Significant Improvements, But Mostly Beneath the Skin
Past Performance Is Not Indicative of Future Success
Time to Hit the Dirt Running
Do a Kickflip!
But Seriously…
Rivan's Real Future Is Clear
2025 Rivian R1T/R1S Specs

Significant Improvements, But Mostly Beneath the Skin, Past Performance Is Not Indicative of Future Success, Time to Hit the Dirt Running, Do a Kickflip!, But Seriously…, Rivan's Real Future Is Clear, 2025 Rivian R1T/R1S Specs

The 2025 Rivian R1S and R1T EV trucks include Quad-Motors and new “RAD Tuner” and “Kick Turn” features. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Good luck finding a flat road anywhere near Lake Tahoe, where the jagged Sierra Nevada mountains climb sky-high around the second deepest lake in the United States. But I needed a flat straight road to test launch control on the new Gen 2 Rivian R1S Quad-Motor electric SUV, and not just a short stretch of pavement directly behind multimillion-dollar mansions and cabins on the lakefront itself. So I drove around, up a slight rise to the southeast, and found the straightest section of safe asphalt available. Thumbed over to launch control, left foot on the left pedal, right foot flat to the floor, then stepped off the brake.

A momentary squeal pierced through the pine trees, all four tires scrabbling for grip on the gritty tarmac, struggling to put down 1,025 horsepower and 1,148 lb-ft of torque, until the old gut punch of instantaneous torque built up in rollercoaster vertigo, and before I even gasped for another breath, the Riv’s gauge cluster flashed off a 3.15-second readout for the sprint to 60 miles an hour…on a slight uphill…in an SUV that weighs 6,825 pounds.

Absolute insanity, the kind of performance that demands a reconsideration of the time-space continuation. And yet, as undeniably awesome as the newest iteration of Rivian’s top Quad-Motor spec might be, it’s not at all what Rivian—or potential Rivian customers, or arguably the entire planet—needs right now.

Significant Improvements, But Mostly Beneath the Skin

I flew from LAX to Reno-Tahoe International Airport, then rode up to the lakefront in a new Gen 2 Quad-Motor to experience the new Gen 2 Quad-Motor. Rivian promised both on- and off-road driving, including mild rock crawling and a fun display of the new “RAD Tuner” and “Kick Turn” features, the latter of which spins wheels on one side backward in similar fashion to Mercedes-Benz’s “G-Turn” better known as “Tank Turn” on the electric G-Wagen, or the Ford Bronco’s differential-based “Trail Turn Assist.”

Generally speaking, the Gen 2 that Rivian released this year takes a big step up from the original R1S and R1T. More processing power from fewer ECUs, cameras with eight times as many megapixels, reduced wiring to the tune of 1.6 fewer miles per vehicle. Plus the de rigeur: new electric motors, new front inverter, new cooling for the batteries, new suspension calibrations…. The list goes on. But how do the engineering successes translate to real-world differences that customers will actually notice?

Well, from the outside, telling a Gen 2 Quad apart from a Gen 1 or lower-spec Gen 2 requires an eagle eye. Main hints include new blue brake calipers and blue badging surrounds, plus a few instances of Rivian’s cartoon mascot, Gear Guard, with his hair swept back—cuz, you know, acceleration. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, since the original design still looks good well over three years on since the R1T’s first official model year, 2022. And also means still three rows and a frunk for the R1S, as well as the original frunk, storage tunnel, underseat, and small truck bed for the R1T.

Past Performance Is Not Indicative of Future Success

The new Rivian R1S I tested was on staggered Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tires measuring 275 millimeters wide up front and 305 wide at the rear, mounted on 22-inch wheels. Michael Teo Van Runkle

I’d previously driven two different Rivians, a test-mule while off-roading in Johnson Valley (home of King of the Hammers) and a Gen 2 R1T Tri-Motor that I put a few hundred miles on around Los Angeles earlier this year. I found a lot to love about both, but also a lot to hate. So on this Tahoe trip, I wanted to test whether RAD Tuner, which allows for precise and discrete control of individual drive mode parameters, might help me program away some of the Tri-Motor’s weaker driving characteristics. Or meanwhile, whether the Quad-Motor’s unbelievable power simply renders such concerns irrelevant.

