The 2023 Rivian R1S is An EV Like No Other SUV | MotorWeek Road Test

While we’re still waiting for that Tesla Cybertruck, and domestic brands have just begun delivering their all-electric pickup trucks, Rivian beat them all to the market with the R1T. And now they’ve turned their attention to the much more important three-row SUV segment with this R1S. So, let’s see if this modern era family truckster can deliver for suburban America.
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[@sig_7760]

I hope Rivian can get their products out the factory door quickly and with high quality. They look really cool.

[@sworks7124]

My R1T was the only vehicle out of 36 I have owned that was near perfect in build quality. Love that truck a real keeper.

[@ettorenamias]

@@sworks7124 So happy to hear that. I hope to order one next year.

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

6 thousands Rivians sold lol😂 absolute junk. Nissan kinda went out of business but is now 50/50 partners with CCP as told in Wikipedia. Nissan is now a official police vehicles for China. Seriously

[@EazyE11]

I hope Rivian can make their vehicles affordable.

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

@@EazyE11 EV vehicles are ment to destroy the middle class. Cadillac is seen as "new money" middle class to the Elites, as we know from Tucker and other automotive manufacturers if you don't do your R&D and develop a totally new internal combustion motor every ten year's you're out of business. So Cadillac has been forced out of business by the Elites, not allowing a new motor to be developed. That's just one example the Elites have decided the middle class is over and more mega rich are needed they say. All working class trucks will be Penski truck rentals you will own nothing and be happy. You will be confined to the radius that the law will allow you to drive in your (Side by Side) and not alowed on the highway without a (multi-pass) embedded in a rental vehicle.

[@PeterWiernicki]

I've loved Motorweek since I was 15. So glad they're on KZbin!

[@PhilippZ]

Me too, I’m 53. And Davies always looks and talks the same.

[@khalifahmuhammad1574]

Me too! I'm not giving my age, though. lol

[@alfamonk]

"Motor week is made possible by..." is right up there with the Fox searchlight film opening..Iconic!

[@onewayofliving]

30% less range? no way. I can get close to 290-300 miles on mine. It is an amazing car. Acceleration is amazing. Ground clearance is amazing. Off road 35 inch off-road tires and still will beat a Lamborghini Urus in a quarter mile. This thing does EVERYTHING

[@stephaniekelly3223]

Just wondering what wheels you went with? I preordered the 20's but am wondering about the decreased range.

[@onewayofliving]

@@stephaniekelly3223 I bought the 20 inch wheels. I think they look the best, ride the best, best options to replace them as there are lots of 20 inch tires. (Adventure Grey) If you get All Season tires to replace the off road tires, you will get the very best milage of all of the options .. Probably 340+

[@onewayofliving]

@@stephaniekelly3223 20 inch with Big spokes. Great aftermarket support. Lots of choices if you want to get more efficient tires than the 21s and cheaper to replace in the long run.

[@onewayofliving]

@@xk302a When you are pushing a 7000lb truck and ALSO doing a lot of testing with lots of 0-60 runs and having fun with the throttle, then you will get low milage just like any car, but if you drive it like a regular person drives a car, you will get the milage that is advertised.

[@doubleclutchonline5811]

I've driven the Lightning, and it doesn't come close to the R1. I haven't driven the Hummer, but sitting in it told me everything I needed to know. In comparison to the Ford and GM trucks, the Rivian feels like it was built by superior beings from another planet. Similar to the feeling the first time I drove a Tesla. Rivian has nothing to fear from the established brands. I hope to get my R1S before the end of the year.

