2025 Rivian R1S review: The best electric SUV gets better

The Rivian of at present appears like the Tesla of six or seven years ago. For a lot of causes that we’re not going to get into right here, Tesla is beginning to really feel dated and prefer it’s overstaying its welcome just a little. Rivian, nonetheless, is bringing contemporary concepts to the desk with glorious autos that ship nice software program and funky new designs.

However Rivian isn’t any spring hen both. The corporate has really been round for 15 years now, although most of us weren’t conscious of it till 4 or 5 years in the past, when it launched the R1T truck and the R1S SUV. Since then, the R1S has been thought-about among the many finest electrical SUVs, however for the 2025 variant, Rivian has given it a second-generation refresh.

I’ve been an enormous fan of Rivian for a while now. And not too long ago, I spent per week testing out the 2nd-gen Twin Max Rivian R1S with the optionally available Efficiency Improve. In the end, I discovered that the brand new R1S takes what was beloved in regards to the unique and builds on it in some significant methods. Right here’s a deeper look.

Design and inside

The outside design of the Rivian R1S stays largely the identical for the 2nd-generation mannequin, however that’s, in my opinion, a very good factor. The Rivian headlights are considerably controversial. It looks as if individuals both love them or hate them. My spouse, for instance, hates them. I, then again, love them. I feel the final design of the R1S appears and feels comparatively premium whereas avoiding taking itself too critically, like many fashionable SUVs appear to do.

There are some modifications to the outside design, although, even when they’re comparatively minor. For instance, our evaluation mannequin had the 22-inch sport dock, which is new for this technology Rivian R1S. It’s a terrific look, particularly when coupled with the Darkish Out package deal that our loaner automobile had, which replaces the silver logos and accents with black. On the Rivian Blue paint, it appears glorious.

Maybe extra necessary than these issues, nonetheless, is the brand new LED gentle bar on the entrance. At first look, it appears the identical because the earlier technology’s, and more often than not, it acts the identical too. However the segmented gentle bar can really be used to point standing. For instance, it could possibly present the battery degree when the automotive is plugged in and charging. Certain, it’s very straightforward to see how charged up your Rivian is, each within the automotive and within the app in your cellphone. However this variation remains to be welcome and makes it simpler to see details about your automobile at a look.

The inside has gotten many extra updates and tweaks in comparison with the outside, although. For starters, there’s a brand new dynamic glass roof that may be electronically tinted, and an inside lighting system that’s customizable. That’s on high of the addition of additional inside storage.

Usually, I beloved the inside of the automobile. It felt prefer it was constructed with premium supplies all through, and I by no means felt frightened about breaking or damaging something. And there was loads of storage for each the driving force and the passengers — together with room for 2 telephones within the type of wi-fi charging pads. It was additionally straightforward to fold down the third-row and second-row seats, although it maybe might need been good if this was motorized. Nonetheless, the buttons for the second-row seats are simply accessible from the trunk, which is helpful, contemplating you’d in any other case must stroll round to the doorways.

The Rivian R1S is a large SUV and it has three rows of seating for as much as seven individuals. It felt spacious even with the third row of seats up. Nonetheless, given the truth that I’ve a child and repeatedly loaded a stroller into the automotive, I did have the third row down more often than not. Technically, the entrance trunk of the automobile is smaller than on the first-generation model, however I nonetheless had no downside loading in a full week’s price of groceries (round 4 or 5 luggage) with room to spare.

Tech, infotainment, and driver help

After all, Rivian is a tech startup simply as a lot as it’s a automotive firm, and the R1S is filled with tech to make the expertise of driving it fashionable and handy. You’ll work together with tech from the very first time you sit contained in the automobile, while you regulate the motorized seats and mirrors right into a place that may be saved as a preset.

Presets are, in actual fact, a giant a part of R1S utilization, particularly for households with a number of drivers. The R1S routinely detects who’s driving the automotive primarily based on the cellphone key, and when you’ve got presets saved for various drivers, it’ll regulate routinely. This contains way more than simply seat place, too. The followers within the automobile are additionally motorized, and so they’ll regulate to a most well-liked place, together with issues just like the drive mode and regenerative braking settings. It actually helps make the automotive way more handy for households with a number of drivers who will use the automobile. A pet peeve of mine is when autos revert regenerative braking settings while you flip the automotive off, however the R1S avoids this and goes the additional mile.

