2022 Rivian R1T | Review & Road Test

[Music] i've been reviewing cars for a very long time these days it's rare that i see something that's truly new huh that looks new if you don't know rivien is an american electric vehicle startup and their first production vehicle is this the r1t pickup truck and man is it interesting but first cue the quadcopter footage [Applause] [Music] the r1t features an individual motor powering each wheel yes math whizzes that equals four motors according to rivian it can tow up to eleven thousand pounds it rockets from zero to sixty miles per hour in as quick as three seconds depending on the surface of course and it'll cover 314 miles with the base 135 kilowatt hour battery pack according to the epa a larger 180 kilowatt battery pack is in the pipeline for 10 000 that should deliver more than 400 miles of range [Music] by the way the company i work for cox automotive invested 350 million dollars in rivian i've never met the investment people i have no idea how any of that works but now you know [Music] back on task look at this interior intriguing textures subtle splashes of color open pour ash wood trim and these carabiner inspired elements on the back seat pockets there is a finesse here that feels drawn from beyond the automotive realm nothing feels cheap there are no unsightly gaps the cabin conveys quality from top to bottom on that note these floor mats are made of chilliwitch which you might recognize from crate and barrel's doormat selection as for dimensions the r1t competes among midsize trucks [Music] let's see how my 5 foot 10 inch frame fits inside the rivion r1t moving up to the front seat uh let's see let's get a comfortable driving position here and it's not moving because it's not on but i can assure you i can get a very comfortable driving position there's a good telescope on the steering wheel here and the arm pad situation this is squishy my elbows my glass like elbows will not complain oh and one interesting thing too look down here this is the kind of thing you only see normally in a minivan a big open space where you can put like a purse or something that's really great functionality i fit well up front let's see i sit in the second row and yeah oh my gosh okay i'm going to move over a row so you can see how much headroom i have now the legroom situation is not accurate because this seat is really far back i can tell you that on the drive up here into the mountains from denver yesterday i had a ton of knee space something in this range right here good foot space underneath my only complaint would be a lack of static lumbar support on the rear seat back i'd love a little bit more supports down low so i might have to bust out my old man inflatable lumbar pillow but besides that this is a plenty roomy uh truck for family duty yeah awesome other clever interior bits include a flashlight built into the driver's door this optional removable bluetooth speaker that charges when stowed and doubles as a camp lantern supplemental storage beneath the rear seats a digital driver information screen plus a separate 16 inch screen on infotainment duty as a fan of apple carplay and android auto smartphone integration i'm just made there are no plans to offer either in the r1t thankfully the r1t's infotainment layout is simple logical and welcoming of course the r1t is a truck you should talk about truck stuff how do you drop the tailgate there's a button right here on top of the rail just push that and it comes down and this little guy right here this platform connects the tailgate with the bed so you have the seamless flat platform so if you're loading things in it's really easy to do so if you look on the top of the rails you've got these little tie down points and those also function they've got a rail system that goes across in fact they have a version with a pop-up tent that's mounted on these which is super cool but uh in terms of ultimate coolness check this out there's a button over here and then the power tonno extends out this is optional um on the base model this is a manual tonneau cover but that kind of locked safe space for all of your gear is super cool oh oh and i should also mention that underneath the bed here as that tonneau noise kicks back in you pull the lever on this side this pops up and you have a full-size spare which really comes in handy if you're going off-road you thought i was done but i'm not there's also an air compressor over here and then i'm going to leap into the bed and on this side if you take a little peek down here love you got two outlets so you can charge your gear i'm more of a margarita machine guy but make your own choices a truly unique feature of the r1t is this the gear tunnel push a button here this opens up and you have 11 cubic feet of storage space that is secure and won't flop stuff around in the bed also the door here doubles as a step so you can load stuff up on the roof or you can sit down and contemplate your place in the universe what does it all mean man by the way the gear tunnel has a pass-through so you can grab items from inside the cabin you can also fill it with a kitchen insert hackneyed everything plus the kitchen sink joke here seriously though for five thousand dollars ribbon will install this slide out camp kitchen complete with a 30 piece cookware set an inductive stove powered by the truck's battery pack a four gallon water tank and yeah there is a sink [Music] like many electric cars the r1t has a frunk and a pro tip on how to open it go to the center camera here and then slightly to the left and there's the button and then it powers right on up the amount of space is good this is another great secure space to put stuff although i will say that i like how the ford f-150 lightning the grille comes up with it so you have a low lift in this you have to kind of lift up and over nonetheless a useful space it's been a minute let's cram a few more drone shots into the attic [Music] ah that is nice and a convenient segue into how the ribbon r1t drives let me guess you'd like me to full throttle accelerate this thing from a stop for you anything three two one laughing under hard acceleration is such a cliche but sometimes you can't help it prompt and relentless electric torque sure is cool according to rivian the r1t's four motors cumulatively produced more than 800 horsepower and more than 900 pound-feet of torque if the novelty of gut punch acceleration ever dims know that rivien's truck is also a pleasure to drive at sensible speeds leave the suspension in soft mode and ride quality in the r1t is outstanding key to that pleasing ride is an air suspension featuring adaptive dampers and an electro hydraulic roll control system standing in for traditional anti-roll bars in concert the r1t suspension can vary ground clearance from 7.9 inches to 14.4 inches while delivering a plush ride or depending on the drive mode keeping the chassis taut and oddly flat in corners i mean odd as a compliment as you might expect a lack of engine noise means you're more aware audibly of tire and wind noise but i can attest to the fact that you can have a modest level conversation at freeway speeds just fine