[@lloydzufelt7514]

Hummer is made in China nit USA

[@TommyHuynh]

I just picked my R1S up 2 weeks ago. I made my deposit almostb3 years ago and although it was a very long wait and very frustrating at times it was definitely worth the wait! By far the beat vehicle I have ever owned. (Cadillac Escalade, Lexus GS and Acura RDX) I am an avid mountain biker and also own a restaurant it's been the perfect SUV to take to the mountains on my days off and can fit all the food and supplies for the restaurant. I already got ceramic tint last week and it's currently at the shop getting matte PPF. Rivian currently only offers test drives to reservation holders but I believe if they can somehow offer test drives for people interested they would sell even more reservations. I don't think after seeing this car in person then driving it that there is any SUV better even those that cost over $150k

[@pitech4446]

You will be sorry you bought one, just give 2-3 months. You should have bought a Tesla MY or CyberTruck haha

[@ettorenamias]

@@pitech4446 Woof....tesla fails to deliver for years. Musk over promises and under delivers constantly.

[@godoftheblock]

@@pitech4446 Why would he buy a Model Y that's too small for him or Cybertruck that doesn't exist?

[@robertferretti7990]

Thanks for the information.

[@pitech4446]

@@godoftheblock Cybertruck coming soon, and can smoke this Rivian easy

[@michaellippmann4474]

That is a very cool SUV...met an owner of one a couple weeks ago at an Electrify Canada station while filling my Ioniq5. He and his wife gave me a tour...very nice vehicle! I hope Rivian is super succesful and sells loads of vehicles. I am way beyond needing a pick up (retired electrical/building contractor) but if I needed one I would opt for the Rivian! Mike

[@mortensenvick5711]

How convenient is an EV vehicle compared to a regular ICE in Canada? I should move from Europe to Alberta or Saskatchewan pretty soon and I was wondering if electricity is expensive there.

[@BlixemBlixem]

@@mortensenvick5711 Electricity is relatively cheap in Canada. Alberta is about 12-15c / KwH. So a full battery charge that gets you 500km costs about $20 Canadian. A large SUV would take about $150 to drive similar distance. (500km x 15L/100km X $2)

[@BlixemBlixem]

@@mortensenvick5711 And how convenient? Fairly convenient in BC. Alberta and further East do not like them electric vehicles. So chargers are more spread out.

[@mortensenvick5711]

@@BlixemBlixem Thank you, that make sense. Maybe people in Alberta and east province are afraid that EV may not work very well because of cold weather? I understand people looking for sport cars and manual trasmission not liking the electric cars. But for suvs and family cars, EV are a very good option today.

[@C8Z51Scott]

I see Rivians all over RTP, NC. I am impressed by a new comer swooped in and became successful.

[@barrygoldwasser5449]

I live in Raleigh and have seen only 1 so far over the past year.

[@rickcagle2]

This is all anecdotal, but in live in Raleigh and I have seen many of the trucks and SUVs. Maybe 20 and 5 respectively

[@C8Z51Scott]

@@barrygoldwasser5449 I am surprised. I live in Southern Raleigh and I see about 10 or so. One of my neighbors has one. I see the pickups and the SUV.

[@jerry.hell2]

I live in the city that is home to the rivian factory. The company is kept afloat by the massive contract they have with Amazon. They’re in the red right now but production has increased some.

[@KTAC1]

God bless the host. Been doing this for decades, feels surreal to see him introducing evs instead of classic ice cars especially since watching old boxy cars from way back then.

[@pharmatographist]

Picked up my R1T in January of this year. It’s the greatest vehicle I’ve owned (Nissan Sentra, Honda Accord, Nissan Titan, Nissan Versa, Mazdaspeed3, Honda Odyssey, Kia Niro EV). It does everything so reliably, and I hope Rivian continues to grow and increase in quality and services!

[@LoveStallion]

I mean, you're coming from a lot of Nissans... ;)

[@pharmatographist]

@@LoveStallion LOL true!

[@saulgoodman2018]

I love physical buttons.

[@Coolhand69]

True, I own an R1S and it’s great but all auto manufacturers should not cheap out and just keep the climate control physical rather than filtering through screens.

[@alcubierrevj]

@@Coolhand69Or at least put climate control and radio buttons in the steering wheel, so eyes stay on road

[@RandyChase]

Have put many miles on my R1S and love it. Took it to Tail of the Dragon and it was epic.

[@R32vdubb]

@randychase what’s the average range you get on a full battery 🔋???

