Rivian R2 Test Drive Impressions: What Rivian Doesn't Tell You
After spending a full day with the Rivian R2 at the launch event, here are the things you won't see in the press releases.
The Rivian R2 launch event was full of carefully choreographed moments — CEO RJ Scaringe on stage, media test drives on a controlled course, and enthusiastic pre-reservation holders sharing their excitement. Those are the things you read in the press releases. Here are the things you won’t see.
The Interior Quality
The interior is genuinely impressive for the price. The 18-inch landscape touchscreen is sharp and responsive. The 6-inch instrument cluster is clear and well-positioned. The seats are comfortable and well-bolstered — this is clearly a vehicle designed for long drives.
What the press photos don’t show: the thin scratch-resistant coating on the center console that feels plasticky. The speaker grilles that have a slight flex when pressed. The sunshade that feels lighter than you’d expect. These are minor details, but at $45,000-$58,000, buyers notice.
The Sound System
The Rivian R2’s 18-speaker Rivian Premium Audio system is genuinely excellent. The sound is rich and full, with clean highs and controlled bass. Rivian chose a different tuning philosophy than Tesla — less emphasis on the bass-heavy “wow” factor and more on a natural, balanced sound. It’s the best audio system in this price range.
The USB-C Ports
The R2 has six USB-C ports — two in the front (one 65W, one 18W), two in the rear, and two in the center console. This is genuinely useful, and the 65W port can charge a laptop at near-wall charging speeds.
What Rivian Doesn’t Advertise
The Gear Tunnel: The signature R1 feature — the gear tunnel between the bed and rear wheels — is absent from the R2. This is a significant omission for adventure buyers who used the gear tunnel for storage, external speaker mounting, and other creative uses.
The Camp Kitchen: Also absent from the R2. The camp kitchen — which slides out of the R1T gear tunnel — won’t be available for the R2 at launch. Rivian has said it’s “under development.”
The Air Suspension Range: The R2’s air suspension can raise the ride height for off-road use, but the maximum ground clearance is 8.7 inches — versus 14.4 inches for the R1T. If you’re buying the R2 for serious rock crawling, you may be disappointed.
The Charging Cable
The R2 comes with a Mobile Charging Cable (Level 1/Level 2) as standard. Unlike the Tesla Mobile Connector (which is no longer included with new Tesla purchases), the Rivian cable is included at no extra cost. It’s a small thing, but a nice gesture.
For more on the R2, see our R2 pricing story and first drive review.