The day started out in an R1S looping around the west coast of Lake Tahoe, on staggered Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tires measuring 275 millimeters wide up front and 305 wide at the rear, mounted on 22-inch wheels for a 33-inch total tire diameter. Immediately, the similar chassis and steering dynamics of the Tri-Motor reared up.

My main criticisms for the Tri-Motor involved the steering and suspension, and a baffling interplay between the two. For the former, a strange blend of light assist and minimal weight off center combines with overly sensitive, almost reactionary, response to any surface imperfections. For the latter, Rivian’s attempts to prevent body roll simply result in too stiff a platform for such a heavy vehicle, which then sends crashing reverberations through the passenger compartment on anything other than the largest bumps, which it somehow absorbs quite well.

For ripping up a canyon road, the Quad-Motor only improved on the Tri-Motors pace, keeping the body flat and the grip immense and the power out onto straightaways all the more breathtaking. It’s not at all hard to believe that a former McLaren engineer contributed to the hydraulic roll control system’s development. And yet, despite the impressive speed, that gap between performance and engagement still stood out to my admittedly stringent sensibilities.

Time to Hit the Dirt Running

We took the new Rivian Quad-Motor EV SUVs to the Donner Ski Ranch, right at the top of the infamous pass, for an off-roading demonstration. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Those speeds quickly bordered on the edge of sanity, much less legality, so luckily we almost immediately arrived at the Donner Ski Ranch, right at the top of the infamous pass, for an off-roading demonstration. Here I jumped into a different R1S equipped with the smaller 20-inch wheels (which look frightfully similar to Method Rally Series) shod in square 275-mm Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrains with a 34-inch outer diameter. The Pirellis look good, but I’d class them on the tamer end of the A/T spectrum, an understandable choice from Rivian given range optimization concerns.

I also figured that given the discrete traction control made possible by an electric motor for each wheel, Rivian might not need much more grip from the tires anyhow. This took me back in time to reminisce on memories of off-roading the all-electric G-Wagen. Now, I’m not at all anti-EV, and in fact believe that off-roading in particular takes advantage of instantaneously available torque and the silence that allows for greater assimilation into nature, not to mention the actual sound of tire traction in action. Yet even on fully inflated city tires, the electric G truly stunned me, far surpassing my admittedly low expectations with the single best off-roading performance of any vehicle I’ve ever driven—including the stupendous Bronco Raptor, most hardcore side-by-sides, and even a full-on Dakar Rally race car.

Would the Riv come anywhere near, or even surpass, the G’s incredible capability? Well, a quick easier section gave a crew of spotters a chance to suss out our individual driving skills and experience, as we adjusted to the Rivian’s All-Terrain and Rock Crawl modes. I felt the tires working, occasionally lifting into the air, the suspension flexing, and the chassis shifting weight around to each corner. But some surprising throttle lag kept creeping in, possibly due to the go pedal’s combined responsibilities of acceleration, regenerative braking, and hill hold. So I turned off the Rivian’s Hill Hold feature entirely, and started left-foot braking. This helped me to ramp up steady control while tackling more difficult obstacles, yet I still kept hearing (and smelling!) my tires spinning up the second traction levels dropped.

Regardless of impressive wheel travel for four-wheel independent suspension, the R1S and R1T need “lockers” in the motors to overcome wheel spinning while off-roading. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Then we trundled over to a steeper rock face, which included an intimidating vertical gatekeeper and a tough shelf or two. Pics never do rock-crawling justice, but this face also created something of an optical illusion. Nevertheless, the R1S on Pirellis simply climbed right up, as I followed the hand directions from my string of spotters. Climbing right up still brought on plenty of tire slip, though, from the front and rears, which I at first attributed to the sheer physics of lugging a 6,800-pound SUV loaded up with two journalists and gear up a mountainside.

