EV discussion - hate or love?

[BlkGS]

Interesting to hear the cars each of you gearheads is thinking about and how closely it mirrors my list, and glad I’m not alone. E39 M5 has been on my dream list forever, and I sort of scratched that itch with my 2017 Chevy SS sedan w 6mt (which got sold so I could buy the boat). But the itch is still there. CT5V blacking is a relative newcomer to the dream list. What a car.

I seriously cross shopped a certified X5 xdrive 45e when looking for my model X. But it was nearly impossible to find one with the tow hitch, and then the 50e came out and had the much bigger battery but was out of my price range to buy new… same for the rivian. Test drove a Q7 at CarMax. Wonderful car to drive but I didn’t want to take on the expensive maintenance and repairs.

958 Cayenne with any of the V8 powertrains is what I look at now, along with an E46 4 door sedan as a fun car, fox body mustang I’ve always wanted, and at least 20 others.

One of my co-worker’s husband has 14 cars, all sorts of random stuff, nothing crazy expensive. I tell her he’s my hero, she rolls her eyes.

I wish I had the foresight to buy an SS 6MT when GM was dumping them. I knew that was an amazing car for the money, but I couldn't see past the "I don't need a 4 door right now". Now that I do need a 4 door they're all gone or crazy money.

I complain about my X5 M50i a lot, but honestly it's a really impressive vehicle. It's crazy fast - it's bully the Teslas fast. It's SUPER comfortable, even with the harsher performance suspension it rides better than any car I've ever owned. It's plenty spacious, It eats upiles, it's super quiet, pretty good on gas, and the power is effortless and relentless. It's also super safe, well designed ergonomics and service wise... It just does everything insanely well. If you go into it not wanting to shift gears, I don't think anyone would be disappointed by it dynamically. Mine has the DHP with 4 wheel steering, active roll bars, and a stiffer suspension tune and the thing just makes physics it's bitch.

 

[zpaul]

Sales road warrior here. I do like seeing a range of over 600 miles!!!

View attachment 235251

Best F150 feature

 

[CarolinaJet]

Keeping in the theme of an EV centric thread. I am worried about going back to an ICE. I LOVE the smooth and quiet driveline of the EV. Power is instant and strong. There's no waiting for revs to come up for boost, or waiting for a transmission to downshift. All of that stuff just "feels" archaic and terrible now. It's also kind of funny, but I HATED the CVT in the Rogue. Now that I've driven an EV, the CVT is pretty close to the same dynamics as the EV. Significantly less power, but no shifting, and always the amount of power you ask for. I don't hate the CVT nearly as much as I used to.

I have spent quite a bit of time in Buffalo for work and someone told me they have the highest per capita number of swimming pools. I don’t know if that is true but it does seem like the city lives extremely well for those preciously short summers.

Re going back to ICE, my wife’s 2018 Tesla model S made my 2017 Chevy SS seem flat footed at any legal speed. On paper they were basically equivalent but the electric power delivery is so quick it wins in any real world scenario. A few years back I had to rush to get us to a wedding after the admiral needed some ‘extra prep time’. Passing on a two lane backroad in that car requires no finesse or timing. Just pick off slower traffic almost at will.

My model X is a really good car. The falcon wing doors are fun, and really cool engineering. The front doors open themselves when you approach the car and close when you touch the brake. As often as not I don’t touch the door. The stereo is the best I’ve ever had in a car. A previous owner bought the full self driving, and while it used to be a joke, the latest iterations are getting surprisingly good, I do let it drive in a lot of situations. In fact it’s becoming something I would miss.

But unlike my wife’s Tesla S, my X is LOUD. Lot of road noise, air leaks on the front windows that I can’t seem to fix. And it’s not particularly agile nor quick, but it pulls like a freight train at any speed. So for my next car I’m looking for some better refinement and fit and finish, and some agility. Hence the Cayenne.

 

[CarolinaJet]

I wish I had the foresight to buy an SS 6MT when GM was dumping them. I knew that was an amazing car for the money, but I couldn't see past the "I don't need a 4 door right now". Now that I do need a 4 door they're all gone or crazy money.

