50k Miles with My Rivian R1T: The Ultimate Tesla Replacement

My Glacier White truck with Forest Edge interior and 20″ AT wheels, has given me quite the adventure. 100+ off-road trips, dozens of camping weekends, 50+ community club events with hundreds of owners, and more Costco runs than I can count.

Leaving Tesla for greater adventures was a no brainer—long before Rivian gained full access to the Tesla Supercharger network. Now, with that added convenience alongside the slowly expanding Rivian Adventure Network and countless CCS-compatible stations, peace of mind is just another bonus.

Selling my Model Y was the easiest vehicle decision I’ve ever made. My Rivian R1T hasn’t just replaced it—it’s redefined what I expect from a truck, but that doesn’t mean it’s the absolute best in any single category.

• It’s not the world’s fastest truck (that’s the Gen 2 Quad motor)
• It’s not the world’s best off-roader (still can’t beat mechanical lockers)
• It doesn’t have the most cargo space
• It doesn’t tow the most or go the furthest while towing
• It doesn’t have the most spacious interior
• It doesn’t have the most advanced tech
• It doesn’t have the longest range of EV trucks

Yet, when put all together, the R1T is the best all-around vehicle—hands down.

It’s the only vehicle I can take to a drag strip and smoke Mustangs, Corvettes, and even some Porsches and Lamborghinis. (I would know—I beat Wassym Bensaid off the line, Rivian’s Chief Software Officer and newly appointed co-CEO of Rivian and VW Group Technology, LLC.)

Then, in the same day, I can head straight to a trailhead and hang with any Jeep or Bronco, tackling the same obstacles they are. It’s a Swiss Army knife on wheels.

An Off-Road Dream

I cannot overstate what it’s like taking this vehicle on a trail. I was used to the familiar soundtrack of ICE adventures—engine noise, exhaust rumble, and the constant mechanical hum of a combustion vehicle tackling rough terrain, but the first time I hit the dirt in silence, it was almost surreal.

Beyond the sound of tires crunching over loose rock are the murmurs of rivers flowing nearby, leaves rustling in the wind, and birds calling in the distance—all the little details I never realized I was missing. Cheesy? Maybe. But it genuinely made me feel more connected to the places I was exploring.

Then there’s the power. The instant torque is absurd—no waiting for revs, no lag, just immediate response. Drifting at 50+ mph on dirt roads, effortlessly throwing the truck sideways, feeling the precise control of four independent motors crawling up a steep incline—it’s an absolute blast.

It’s off-roading like I’ve never experienced before. Raw power, perfect silence, total control. I just wish it had manual lockers for those extreme situations like rock crawling or ridiculous levels of mud.

The Little Things Make a Big Difference

Skiing trips in the winter? The gear tunnel doubles as a perfect seat for putting on boots. Every time I use it, someone walks by and makes a comment. That tunnel alone makes it hard to imagine switching to something like the Scout Terra.

Weekend getaways? The built-in power, versatile storage, and expanding accessory options transform it into the perfect adventure rig.

Everyday errands? It takes Costco hauls with ease and then fits into tight city parking spots since it is smaller than the other EV trucks on the market (yet another thing I love about it.) The frunk, under-seat and under-bed storage comes in hand quite often.

It Isn’t Perfect: What Needs to Improve

Service Needs to Keep Improving

The biggest issue is still service availability. Service appointment wait times in Seattle were 5+ months for a long time. Now, they’re down to 2+ months—a huge improvement, but still not good enough—especially in preparation for R2. Rivian is making progress, and they cannot afford to lose momentum here.

My truck has had its small share of issues:

• Three sets of dampers
• Three powered tonneau covers
• Two sets of brakes
• Other minor issues (not nearly as bad as some owners)

To be fair, I off-road constantly (100+ trips remember), but if Rivian is going to advertise these trucks for adventure, they need to keep up with that promise. My old Tesla, Jeep & Subaru all had issues of their own, so the Rivian isn’t any worse than those.

I will say, the Seattle service team deserves major recognition. They started by delivering vehicles in one of Rivian’s top three markets nationwide, all while operating out of the smallest service center in the country. For years, they worked day shifts on R1s and night shifts on EDVs, but finally they’ve upgraded to one of the largest service centers in the country. Huge props to the entire team for their work, and especially to Angie, the manager, who’s truly the best. We can’t wait for the upcoming two service locations to open to continue to relieve some pressure.

Software Needs More Focus

Ever since the VW joint venture, software updates have slowed. I get it—Rivian needs to secure its future, and the JV is arguably their most important project right now. But they need to hire more staff so current customers don’t feel like collateral damage.

Let’s not forget the features Rivian has promised (for months… if not years) that still haven’t arrived:

• Driver profiles (between vehicles and linked to your Rivian account)
• Code/password required to drive
• Gear guard videos in phone App
• Dedicated off-road screen (cameras and gauges at the same time)
• Powered hitch accessory mode (i.e. bike racks with brake lights)
• Camp mode controls on rear screen
• Trailer assist enhancements
• V2H bi-directional charging
• Gen 1 launch mode
• Messaging/texting integration
• Mirror tilting in reverse—coming in the next software update
• Teen Driver mode
• Valet mode
• Resume on Cruise Control
• Manual DC fast charging preconditioning
• Updated Energy App 2.0
• Apple Watch as a Key (Gen 2 only)
• Greenlight notification (Gen 2 only)
• Go Chime (Gen 2 only)—coming in the next software update

Rivian was killing it with updates—they need to get back to that.

Charging Experience

It’s been pretty much flawless. A few nerdy details over the life of my vehicle:

• 1.98 mi/kWh avg. over 50,000 miles.
• Three different tire sets: Pirelli Scorpions, Bridgestone Blizzaks (winters), and now Nokian Outpost nATs
• 10,000 miles with an Xtrusion Overland 18″ bedrack + RTT, resulting in a 10-20% range hit depending on conditions.

Additional charging stats:

• 121 DCFC charging sessions total
  • 109 were flawless
  • 9 had slow speeds or delayed initiation
  • 4 were total failures (wouldn’t initiate)
• $4,534 spent and 28,482 kWh used while charging
  • $2,822 at home (79.74% of total miles driven)
  • $68 on L2 public (1.67%)
  • $1,644 on L3 DCFC (18.6%)
  • $10,560 gas equivalent at 18 mpg and $3.803/gallon (average in my area over the last 2.5 years, click the link above for tracking info)
• $0.091 per mile and $0.159 per kWh average.
• 42 MPGe average

Final Thoughts

After 50,000 miles, I can confidently say the R1T is my favorite vehicle I’ve owned, and still the most capable all-around vehicle on the road today. It’s not the best at any one thing, but it’s the only truck that can drag race, overland, off-road, ski, camp, tow, haul, and still be a sporty daily driver.

It’s not perfect, and Rivian needs to continue to work on service and software. If you’re on the fence or coming from a Tesla, make the move. You won’t regret it.

I can’t wait to see the production version of the R2, the R3X, and the Gen 3 R1T and hope they take inspiration from competitors (I’m looking at you Scout.)