So I went to the R2 Block Party today in Atlanta. First thing I will say is there were A LOT of people interested in the R2. We waited for 45 mins to sit in the car, but Rivian did an awesome job of having 3 R2's available to explore and they would mix up the lines as you came in, you would go to one of the three to wait in a smaller line to sit in it. Granted you only got 2 minutes in the driver seat, but then you could move around to the other seats or go explore any of the other vehicles if you wanted.
The Good: The R2 is an extremely well thought out vehicle. It has very good proportions, tons of storage, cargo space is very large, and the back seat can very comfortably fit two full size adults with the front seats in normal positions. The R2 build quality rivals that of the R1 and it feels every bit of luxurious. The design of R2 front to back is 100% Rivian, but IMO it's profile is better than R1S. The AT tires look HUGE on R2 and give it a really good looking stance and it will undoubtedly make it ride really good. The Scroll wheels are hands down the star of the show, and they feel incredible! The hype around them is totally real. The functionality of these wheels are just fantastic, and there are far more menu's they can access and adjust than I originally thought.
The roll down back glass is a cool feature and the control of it feels good to the touch and easy to work. To a current R1 owner the UX was a very new experience and took some getting use to but after a few minutes of pushing every icon I could navigate through it. The outer door handles didn't make noise! Any Rivian owner knows exactly what I'm talking about, but they also felt different than the R1 handles. There was a longer pull of the handle but there was no pop when the latch release. Instead with a continuous pull of the handle the door would just let go and open. It was a an interesting experience but I prefer the R1 handles and you can feel the tension on the handle increase as the latch releases.
The second best part was the colors! Of the 3 R2's there was Catalina Cove one which was gorgeous and is going to be a big seller. There was a Half Moon Gray and Black one as well. The HMG was actually a really nice looking Gray, and the black one looked really sharp as well. However, on the color example tables the Launch Green and Borealis Purple were stunning! My wife absolutely loved the Launch Green and said if you are getting one you are getting it in Launch Green lol!
The Bad: Everything is smaller than R1. I know this might sound obvious but it was far more obvious seeing it in person, so much in fact, that I started to dislike the R2. The screen in front of the driver is quite a bit smaller, shorter, and more narrow than I expected and very similar to that of the Mach E. The center screen was quite a bit smaller too and again was more noticeable than I expected. But the one thing I can not look past is the actual size of the vehicle. It sits too low for what I'm looking for. When you can open the door and "fall into the driver seat" is not the size of vehicle I want to drive. The driving position is just too low for my liking. This was ever more apparent as I went back to my R1T and had to "climb" into my seat, and sitting there I realized just how much higher the driving position is in R1 than the R2. This is exactly why I will be switching to a Scout when they become available.
In Summary: I know this may be contradictory, but the R2 is the perfect vehicle for EV adoption. It it is not too big, not too small, and has the perfect proportions. The AT tires make it look like and will undoubtedly perform like a very competent off-road capable vehicle. However, with it on street tires it is going to be the perfect commuter, car pooler, and kid hauler. R2 with a very appealing exterior, also has competitive charging numbers, and excellent range figures that is going to make it a very popular selection for EV adoption to a much broader buyer pool. But as for me I'm going to stick with my R1....for now.
I'm sure I've left out some details, but if anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
The Good: The R2 is an extremely well thought out vehicle. It has very good proportions, tons of storage, cargo space is very large, and the back seat can very comfortably fit two full size adults with the front seats in normal positions. The R2 build quality rivals that of the R1 and it feels every bit of luxurious. The design of R2 front to back is 100% Rivian, but IMO it's profile is better than R1S. The AT tires look HUGE on R2 and give it a really good looking stance and it will undoubtedly make it ride really good. The Scroll wheels are hands down the star of the show, and they feel incredible! The hype around them is totally real. The functionality of these wheels are just fantastic, and there are far more menu's they can access and adjust than I originally thought.
The roll down back glass is a cool feature and the control of it feels good to the touch and easy to work. To a current R1 owner the UX was a very new experience and took some getting use to but after a few minutes of pushing every icon I could navigate through it. The outer door handles didn't make noise! Any Rivian owner knows exactly what I'm talking about, but they also felt different than the R1 handles. There was a longer pull of the handle but there was no pop when the latch release. Instead with a continuous pull of the handle the door would just let go and open. It was a an interesting experience but I prefer the R1 handles and you can feel the tension on the handle increase as the latch releases.
The second best part was the colors! Of the 3 R2's there was Catalina Cove one which was gorgeous and is going to be a big seller. There was a Half Moon Gray and Black one as well. The HMG was actually a really nice looking Gray, and the black one looked really sharp as well. However, on the color example tables the Launch Green and Borealis Purple were stunning! My wife absolutely loved the Launch Green and said if you are getting one you are getting it in Launch Green lol!
The Bad: Everything is smaller than R1. I know this might sound obvious but it was far more obvious seeing it in person, so much in fact, that I started to dislike the R2. The screen in front of the driver is quite a bit smaller, shorter, and more narrow than I expected and very similar to that of the Mach E. The center screen was quite a bit smaller too and again was more noticeable than I expected. But the one thing I can not look past is the actual size of the vehicle. It sits too low for what I'm looking for. When you can open the door and "fall into the driver seat" is not the size of vehicle I want to drive. The driving position is just too low for my liking. This was ever more apparent as I went back to my R1T and had to "climb" into my seat, and sitting there I realized just how much higher the driving position is in R1 than the R2. This is exactly why I will be switching to a Scout when they become available.
In Summary: I know this may be contradictory, but the R2 is the perfect vehicle for EV adoption. It it is not too big, not too small, and has the perfect proportions. The AT tires make it look like and will undoubtedly perform like a very competent off-road capable vehicle. However, with it on street tires it is going to be the perfect commuter, car pooler, and kid hauler. R2 with a very appealing exterior, also has competitive charging numbers, and excellent range figures that is going to make it a very popular selection for EV adoption to a much broader buyer pool. But as for me I'm going to stick with my R1....for now.
I'm sure I've left out some details, but if anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
