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Looks like a great car. As Marques Brownlee puts it [1], this is Rivian's "Model Y fighter". And I personally find the R2 to be much more appealing than a Model
by freetime2 8mo ago
Looks like a great car. As Marques Brownlee puts it [1], this is Rivian's "Model Y fighter". And I personally find the R2 to be much more appealing than a Model Y in terms of size, shape, and interior.
But we have been misled so many times about EV prices prior to launch, I think it's important to wait until we see what it actually costs for different trim levels before making comparisons to the Model Y. That $45,000 price they are throwing around could very well be for a trim that isn't even available at launch.
And anyway if I were going to buy a new compact crossover today, I'd probably lean more toward the RAV4 PHEV. It's an EV most of the time, I can refill it up with gas during long trips, it's got tactile buttons, and it has carplay.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfReqcUJfBU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfReqcUJfBU
- Merad 8mo agoThe RAV4 Prime is extremely hard to get if you live outside of SoCal and maybe a few other areas. I'm in the southeast and a few years ago the local dealer told me that this entire region is only allocated a few Prime's each quarter. Even today I've never seen one in the wild.
- seattle_spring 8mo agoNot only that, but it sounds like dealerships are still hardcore ripping off people who want to buy a RAV4 Prime. $20k over MSRP, refusing to sell without add-ons / warranty, etc.
- pants2 8mo agoYep, wanted one but it made zero sense at the prices they wanted. Got a fully electric EV and very happy with the choice. I figure there's a lot more to break on the Prime too.
- pstuart 8mo ago> It's an EV most of the time Nowhere on the Toyota site did I see anything about range on battery only. Still, I wouldn't mind having one. I settled for a refurbed Leaf and have only needed an ICE vehicle twice, because of cargo capacity, not range.
- freetime2 8mo agoToyota is claiming "up to 52 miles on a full charge" on the recently announced 2026 RAV4 PHEV [1]. For me that would be enough to cover the majority of my trips. Looks like I was mistaken though and you can't actually buy the 2026 model yet (and the Toyota website still shows the older 2025 model). And as another commenter pointed out, it may not actually be possible to buy the older model either due to insufficient production. [1] https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a69059379/2026-toyota-rav4-plug-in-hybrid-drive/ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a69059379/2026-toyota-r...
- bdamm 8mo agoA friend of mine bought one. It ended up being kind of awful. 53mi of range for a 40kwH battery? That's abysmal. Where's all the power going? He traded it in for a used 2023 Model Y. Does 9-hr road trips all the time. I don't think he's going back.
- deleted 8mo ago[deleted]
- pstuart 8mo agoMy refurb had a fresh battery that says I'll get 150 miles if I avoid my normal "enthusiastic" pace. 53mi is weak sauce, but that sounds like the battery was near EOL. I charge mine at home which definitely keeps the wear and tear down.
- hnburnsy 8mo agoNone of these car reviewers ever take into account build quality and customer issues. Example they all lashihly praised the EX90, but owners struggled for a year with software problems, then found out the LIDAR they paid for is never going to assist their driving and they need a new computer. Same with Rivian, all of today's reviews praise the R2, but ignore the troubles current owners have not just with the car but with getting service too. Never buy a first year model and then keep an eye on owners forums before you buy.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 8mo agoI would love to come in and buy a BYD with the exact same design flaws, but for 1/3 of the price. Sadly protectionism disallows me from doing that
- devmor 8mo agoSame here! American-made EVs ask for an incredibly heavy price tag and don’t deliver on the reliability of ICE or Hybrid cars a third of their price. It’s the primary thing stopping me from getting one as my next vehicle. I’m trying to shop around to replace my wife’s aging crossover and I really can’t find anything more attractive than a Prius or another Kia Soul. If we could get electric cars from the CN market it’d be a no-brainer!
- azinman2 8mo agoI’ve had software issues on an ID4 and iX, but I’ve never had reliability problems. The cars always have just worked with no maintenance. Same with my model Y, minus any issues!
- close04 8mo agoMaybe it’s a “but when it happens you’re screwed” situation. I’m thinking of the story of BMW’s battery safety fuse (the one that trips in an accident to protect first responders and the people in the car) actually tripping when you hot the curb or a pothole harder. It requires a very expensive trip to the dealer. Some of my Tesla owning friends keep spending time in the shop getting something about the suspension fixed 2-3 times already. I have no idea if Chinese EVs are consistently better, Volvo can be seen as one and I don’t think they excel at reliability lately. P.S. Software issues are reliability issues. The software is a core part of the car and its value proposition, you can’t discount them as “just software issues, not reliability”.
- dalyons 8mo agoThe RAV4 EV capacity is so small, the electric engine so weak (cuts to gas well before highway speed), and the charge speed so slow, that in practice its a 100% gas car. Only a small number of disciplined owners are going to be able to run it as an EV most of the time, as its actually impractical to do so. It’s a gas car, with greenwashing.
- baumy 8mo agoThis is completely false. I own one. It goes up to the low 80s mph before the gas engine kicks in. Acceleration from a stop is sub 6 second 0-60. Hardly weak. Charges from fully empty to full in about 2.5 hours. Mine gets a 40-45 mile all electric range. I drive 10-12k miles per year, and ignoring extended multi-day vacation road trips once every couple years, I fill up the tank 2-3 times per year.
- dalyons 8mo agoToyotas hybrid uses gas when you accelerate hard to get that 0-60, it’s a combined system horsepower. Unlike phevs, EREVs are only driven by the electric drive, and the gas system is a series generator, so the EV is fully capable & always doing 100% of the work. PHEVs fundamentally aren’t. Anyway, the real world data from PHEV usage shows you are the outlier, most people don’t bother plugging them in regularly due to their limitations.