But I also held out some doubts, because Rivian reps told me they’d aired my Pirellis down to 28 PSI from the typical roadgoing 40 PSI. And yet, my tires looked taller than the rest of the caravan, and my screen showed 40 PSI the whole time anyhow. The impression that airing down might have helped with grip and tire slip also started to creep into mind.

Then, I hopped out to let my drive partner have a go, and to get a better view of the rigs running as I shot pics. The same design results in equal approach, departure, and breakover angles as a first-gen Riv. Yet bruising and battering the underbody happened far less than tires spinning up to the moon, regardless of easily discernible differences in driver skill or air pressures. The wheelbase difference of 14.7 inches between the truck and SUV also seemed irrelevant in this specifically curated environment. So I finally landed on the conclusion that 1,148 lb-ft of torque will simply overwhelm the grip of any kind of rubber too quickly.

Regardless of impressive wheel travel for four-wheel independent suspension, or choosing a grippier tire supplier, or even using the air suspension to push down harder on wheels reaching full droop, the R1S and R1T simply need “lockers” in the motors—more accurately, software that simulates locked differentials by keeping the output axle shaft speeds identical—or Rivian’s engineers need to figure out traction control and throttle pedal programming that can process even quicker to reduce unintended slippage in these low mu scenarios. Hey, maybe the Mercedes team can help….

Do a Kickflip!

After a quick lunch at the top of the hill (I hoped to try out the rear tailgate cook bench, but no luck), we headed back down to a long dirt pad to test out the new Kick Turn function. Thanks to those four motors, the Quads can now spin in circles just like an electric G-Wagen, but more importantly, can also do so while driving up to 15 miles per hour. And where the G’s programming makes activating and using Tank Turn somewhat frustrating and inconsistent, Rivian’s uses the steering wheel buttons much more intuitively.

I managed to do a slide initiated by Kick Turn, which I then transitioned to a full-on drift by releasing the steering wheel buttons, flooring the throttle, and dabbing in a quick hit of countersteering. Michael Teo Van Runkle

I started out spinning around like a top, but then quickly moved on to a coned-off square. The first few times, my mind balked at turning without needing to physically turn the steering wheel. But then a rhythm set in and I managed fairly confident control, eventually graduating to a slide initiated by Kick Turn, which I then transitioned to a full-on drift by releasing the steering wheel buttons, flooring the throttle, and dabbing in a quick hit of countersteering. Doing so reminded me of driving a drift car or rally racer with a true hydraulic handbrake, except imagine if it only activated the brakes on one side or the other, rather than just the rears. Plus, that quick flip of the steering wheel over to countersteer can happen much quicker now, because I wasn’t already cranked over in the direction of the initial turn.

To ensure everybody on hand understood the absurdity and lightheartedness of a feature that maybe 1 percent of 1 percent of all Rivian customers will ever actually use, I kept hollering “Do a kickflip!” But then, a brief trail drive revealed exactly how useful Kick Turn can actually be while traversing tight switchbacks or negotiating the space between two trees. So on the drive down from Donner Pass, while searching for a deserted stretch of road to serve as my makeshift drag strip, I started to ponder the Gen 2 Quad more seriously—for Rivian, for customers, and for the EV industry as a whole.

But Seriously…

Both the 2025 Rivian Quad-Motor R1T and R1S look great, inside and out, but even better when covered in dirt out in nature. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Yes, we love supercar performance, and these kinds of unbelievable stats do make for good headlines. But there’s a mental gap, a brick missing in the foundations of Rivian’s engineering, design, and marketing. So much of the imagery focuses on this imaginary adventure lifestyle, the aspirational element of exploring these rugged Sierra Nevada mountains on weekend getaways. And admittedly, both the R1T and R1S look great, inside and out, but even better when covered in dirt out in nature.