Rivian additionally redesigned the infotainment system for the second-generation R1S. Rivian notoriously doesn’t embody CarPlay in its autos, however I don’t assume it actually wants it. The infotainment system within the second-generation R1S is responsive, well-designed, and packed with features. I’ve coated this in additional element in a separate piece, however the reality is that the software program on the R1S could be very straightforward to navigate. It places media controls in useful positions (entrance and middle even while you’re utilizing the maps), and the mapping system works nicely, permitting customers to simply add stops or make modifications. Critically, Rivian is one in every of solely a tiny handful of corporations that’s really constructing good automotive software program. And I hope others take discover.

I used to be just a little skeptical in regards to the lack of bodily local weather controls within the R1S, and whereas I nonetheless don’t love the truth that you possibly can’t simply tweak local weather with bodily controls, over the week that I drove the automobile, I discovered it to be rather less of an issue than I anticipated. A lot of this has to do with the preset vent positioning, which lets you set your preferences and at all times have the vents positioned the best way you need them. The software program has fast controls for temperature, although I’d have appreciated simpler entry to fan pace controls too. Because it stands, you’ll faucet the temperature buttons to entry fan pace controls and different local weather controls, however you possibly can change temperature with easy arrow buttons from wherever within the interface.

Rivian has introduced devoted Apple Music assist for the R1S, nonetheless, that’s not accessible simply but, and as such, I wasn’t capable of check it. Different sensible options embody assist for Alexa, which you’ll log into, and devoted apps for Tidal and Spotify.

The nice software program expertise extends past the software program really constructed into the automotive. There’s an app that you need to use along with your Rivian automobile, and it’s additionally comparatively well-designed. On an iPhone, the app affords quick access to controls that you just may want, like the flexibility to carry the tailgate or entrance trunk. It additionally affords a wonderful widget that additionally has controls for the entrance trunk and tailgate, together with data like battery degree. I did discover that the widget generally wasn’t very responsive, nonetheless, I’m additionally working an iOS 18 beta, so it’s arduous to know precisely why that was.

On high of nice software program, Rivian has additionally constructed useful driver help options into its vehicles. A few of these you’d anticipate. There’s a wonderful and clear backup digital camera, together with a hen’s eye view that makes it a lot simpler to park. And there’s an autonomous driving characteristic that may be activated on the freeway, and that labored fairly nicely in my expertise. You may activate this very simply too, by tapping the fitting stalk behind the wheel twice. The automobile will make you retain your palms on the wheel, however you don’t should be gripping the steering wheel very tightly. And I discovered that the system labored comparatively nicely. Rivian has stated that extra superior autonomous options shall be coming later this 12 months, although, once more, I used to be unable to check these.

Driving expertise

I beloved driving the Rivian R1S. Rivian affords various completely different configurations for the second-generation R1S. There are three battery sizes to select from, and if you happen to go for a dual-motor variant, you possibly can select between the usual motors or the Efficiency Improve. On high of that, there’s a tri-motor mannequin, and subsequent 12 months there shall be a quad-motor model too. Our evaluation mannequin was the R1S Twin Max, with the Efficiency Improve that will increase the horsepower from 533 hp to 665 hp.

With the Efficiency Improve, regardless of being such a big and heavy automobile, the R1S felt zippy and responsive. Critically, it’s type of surprising how fast a automotive this heavy can get. The Efficiency Improve permits the automobile to speed up from 0 to 60 mph in solely 3.4 seconds. That’s very, very fast — and it was coupled with responsive steering and an air suspension system you can customise to your preferences, making certain you can get a really clean trip or a barely extra tactile one.

I discovered that the regenerative braking on the automobile was fairly good too. You may customise regenerative braking modes to be kind of aggressive. I like single-pedal driving, so I had it set to probably the most aggressive mode. This permits drivers to recapture extra vitality, enhancing on an already glorious vary.

