EV discussion - hate or love?

[BlkGS]

No, they don't. There is ROI, if you're already buying something anyway. There is significant value to be found when comparing an EV to an ICE. For me, it's to the tune of about $200/mo in savings.

It's NOT beneficial to swap vehicles just for the savings. If you're already going to buy something anyway, THEN you might as well get an EV and enjoy the benefits.

The Rivians build quality is better than my Sierra and on par with the Audi. I would hardly call it cheap inside, and when comparing the $85k-ish sticker on my R1T to the $85k-ish sticker on a new High Country/Platinum/Titanium/etc it's as nice or nicer than all of those. Granted a Rivian is perhaps NOT in the field of "most of them", but I'm curious which ones are in that group.

It feels really strongly like you don't WANT the premise of an EV to work. Kind of a "glass half empty" vibe you're giving off here. And that's OK, but you're making some pretty strong sweeping statements that are largely subjective in nature. I get we all have our opinions on if EV's are, or should be, forced upon us, but I'm all for consumer choice here. The more options we have the better.

The "Most of them" is Teslas and Mach Es and that kind of stuff. Even the lightning interior is significantly cheaper than the regular f150 interior. I also would argue the heavy reliance on big touchscreens is cheaper too. When companies make you use a touchscreen for something that could have a button, that's cheaper looking to me.

The Rivian is kind of a unique case, it has absurdly high towing capacity in a fairly small footprint. It packs a fairly large interior into something that's kind of between a midsize and fullsize truck. You also got a KILLER deal on it, lol.

If you look at something that has a direct competitor like a Silverado EV vs a regular Silverado, lightnign vs a regular f150, etc the ROI ismt there unless you drive a ton, and/or they discount the crap out of it. That's comparing the two in a "I need a new car" situation. Unless you get a heavily subsidized deal on an EV lease like you got, or a fire sale on a lightning while the ice f150s are at MSRP, you're not really saving any money with most of them.

I actually do want the premise of an EV to work. EVs are a gateway to power levels many would consider.... Unnatural. Or excessive. If you were to make a 1500 HP SUV with a gas motor the EPA and NHTSA would execute the whole team involved.... Unless it was an EV. They'd let you build a 2000hp EV without batting an eye. Hell they'd probably give you a tax credit for it! I just want EVs that don't suck, which seems to be the hardest part right now. I also don't want to pay a premium for one. Look at like, a Taycan as an example. You can buy a 911 for what a new or used Taycan costs. Or a Panamera. Audi ETron GT is the same way, you can get a nice S6 or RS6 for what an e Tron GT would cost you. So why would you get the EV if it's not better?

 

[2kwik4u]

1 month update coming in hot this morning. TL;DR at the bottom.

Some quick notes:

• Drove 2,362mi in an EV pickup.
  • This includes a single 1,340mi road trip.
    • Road trip accounts for most of miles and was over 4 days
    • Also accounts for most of the energy used/purchased (all DCFC those 4 days, so significantly more expensive)
• Spent $457.45 in energy.
  • That works out to ~$0.21/mi.
  • Average energy cost was $0.41/kWh
  • Home energy is ~$0.15/kWh (I clearly need to get my home charging setup)
• (2) service center visits
  • Fixed 1/2 of issues on first visit, generated a 3rd issue.
  • Fixed 1/2 issues on second visit, needs more parts
  • Have 3rd visit scheduled for week before Thanksgiving (assuming parts are in by then)
  • All Suspension/Tire related issues
    • Leaking RR damper
    • Leaking lower ball joint
    • New Electro-Hydraulic suspension lines (TSB style issue with upgraded parts)
    • 2/5 Tires replaced with significant out of roundness
      • None will balance below 20lbf on the road force machine
      • Suspect the suspension is just sensitive to imbalance
      • It has 35in tall A/T tires that are, well, just OK.
• (2) lease payments made.
• (1) short tow (boat to storage)

Overall, I'm starting to "get used" to the EV feel. Some of the newness has worn off, and it's starting to feel like "my truck" not a "new truck". I'm still really happy with it though at this point. The styling has really grown on me, and I'm really digging the "offroady" feel it has. I'm constantly looking for something to drive over, and I'm starting to plan some trips to offroad parks, trails nearby already. Different feel from my street biased life up until now.

