Description
The Rivian R2 might be the most important vehicle Rivian has ever made. After spending a day driving it through highways, mountain roads, and dirt trails outside Park City, Utah, it is clear this is not just a smaller R1. It feels like Rivian took the best parts of its adventure-ready DNA and packed them into something more usable, more affordable, and much easier to imagine in a normal driveway.
But the R2 also comes with trade-offs. The performance is seriously quick, the storage is clever, the cabin is thoughtful, and the off-road capability is real. At the same time, Rivian is still saying no to CarPlay and Android Auto, the new haptic controls need work, and some early software bugs showed up during testing.
In this first drive, we break down the design, interior, driving experience, software, autonomy hardware, trims, pricing, range, charging, and the big question behind it all. Is the Rivian R2 the EV that finally takes Rivian mainstream, or are the compromises enough to make buyers walk away?
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Rivian R2 On and Off-Road Testing
02:02 - Rivian R2 Interior
02:57 - Rivian R2 Haptic Halo Wheels
03:47 - Rivian R2 Infotainment
04:25 - Driving the Rivian R2 Performance
05:31 - Rivian R2 Software Bugs
05:56 - Rivian OS 2.0 in R2
08:02 - Should You Buy the Rivian R2?
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