[@RandyChase]

I normally keep it charged to less than 100% based on recommendations, the exception being roadtrips. Most of my longer range daily use, I keep it charged to 250 miles. If I go to 100%, I think it reports about 317 miles of range.

[@stephaniekelly3223]

What size wheels?

[@chase-life]

21" road wheels@@stephaniekelly3223

[@leftcoaster67]

I'm still rooting for Rivian and Lucid. But man are they expensive.

[@SilentButtDeadly15]

Lucid, really? Don't hold your breath. In two years time, nobody is going to hear about them again

[@TheDaizM]

Agreed. These EV’s make me feel broke….

[@rohanm54]

R2S comes out in 2026ish. Will start at $40-$50k ish 👀 You will get less power and only dual motors on the R2 platform

[@MooseMeus]

R2 will be 40k. that's not a huge payment

[@LittleAnastasia...]

Hopefully prices will come down to normal in a few years . Fisker is planning on building an electric starting at around $30 000 in mid 2025. We'll see if they can actually work out a deal with Foxconn .

[@Montblanc1986]

Rivian has the highest ranked quality in ev automobiles

[@AWDRIFTO]

This is our spec and we love it. I love that someone modified this one.. Tint and chrome delete..just like mine.

[@robgindc1]

Rivian should use the full wheelbase/length of the R1T to produce an 8 passenger, full sized R2S to compete against GM & Ford's biggest offerings.

[@JoaquinDagou]

They already said that their next focus is smaller cheaper vehicles!

[@mrmr1734]

Thank you for my auto review fix, Mr. Davis! NO ONE does it as well as you do!

[@jeffs6090]

I can't wait for the R2 line of vehicles. The smaller proportions look amazing!

[@user-to5zk9ye6h]

Rivian has the highest ranked quality in ev automobiles. They really have a look all their own. Very cool.

[@sleeksilver]

Such a unique looking vehicle, they always stand out. I know one person who owns a R1S and he loves his.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

It’s a box 📦

[@rallycobra5738]

​@@LafemmebearMusicexactly what makes it great

[@akeyeguy7996]

Im sure he just bought it. Give him a year or two then decide

[@wesvan6]

It reminds me of a juiced up Ford Flex as far as the body goes.

[@dohc1067]

American made techno beast. Premium, powerful, and from a slight angle, it makes me think about Jeep in a square type of way. Yes, it is high, but so are Land Rovers. 3.3 0 to 60 and 900 plus pounds of torque. 😮

[@julioibarra7156]

They really have a look all their own. Very cool

[@frankcoffey]

The performance is amazing!

[@twofjs6334]

Had one of them pass me on Engineer Pass on the Alpine Loop last weekend! Very capable vehicle.

[@John-yg2rt]

0:55 this is Crest Hill Rd in Marshall Virginia, isn't it? One of my favorite roads to ride my motorcycle on while making my way to route 211 in Sperryville Va

[@colin-nekritz]

I took a trip from Buffalo to Birmingham, and Birmingham to Savannah, and back and was honestly floored by how many Rivians, both the Ute and the pickup, I passed, honestly lost count. Good to see so many on the road. It’s insane out Pacifica hybrid only costs $20K less than this

[@LittleAnastasia...]

I've seen one in my area parked at a hospital so a doctor must own it. Other than that the only other electric vehicles I see are teslas and occasional mach e.

[@andrewrizer7686]

Something about how this is all shot, starting with the opening monologue, feels so early 2000s. I have to sometimes check when these were posted...

[@tphvoice]

I love my R1S! Best vehicle I've ever owned, by a long shot.

[@benjaminkessler8169]

I’ve seen many here in the Bay Area, great fit and finish. I would definitely recommend

[@PhillyDee215]

This thing is quick

[@loren4777]

But I will admit the design on the rivian suv was well built I’ve recently seen one of the new hummer Evs and honestly it still looks the same as the old H2 but just battery operated

[@JamaicanMeCrazy]

Can't love those pill headlights but everything else is awesome

[@sammyt3514]

This certainly beats the heck out of the Tesla Cyber Truck in the looks department.