hey lily what's up hello there is a person back there i swear one area where electric vehicles often struggle is with unnatural feeling brakes in this case regen is handled exclusively by coming off throttle the brake pedal only actuates the hydraulic brakes consequently it feels just like a normal brake pedal ah it is so nice to drive an electric vehicle that slows as well as it goes some nitpicky complaints include overly heavy steering efforts at higher speeds at least according to my weak journalist arms i also noted distracting reflections at some sun angles from the driver's side mirror arm and the metallic trim atop the steering wheel that said the r1t is on the whole very well sorted on tarmac and yet you can't really appreciate its charms until you venture off-road one of the first things that jumps out to you when driving the rivian r1t besides the absence of engine noise is the solidity of the chassis so when you go over bumps like this the only sounds you really hear you feel just a little bit coming from the suspension but the chassis is so solid really if you hear anything moving it's stuff you brought with you another thing i've noted is that in the softer suspension setting the ride quality off-road even over the biggest of bumps is really quite good i do off-roading with my wife and kid and i don't want my daughter flopping back and forth in her child seat and this seems like a really great platform for driving with people uh and uh keeping them comfortable in the process excuse me while i tread lightly watercrossing i'm gonna point one other thing out that i really like about the rivian if you look at the steering wheel as we go over bumps it kind of goes back and forth it's alive with action see that right there it's great because it reminds you that you're going over terrain it's really satisfying to have an analog experience in what could be a very digital kind of vehicle i'm on a hill here and this is an opportunity to point out something interesting about the r1t so there's a lot of dead space at the beginning of the travel of the accelerator that's regen space and so as long as you know that that's how the accelerator works you can kind of promptly get to the point where you'll start getting pull so if you're looking for really aggressive tip-in you won't find it here but that's definitely by design that also means that when you're coming down a hill if you come off throttle that regen means you don't have to use the brake pedal all that much you can almost one pedal drive this on pretty much any off-road situation last off-road observation one of the things that gives you confidence when driving the r1t is that when you see the other r1ts driving in front of you and you see that smooth belly there's nothing hanging low to get caught up on rocks you're not going to drag a differential or a suspension piece this is a pretty big rock i might be concerned otherwise nope didn't drag nothing in my experience over gnarly trails the r1t just goes there's traction to be found the ribbian will find it and exploit it right now if you're thinking this video is a little too complimentary here are some points of consideration one the live camera view looks choppy at the moment though i'm told an over-the-air update should fix it two the r1t's tightly curated drive modes should work for most users but finicky folks like me might appreciate more room to customize three the r1t's 11 000 pound tow rating is impressive but how many miles you can tow that weight remains to be seen also charging up with a trailer attached could be a pain four rivian lacks a dealer network instead relying on a mobile delivery and service approach that could be a good thing but right now the execution is unknown and five we have price you'll need sixty seven thousand five hundred dollars to buy a base r1t explorer package not including destination charges for perspective the upcoming ford f-150 lightning electric truck will have a base price around forty thousand dollars tesla estimates a similar base price for their upcoming single motor rear-wheel drive cyber truck and now by mentioning tesla of the comment section we'll devolve into an impotent firestorm of hot takes have at it while there are cheaper ways to drive electric the ribbian r1t offers a lot in base form standard features include vegan leather seats heated up front five drive modes all-wheel drive because four motors an in-bed air compressor with a 20-foot hose to reach each tire a manual tonneau cover a panoramic roof that while well-tinted might leave desert dwellers wishing for a sun shade and driver plus which is rivien speak for their advanced driver assist system featuring 11 cameras 5 radar units and 12 ultrasonic sensors on the pricier 73 000 adventure package we're testing you'll find ventilated front seats an 18 speaker 1200 watt meridian audio system that truly undeniably bangs and gear guard which utilizes a locking eight foot cut resistant tether system to keep your stuff yours the two included tethers are supplemented by 360 degree video abilities to capture any nefarious behavior i'll also add that the gear guard screen animation is absolutely adorable helping mitigate the r1t's asking price are federal tax incentives to the tune of 7 500 plus state and local incentives depending on where you live as for charging options you can use a standard household outlet if you've got nowhere to be or use a level 2 charger to gain 16 miles per hour charged with your r1t ribbon can also sell you a 500 wall charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour and when covering distance if you can find a 200 kilowatt dc quick charger 20 minutes can add up to 140 miles of range oh and bonus points to rivien for the cool charger door at the risk of further inflaming the comment section i'll mention that tesla's vast supercharger network is a ubiquitous and quick way to charge a car i'll also say that america's non-tesla charging infrastructure continues to expand based on my experience driving an audi e-tron from coast to coast that charge will probably be in the parking lot of a walmart by contrast rivian plans to add 20 000 chargers throughout the us dubbed the rivian adventure network many of which will be strategically located at trailheads and other desirable outdoorsy spots besides the cybertruck and f-150 lightning whenever they arrive there really isn't a competitive set for the rivien r1t yeah you could buy a honda ridgeline or jeep gladiator for much less but the r1t really is its own thing you can't buy another truck this quick the cabin is legitimately luxurious and for those who care the r1t offers a responsible yet thrilling glimpse of our electrified future viewed strictly by the experience it provides the rivian r1t is extremely compelling it's quick it's rugged it's capable and it's filled with clever usability not only is it a new kind of pickup track it is an excellent pickup truck [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you

Channel: Kelley Blue Book

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Id: tpBMld6U9B0

Length: 15min 0sec (900 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 28 2021