
Rivian
R1S
$7,500 federal tax credit eligible
Models
Review summary powered by Claude
The Rivian R1S is a three-row electric SUV that competes with the Cadillac Escalade IQ and Mercedes EQS SUV while appealing to buyers who actually want to use their vehicles off-road. Built on Rivian's skateboard platform shared with the R1T pickup, it combines genuine trail capability with a spacious, premium interior. Reviewers at MotorTrend and Car and Driver consistently single out its quad-zone air suspension and tank-turn-capable software as features no other luxury electric SUV matches, while the Dual Large trim's 352-mile EPA range draws particular praise for long-haul usability.
Strengths
- Dual Large trim achieves 352 miles EPA range, and the Dual Max extends that to 410 miles — among the highest in the class for a three-row SUV
- Tri Max and Quad Max trims hit 0–60 in 3.0s and 2.6s respectively, with up to 1,025 hp, rivaling performance SUVs costing significantly more
- Standard air suspension with up to 15 inches of ground clearance and genuine wading depth up to 3.5 feet distinguishes it from competitors that offer off-road styling without capability
- Interior build quality and material choices received favorable marks from Edmunds and MotorTrend, particularly the thoughtful storage layout, gear tunnel integration, and configurable flat-fold seating
- Over-the-air software updates have meaningfully improved range estimates, charging speed, and off-road drive modes since launch, a pattern reviewers note as ongoing rather than one-time
Considerations
- Entry Dual Standard trim is priced at $75,900 for only 270 miles of EPA range, making the value case weak unless buyers step up to the $82,900 Dual Large
- Rivian's proprietary charging network remains far smaller than Tesla's Supercharger network, and DC fast-charging peaks around 200 kW, slower than rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 7 on a per-kWh basis
- Third-row space is tighter than in conventionally proportioned three-row SUVs of similar exterior length, a consistent complaint in long-term reviews from Car and Driver and InsideEVs
- Quad Max at $121,990 adds 655 hp and drops 0–60 by 0.4s compared to the Tri Max, but range does not improve beyond 371 miles, making the top trim difficult to justify on practicality grounds alone