[@BWilliam]

Beauty is only skin deep. It is a good looking vehicle tho.

[@ericjarvis3051]

So does pretty much every other vehicle ever made lol

[@sammyt3514]

@@ericjarvis3051 True, but every vehicle ever made is not a competitor for the Cyber Truck, this Rivian is.

[@ericjarvis3051]

@@sammyt3514 neither is this Rivian. The R1T is.

[@sak1339]

Totally different market segments.

[@rabit818]

Thought the Rivian was the same size as the Explorer. It’s huge.

[@ckim6492]

Such a boss car. Everyone driving one is so lucky!

[@DustinBigMac]

I drive these 5 days a week super fun and durable

[@CJL36]

Probably the best EV on the market right now.

[@josephpanozzo4815]

It looks almost like all the crossovers you see on the road today. I do wish that car reviews would mention how much basic maintenance items cost like the batteries, the headlights, the taillights, and the wiper blades.

[@gorillaplays8926]

Thats been out for like a year now..

[@KevinJenkins27]

Very little basic maintenance. Tires, windshield wiper fluid, cabin air filter. Battery and drivetrain warranty is 8 years, 175k miles. There's just fewer moving parts that require tending to. Even the brakes last longer due to regenerative braking through the electric motors themselves. In 30 years, people will wonder why they bothered with the complicated maintenance schedules of gas engines for their grocery getters

[@mortensenvick5711]

This was my favorite in 2019, now my favorite EV suv is the yangwang U8

[@ChristopherOvrebo]

That bumper makes the headlights a little less awkward

[@LoveStallion]

The host is in another world. The vocal work is straight out of the mid-90s.

[@ilovetotri23]

Track times are stupid quick!!! I was waiting for the price to post my opinion. I love MotorWeek, but they always play nice. 80K probably seems fine for some peeps who are ready to spend that on a crappy Jeep Grand Wagoneer. For 80k I could buy a house another house where I live. I love how Rivian is busting into the market! I will likely never own one but I love their impact.

[@mortensenvick5711]

This is more the size of a grand cherokee L and those jeep aren't crappy, they are no hyundai. Expecially with the sweet 6 inline. And I don't even own one, I drive a 2020 audi SQ7 V8.

[@Uriah625]

I literally got into a Facebook brawl this week stating you could still buy affordable housing. Oh my the, “show me where you can buy a house for less than $100k”. Of course I did and they were all butthurt. Here you are, talking about buying $80k homes. Impossible!

[@jaydibernardo4320]

Put me in the 'prefer buttons & switches' group. Getting lost in touch screen hell sucks and if that screen dies you can't do much.

[@gdub350]

It appeared you had to adjust your air vents through the screen, because adjusting the vents by hand it’s for peasants I guess.

[@kenpriest5672]

Agreed! I love everything about this vehicle except not having physical buttons and knobs. Then there’s also the price……

[@rkalla]

1:03 knees right into the chair backs - how comfy

[@goonies_never_say_die]

The insurance and repair costs on these could be pretty high.

[@curtisbme]

They are not reducing their production costs fast enough so I don't see them making it but hopefully at least their delivery truck side can make it.

[@JuanAlvarez-ig8ws]

We have an Audi E-tron SUV in our family and with 3 kids under 8, that back seat is at capacity. This weekend we’re test driving the R1S so we’ll see how it stacks up. The etron has all of the luxury features you’d expect from Audi, but it’s tight for a family of 5 and with 210 miles of real world range, the R1S seems like the right upgrade for us.

[@JoaquinDagou]

How did the test drive go?

[@mattalley4330]

I have seen a few of the trucks in my town. They look pretty cool. I would get one of these SUVs if I could swing the payments

[@matthewvernon8876]

THIS RIVIAN SUV IS LEGIT. IVE OWNED 150 plus cars/suv’s. I bought the 835HP large battery pack Rivian two months ago. It is LEGIT. I CAN SAY THAT I LIKE IT MORE THAN ALMOST ABY CAR OR SUV I EVER OWNED. DEFINITELY TOP 2.