I complain about my X5 M50i a lot, but honestly it's a really impressive vehicle. It's crazy fast - it's bully the Teslas fast. It's SUPER comfortable, even with the harsher performance suspension it rides better than any car I've ever owned. It's plenty spacious, It eats upiles, it's super quiet, pretty good on gas, and the power is effortless and relentless. It's also super safe, well designed ergonomics and service wise... It just does everything insanely well. If you go into it not wanting to shift gears, I don't think anyone would be disappointed by it dynamically. Mine has the DHP with 4 wheel steering, active roll bars, and a stiffer suspension tune and the thing just makes physics its bitch.

I miss that SS for sure, mostly the sound of it. but I’m starting to drool over your X5, it sounds awesome.

 

[2kwik4u]

I have spent quite a bit of time in Buffalo for work and someone told me they have the highest per capita number of swimming pools. I don’t know if that is true but it does seem like the city lives extremely well for those preciously short summers.

We lost the bid on the house.......it did not have a pool, but most of the ones we've looked at DO have a pool. Most are heated as well it seems.

Re going back to ICE, my wife’s 2018 Tesla model S made my 2017 Chevy SS seem flat footed at any legal speed. On paper they were basically equivalent but the electric power delivery is so quick it wins in any real world scenario. A few years back I had to rush to get us to a wedding after the admiral needed some ‘extra prep time’. Passing on a two lane backroad in that car requires no finesse or timing. Just pick off slower traffic almost at will.

I just got my dual motor truck back this morning. it's a STARK difference between it and the R1S loaner. Mine has a nice 553hp and 615ft-lb. Loaner had 803hp and 908 ft-lb. The loaner pulled hard from any speed. My truck feels like a sloth now, despite a sub 5sec 0-60 run. Once you have that power-weight ratio, it's so hard to come back from.

So for my next car I’m looking for some better refinement and fit and finish, and some agility. Hence the Cayenne.

I really really liked my Q7 for all of those reasons. I'm really worried I wouldn't like moving back to ICE now though.

Some serious 1st world problems I have here isn't it ?!?!

 

[2kwik4u]

In other EV thoughts......Rode in quite a bit more powerful EV last night.

1072hp machine with a 632kWh battery pack that recharges in ~7min.

Maid of the Mist Electric Ferries

Maid of the Mist introduced two new-generation all-electric passenger ferries in October 2020, for the tour of Niagara Falls in the US.

www.ship-technology.com

They don't NACS or CCS cables either

https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/comments/wvlxxf/rode_maid_of_the_mist_yesterday_how_about_these

 

[BlkGS]

I miss that SS for sure, mostly the sound of it. but I’m starting to drool over your X5, it sounds awesome.

It's a great vehicle overall. Needs more sound from the exhaust. Real exhaust tips would be nice too (it has these quasi hidden unfinished exhaust pipes behind exhaust finishers for lack of a better word. Some people have added tips and it looks great).

It's an incredible all around machine, but not quite as raw and rowdy as I like. It's WAY more comfortable than my Trailblazer SS though.

 

[2kwik4u]

Sales road warrior here. I do like seeing a range of over 600 miles!!!

View attachment 235251

How often do you actually SIT for 7+hrs at a time though? I know you sales guys have iron backsides, but I'm not sure my 44yr old body would let me sit that long. We did 4.5hrs from Louisville to Cleveland a month ago in the Rogue and it SUCKED.

 

[2kwik4u]

Another follow up on the Rivian saga. Picked the truck up on Wednesday morning. Had two days with it now.

Original list in black (2025-05-27).
Updates in red (2025-05-30).
Newest data in blue (2025-06-06).