In terms of living with the EV.....well, it's pretty much the same as living with an ICE. I'm having to make a "few" adjustments here and there, but they're largely no big deal. For instance, I knew I had a long day of driving on Friday. So, before I picked up the wife at the airport at like 11pm, I went and spent 45min at a fast charger (while doing email/work on the laptop) to get the charge really high before my Friday drive last week. If I had a home charger that was stronger (I'm still 120V charging now), that would've been a non-issue. Yesterday I drove a lot (like almost 200mi) trying to find a transfer station, running errands, going to the gym, and taking the boys to the bike park. Knowing that was coming, I left the gym and went to a new Tesla station, however it's in front of a supermarket, so I got shopping done while the truck was charging. Literally, might have added 10min to the chore I was already doing. Only real change there is that I usually go to Wegmans on Sunday morning, and I went to Tops instead. Meh, no big deal.

I was pushed into a road trip really quick in ownership. Like 12days into owning. That beat the "range anxiety" right out of me, sort of. I've transitioned from "anxiety" to "consciousness". For instance, it doesn't give me any mental grief, or feel like a burden, or extra chore, but I'm aware of the range constantly. SO, it's not seamless, but it's not a driving factor of my thought process as I expected it would be. With that said, I expect the first few "long tows" this summer might re-escalate that anxiety. I trust the truck to delivery on range promises already, but I don't know if I can trust the estimate towing just yet. The truck and I both just need more data. I'm also curious how things will change over winter and snow season up here in Buffalo. Might be no big deal, might be a monster PIA. I dunno yet. Online forum members seem to report about 40% range reduction in sub freezing temps. We'll see how it goes. I'm curious to see what the data says in terms of increased usage when cold, or decreased capacity when cold. I'm using ElectraFi.com to track my usage, and I can filter it 101 ways to Sunday for reporting, so I'm hopeful for good data there.

TL;DR - I'm liking the EV. Liking the Rivian as a brand and a vehicle in general. Had some service visits. Energy was more expensive than expected, but still cheaper than my Audi. More details coming as winter sets in.

 

[Stischendorf]

I have had my F150 lightning ER for just over a year. Absolutely love it!

 

[BigN8]

We are still liking the Volvo XC 90 plugin hybrid. Got the car late May. We’ve put 2 tanks of gas in it so far and it came with a full tank. The app says we are almost at 100 mpg. The 240v circuit I installed in the garage was a game changer. Wife charges at her office for free. We have zero anxiety or worry over range or charging stations.

 

[BlkGS]

So the new M5 is a PHEV now. 25 miles of range (plenty for me), 700hp turbo V8, and a wagon. $130k as configured for me, which is ungodly expensive and in the ballpark of Escalade V. Also in the ballpark of Escalade V in weight at 5600lbs.

The really funny part? It's a PHEV that could use no fuel at all... And yet gets hit with a gas guzzler tax. Talk about legislation that's outdated and should go away.

 

[2kwik4u]

Thought I would hop in and provide an update on the process of learning to live with an EV.

I'm 2 road trips into ownership now, and just over 5k miles of driving. ~2,400 of those miles have been "on the road", which I'm finding to be a bit different than ICE travel. I'm also into my first snow store with the truck, as well as plenty of commuting on a daily basis.

Charging:
I'll have a 240V in the garage before the end of the month. Hopefully in the next week. 120V can't keep up, and I'm tired (already) of going to DCFC's during the week to "top off". It's just taking time away that I would rather not. Also, it's expensive compared to home charging. Not prohibitively so, but enough that I notice. With that said, I'm not throwing $75/wk into a fuel tank either, so there's that. Local company quoted $1,400 and I can't decide if I want to use them, or just do it myself. Stupid rental.

While on a road trip, charging has been largely a non-issue. I've gravitated to Tesla SC's because they just work, it's a consistent experience, and they're less expensive than EA, EVGo, or Chargepoint. They are readily available on the I71/I-90 corridor and are generally not crowded. I did have an overcrowding experience while in Louisville on Saturday. EA and SC were both completely full with 4-5 cars waiting for each. Hopped on plugshare and found another DCFC about 3mi away and went there instead. Was limited to 150kW charging, but I was the only one there. Also that one was $0.58/kWh, which is high. Most of the SC's are under $0.40/kWh. Average charge on a road trip is in the 70-80kWh range, so about $28/charge or so.

