At one point Tesla’s Model S Paid had the field of high-end EV SUVs to itself, but Rivian and others have since debuted clean sheet designs that have some customers switching.

Post your questions or comments about the Rivian R1S SUV

A case in point is Buddy Boyter of Jacksonville, FL, who previously owned a Model X Plaid and Tesla Model 3 Performance. He has since moved on to a brand new Rivian R1S SUV.

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Over time Buddy decided the Model X “was complicated to be complicated.” He ultimately decided things like the yoke steering wheel, touch-based forward/reverse controls, touch horn and falcon wing doors weren’t as practical as the way Rivian and more traditional automakers had designed their vehicles.

Buddy cross shopped a wide-variety of tow-capable EVs, including the Ford -150 Lightning, Hummer, Fisker Ocean and Cadillac Lyriq. In the end he decided the R1S did the best job meeting his family’s needs with 7,700 pounds of towing capacity for their race car and boat.

The R1S with the large battery pack is rated at up to 316 miles of range and Buddy says 300 miles of real interstate range is realistic to achieve in Conserve mode, which Buddy discusses in the video at the top of this post.

Buddy’s R1S has the quad-motor setup, with 835 horsepower, getting him from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds.

Like the Rivian R1T pickup, the R1S boasts a nicely designed interior with contemporary styling, leather, wood trim, and two large displays — one for infotainment and one for the driver’s gauge display. A 12-cubic-foot front trunk, a large rear cargo area, a split tailgate, and a third row of seats make the R1S one of the most practical EV SUVs currently available.

Buddy says the Rivian’s infotainment system is a bit behind Tesla’s. “I this is where I think Tesla still has a leg up on everybody because they’ve been doing it for so long,” said Buddy. He says the Rivian’s navigation system isn’t as good as Google-based systems, and unlike many EVs, the R1S isn’t available with either Apple Car Play or Android Auto.

The R1S has a peak DC fast-charge output of up to 220 kW and 300 kW+ in the future, according to Rivian’s website, which would seem to imply over the air software updates will gradually improve the Rivian’s charging curve as the engineers learn more about the battery’s limits. It an 11.5 kW onboard AC Level 2 charger.

In this week’s EV Rider video episode, Buddy gives us an extensive tour and road test of the Rivian R1S. For all the handling details, different modes and more, check out the video at the top of this post. If you enjoy this episode of EV Rider, please give the video a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel.

EPA Fuel Economy

Combined/City/Highway: 69/73/65 MPGe

Specs

The R1S is available with three AWD drive systems: Dual-Motor, Performance Dual-Motor and Quad-Motor. Based on the drive system and battery pack a customer chooses, the R1S has an estimated 260–390 miles of range. Here are a few of the highlights:

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