- baumy 8mo agoAgain, false. You can clearly hear when the combustion engine kicks in and it's indicated in the dash. I can floor it in electric mode and it still gets up to 60 in around 6 seconds, no gas involved. Hybrid mode is probably slightly faster but it's a very marginal difference. I don't believe your last statement because you've been wrong about everything else, and it doesn't make sense. Plugging it in is exactly as easy as literally any electric car, and it simply doesn't have the limitations you claim it does. I don't know what you've been reading, but you should evaluate the veracity of it as a source and talk to actual owners. I know several others who have one and we're all quite happy with them and don't get gas often
- goosejuice 8mo agoThe 23-25 RAV4 prime has a recall where the instrument cluster goes blank. AFAIK the whole thing needs to be replaced. Sounds just like the Ioniq ICCU issues.
- tempestn 8mo agoThe only thing I'd miss about the MY is the 7-seat feature. I love the fact that you can technically cram two more people in the car on the occasional times when you need to, without needing to drive a giant 7-seat boat. I wish more mid-size electric SUVs did the same.
- dbt00 8mo agoI sat in the back seat of a model Y with two other adults and it was extremely painful.
- tempestn 8mo agoThat's not surprising. The point isn't to use it to regularly drive tall adults around back there. It's for when your family of four needs to take two of your kids' friends somewhere, that kind of thing. We probably use it once every couple of months, but it's super handy at those times, and folds away out of sight and mind the rest of the time.
- sgt 8mo agoAlso Doug Demuro raves about it [1]. Personally I can't stand Marques' reviews. Just inspiring and he looks bored. Doug on the other hand really seems to put some of his soul into his reviews. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUl_0087dyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUl_0087dyM
- KennyBlanken 8mo agoDoug's format is beyond worn out and tiresome. He hasn't innovated or improved upon anything in years. Don't even get me started on his voice...
- sgt 8mo agoIf even Doug falls out of favor.. then I don't know anymore. His voice doesn't bother me too much but he sure has a lot of energy just to keep talking. Never stops talking.
- taurath 8mo agoRight you are Ken, but the format pretty much is his schtick. It’s not that entertaining at all anymore, but it’s also decent to know that a review will probably exist for most cars I’m ever considering. For me his value remains mainly that he’s tall which I am too, so when he’s in a car I can guess what it’ll be like for me.
- sgt 8mo agoI wanted to do something like that for motorcycles. Show how I fit on various bikes. I am 6'6" Knowing what to say is another matter though.
- theMMaI 8mo agohttps://cycle-ergo.com/ https://cycle-ergo.com/ here you go buddy, I'm on the taller side too and found this when choosing my last bike
- Markoff 8mo ago
- KennyBlanken 8mo agoMarques Brownlee is a kid who did shitty reviews of cell phones and is now a tech influencer, not an objective auto industry reviewer. He knows jack shit about the auto industry. Whatever comes out of his mouth is designed to make his clients - the companies who pay him to pimp their products - look as good as possible. Rivians are wildly heavy and inefficient compared to the rest of the industry. The R1T weighs more than two of the heaviest version of the Ioniq 5, for example. R1T owners seem to average about 2mi/kwhr, whereas the Ioniq 5 gets almost twice that...
- stefan_ 8mo agoIts fitting he would think the reference in EVs is the Model Y of all things, the technologically outdated, slow charging car whose sales are falling off a cliff while the manufacturer is trying to upsell you a monthly subscription for lane keeping.
- lotsofpulp 8mo agoYet I was unable to find a better priced vehicle that does not charge monthly for remote start, access to the vehicle's camera recordings, phone key, and navigation. And the monthly subscription is for a software feature that does quite a bit more than lane keeping, in my experience of the trial they offered during December. I did multiple 45 min drives across town, on urban and traffic light streets without intervention, and many other drives where intervention was only required 1 or 2 times. I could see real utility in it for someone with slower reflexes or poorer eyesight, such as the elderly. I haven't seen anyone offer that capability at anywhere near Model Y's price.
- hbarka 8mo agoI watched MKBHD’s review versus Doug DeMuro’s and only one of them took the time to point out the tailgate window and wipers. One reviews cars the other reviews gadgets.
- freetime2 8mo agoI watched both Marques' review and Doug's, and yeah Doug's was better. I linked the MKBHD review because mainly I wanted to make the Model Y comparison, and Marques called it a "Model Y fighter" in the video title. And also, Doug feels a little out of touch to me these days. Less about "quirks and features" that appeal to me (although he still covers that), and more about "enthusiast cars" (like his million dollar Porsche and Lambo) that don't really interest me. Although to be fair MKBHD isn't much better in that regard.
- hbarka 8mo agoI remember when Marques coined the word “squiricle” which is a portmanteau of square and circle, to describe the shape of the steering wheel of a Tesla. From then on every “car reviewer” YouTuber started describing any steering wheel with this shape using the stupid portmanteau. It’s infuriating to car enthusiasts who knew that this kind of steering wheel is called a quartic steering wheel, with history behind the design.
- Markoff 8mo agohere another review from my favorite car reviewer Mat Watson (carwow), from what I remember he complains about cleaning rear window wiper, but it feels all in all like paid ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eepauvC5LU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eepauvC5LU
- hnburnsy 8mo agoThe fact that Rivan gave preview access to a UK car reviewer while ignoring Out Of Spec who literally have 3 Rivians in their 'fleet' shows that Rivian is not yet serious about building a quality, customer-centric EV even though I truly want them to be successful.
- dmtroyer 8mo agoIs the RAV4 PHEV still seeing huge markups in the US?