VIDEO – What Rivian Got Right (and Wrong) with the Gen 2
After spending some time with my Rivian Gen 2, I wanted to share my honest thoughts in a video review. There’s a lot to love about this truck, but there are some areas that could use improvement. From the electronic door release to the redesigned front trunk, I break down the pros and cons based on my experience so far—no fluff, just the real deal. The video covers everything from build quality and sound system performance to the good and bad of Rivian’s advanced driving assistance features.
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Really good review Jose! Even though I have a 24 Gen1, it’s good to see what I’m not missing! I’m appreciating the differences more and more (pros and cons).
Loved the review!!
My thoughts as a new Gen 2 R1S owner, coming from someone who also owns a Model Y and has owned BMW’s, Jeep’s, and Toyota’s, this is by far the least reliable vehicle I have ever owned by a country mile. The software is brutal; sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes my phone works as a key, sometimes it doesn’t. I have routinely had the screens go out while driving, the A/C or Heated Seats sometimes work, sometimes they don’t, and the GPS navigation is terrible. Don’t even get me started on the sound quality and Apple Music….brutal.
But the good news is most of my issues are software and hope they can be fixed. I will say I did have a major door issue alignment where the paint is literally wearing off due to rubbing on the fender panel as it wasn’t aligned properly. I picked it up in September and I still can’t get it in the Center in Denver to be fixed because of a lack of available appointments (February 2025!). I have high hopes for Rivian but I couldn’t recommend a Rivian to someone right now until they can get their software fixed and can actually support their current vehicles properly.
I can agree with a lot of the software issues you mentioned, my Gen 1 had a lot of the same issues in the beginning and software updates managed to fix it. I also agree with service, I have a few things that need to be fixed and late January is the soonest for me. Both of these things can be fixed in time so I’ll continue to recommend Rivian with that caveat.
Thanks for the vid. It looks more like a Gen 1.5 truck based on the “upgrades”. I shopped both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 trucks and went with a Gen 1 quad motor. When you can buy very low mile 2022-2023 for about 60k, there isn’t that much greater value in the Gen 2 trucks. If people are objective, I think a lot of those upgrading from an earlier truck to a 2025 might end up having buyer’s remorse if they are honest with themselves.
At least with the R1T. The improvement in driving dynamics for the 2025 R1S would be enough to push me to the newer one. I really wanted the roof and that was pushing me initially toward the 2025’s but after seeing it, I ruled it out. The heat pump is still a TBD regarding reliability, noise and efficiency.
Anyway glad you enjoy your new truck. I’ll wait for the next generation and see if the make the improvements I’d like to see. Faster charging would be on my list for sure.