Liveability:
Overall, I'm really happy with the truck. It's the right size, has plenty of power, and handles/drives great. Has some software bugs that could stand to be worked out, but nothing major. Constant updates are a mixed bag of good and bad. Lots of crap I don't care about a few things I do. Stereo keeps getting better with their tuning. Other features have moved around a little and I'm less a fan of that sort of thing. Have to "reset" the displays about once every 14days or so. I understand the "Tesla is further ahead in software" argument now, however I think the gap is so slim it doesn't represent any real competitive advantage unless you're really looking for bleeding edge tech (like FSD).

Speaking of driver aids, I'm perfectly happy with the lane keep assist and adaptive cruise. This is about the right level of autonomy for me. Drove a friends new Model Y over the weekend. Used FSD for a bit to test and play with. It's neat, but really feels like just as much overhead to "manage" and "monitor" as the Rivian does. Maybe that goes down with "trust" once you've used the system alot?

We took 3 adults and 2 kids to Louisville for Thanksgiving weekend. It was tight. The SUV would have been better for that, but it was bearable for the 11hrs it took to get there. Likely could have shaved that down to 9.5hrs had my mother not needed as many smoke breaks, and taking FOREVER at each stop to search for the exact right snack from the convenient store. The amount of dry storage the truck has continues to be a great selling point for me, I'm loving the gear tunnel and front trunk.

The EV driveline continues to be impressive overall. Always smooth and linear. It's such a better experience than the ICE/transmission setup I've driven forever. Interestingly, I drove the wifes CVT equipped Rogue while the truck was in service. It's surprisingly similar "feel" to it. Nice linear power (Very little, but what was there was linear). Sound was obviously far different, but the general tractability of the power and the "feel" to the driveline we interestingly similar. I've hated CVT's until now. Weird change in perspective.

Service:
The truck has been in service 3 times. It's still not completely correct. They've replaced all 4 tires now, and the initial vibration is gone. They've replaced 4 control arms, hydraulic lines, and aligned it multiple times. Still has a distinct front end rattle on broken pavement, and it pulls to the left slightly, pretty much all the time. Lots of "little" things fixed each time like misaligned door handles, and the gear tunnel doors not "popping" open far enough. They've either given me a loaner, or put me in a rental every time. had a 4Runner as a rental last time, and to say that was an underwhelming experience is the understatement of the year. I don't know how you owners live with that vehicle. Ultimately, I'm just going to live with it as it is for awhile and compile a list of other things that might need to be addressed. It's not bad, or really agitating at this point. I could push to have all the issues completely resolved, but I'm kind of over fighting it for awhile. Maybe again in a few months or something?!?!

Overall, I'm still really happy with it 2 months into ownership. Just got my plates last week, so it's still early days, but the first 5k miles have been pretty good and are showing good promise moving forward.

 

[Ribs77]

had a 4Runner as a rental last time, and to say that was an underwhelming experience is the understatement of the year. I don't know how you owners live with that vehicle.

Say more... I've never been in one of the current or recent gen ones, but my DD is a Highlander and I love it. Not really considering a 4Runner next (more interested in probably an R2 when those come out) but really curious to hear what you didn't like about the 4Runner.

 

[zipper]

Installing a 240v, nema 14-50R in the garage makes a huge difference in charging time over the stock Toyota 120v, 15a cord supplied with the Rav4 Prime. Dead to full charge in 2.5 hrs, giving us about 52 miles ev versus an overnight charge ~10-12hrs. It has been a while since we have used the smaller amp charger, but I do not recall getting 52 miles ev with that one.
Materials were a little over $100, mostly the wire. The level 2 charger we use is this one. Did not know Home Depot sells them now...no issues using this one for 1.5 years.

MUSTART Level 2 Portable J1772 EV Charger-ETL certified 240-Volt 40 Amp NEMA 14-50P 25 ft. charging cord 2-year product warranty MT-AASJDT1N1450-40A25FT - The Home Depot

Find a great product to carry your pet comfortably with the selection of this MUSTART Level J ChargerETL certified NEMA charging cord product warranty.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Neutron]

Say more... I've never been in one of the current or recent gen ones, but my DD is a Highlander and I love it. Not really considering a 4Runner next (more interested in probably an R2 when those come out) but really curious to hear what you didn't like about the 4Runner.

My 19 4runner while not the most technically advanced ( no tech to be honest) it is 100% bullet proof and will last 20+ years with no issues. While fuel mileage isn't great(20mpg average) it has plenty of power. They just dont break. Rides like a truck and thats fine, didn't want a soft squishy ride. Wife loves it and that really is what matters. I worked for Toyota for 30 years and can say 100% the 4 runner had the least amount of issues out of all the very reliable models they produced.
I can not say that the new 2025 4runner is the same quality since i left Toyota in may.