• Chassis
  • (Pending - Outstanding) Truck pulls to the left, and has since purchase.
    • Alignment has been addressed twice and won't "stick" past about 100 miles
    • Possibly a front subframe issue
    • Diagnosed as a radial tire pull. Tires are at about 50% tread life. Going to address clunks, realign, and reassess.
    • If tires are the culprit, I'll move to another brand/style and ask Rivian to "prorate" a set for me. Not really reasonable to ask for a brand new set at this point, but the stock Pirellis suck and I want to move to something else. Maybe I'll get a discount out of it?!?!
    • I've spent the last two days "messing" with the tire pressures. Dropped from 51 cold down to 46 cold.
    • Currently running 47 in the left and 46 in the rights. Pull is almost gone.
    • I think the feathering was because of poor alignment and now it's a self fulfiling prophecy
      • Considering a 3rd party custom shop alignment as well as new wheel/tire package.
        • This could drop me from 88lbs/corner and 34.1in dia down to 68lbs/corner and 33in dia
        • Not really worried about acceleration or overall weight, but less unsprung mass would help the suspension do it's job.
        • Also, would move to a P-Metric and away from an LT tire. Keep load range, but lose about 4-5 sidewall plys.
        • Not sure if that's good or bad, but it should definitely ride nicer.
      • I'm not buying anything new until the new shocks go in and they verify alignment again. Will make more plans from there.
  • (Pending - Outstanding) Front end "clunks" over sharp edged bumps
    • Have been told this is "normal", however it's becoming more frequent
    • Something is clearly loose and needs to be addressed
    • Front right damper has a failed internal bushing.
    • Two new dampers for front have been ordered. Parts are scarce. Will know more on availability Monday. Might require an "order and wait" with a return visit.
    • Service told me "2-3wks" when I picked the truck up Wednesday morning.
  • (Resolved - Final) Rear driveline "clunk" on dual motor engage/disengage
    • Suspect this is "normal", but is noticeable now was not on delivery
    • Might be related to an update changing the engagement timing
    • Not sure on this, but need a response from Rivian on it.
    • Rear drive clutch had "lost calibration". Unit was recalibrated and readjusted. Issue solved.
    • The clunks are "less bad" than before, but still very noticeable. Rivian tech says they all do this. Doesn't make it right, but at least it's consistent I suppose. I think it's a poor design decision that isn't fixable.
    • Going to another Rivian meetup in July. Hoping to have some other dual motor owners drive mine and see how they think it does.
  • (Resolved - Final) Due for tire rotation
    • This is on me, just needs to get done while they have it.
    • Completed as part of alignment diagnosis
    • See tire stuff above
• Exterior
  • (Resolved - Final) Front Fascia has broken tabs that have been addressed once
    • New front fascia was promised. Needs to be remedied
    • New fascia installed
    • New fascia fits and looks like it's supposed to.
  • (Resolved - Final) Passenger gear tunnel door has "peeling"
    • I think this is protective film, but it's peeling off and looks awful
    • New protective film installed
    • Looks back to factory. Was a nit pick, but it was worth the effort.
• Interior
  • (Resolved - Final) PAAK and fob don't work or work poorly on a regular basis.
    • Restarting phone Bluetooth on phone seems to remedy issue
    • Removing and replacing battery in fob seems to remedy issue
    • Suspect issue with Bluetooth module in truck
    • New battery put into fob, appears to be working as intended.
    • Have new procedure to resolve phone issues once phone and truck are in same place.
    • I'm not holding my breath this is completely resolved. I think it's a system design issue.
    • Definitely a system design issue. It's a little better than before, but not great.
      • They reset my account, my phone, and the truck.
      • Supposedly all the resets generate new credentials with the latest software
      • Recommended I do this after each OTA for best performance
      • So far it's at least been consistent with the PAAK. Not fast, or great, but consistent. Honestly, I can probably handle that.
      • I think there's a huge chasm of difference between expectations and performance. I'm likely just a picky SOB.
  • (Resolved - Finalish) HVAC vents are sporadic at best and require frequent recalibration
    • Often point in wrong direction or show "off" while open, or are closed when show "on"
    • Suspect an issue with stepper motors having slipped within mechanism (or electrically lost steps)
    • tech looked at this during last mobile visit and admitted an issue exists
    • Just needs new parts installed/calibrated
    • new parts installed/calibrated/tested. Operating as designed.
    • I was able to bork the vents in the loaner as I was driving back to pickup my truck.
    • This system is just asinine to begin with.
    • New vents are holding calibration over two days now, so that's good.
    • They appear to be obeying open/close commands acceptably.
    • A new dash rattle has appeared twice now. Going to monitor and see how that goes. If it continues I'll put it on the list for when the dampers come in.

Overall, the truck is better than when it went in. The tire pressure thing, reiterates the difference between a true tech and a parts replacer. With that said, all the techs drive modified BMW's, so they're clearly no stranger to working on vehicles that require a bit of finesse. I wouldn't be surprised if they were hamstrung on time or some other reason they didn't monkey with pressures to get it to stop pulling as bad as when I picked it up.

With the window tint, and "most" of the things working as intended I hate the truck a little less than I did before. I'm still pretty certain I'll let it go back at the end of the lease, however I'm struggling to find a "worthy" competitor to it. It's got a lot to love, and is an interesting spot in the market. GM's EV's are super extra double ginormous. The Lightning is underwhelming for me, but is probably perfectly livable. Not much else out there with a tow rating and an electric driveline. Especially if we upgrade a boat next year.

