Rivian R2 First Drive Review: The Best Electric Adventure SUV You Can Buy
We spent two days with the Rivian R2 on and off road. The $45,000 electric SUV is the most compelling Rivian yet — and the one that will determine whether the company survives.
The Rivian R2 is the most important vehicle Rivian has ever built. Not because it’s the most powerful or the longest-range — it’s not — but because it’s the vehicle that will determine whether Rivian remains a niche premium adventure brand or becomes a legitimate volume manufacturer. After two days of driving the R2 Performance Launch Edition on roads and trails around Normal, Illinois, I can say this: the R2 is good enough to matter. Whether it’s good enough to save Rivian depends on production execution and pricing luck.
First Impressions
The R2 is smaller than the R1S but not small in the way that sacrifices usability. The five-seat interior has genuinely class-leading headroom and rear legroom, and the 34 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats expands to 68 with the seats folded — practical enough for serious camping or Costco runs.
The interior design is more refined than the R1 family. The 18-inch landscape touchscreen is responsive and well-designed. The slim instrument cluster ahead of the driver (a 6-inch display) shows speed, range, and basic navigation, and it’s thoughtfully positioned to minimize glare. The panoramic glass roof (a $2,500 option) makes the cabin feel open and premium.
Build quality on the pre-production R2s I drove was generally impressive. The panel gaps were tight, the door latches had a satisfying thunk, and the materials — though not at Mercedes S-Class levels — felt appropriate for a $45,000-$58,000 vehicle.
On the Road
On the highway, the R2 Performance (656 hp, 609 lb-ft, 0-60 in 3.6 seconds) is quick but not shocking. The acceleration is brisk in Normal mode and seriously fast in Sport mode — neck-snapping enough to embarrass most sports cars at traffic lights. But the R2 weighs 5,200 pounds, and physics eventually reasserts itself in corners. This is an adventure vehicle with sport aspirations, not a sports car.
The adaptive air suspension (standard on Performance, optional on Premium) is the R2’s secret weapon. In Comfort mode on broken pavement, it floats like a luxury SUV. In Off-Road mode, the ride height increases to 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and the damping firms up to handle rough terrain with composure.
The regenerative braking calibration deserves special praise. In “Hold” mode, the one-pedal driving is perfectly modulated — easy to drive smoothly with precise foot inputs. The transition to friction brakes is seamless. This is the best implementation of one-pedal driving I’ve experienced.
Off-Road Capability
On the trail (a moderately challenging off-road course at Rivian’s Adventure Network test facility), the R2 was competent but not transformational. The approach and departure angles (22 degrees approach, 23 degrees departure) are adequate but not class-leading. The standard all-wheel drive with individual wheel torque vectoring provides genuine off-road capability, but serious off-roaders will want to add underbody protection.
For the intended use case — gravel roads, mild snow, beach access, ski resort parking lots — the R2 is genuinely excellent. It’s the kind of vehicle that makes you feel prepared for anything without requiring the compromises of a dedicated off-road truck.
Range and Charging
The R2 Performance with the large battery pack delivered approximately 265 miles of real-world range at 70 mph on the highway — competitive with the Model Y Long Range (290 miles) but trailing the IONIQ 5 with its 800V architecture.
Charging at Tesla Superchargers worked flawlessly during our test. The NACS port means no adapter is needed, and payment initiates through the Rivian app automatically. Average charging speed was 148 kW on V3 stalls — consistent with the R2’s 220 kW peak rating.
The Verdict
The Rivian R2 is the best electric adventure vehicle you can buy today at its price point. It combines genuine off-road capability with an interior that feels genuinely premium and a technology package that works without the frustration of most legacy automaker software. At $45,000-$58,000, it’s priced competitively against the Model Y and Mach-E.
The R2’s success depends entirely on Rivian’s ability to build it at volume. If Rivian can produce 40,000+ R2s per quarter and maintain quality, this is a genuinely competitive vehicle that deserves to sell well. If production slips another year or quality suffers, the window of opportunity closes quickly.
For now: this is a vehicle worth test-driving when it arrives at your local Rivian gallery.
For full pricing details, see our R2 pricing story. And see our R2 test ride impressions for more on the event experience.