 

[2kwik4u]

Say more... I've never been in one of the current or recent gen ones, but my DD is a Highlander and I love it. Not really considering a 4Runner next (more interested in probably an R2 when those come out) but really curious to hear what you didn't like about the 4Runner.

My 19 4runner while not the most technically advanced ( no tech to be honest) it is 100% bullet proof and will last 20+ years with no issues. While fuel mileage isn't great(20mpg average) it has plenty of power. They just dont break. Rides like a truck and thats fine, didn't want a soft squishy ride. Wife loves it and that really is what matters. I worked for Toyota for 30 years and can say 100% the 4 runner had the least amount of issues out of all the very reliable models they produced.
I can not say that the new 2025 4runner is the same quality since i left Toyota in may.

I think it was a '23 model, SR5 trim. I'm about to dish out a scathing review, so keep in mind I don't mean to offend anyone. It was a rental, which I'm sure has something to do with it. It's also just a really really poor fit for me overall, so I likely had "anti-rose colored" glasses on for the few days I had it. Also, I've been spoiled over the last 6+ yrs with high powered, luxury branded vehicles.....so I'm likely being a bit overly harsh here.....HOWEVER, below is how it felt when I was driving it.

It was, well, just bad, pretty much all around. I honestly am struggling to find something nice to say about it. The green color was nice I guess. I'm sure it's as reliable as a sewing machine, but it damn well better be, because I really had a hard time finding anything to like about it on much of any front.

It lacked power to merge confidently. When you did stand on the gas the engine was very unrefined, noisy, coarse, and STILL didn't get out of it's own way. The chassis felt like a giant marshmallow/cloud with sidewinds causing significant sway/lane control problems. Steering was vague and very over assisted. The seating position was far too close to the floor, even compared to the "sportier" Q7 I had. The belt line was very high, leading to visibility issues when looking over your shoulder to merge, or when parking. I'm unsure how anyone tows anything with it, especially with the weight of family/gear inside. It was really really underpowered. I drove it about 200 miles and only averaged 16mpg, so I'm not even sure why it doesn't have any power.

The interior tech was very poor with Bluetooth connectivity issues with my phone, no Android Auto (or built in navigation - likely because rental). The shifter and center console were really poorly laid out without a good spot to really put anything. Speaking of the interior, it was excessively over stylized, giant chonky knobs for HVAC, and then absurdly tiny buttons for the center screen area. Everything just looked out of place nad mismatched. The dash was VERY tall as compared to the seating position, felt like I was sitting behind a "wall" of an instrument panel. Not as flat as a Jeep Wrangler, but definitely taller. I looked in the back to see space with the 3rd row up, in case we had to take it to Louisville for Thanksgiving, and it was absurdly tiny back there. Like my Q7 had more space behind the 3rd row and it's a slightly smaller package dimensionally. I had a contingency plan of putting a hitch mount carrier and dry bag on it if that came to pass.

*edit*
Go drive one before you take my word for it. My experience was short, and with a rental. LOTS of people love these things, so there has to be something to them. It could be I was just grumpy when I got it, and it wasn't the best specimen to base a review on.
*/edit*

 

[Ribs77]

No offense taken here! Just genuinely curious. I really like the way my (hybrid) Highlander drives, and it doesn't feel underpowered at all. Surprised to hear its bigger brother might not be as peppy.

 

[2kwik4u]

Installing a 240v, nema 14-50R in the garage makes a huge difference in charging time over the stock Toyota 120v, 15a cord supplied with the Rav4 Prime. Dead to full charge in 2.5 hrs, giving us about 52 miles ev versus an overnight charge ~10-12hrs. It has been a while since we have used the smaller amp charger, but I do not recall getting 52 miles ev with that one.
Materials were a little over $100, mostly the wire. The level 2 charger we use is this one. Did not know Home Depot sells them now...no issues using this one for 1.5 years.

MUSTART Level 2 Portable J1772 EV Charger-ETL certified 240-Volt 40 Amp NEMA 14-50P 25 ft. charging cord 2-year product warranty MT-AASJDT1N1450-40A25FT - The Home Depot

Find a great product to carry your pet comfortably with the selection of this MUSTART Level J ChargerETL certified NEMA charging cord product warranty.

www.homedepot.com

I'm hoping for similar results. I'm just struggling with the liability of installing it myself into a rental. If I was the homeowner, I would have already done it. The run from the panel to the outlet is short, and easily accessible.

