R2 Launch Watch

[Broverlander]

They have made this changed based on all the Youtubers who have reviewed the vehicle and in true Youtube car review fashion they all say the exact same thing. This was a bad move from Rivian IMO because so many of these reviewers aren't going to even own the vehicle. The other Rivian owners on here can give their own opinion but the cool seats in my R1 are subpar at best and on a hot day you can only feel the bottom actually cooling. I would love to hear @SpaceEVDriver opinion on this.

I remember when I test drove the R2 on a hot day over the summer the first thing I did was turn on the cool seats and I had to turn them off because it got too cold. This is exactly what I would want after a hike, day at the ball fields or heck even just coming back out from shopping in Costco in our 90 plus degree days we have here in GA.

It's crazy to me that they would make this change so quick without letting a good sampling of consumers to give actual feedback instead of listening to people who will drive the car for a couple of days to a week at most. I mean it's not like it was a one speed constant thing it was when the cool seats were at full chat. If it's too loud turn it down!

I'll say it again, this was a bad move on Rivian's part. I really hope Scout doesn't do something like this, and instead listens to their actual customers for feedback before making such a big change.

I can chime in in my experience with my R1 Gen 2. The cooling seats are terrible in mine, front and back. I don't even use them because I really don't feel a difference. Heated seats and steering wheel are great, but in mine, cooling seats not so much.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

They have made this changed based on all the Youtubers who have reviewed the vehicle and in true Youtube car review fashion they all say the exact same thing. This was a bad move from Rivian IMO because so many of these reviewers aren't going to even own the vehicle. The other Rivian owners on here can give their own opinion but the cool seats in my R1 are subpar at best and on a hot day you can only feel the bottom actually cooling. I would love to hear @SpaceEVDriver opinion on this.

I remember when I test drove the R2 on a hot day over the summer the first thing I did was turn on the cool seats and I had to turn them off because it got too cold. This is exactly what I would want after a hike, day at the ball fields or heck even just coming back out from shopping in Costco in our 90 plus degree days we have here in GA.

It's crazy to me that they would make this change so quick without letting a good sampling of consumers to give actual feedback instead of listening to people who will drive the car for a couple of days to a week at most. I mean it's not like it was a one speed constant thing it was when the cool seats were at full chat. If it's too loud turn it down!

I'll say it again, this was a bad move on Rivian's part. I really hope Scout doesn't do something like this, and instead listens to their actual customers for feedback before making such a big change.

We have a VIN in the 07xxx range.

I haven't had an issue with the cooling fans in the R2. But all of the vehicles with cooling seats I've driven have noisy fans in the seats, so I may just be used to it.

I do think Rivian under-sized all of their fans in the R2. Small fans have to spin faster to move the same volume of air as a larger fan, and so they make more noise than a larger fan. The R2 has noisy fans everywhere.

In hot climates, with any sort of non-cloth seat, cooling seats with fans in both the seat and the back are a huge bonus. I don't know if it would change my decision to purchase a vehicle, but if I were comparing two vehicles and this was one of the few differences, I would probably choose the one with the cooling seats.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

There are almost 20 pages of people discussing the removal of the fans from the seat backs. Most aren’t necessarily upset about the fan removal, but about the fact that there wasn’t a public announcement about the removal and people were learning about it by noticing it is missing from their vehicle (now also from social media).

I think this is a good lesson for Scout Motors: be upfront about changes to the vehicle.

 

[R1TVT]

I think this is a good lesson for Scout Motors: be upfront about changes to the vehicle.

Agreed! Particularly if it is a feature you were expecting as part of a particular service offering or trim package.

This falls into the overpromise, then under-deliver category based on what I am hearing here.

 

[J Alynn]

They have made this changed based on all the Youtubers who have reviewed the vehicle and in true Youtube car review fashion they all say the exact same thing. This was a bad move from Rivian IMO because so many of these reviewers aren't going to even own the vehicle. The other Rivian owners on here can give their own opinion but the cool seats in my R1 are subpar at best and on a hot day you can only feel the bottom actually cooling. I would love to hear @SpaceEVDriver opinion on this.

I remember when I test drove the R2 on a hot day over the summer the first thing I did was turn on the cool seats and I had to turn them off because it got too cold. This is exactly what I would want after a hike, day at the ball fields or heck even just coming back out from shopping in Costco in our 90 plus degree days we have here in GA.

It's crazy to me that they would make this change so quick without letting a good sampling of consumers to give actual feedback instead of listening to people who will drive the car for a couple of days to a week at most. I mean it's not like it was a one speed constant thing it was when the cool seats were at full chat. If it's too loud turn it down!

I'll say it again, this was a bad move on Rivian's part. I really hope Scout doesn't do something like this, and instead listens to their actual customers for feedback before making such a big change.

