comes from the "it's my right, don't tell me what to do" crowd. Generally, all of the arguments against EVs are from folks who don't want the government telling them they have to drive an EV by 2035 or whatever deadlines we're given. There are valid range and charging concerns but those are not typically brought up, sometimes the environmental impact of lithium mining is brought up but it's not an educated argument presented with facts. It's anti-regulation sentiment fueling the EV pushback as far as I can tell.

[@ToddLloyd]

I’m an EV driver, and I support that argument. I don’t think it should be forced on consumers.

[@richarddangles8896]

In the meanwhile they are shutting down coal power plants to charge these vechicles. Now they want to block the sun out for global warming. Lol!

[@harrytraction1380]

So if your battery is low and your way out in the boonies, do you plug into a tree or a rock? F that😂

[@LarsDennert]

Yes, the same tree that bleeds gasoline.

[@luckybonza]

The energy density of liquid fuel is hard to beat. A couple of 5gal fuel cans can go a for ways, and there isn’t really a feasible electric analog

[@harrytraction1380]

Guess your Hanna have to carry a bunch of batteries if you break down🤣

[@fpartidafpartida]

@@luckybonzaVery true. However, that’s called “planning”, pretty much the same thing for driving an EV off-road. You simply plan for the limitations….then, when you get back on the road you can race almost every exotic sports car ever made and humiliate them. This, with 34’ AT tires. Something exactly 0 off road capable gas engine rigs can do.

[@ExpeditionPortal]

We just plug into the trailer. 1,000 watts of solar and 1,080 Ah of lithium.

[@lunamaria1048]

EVs just aren't able to meet my needs.

[@rstvanman1999]

Not yet, but they are still in their infancy. There will be a day where they out perform everything, and solar charging will take a few minutes. I still love gas vehicles though.

[@lunamaria1048]

@@rstvanman1999 EV will never meet my needs