In terms of the charger, the Rivian came with a portable charger that will pull 32A from a 240V outlet (7.7kW). That's significantly better than the 120V that only pulls 11A (1.3kW). Once I have the outlet, I'm going to go awhile on the Rivian portable charger and see how I feel about it. If I want more, then I'll grab a larger EVSE that will do 48A continuous. Goal is to put a 60A service into that plug so it's as "future proofed" as it can be.

 

[BlkGS]

I think it was a '23 model, SR5 trim. I'm about to dish out a scathing review, so keep in mind I don't mean to offend anyone. It was a rental, which I'm sure has something to do with it. It's also just a really really poor fit for me overall, so I likely had "anti-rose colored" glasses on for the few days I had it. Also, I've been spoiled over the last 6+ yrs with high powered, luxury branded vehicles.....so I'm likely being a bit overly harsh here.....HOWEVER, below is how it felt when I was driving it.

It was, well, just bad, pretty much all around. I honestly am struggling to find something nice to say about it. The green color was nice I guess. I'm sure it's as reliable as a sewing machine, but it damn well better be, because I really had a hard time finding anything to like about it on much of any front.

It lacked power to merge confidently. When you did stand on the gas the engine was very unrefined, noisy, coarse, and STILL didn't get out of it's own way. The chassis felt like a giant marshmallow/cloud with sidewinds causing significant sway/lane control problems. Steering was vague and very over assisted. The seating position was far too close to the floor, even compared to the "sportier" Q7 I had. The belt line was very high, leading to visibility issues when looking over your shoulder to merge, or when parking. I'm unsure how anyone tows anything with it, especially with the weight of family/gear inside. It was really really underpowered. I drove it about 200 miles and only averaged 16mpg, so I'm not even sure why it doesn't have any power.

The interior tech was very poor with Bluetooth connectivity issues with my phone, no Android Auto (or built in navigation - likely because rental). The shifter and center console were really poorly laid out without a good spot to really put anything. Speaking of the interior, it was excessively over stylized, giant chonky knobs for HVAC, and then absurdly tiny buttons for the center screen area. Everything just looked out of place nad mismatched. The dash was VERY tall as compared to the seating position, felt like I was sitting behind a "wall" of an instrument panel. Not as flat as a Jeep Wrangler, but definitely taller. I looked in the back to see space with the 3rd row up, in case we had to take it to Louisville for Thanksgiving, and it was absurdly tiny back there. Like my Q7 had more space behind the 3rd row and it's a slightly smaller package dimensionally. I had a contingency plan of putting a hitch mount carrier and dry bag on it if that came to pass.

*edit*
Go drive one before you take my word for it. My experience was short, and with a rental. LOTS of people love these things, so there has to be something to them. It could be I was just grumpy when I got it, and it wasn't the best specimen to base a review on.
*/edit*

This is basically what I've always felt about 4Runners.

They are not for people expecting a plush ride with a taut suspension and crisp handling. They are not for people who accelerate to merge. They are not for people who pass on the highway. They are not really spacious inside, especially if you're tall. They are very bad on gas, and are not luxurious. They are old school trucks that happen to have an SUV on top of their frame, and they will last forever and ever and ever.

They are a trade off for sure, you trade a lot of the modern softness for God tier reliability. They're a time capsule, a vehicle that hasn't really changed since the 2000s except for refining it so it lasts longer with less upkeep.

The 4Runner is 80s-90s denim, thick and uncomfortable until you break it in, but basically indestructible. It's a tool that you expect to last forever, even if it's not the most efficient way tondo anything. It's a high quality wrench vs a series of ratchets or.power tools. And that appeals to some people, and not as much to others.

 

[BlkGS]

Ultimately, I'm just going to live with it as it is for awhile and compile a list of other things that might need to be addressed. It's not bad, or really agitating at this point. I could push to have all the issues completely resolved, but I'm kind of over fighting it for awhile. Maybe again in a few months or something?!?!

Overall, I'm still really happy with it 2 months into ownership. Just got my plates last week, so it's still early days, but the first 5k miles have been pretty good and are showing good promise moving forward.

This is where you and I differ a lot, lol. When I bought my X5, I was like "this thing is expensive, I absolutely expect you to make it drive perfectly. I absolutely will not accept that my turn signal in my mirror gets water in it".