Meanwhile, the Gen 2 Quad still definitely manages enough range, up to 400 miles in the new Conserve mode that can go into full front-wheel drive but then reconnect the rear motors smoothly for highway overtaking. But until charging infrastructure improves by a longshot, regular forays off the beaten path still seem like a hassle. And meanwhile, little details about the Rivian take away from the rugged utilitarian ethos, like needing to push a button only on one side of the bed to lower the tailgate or adjusting the air vents only via the touchscreen.

Finally, we return to the steering and suspension, my main gripes, but also the traction control programming, which allows for that 2.5-second 0-60 time for the R1T Quad (or 2.6s for the R1S Quad) but also overwhelms the tires in slippery situations. The light steering and reduction of chassis lean angles by the hydraulic roll control system all work great for ripping up a canyon or launching off the line. Without a doubt, the Rivian can achieve the numbers or target metric goals.

But for 99.9 percent of driving, the steering vibrates and reverberates more than it provides any sense of heft or substantiality—belying the Quad’s stupendous pricetag due to a lack of engagement. All while the hydraulic roll control works overboard, clunking and crashing over even smooth roads due to the sheer physics of controlling so much mass.

The hydraulic roll control system all works great for ripping up a canyon or launching off the line, but for 99.9 percent of driving, the steering vibrates and reverberates more than it provides any sense of heft or substantiality. Michael Teo Van Runkle

I managed to mitigate the worst of the steering and suspension characteristics in RAD Tuner, with a combination of 40 percent damping, roll stiffness set to the softest setting, standard steering assist, and the second lowest ride height. Here, with wheel slip allowed to the max and torque delivery biased 70:30 toward the rear, the Riv almost felt proper. But I still think true sway bars might do better, suspecting that hydraulic roll control likely works well for a 3,000-pound McLaren but less so while trying to manage more than double that mass with many times more ground clearance.

As with the Tri-Motor, I would happily sacrifice more body roll for a more substantial feeling truck. (And the hydraulic lines sure route low right by the bottoms of the struts and control arms, too.) But the EV customer who hasn’t driven big trucks or serious SUVs probably won’t miss—or even notice—the gap. Because in the end, despite the off-road capability, both the R1T and R1S Quad wind up trying to split the difference between daily commuter and rugged off-roader, which even with some of the best tech in the automotive industry today, still requires too many compromises.

Rivan's Real Future Is Clear

The new 2025 Rivian Quad-Motor R1S and R1T EV trucks now sit at the top of their lineup, an easy and logical addition even if not the most necessary. Michael Teo Van Runkle

Hopefully, much of this improves for the forthcoming R2 and R3 models. Smaller and cheaper than either the R1T at $115,990 or the R1S at $121,990—and much more mass marketable—these won’t need a 0-60 time under three seconds nor the ability to self-program a hardcore drift mode into RAD Tuner (as fun as they are). On hand for a brief afternoon in Tahoe, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe admitted as much.“Quad is a flagship powertrain and flagship vehicle,” Scaringe said. “It’s well beyond what one would need, but it’s great for building awareness in the brand. It’s not high volume, whereas R2 with a starting price of $45k will be very high volume.”

A more compact SUV using fewer rare earth minerals to produce smaller battery packs with quicker charge rates, more realistically catering to the urban environment that currently makes up such a large proportion of Rivian’s customers anyhow. For now, the Quad-Motor R1S and R1T will sit at the top of the lineup, an easy and logical addition even if not the most necessary. But if the new models turn out great, or even good—and I believe they can, because in my estimation Rivian’s entire team definitely passes the vibe check—then finally, a true competitor to Tesla’s Model X and Y dominance can arise outside the raft of largely unappealing EV options from more traditional automotive manufacturers.