[@chileshemubanga3594]

The side profile looks like a Wagoneer.i love the interior design,side & rear also but that front end,nah!.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Did they fix the high power consumption when parked?

[@aconfusedazn]

It’s improved

[@joshthemediocre7824]

My dream cross country travel vehicle. I'd love to take a solo trip across the US in one of these stopping every 300 miles for an hour, all that comfort, tech and power. I love them.

[@lloydzufelt7514]

I used to watch this show for years but in Denver Colorado I can't find it

[@Motorweek]

Show times can be found here: motorweek.org/watch/

[@livingthedash6727]

Mason Dixon drag strip? In Hagerstown, MD?? My family owns it. That's crazy. 😂

[@drjones694]

I love Rivian vehicles Can't wait to get one

[@Novilicious]

This vs the Tesla Model X? Anyone have both or test drove both? Which one is better? Thx for any advice!

[@AutobahnSean]

I hope they make a sport/rally wagon

[@CEA9234]

Wondering if I have the chops to work there 🤔

[@4xprops457]

Really reminds me of the AMC pacer.

[@cgreenfield6655]

Such a cool truck!

[@kevinvr4604]

Who put the Millersville sticker on?

[@stevequach1869]

Love this car!

[@sa4769]

An American Company 🇺🇸 - I love Rivian

[@nicoligonzales9222]

R1S is 1 word... perfect

[@Belgoboy]

Love the Rivian but I just couldn’t handle the front headlights. Too toyish looking.

[@numinous4789]

No braking data? That’s an important thing to be missing.

[@jonathonalsop2120]

Roughly 121ft on all seasons 131ft on the all terrains.

[@Motorweek]

It ended up 110 feet average in our braking testing. Quite a lot to this vehicle so it was likely just cut for time but all of our testing information is always available on our website: motorweek.org/road_tests/2023-rivian-r1s/

[@jasonsmith1143]

I hope my stock goes up

[@YourMother88]

Good review, but the comment at the end about competition from "established brands" is pure speculation. People have been saying "competition is coming" for years and yet Tesla and Rivian (on a smaller scale) are miles ahead of the "established automakers." Maybe it's time to consider that many of those auto-dinosaurs are simply not going to make it, and that being a blank-slate EV brand is actually a huge advantage.

[@msk3905]

just priced up the mid-level one and at nearly $100K for this that is a don't need to think about this long PASS!

[@arcademania7544]

Lol! I can drive my Tahoe or Ford Expedition for the rest of my life, on $100k worth of gas. 😂

[@Uriah625]

⁠@@arcademania7544well you can’t really compare the Ford Expedition to the R1S. As far as the Tahoe, they are pretty much the same price. In a true comparison, the Rivian is likely cheaper.

[@c.a.nixiii4650]

Still toys for the rich. Just a few years ago these kinds of prices would be considered normal for only luxury vehicles or sports cars. Nice looking but a long way to go!

[@irlmikeo7634]

The next time I feel the need to take an $80,000 SUV to the dragstrip, I'll keep all this information in mind

[@roberthoyt7921]

I think Rivian's R1S is definitely full-size instead of midsize. It would be more worthy of fighting the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban EV when it comes.

[@matthewnelson5680]

But it’s much smaller, so no.

[@roberthoyt7921]

@@matthewnelson5680 We'll see about that

[@matthewnelson5680]

@@roberthoyt7921 Why wait? Tahoe is 210.7” L and 81.0” W. R1S is 200.8” and 79.3” W. The Suburban is much longer. It’s not even close.

[@oneslackr]

The R1S is comparable to other 3-row SUVs such as the current Honda Pilot in dimensions & cargo capacity. Rivian R1S (201" L x 82" W x 77" H) Current Honda Pilot (200" L X 79" W X 71" H) Behind the 3rd row - 17.7 cu. ft. 18.6 cu. ft. Behind the 2 row - 46.7 cu. ft. 48.5 cu. ft. Behind the 3 row - 88.2 cu. ft. 87.0 cu. ft. Plus frunk storage - 11.0 cu. ft. N/A

[@supermikeb]

They didn’t even mention tank mode?