The real question is, if you didn't get such a crazy good deal, and you were paying $1500+ a month as one would expect for a $89k vehicle, would you be satisfied with its issues?

 

[2kwik4u]

This is where you and I differ a lot, lol. When I bought my X5, I was like "this thing is expensive, I absolutely expect you to make it drive perfectly. I absolutely will not accept that my turn signal in my mirror gets water in it".

The real question is, if you didn't get such a crazy good deal, and you were paying $1500+ a month as one would expect for a $89k vehicle, would you be satisfied with its issues?

I'm just over programmed and over scheduled. I don't want to mess with it for something that isn't really a big deal.

Yea, even if I was paying $1,500/mo for it, heck if I was paying $3k/mo for it, I still wouldn't mess with getting the small things adjusted to perfect. It's not about value, or expectations, or any of that. It's literally about time management and bandwidth available to deal with something that's mostly trivial. #1 reason I ditched the Q7 in the first place. If I had "time to mess with it" then I would've kept it. Same for the leasing decision.

I'm truly gravitating away from "car guy" and into "toaster driver" as I age and gain more responsibility.

 

[BlkGS]

I'm just over programmed and over scheduled. I don't want to mess with it for something that isn't really a big deal.

Yea, even if I was paying $1,500/mo for it, heck if I was paying $3k/mo for it, I still wouldn't mess with getting the small things adjusted to perfect. It's not about value, or expectations, or any of that. It's literally about time management and bandwidth available to deal with something that's mostly trivial. #1 reason I ditched the Q7 in the first place. If I had "time to mess with it" then I would've kept it. Same for the leasing decision.

I'm truly gravitating away from "car guy" and into "toaster driver" as I age and gain more responsibility.

I can get that. I think that's why people end up leasing new German cars. They drop the car off if it needs something, get a loaner during that time, then pick it up when it's ready. They never have it long enough to really develop age related issues, and the German automakers understand initial quality really well. You get a new BMW or Audi and the damn things are perfect, no squeaks, rattles, or weird vibrations.

I think you've answered your question about installing the charger yourself or hiring it out, however.

 

[Bluewater272]

Service:
The truck has been in service 3 times. It's still not completely correct. They've replaced all 4 tires now, and the initial vibration is gone. They've replaced 4 control arms, hydraulic lines, and aligned it multiple times. Still has a distinct front end rattle on broken pavement, and it pulls to the left slightly, pretty much all the time. Lots of "little" things fixed each time like misaligned door handles, and the gear tunnel doors not "popping" open far enough. They've either given me a loaner, or put me in a rental every time. had a 4Runner as a rental last time, and to say that was an underwhelming experience is the understatement of the year. I don't know how you owners live with that vehicle. Ultimately, I'm just going to live with it as it is for awhile and compile a list of other things that might need to be addressed. It's not bad, or really agitating at this point. I could push to have all the issues completely resolved, but I'm kind of over fighting it for awhile. Maybe again in a few months or something?!?!

Overall, I'm still really happy with it 2 months into ownership. Just got my plates last week, so it's still early days, but the first 5k miles have been pretty good and are showing good promise moving forward.

Wow, that all really, really sucks. Feel like the fact that they gave you an ICE loaner instead of a Rivian is telling, too.

 

[BigN8]

Service:
The truck has been in service 3 times. It's still not completely correct. They've replaced all 4 tires now, and the initial vibration is gone. They've replaced 4 control arms, hydraulic lines, and aligned it multiple times. Still has a distinct front end rattle on broken pavement, and it pulls to the left slightly, pretty much all the time. Lots of "little" things fixed each time like misaligned door handles, and the gear tunnel doors not "popping" open far enough. They've either given me a loaner, or put me in a rental every time. had a 4Runner as a rental last time, and to say that was an underwhelming experience is the understatement of the year. I don't know how you owners live with that vehicle. Ultimately, I'm just going to live with it as it is for awhile and compile a list of other things that might need to be addressed. It's not bad, or really agitating at this point. I could push to have all the issues completely resolved, but I'm kind of over fighting it for awhile. Maybe again in a few months or something?!?!