Cooled seats are another novelty you don’t think you need until you’ve had them-they are amazing. I like them for job site visits when it’s hot out. Shame they pulled them so quickly because the lower back is almost more valuable

 

[R1TVT]

I'm downloading this now... Will advise. LOL

#rivian #adventurousforever | Rivian

Somebody called? ☎️👻 Dr. Peter Venkman and the Ecto-R1 are on the case. This year, Ghostbusters takes over Rivian's Halloween mode, with our latest software update starting tomorrow. Learn more at rivn.co/halloween-2026. #Rivian | #AdventurousForever

lnkd.in

 

[chucchinchilla]

From the ad.

 

[cyure]

From the ad.
View attachment 19102

I know it’s silly but I love it!

 

[chucchinchilla]

I know it’s silly but I love it!

I'm down for fun updates and I'm definitely down for a more customizable gauge setup. The ID Tiguan (aka major overhaul of ID4) debuts tomorrow and one of the things they previewed today are [digital] gauges straight out of a MK4 Golf/Jetta and B5 Passat. It will of course also have a regular modern cluster but as the former owner of a B5 Passat, I'd be rocking this nonstop.

 

[R1TVT]

 

[Chuckles]

 

[J Alynn]

Agreed! Particularly if it is a feature you were expecting as part of a particular service offering or trim package.

This falls into the overpromise, then under-deliver category based on what I am hearing here.

Ford did that with the subwoofer in the Broncos but they announced it. The problem there was some vehicles snuck through and other didn’t so some people (me) and other still got them

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I'm back from Phoenix where I had the opportunity to hear the seat cooling fans. There's a high pitch to the seat fans that's particularly annoying, so I probably won't use them very often if ever again while driving. I'll definitely turn them on while the vehicle is cooling after sitting in the sun for a while, before I get in.

 

[chucchinchilla]

I finally got to sit in and check out an R2 this weekend at the Rivian Palo Alto store! I've been sitting on this reservation since April of 2024

Yup, I'm canceling.
On one hand it's exactly what they showed and exactly what I was expecting, but but it's very different actually sitting and experiencing the car for yourself. Felt very corporate inside and the zeitgeist of touchscreen all the things has long worn off. I don't want to use a screen to adjust an air vent for example. My wife said the interior aesthetic made her feel like she was sitting in a wework.

Also the car on the showroom floor had a noticeably saggy and loose front passenger door that I could physically jiggle by lifting it up. Never seen that on a new car before. VIN was in the 1500 range so it's not like this was pre-production or one of the first batch of cars. This served as a reminder of all the QC problems people have been reporting on R2 which was the final nail in the coffin.

I'm still a fan, I want this car to succeed, and I get why tons of people will buy them, I just won't be one of them. Speaking of people buying R2's, I'm in Silicon Valley which is one of, if not the hottest market for Rivian and I've still only seen a small handful. By this time in Model 3 and Model Y's roll out they were everywhere. Not sure what's going on there but it's notable.

 

[R1TVT]

This served as a reminder of all the QC problems people have been reporting on R2 which was the final nail in the coffin.

What did the Rivian staff say about the "jiggling door"? That is very odd and definitely not something I have experienced, heard of, or seen anywhere and it would seem quite odd for Rivian to offer an experience with a new vehicle in Palo Alto with such an obvious notable service issue present.

I can go through reddit or YT or any "influencer" channels and find QC issues for the R2 (or any other new model from any other OEM), but there are usually ulterior motives at play for many of those reviewers looking for "clicks" and to drive their own agendas. You will hear much more negativity than positivity when those so called "reviews" are veiled with hidden agendas - often times designed to intentionally detract from a brand or model that poses a legitimate threat. And R2 poses a big threat, based on current data.

I discount a lot of the automotive media, but over the years Edmunds has been really accurate and fair IMHO. This was their R2 assessment, which just so happens to also score the R2 with the identical score to a Tesla Model Y (since you mentioned Tesla):

https://eletric-vehicles.com/rivian/rivian-r2-matches-model-y-with-an-8-2-score-in-testing-edmunds-says/

Some numbers:

* Rivian delivered 19,248 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026
* This marks an 85% increase compared to the same period the previous year
* This was largely fueled by the launch of the R2
* R2 SUVs already accounted for 18% of the company's total U.S. sales
* Rivian reaffirmed its full-year delivery guidance, expecting to hit between 65,000 and 70,000 total vehicle deliveries (R2 is just getting started)

 

[chucchinchilla]

What did the Rivian staff say about the "jiggling door"? That is very odd and definitely not something I have experienced, heard of, or seen anywhere and it would seem quite odd for Rivian to offer an experience with a new vehicle in Palo Alto with such an obvious notable service issue present.

I can go through reddit or YT or any "influencer" channels and find QC issues for the R2 (or any other new model from any other OEM), but there are usually ulterior motives at play for many of those reviewers looking for "clicks" and to drive their own agendas. You will hear much more negativity than positivity when those so called "reviews" are veiled with hidden agendas - often times designed to intentionally detract from a brand or model that poses a legitimate threat. And R2 poses a big threat, based on current data.

