[RITVT]

Selection of the the R1S over the Kia or EX90 (for early reservation holders) seems like a no-brainer in this case. Maybe Volvo can turn around quality & ownership satisfaction, but the Geely ownership in China hasn't been great for anything other than selling Volvos in China. Maybe that will change with an independent split, and Volvo can back to a quality focus.

But, for the subset of R1S prospective buyers that will never fully utilize the R1S's off-road capabilities and are just looking for kid or family hauler, the Kia will likely be a tough competitor. Rivian is likely going to have an edge when it comes to features, fit and finish (as a more up-scale and premium-oriented SUV compared to the Kia), but that is likely to be expected by consumers. It's great to see these new competitive offerings coming to the market and creating a push for more capability and innovation (with efficiency in mind). Hell, I saw news that CAT now has a massive electric dump truck that will eliminate the need for hundreds of thousand of gallons of diesel with zero emmissions: Caterpillar presents massive electric dump truck - electrive.com Times are a changing.

 

[Yossarian]

In terms of customer satisfaction the CR rating for Volvo is 68, which puts it number 12th of the 29 marques they collect data on. That's actually one point ahead of Lexus and one behind Toyota. Astoundingly, owners have made Tesla the top rating, which must mean that folks are ignoring the myriad quality problems. Bringing up the rear in the ranking are Buick, Nissan & Cadillac.

Volvo reliability certainly leaves something to be desired; CR ratings vary depending on the model, but generally are in the 2 out 5 range. As bad as that is, it's still still well ahead of Land Rover and Lincoln. Polestar is not yet rated, but will almost certainly be down in the LR range.

I don't think that blame for the rather poor ratings can be laid at the feet of Geely however. When Geely bought Volvo from Ford back in 2010, they took a hands-off approach and Volvo is still, for all intents and purposes, a Swedish company. As far as I'm aware, Geely content in Volvo's sold outside of China is low to non-existent, and only the cars sold in China are made there. The hands off approach has resulted in some very handsome designs and great interiors. Unfortunately, Volvo has not gotten much of a handle on production issues and this is reflected in the rather dismal CR reliability ratings. Perhaps that's the reason that Geely actually backed off fully merging with Volvo last year.
Edit: typo/editorial

 

[RITVT]

Based on the direct experience with my wife's XC90 R-Design, we will never buy another Volvo again. But its not just the vehicle... Its the service (or lack of service, or exorbitant service, or inconsistency between service quotes) that really irks me. I literally have had to read my service advisor TJ's and TSB's. I have had to give them the details on how to repair the car, and there have been numerous warranty issues (and now out of warranty issues). There was even an extended warranty issued on the rear suspension, and one dealership pretended like it didn't exist. Not to mention that they charge hundreds of dollars for SW updates just to be able to diagnose the vehicle.

Long story short, or maybe lessons learned... If you own a Volvo, never own one past its warranty expiration date! They aren't made with quality parts like they used to be.

 

[Yossarian]

I've had quite a few Volvos over the years, all but one leased. They were all comfortable, capable cars that really shone in adverse driving conditions (like the time I-70 closed due to blizzard conditions and we were detoured up and over Loveland Pass). The one Volvo that was purchased is the only car that I ever bought an extended (exclusionary) warranty for, and it was the best money I ever spent.

I loved that car - it was an XC-90 V8 Sport and had a great suspension to go with that Yamaha twin-cam engine - but it had a voracious and seemingly inexhaustible appetite for expensive parts. The extended warranty paid for the replacement of the starter, power steering pump, alternator, fuel injection system, rear differential and several wheel bearings. I also replaced mundane, relatively inexpensive items like valve cover gaskets, washers, o-rings and seals, etc. all of which cost a small fortune in labor and were not warranty items. My experience with the Volvo dealer however, was always terrific for the many years we dealt with them.

The moral of the story is that Volvos are great, but only when they're under warranty.

 

[RITVT]

Agreed 100%. Volvo parts suck, and their warranty isn't the greatest. Another check mark and advantage for Rivian when it comes to warranty coverage.

 

[racekarl]

As a counter-point my family has put ~100K miles on multiple Volvos (one early XC90 went > 200K miles), none of which required service beyond what you would expect for vehicles of their mileage.

 

[RITVT]

What year was that XC90 with 200K Miles? I literally have had to replace motor mount brackets on a 2017. I have never had to replace a motor mount bracket on any vehicle, let alone one that is 5 or 6 years old! Had to replace injectors, multiple rotors, gaskets for sunroof, suspension parts, TURBO, etc. It doesn't seem to end.

 

[racekarl]

It was an early first-gen V6 one, 2003 or 2004 maybe? I don't remember exactly (it was my mother's car). She used it to canvass all over NH for the 2010 census so she racked up a ton of miles (you put on miles fast in northern New England, as you likely know).

 

[RITVT]

I think those ones still had the good parts back then... I think there was an intentional cost-out effort on parts for newer models.

 

[EaglesPDX]

But, for the subset of R1S prospective buyers that will never fully utilize the R1S's off-road capabilities and are just looking for kid or family hauler, the Kia will likely be a tough competitor.

Wonder how many are in that group as the Rivian's are expensive and off road/tow vehicles, if one only wanted an AWD station wagon (aka SUV, CUV), would they look at Rivian? If so, I'd guess they are more into status purchases, in which case, they'd choose the more expensive Rivian.

 

[RITVT]

It's the Range Rover equivalent crowd, no?

 

[EaglesPDX]

It's the Range Rover equivalent crowd, no?

Exactly...display purposes. They are not going to buy a Kia. What would the neighbors say?

 

[RITVT]

Not sure it matters actually. There's always going to be a market for these types of higher-end purchases, and a segment for "people that buy trucks that don't really need them, but want them"

 

[JackSeanson]

Wonder how many are in that group as the Rivian's are expensive and off road/tow vehicles, if one only wanted an AWD station wagon (aka SUV, CUV), would they look at Rivian? If so, I'd guess they are more into status purchases, in which case, they'd choose the more expensive Rivian.

I am in that boat I think... Mostly am look for a three row family hauler that is electric. Rivians off road chops appeal to me as an outback owner, but realistically I just hit the trail to the campsite for the kids. A FWD could that that too if I am being honest. This Kia EV is in my sights. Like Rivian better as company/brand, but I also need a car for our family of 5 before we outgrow the Subaru