Rivian R1S vs. Kia EV9: Owners' Comparison of these 3-row Electric SUVs (Quick Take)

[@ahealingjourneyaz]

I have test drove both of these EVs and without a doubt the Kia EV9 is more comfortable and has much more leg room and head room than the R1S. Granted the Kia is not an off road vehicle but 7.8 inches of ground clearance is very respectable plus it is more than 20k less expensive!

[@jysmtl]

The comparable R1S is the dual motor (not quad, as in this comparo) which is the same price as the RV9 at a little under $80k (this video should’ve mentioned that). The R1S has more space for stuff and, even the dual motor, better performance both off and on road, as well as substantially greater range. I’ve driven them both, too. I’m 6 ft and have plenty of leg and head room in both. The EV9 is quiet and comfortable, feels more like a familiar car for those not accustomed to EVs. Both vehicles are great!

[@victorquintana5870]

Ev9 is about $7-10k under msrp right now if you look around.

[@scotthall1381]

Plus Kia has and additional 7500 bucks off right now

[@trey81373]

Great video. Was super relevant as I am shopping both of these right now. Thank you.

[@muden10]

Plan to get both eventually. Got the ev9 and it is large. Videos would never do it justice. It looks average size on the outside, but the wheel base length and ev cabin space, makes this as large as a suburban inside. Third row can seat 2 large adults.

[@seanmartin203]

Just got ev 9 light long range a lot less money then rivian very happy so far

[@wemakecookie]

I like the look of both but I think the EV9 looks really great 10/10.

[@SeanMaples-gr5dl]

Nice jobs on comparison. I am like your brother and brought Kia EV9 GT line.

[@jawwadsabir4620]

You guys are good i enjoyed you talking. Hoping to see better audio in the one 😊

[@akc5247]

Good effort from Kia. As a R1S owner, would definitely opt (if available) for the captain's chairs in my R1S. The camp speaker thing in the Rivian, is honestly, unnecessary. That could have been used as empty space or some other option. Other than that, I love the R1S.

[@FamilyGoingElectric]

Totally agree on the captains chairs options!

[@cranburydad]

Love both these cars. Though you're next video is where the EV9 wins most of its points. I personally like the look of the Rivian more. It clearly has more overall storage capacity counting the bigger frunk and under rear storage. It's more powerful and faster (as shown here, though the non-performance dual is about the same as the EV9 GT-Line). The quality of the infotainment UI on the RIvian is much better than the EV9. And the air suspension is nice and off-roading capacity much better. On the other hand, the EV9 is loaded with features that are simply not available on any Rivian. The EV9 has 5 levels of user controllable regen braking levels from full one pedal to full ICE-like coast, and paddle shifters on the wheel to quickly change them in real-time. You can even use the shifters for hand regen braking on demand. The EV9 has wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, the LED rear view, physical buttons (redundant to the screen so choose your preferred method) for many things. And at the moment the driver assist features are better on the EV9 overall (though Rivian keeps improving). The EV9 charges faster too. On the flip side, the UI in the EV9 is pretty weak, lightyears behind the Rivians. You really should test drive both as this comes down to priorities and preferences. My wife liked driving the EV9 way better than the RIvian, ad loved the buttons and variable regen. I would have been happy in either.

[@daniel0223-i8s]

Even though the ev9 is $20,000 cheaper, it has more advantages.

[@RichKerr]

Great Comparison, thank you

[@1951703j]

why didnt you compare it to the Rivian Dual Motor? Wouldn't that be a comp to the ev9?

[@FamilyGoingElectric]

The Rivian we own is quad motor, so we didn't have access to a dual motor version. That said, you're right - the dual motor R1S is probably more directly comparable to the top spec EV9.

[@djcrawford7199]

What Weather tech floor mats did you get as their website says coming soon under EV? Thanks

[@saihualin677]

any link for the EV9 cargo mat used in the video?

[@spcOten]

Great video

[@ayushmalpeddi2793]

Great videk except some errors. Cargo space behind 34d row on ev9 is about 20 cubic!

[@bearnkd]

Worth noting that the Mercedes EQS SUV has a 3rd row option as well. It's tiny, but does exist.

[@FamilyGoingElectric]

Good call - yes, we omitted that one in part because of the price (typically equipped around $110-125K)

[@bearnkd]

@@FamilyGoingElectric while true, they are also heavily discounted. March programs rolling out can get a $128k EQS 580 on a 24 month / 7500 mile lease for $4500 Due at signing $699/mo+tax which is cheaper than any of the other cars on the list haha.

[@FamilyGoingElectric]

Good to know, thanks!

[@susanyoon288]

You should also tell the price difference

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

I doubt Rivian would still be around 5 years from now.

[@UncleAlpha1]

I need 7 seater. R1S wins.

[@luckylenny]

Good video. Besides costing $25k more than a Kia EV9, I wouldn't buy a Rivian used or new. Rivian vehicles are too glitchy with too many software issues and recalls. Pricing is way too high given all the defects. Too many people reporting defect-related issues which make the Rivian unable to even drive. Better to wait for the onslaught of SUVs and pickup trucks arrving in '24. Kia EV9 are better quality and much cheaper than Rivian

[@cranburydad]

The Kia has had a few so far too. They've already released 2 updates within the first 2 months of release. One because their wireless charger was killing 12V batteries, even if it wasn't used. And the other because their software was overheating the ICCU high voltage chargers.

[@akc5247]

full disclosure - R1S owner. curious to know where the issues you mention are all stemming from? There was one OTA update which caused some issues for a few owners, but had zero impact on the driveability of the vehicle. Kia EV9 looks good, but doesn't take anything away that R1S is fantastic.

[@cranburydad]

@@akc5247 More than "a few" people were impacted by the battery issue. And a dead battery does affect drivability. Not handling or the quality of the drive, but the ability to drive. As for cause and effect, Kia indicated the wireless car charger update would help with the 12V issue. And quite a few technically proficient sleuthy EV9 owners had been extensively monitoring what was causing draw on the 12V and why the HV battery sometimes wasn't recharging it (short answer is the coding of Kia's ABS+ system). So they could see exactly which features caused battery draw. They posted charts and data on Reddit. And once they had the wireless charging update, they ran tests on all of it again and noticed a dramatic difference in 12v battery draw. Before the fix, a digital key within range of the car while off could draw 4V from the 12v battery. The difference between those impacted by the dead batteries and those who were not had to do with driving patterns since certain conditions reset the ABS+ counter and others allowed it to trip and stop the HV from recharging the 12V. After the update, the 12V was negligible.

[@akc5247]

@@cranburydad interesting. Didn't have the issue. Then again which vehicle is without it's issues, ICE or EV. If you want to start eliminating vehicles, then we can go back to driving a bicycle.

[@akc5247]

I wouldn't get a Kia since I have had a poor view of Hyundai, and have taken them to court with my Tucson few years back. So, unfortunately, wouldn't touch Kia or Hyundai with a ten foot pole.

[@ARMUSACE]

Rivian nice car