[@CoFRTheGamerXxX]

I like the brand, but I think they'll be priced out as bigger companies (like Hyundai and Kia for example) push out their SUVs 80K USD is a huge stretch for a lot of families pushing it to the higher income bracket.

[@bearworldwide101]

Idk if its just me but I like the SUV but one thing that turned me off is why all SUVs have to chop inches from the back of their truck siblings? Hummer does it to its SUV version and making it smaller than the truck and only fits 4 maybe 5 with a bench seat. When the Hummer should fit 7 or 8 at best if you're gonna spend 120 grand same with the Rivian if I want to spend 80k give me seating for 8 and a longer rear. It would be like the suburban just boxy and electric and a bit wider in the rear to fit the extra seat in the middle 3rd row.

[@msk3905]

$80k is bottom level no options add options and price shoots up to around $100 real quick

[@bearworldwide101]

@@msk3905 damn so that's base model too smh. Shit a base suburban is 8 to 9 seats and the option of a Diesel or standard 350 V8.

[@msk3905]

@@bearworldwide101 base model with short range battery pack and home charger is $81,250, add long range battery pack and mid range performance motors you are at $92,250.

[@AndreLaplante-xu1le]

so just shy of $80k. Maybe if e could adjust our own vents (not through a touchscreen) it might be cheaper. Rivians are impressive I will admit. But soooo much going through a touch screen makes me nervous. Not just on this vehicle either. As I own lots of older cars, I have to wonder about the longevity of these vehicles' systems. Finding parts and getting people to work on them etc. It just seems as though manufacturers are seemingly making throw away cars. From broken touch screen interfaces to useless, non recyclable (or not to easy to) batteries

[@PhearaXT]

Looks like they are going to do a compilation against Tesla.

[@Sw33tBabyRays]

This guy sounds like he belongs on 1970s radio.

[@samdelon]

It looks pretty cool but how reliable it is

[@danrook5757]

How big are the gaps

[@belaoxmyx298]

I’m wanting Rivian to succeed

[@shunt8084]

I just can’t get past the front end, it looks like a kid designed it. Otherwise, a lot to like if you have a good charging network around.

[@tambulee]

The missing glove box irks me 😂

[@grantwilks8706]

This is the first and only time I’ve ever seen only positive comments on a ev. I guess it’s mainly where you live as to whether or not people will buy them. You can’t give them away in my area!!! Nobody wants them around here I guess or maybe it’s the price, I don’t know.

[@SilentButtDeadly15]

Lol "starts" at $79,500. I'm surprised motor week told us that.

[@cndam]

Videos look so retro.

[@justintime41776]

Cannot wait to win the lotto!

[@DustinBigMac]

These trucks are so durable

[@gordonmills2748]

I have no interest in owning an SUV of any type, and I can't get with the nose of this, but the EV revolution is here. I'm a die hard Detroit raised car guy, but after experiencing one at work, I am gonna wind up buying an EV when the right one comes along. Welcome to the future.

[@zelgiggity]

Why does the car have a millersville university sticker?

[@ytsux9259]

I can't believe John is still around to see the EV era. 😅

[@user-yf7zb3qt1o]

Nice concept car. I wonder when they produce real product

[@offroadskater]

The delivery is just one step away from WW2 news. Very quaint.

[@mr.r59]

I would love to have one but at$80,000 i can't

[@funkyflights]

Wow, very nice SUV

[@BROON71]

I would have win the lottery in order to actually afford one of these electric SUV's....

[@commandertopgun]

WOW SUPER SUV-- LOVE IT--

[@prodantech]

So annoyed by people saying they are waiting on the Cybertruck. Who cares? It’s coming and it’ll be amazing. None of us with the reservations care.

[@TheTmat007]

Waiting for that Cyber Truck?! It ain't never gonna happen....much like the Roadster and Semi Truck.

[@user-cj4sm8hv9y]

Boxy Brute

[@craigbucci7950]

Wish it wasn’t so expensive