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12 Posts
Hello, brand new here. My wife and I live in SLC, UT, have 5 little kids and we do just about everything active outdoors that we can with them. We look forward to ski trips, hiking, canyoneering, touring national parks, and camping in the R1S! We reserved the R1S after following with great interest for many years. It will replace our premium-gas-guzzling 2014 Audi Q7. We heavily considered the Model X but it just does not fit our needs. Trunk space is minimal and it isn't exactly built for adventures, to say the least. For one, you can't put a box on top of a car that has gull wings!! We have followed the Model Y's development but it has been plagued with quality issues and while the 7-seat model has been promised and anticipated and prototyped, it has yet to become available and would be a very tight squeeze for our family of 7. I might get a Tesla for my daily commuter, some day. But their off-road capability would be a joke compared to the R1S and I would have to take the R1S if I'm answering a hospital call during Snowmageddon.
Why did we commit to the R1S? I believe in this company's vision, culture, and commitment. I believe the car will deliver on its promise to be dependable with minimal maintenance needs, extremely safe, and extremely capable. Most days, we just need something to cart the kids around from point A to point B on hilly roads sometimes in the snow. (I love that RJ and his kids are giving the R1T a thorough beta test as we speak). But when we're ready for an adventure, we want to be able to pack all 5 kids into the car plus gear and access remote hiking and canyoneering trailheads on sandy dirt roads in Southern Utah and access backcountry skiing (and resort skiing) locations around Salt Lake City.
The design and appearance of the R1S to me is the reincarnation of a Swiss Army Knife as an SUV. Every little nook and cranny has hidden functions and features for your next adventure. Come across a fellow EV in the wilderness with 1% battery? Oh, let's just hook you up with a little juice. Camping with the kiddos and the toddler won't stay in their bag and it's 2am and 35 degrees out? Oh, let me just plug in our mini space heater to the car with an extension cord for a bit. Driving down a narrow dirt road that "feels" like the right path to that canyon you're trying to find and it dead-ends? Oh, let's just turn on tank mode and flip this rig around. And, of course, I can't wait to try putting groceries in the frunk!
Although a lot of competition has suddenly sprung up during Rivian's long, slow, methodical development, I doubt any of these other companies will deliver a more capable or respectable option. In my opinion the only other practical consideration at this time is Tesla, but the culture and feel at Tesla is so different. They are so focused on software and self-driving; in my opinion, Tesla is perfect for the daily commuter who wears a suit and tie and doesn't wander off road, ever, while Rivian is perfect for those of us who choose to live closer to the places we play than the places we work. The idea of Tesla building a truck just doesn't seem to fit the company's image and I don't think Elon Musk would connect with the customer base that Rivian is rapidly building. Yes, I believe Rivian's self-driving software will lag behind Tesla for years, but they have all of the hardware for Level 5 self-driving capability and the over-the-air updates will add functionality. I'm sure RJ and the others have big dreams but they aren't going to over-promise and under-deliver (think Robo-taxis). Instead, he will "let the results speak for themselves."
I would love to hear others' stories. Why did you commit to a Rivian?
Why did we commit to the R1S? I believe in this company's vision, culture, and commitment. I believe the car will deliver on its promise to be dependable with minimal maintenance needs, extremely safe, and extremely capable. Most days, we just need something to cart the kids around from point A to point B on hilly roads sometimes in the snow. (I love that RJ and his kids are giving the R1T a thorough beta test as we speak). But when we're ready for an adventure, we want to be able to pack all 5 kids into the car plus gear and access remote hiking and canyoneering trailheads on sandy dirt roads in Southern Utah and access backcountry skiing (and resort skiing) locations around Salt Lake City.
The design and appearance of the R1S to me is the reincarnation of a Swiss Army Knife as an SUV. Every little nook and cranny has hidden functions and features for your next adventure. Come across a fellow EV in the wilderness with 1% battery? Oh, let's just hook you up with a little juice. Camping with the kiddos and the toddler won't stay in their bag and it's 2am and 35 degrees out? Oh, let me just plug in our mini space heater to the car with an extension cord for a bit. Driving down a narrow dirt road that "feels" like the right path to that canyon you're trying to find and it dead-ends? Oh, let's just turn on tank mode and flip this rig around. And, of course, I can't wait to try putting groceries in the frunk!
Although a lot of competition has suddenly sprung up during Rivian's long, slow, methodical development, I doubt any of these other companies will deliver a more capable or respectable option. In my opinion the only other practical consideration at this time is Tesla, but the culture and feel at Tesla is so different. They are so focused on software and self-driving; in my opinion, Tesla is perfect for the daily commuter who wears a suit and tie and doesn't wander off road, ever, while Rivian is perfect for those of us who choose to live closer to the places we play than the places we work. The idea of Tesla building a truck just doesn't seem to fit the company's image and I don't think Elon Musk would connect with the customer base that Rivian is rapidly building. Yes, I believe Rivian's self-driving software will lag behind Tesla for years, but they have all of the hardware for Level 5 self-driving capability and the over-the-air updates will add functionality. I'm sure RJ and the others have big dreams but they aren't going to over-promise and under-deliver (think Robo-taxis). Instead, he will "let the results speak for themselves."
I would love to hear others' stories. Why did you commit to a Rivian?