I discount a lot of the automotive media, but over the years Edmunds has been really accurate and fair IMHO. This was their R2 assessment, which just so happens to also score the R2 with the identical score to a Tesla Model Y (since you mentioned Tesla):

https://eletric-vehicles.com/rivian/rivian-r2-matches-model-y-with-an-8-2-score-in-testing-edmunds-says/

Some numbers:

* Rivian delivered 19,248 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026
* This marks an 85% increase compared to the same period the previous year
* This was largely fueled by the launch of the R2
* R2 SUVs already accounted for 18% of the company's total U.S. sales
* Rivian reaffirmed its full-year delivery guidance, expecting to hit between 65,000 and 70,000 total vehicle deliveries (R2 is just getting started)

Having posted on car forums for over 20 years, I'm aware about the bias online but I don't see any bot conspiracy here. It's nothing I'm angry about either, it's simply the growing pains of a 100% new car from a still new company. As for sales figures I'm aware of the stats, just making an observation of what I'm seeing (or not seeing) on the ground in the San Jose-Palo Alto area of the SF Bay Area.

As for showing staff the defect, at the time I was checking out the R2 they were too busy showing people Ghostbuster mode.

 

[R1TVT]

Having posted on car forums for over 20 years, I'm aware about the bias online but I don't see any bot conspiracy here.

Not sure what you meant by bot conspiracy, but certainly understand what it means to be an early adopter.

Rivian is far from perfect (there's really no such thing when it comes to new models and new companies launching anything). There will be growing pains for Scout too, I'm sure... The question might be "how early do you want to be" in terms of some of the trade-offs that come along with something shiny and new. I was willing to accept those with the R1T, but I knew quite clearly what I was getting myself into. This is one of the reasons why I am pretty adamant about service center proximity for new owners, and the importance of a strong SC network to fix something like a loose door. I had an early service issue with my gear tunnel door. Rivian drove out and fixed it by replacing a latch in my driveway. I had never had any other OEM visit my house and fix anything. So even with some inconvenience at times, expectations can be exceeded. I think having the right attitude around the trade-offs and early ownership is probably important (and requires some self-reflection). Honestly, if Scout doesn't have an accessible service location in proximity to my garage (or plans to open one), I might re-consider a purchase decision or hold off for a year.

 

[chucchinchilla]

Not sure what you meant by bot conspiracy, but certainly understand what it means to be an early adopter.

Rivian is far from perfect (there's really no such thing when it comes to new models and new companies launching anything). There will be growing pains for Scout too, I'm sure... The question might be "how early do you want to be" in terms of some of the trade-offs that come along with something shiny and new. I was willing to accept those with the R1T, but I knew quite clearly what I was getting myself into. This is one of the reasons why I am pretty adamant about service center proximity for new owners, and the importance of a strong SC network to fix something like a loose door. I had an early service issue with my gear tunnel door. Rivian drove out and fixed it by replacing a latch in my driveway. I had never had any other OEM visit my house and fix anything. So even with some inconvenience at times, expectations can be exceeded. I think having the right attitude around the trade-offs and early ownership is probably important (and requires some self-reflection). Honestly, if Scout doesn't have an accessible service location in proximity to my garage (or plans to open one), I might re-consider a purchase decision or hold off for a year.

Thing is even if I could get past reliability concerns, the rest of the car is a button free minimalist screen-only ethos I'm just not interested in. By the way being anti-this is one of the core values of Scout and one of the reasons why I plopped down a reservation on debut day.

 

[R1TVT]

Thing is even if I could get past reliability concerns, the rest of the car is a button free minimalist screen-only ethos I'm just not interested in. By the way being anti-this is one of the core values of Scout and one of the reasons why I plopped down a reservation on debut day.

Scout will be brand new too so yes, initial quality will be in the spotlight.

I'm not anti-screen or anti-buttons and I really like Scout's implementation with a mix of both buttons and an excellent U/I that seems to share many similarities to Rivian's UX. in fact, the latest Rivian OS is more like Scouts "community driven UX" with options to "push features" right or left. As a driver, I liked the old UX but can totally see how this update will cater to both driver and passenger.

FWIW I don't view Scout as anti-screen as a core value. As you know, the interfaces for modern EV's depend heavily on SW functionality that is complex, and can be far better served through an app or infotainment screen (as opposed as through some clunky multi-button experience). Voice is also becoming one of my preferred interfaces and is arguably safer than buttons or screens.

 

[speedrye]

I'm still a fan, I want this car to succeed, and I get why tons of people will buy them, I just won't be one of them. Speaking of people buying R2's, I'm in Silicon Valley which is one of, if not the hottest market for Rivian and I've still only seen a small handful. By this time in Model 3 and Model Y's roll out they were everywhere. Not sure what's going on there but it's notable.

This is interesting as I'm in suburban NC, nowhere near the tech-forward (for NC) cities of Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham and I see a new R2 at least once on most every drive I take (usually about 10 miles to town). I still don't see R1's that much, but you can't throw a rock around here without hitting a Tesla. I thought for some time that Tesla was selling a LOT of the Cybertrucks until I saw the recall numbers. I think most of the ones sold are near me, wrapped in every color of the rainbow.