 

[BigN8]

How often do you actually SIT for 7+hrs at a time though? I know you sales guys have iron backsides, but I'm not sure my 44yr old body would let me sit that long. We did 4.5hrs from Louisville to Cleveland a month ago in the Rogue and it SUCKED.

Probably not very often but I have and will do it. Driving back from Tulsa the commercial truck traffic on the interstate was insane. I drove it straight thru because I wasn't about to let the 500 trucks I passed pass me back!!!! Having that large tank also is good peace of mind when driving thru West TX. You're doing 85 -90 mph usually and sometimes won't see a gas station for 80 miles or more. And when it is time to refill I can get another 600 miles of range in roughly 5 minutes.

 

[typhoon]

We jumped into the electric car world last year and would not go back at this point. My wife traded in her Cayenne for a Taycan, and it is her work car. Our electric company has a deal that allows us to rent the charger from them, and get unlimited charging from 10 pm until 6 am for $38 a month. She used to pay around $400 a month for gas. A true win in that department.

I still have a ICE for my car, and we use that anytime we have to go more than 200 miles round trip, otherwise we use her car.

 

[2kwik4u]

Probably not very often but I have and will do it. Driving back from Tulsa the commercial truck traffic on the interstate was insane. I drove it straight thru because I wasn't about to let the 500 trucks I passed pass me back!!!! Having that large tank also is good peace of mind when driving thru West TX. You're doing 85 -90 mph usually and sometimes won't see a gas station for 80 miles or more. And when it is time to refill I can get another 600 miles of range in roughly 5 minutes.

I'm impressed. I can't sit that long. I've found the "forced" 15-20min stops every 200mi or so is about right for a comfortable/easy road trip experience.

Downside is I can't make "bonzai runs" anymore. Like when my mother-in-law was admitted into a hospital in St. Louis. Wife called in tears and said "I need you here" in case she doesn't make it. I made the normally 4hr trip from Louisville in a shade under 3hrs-15min. Lived well into triple digit speeds for the majority of that event. EV wouldn't do that, would be a 20-30min stop in the middle to make that happen. With that said, I've had to do that twice in 10yrs, so it's not like an every day issue I have to deal with. Now that I think about it, they were both in Audi's, the last time being Louisville to Milwaukee and back in my old A4.

Anywho, once I shifted my mindset from "I've gotta make good time" to "I'll get there when I get there" my stress level dropped considerably, and the charging stops are a welcome few minutes to get out and move around. Heck, coming back from NC on Memorial Day each stop had 10-15min of kicking a soccer ball with my oldest boy. Something I don't get to do much at home because we're both always so distracted. So it wasn't just a "sit in the car all day" event. He and I would kick the ball, wife sat on the tailgate in the sun and read her book, and the youngest ran around crazy like the semi-feral child he is. It was honestly a bit of a relief from the constant monotony of sitting.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

 

[BigN8]

Good on ya. To each his own. Based on the experience with Rivian though I think I would plug it in to a charging station in the middle of nowhere and set that mojo on fire and call my insurance. Your patience with automobile defect fuckery is much higher than mine!

 

[2kwik4u]

Good on ya. To each his own. Based on the experience with Rivian though I think I would plug it in to a charging station in the middle of nowhere and set that mojo on fire and call my insurance. Your patience with automobile defect fuckery is much higher than mine!

I run a custom equipment manufacturing business. I see both sides of the coin on the defect fuckery. This shit's hard, and Rivians are still essentially semi-hand built at these volumes. This kind of crap happens.

As much bullshittery as there has been to deal with, I maintain that Rivian customer service is head and shoulders above any company I've ever worked with. Including my own. I wish I had staff on hand that was this proactive and responsive. It's a constant struggle to keep that mentality floating, and I can tell Rivian has employees that are invested in the brand, and want to see it succeed. I work hard to not shoot the messenger, especially when they're doing everything they can to resolve the issues they didn't cause.

Now, there is something to be said for not having to use the customer service in the first place, but IMO that's largely luck of the draw at this point. Even the "gold standard for quality" that Toyota is; had engine failures in a new model release. GM is losing 6.2L's. Ford has cam phaser issues. There is no "perfect truck" to be bought, and they all have a chance of major issues. I can tell you from experience I would rather deal with a major issue through Rivian than I would Ford. So, you know, that's not nothing.