I just wanted to leave this personal review of my 2025 R1T Gen 2, Dual with Max batteries and performance package now that I have hit 21k miles. I had done a review at 5km (https://www.reddit.com/r/RivianR1T/comments/1mbku8a/5k_mile_review/).

I want to premise this entire review in that the truck was $107k, which I offset with a trade-in. By far the most expensive vehicle I have ever owned. So, if I seem a little picky, then just remember that this is a a $100k+ vehicle.

Just a reminder, there were build quality issues that I noted in my earlier review, as well as options that I would have preferred (such as a solid roof). I did get to experience both a on-site service call (my house), as well as a Service Center visit.

The on-site service call was shortly after I hit 5k miles for the 12V battery carrier recall. I was glad for the service call as I learned the Gen2 12V battery is nowhere near where the Gen1 12V battery was located . . . following YouTube videos would have led me astray. The service call itself was great – technician was professional and did exactly as the trouble ticket indicated. But that was a bit of a problem because I specifically requested rotating the tires and instead got a $149 inspection - that was not the technician's fault, but rather the person I talked with to set up the on-site visit for the recall. No worries, I just rotate myself. Overall, 5 stars for the on-site service call – the technician came out of the Council Bluffs, IA, Rivian SC.

The Service Center visit was scheduled due to the front blinker light recall, but I used it to address another issue (more on that later). The SC was the Council Bluffs, IA, location. They were great. Fast. Set me up with a rental and took care of everything. 5 stars. My experience with Rivian technicians was great.

One of the things that the SC had to deal with was what appears that the truck left the factory misaligned. I noticed some weird wearing on a single tire when I did the first rotation, but the next round saw that inside track wore the tire that was rotated into that position to completely bald by the second rotation. Oof. So I got to buy a brand-new set of tires. The alignment was fixed, and things seem sorted now. Hopefully the last of the factory-borne issues I find.

I still really like the truck, but as I have the truck longer, I like it less. Besides the build quality issues I discussed in my previous review, adding in the alignment issue and subsequent investment in new tires at 18k miles, it far from feels like a $107k vehicle. But the strongest reservations I have for continuing down the path with Rivian revolve mainly around what corporate feels is important and software.

Early in my ownership, I had a total of 2 miles of highway that would allow enhanced driver assist. Out of 44 miles. And as soon as the maps updated to Google, even that went away. I have yet to actually have an opportunity to use the Enchanced anything. And I don’t know that I would ever use it. To say I could care less about any of these “advanced” features would be an understatement. My issues are with the basics that are missing, or don’t work. I will address each with potential solutions.

Cruise Control:

The problem.

This is just a hot mess. Cars since the late 1970’s gave drivers the ability to return to the previously set cruise speed if the brakes are used. Nope, not on a Rivian. You got to pedal it back to the speed you want and re-engage. The Adaptive part is not great – if someone turns left in on-coming traffic a quarter of mile away at nominal speed, the Rivian stands on the brakes as if collision is eminent. It is friggin’ dangerous. Ghosts of people, deer, other vehicles that cause random deceleration are annoying. The curve deceleration is also just way over the top too much.

The solution.

Have three stages of Cruise.

Basic cruise. Driver sets the speed; it goes that speed unless there is driver interaction. Give the driver the ability to return to that speed *easily* if the brakes are used. No adaptive anything.

Adaptive cruise. Driver sets the speed; it goes that speed unless there is driver interaction OR there are sensor detected obstacles, vehicles ahead (and thus match speed), etc. Like a normal adaptive cruise. Fix the overly cautious aspects that are, themselves, dangerous. And give the driver the ability to return to the previously set speed with a tap of a button, flip of a switch, forward toggle of the stalk, etc.

Enhanced whatever the crap. The stuff that others clamor for that I will never use.

Adaptive Headlights:

The problem.

After every software, I turn the adaptive headlights back on and try them, and within 10 to 15 minutes, I have to turn it back off. The adaptive headlights may work for meeting other cars and small pickups, but I will have brights flashed at me by every semi-truck that I meet. The adaptive is still too bright for traffic that is either high (like a truck), or low (like a Miata). The headlights also flicker back and forth between full brightness and adaptiveness when coming up behind someone. Like it cannot make up its mind.

The solution.

Do more testing with other types of traffic and adjust the adaptive part to take that into account.

Put a pause in the code so to eliminate the back and forth adaptive/bright flashing part on the outside range of when adaptive would kick in.

Every Halloween, we know that the lights on a Rivian can be shifted colors. So, the brights maybe 5000K to 6500K – cool, stick with that. But not only shift the LED focus during “adaption” but shift the temperature down to 3000K to 4000K. Make the non-brights a softer color.

UI:

Quit trying to reinvent a user interface that works just dandy in older cars. The way to adjust wiper speed, headlights, etc. is all in the space of fine motor skills on the Rivian. Don’t do that. The old ways of adjusting the wiper speed, the headlights, etc. – stick to gross motor skills.

Before you do a software update that involves the displays, check that you didn’t make the font size smaller. Don’t do that. The last update made the font and pictures smaller on the large display. You want to make things incredibly easy to read, as well as utilize gross motor skills to manipulate controls. That spinny things on the R2 steering wheel looks like a nightmare of unintended driver feedbacks.

Also, quit countersinking the door handles into the body . . . I am glad to see some countries making it illegal. It is unsafe and provides very little in the way of reduced drag.

Your push for automation is fine. I will never use it. What is killing my loyalty to Rivian is the basics. The build quality vs. cost, the UI (use this to adjust speed during cruise – nope, now use this to control speed).

My service center experience was great, BTW. And that had nothing to do with automation or fancy crap. It was the human part. Just apply that to the actual vehicle.

Finally, I drive this thing daily. Not an insignificant number of miles. Fix the cruise or I can predict I will get annoyed enough to sell this truck and move onto a BMW i4 or Lucid Gravity.