Dude.... This is unfathomable! I've never in my life bought a new car that had this much crap wrong with it. And, your statement that your just tired of dealing with it and not going to worry about the other little problems for a while is mind blowing. Just as an example, I've probably owned 5 new Ford F-150s. Never had this kind of crap happen. My wife has owned 3-4 new Chevy Tahoes, never had this kind of crap. She currently is on a Volvo employee lease program where she gets a new Volvo XC90 every year, I think we are on number 5, never taken it back for anything.

If I were you, I'd turn that thing in for a complete refund and find something else. The prolog of that truck makes for a really questionable ending. You shouldn't pay good money for something that defective.

 

[2kwik4u]

Wow, that all really, really sucks. Feel like the fact that they gave you an ICE loaner instead of a Rivian is telling, too.

So, I don't take it that way at all. It's not great, I'll give you that, but it's no worse than any other brand I've dealt with. I've hated dealerships for years because I'm overly particular and getting a tech to fix EXACTLY what the issue seems to be is ALWAYS a problem. Even down to getting tires balanced is an issue because I'm overly picky. With that context, Rivian has been great to deal with. Some of the best communication I've had, and easily the most thorough with explanations. They were even proactive this last time, noticing I had a bit of vibration remaining, and replaced 2 tires that didn't meet road force balance specs.

The ICE loaner was a one off issue, mostly generated by me. They've given me a Gen 1 Quad Motor R1S every time except this last round. This last round I dropped the truck off in Niagara Falls and flew to Mexico for a week, and TOLD THEM to not give me a loaner since I was out of the country while they had it. They had an issue getting a fixture to align the truck (subframe alignment was being checked, it was OK) in time, and instead of sending me Uber credits, or asking me to drive back up to the service center, they put me in an Enterprise rental for 2 days while they finished up. I don't blame this situation on them at all since I declined the Rivian loaner on the front end. I really disliked the 4Runner, but I could have easily have been put in a Subaru, or some other fullsize SUV that was covered. That just happened to be sitting there.

Rivian service has been as good or better than anywhere else I've dealt with. Including Audi, Ford, and GM dealerships. They are almost as good as the "boutique" shop I've taken the Audi to up here in Buffalo a few times.

Here's the loaner I got the first two times it was in:

 

[2kwik4u]

Dude.... This is unfathomable! I've never in my life bought a new car that had this much crap wrong with it. And, your statement that your just tired of dealing with it and not going to worry about the other little problems for a while is mind blowing. Just as an example, I've probably owned 5 new Ford F-150s. Never had this kind of crap happen. My wife has owned 3-4 new Chevy Tahoes, never had this kind of crap. She currently is on a Volvo employee lease program where she gets a new Volvo XC90 every year, I think we are on number 5, never taken it back for anything.

If I were you, I'd turn that thing in for a complete refund and find something else. The prolog of that truck makes for a really questionable ending. You shouldn't pay good money for something that defective.

I've had completely different experiences with new vehicles, and this feels like less of an issue than any of the others I've had. Either you're the luckiest person in the world, or I'm the pickiest person in the world.

MY Brand new Focus had these problems. Broken interior door trim pieces. Failed engine sensors. Broken sunroof. It was a mess when I bought it with 50miles on it. Ford dealership was a giant PIA to work with, and I'll never buy another one because of it. My GMC and my Audi were both bought used and had similar issues. Hell, I called the Audi the Zero Fucks Given Q7 because of the piss poor condition it was in when I bought it.

My GMC was pretty solid, but still had issues. A/C went out at 65k miles. I had a laundry list of things so long that they had to send a warranty adjuster out because they thought the dealership was being fraudulent in submitting that many claims on one vehicle at the same time.

I really don't find the Rivian issues to be that big of a deal. Especially considering how they've dealt with them. I get fast, proactive responses, and they've yet to fight me on anything. If I wanted them to make it perfect they would. The tech even mentioned that they would send mobile service out if I wanted them to. While I see the point that the problem shouldn't be there to begin with, find me another brand that has an entire mobile service fleet.

I should be REALLY REALLY clear here. The fighting that I'm over, is the scheduling. Not fighting to get things right. I've had exactly 4 weeks this year where all 4 of my family members have been in the house for more than 5 consecutive days. It's my problem of fighting schedule, not Rivians. If I schedule service again, I have to take time away from the family and the office to get it done. I just want some damn consistency in my life, and a slight pull to the left, or a rattle that happens once a week isn't worth the effort to report/schedule/deal with on my end. It's just not that big of a deal. I applaud anyone that has the time/bandwidth to "turn that thing in for a complete refund and find something else", but that just isn't me.