The 2025 R1S options new air springs and revised suspension tuning, all in an effort to assist make steering just a little extra responsive and scale back cabin motion beneath arduous acceleration and braking. And whereas I haven’t had a ton of expertise within the unique R1S (although I’ve pushed it just a few occasions), I did really feel as if this mannequin was capable of take corners tighter than I’d have anticipated given its measurement and weight. There was little or no physique roll on even tighter corners, and I felt like I used to be capable of maneuver the automobile simply, even in a smaller driveway.

Vary and charging

Top-of-the-line issues in regards to the Rivian R1S in comparison with other new electric SUVs like the Kia EV9 is the truth that it has a wonderful vary, although that does rely just a little on which trim you go for. The bottom R1S is the Twin Customary variant, which affords 270 miles of vary. Step up from there and also you’ll get the Twin Massive mannequin with a bigger battery that delivers 330 miles. The third battery measurement is out there within the Twin Max R1S, and it delivers 410 miles of vary. That was the mannequin that we examined.

General, I felt that the vary was glorious. I’m able to cost at residence, although I don’t personal an electrical automobile, so I solely achieve this utilizing the extent 1 chargers that include autos just like the R1S. Whereas that is very sluggish, even house owners who cost through this methodology will have the ability to get by with out utilizing quick charging stations within the majority of day-to-day driving. After all, it does assist that I earn a living from home, but when your commute is comparatively brief, it’s best to discover that your automobile is at all times charged up while you want it.

I did have some bother with quick charging, although that has nothing to do with the R1S and extra to do with horrible charging infrastructure. The issues I skilled had been at an EVgo quick charging station, which supplied two chargers and just one that labored. After I pulled up, the R1S had about 100 miles of vary left. So I plugged it in and went to lunch. About midway by means of lunch, I spotted that the automobile had stopped charging, and upon returning to the automobile, it turned clear that somebody had unplugged the automotive whereas I used to be gone. Once more, this isn’t a Rivian downside by any means, nevertheless it does illustrate that almost all EV patrons ought to be able to take care of points like this or cost completely at residence.

Finally switching to the Tesla NACS charging connector will assist too. Early patrons of the second-generation fashions received’t get this, and the mannequin I examined nonetheless had a CCS port. Nonetheless, Rivian has introduced that it’s going to incorporate NACS into the R1T and R1S in 2025.

In case you can cost at residence, you’ll don’t have any points. It helps, after all, that the R1S has a terrific vary, and I beloved getting access to a variety of 400-plus miles.

How DT would configure this automotive

For many patrons, I feel an important consideration to make pertains to vary. The Twin Customary R1S has a variety of 270 miles, which is okay, however not glorious. I feel most patrons ought to contemplate upgrading to the massive or max battery measurement, which ship 330 miles or 410 miles, respectively. In case you can swing the improve to the Max battery, chances are you’ll discover that it turns out to be useful for issues like street journeys.

I don’t assume most individuals must improve to the tri-motor or quad-motor fashions. Efficiency upgrades are down to non-public desire, after all. Nonetheless, if you happen to do need that additional zip, then the efficiency improve is probably going greater than sufficient. Additionally, it prices $5,000, which is way more palatable than the $15,000-plus improve to a tri-motor variant.

It helps that every one fashions of the R1S are all-wheel drive too. Meaning you don’t must pay additional for a efficiency package deal simply to get all-wheel drive if you happen to plan on driving in snow or off-roading. And it in the end signifies that, actually, any efficiency upgrades are right down to largely simply desirous to go quick on the freeway. I get that. My good mannequin could be an R1S Twin Max with the Efficiency Improve. However that good mannequin nonetheless comes at $94,900, which isn’t low-cost.

In case you are out there for a premium electrical SUV and wish one thing with just a little extra persona than a few of the competitors, then the R1S is the best way to go. It’s the very best electrical SUV on the market proper now, each by way of tech options and automotive options. It drives extraordinarily nicely, has a wonderful vary, and appears cool too.