Lexus GX550 vs Rivian R1S

supersix

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Has anyone been weighing the options between the GX550 and the Rivian R1S? Over the weekend, I had a chat with someone who couldn't stop praising the Rivian R1S for its outstanding capabilities and features.
 
I rode in a friend's Rivian R1S over the weekend and it was awesome! It looked great, the interior was super nice and the performance was insane! With that said, the Rivian is more of an in-town vehicle for them. They live in the middle of New Mexico and there are not a lot of charging stations so it's not a vehicle they will be taking farther than about 200 miles or so. He said his trip from Denver was miserable because he had to go the speed limit or less to make each leg of his trip home. At one point, he even had to turn off the AC and drive with the windows down so he could make his next charge point. Not ideal when you are used to driving on long stretches through remote areas with lots of elevation and wind changes.
 
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I almost ordered one.. It came down to OT+ or R1S. The tri motor/max battery in storm blue, all terrain package in ocean coast w/driftwood interior. I still think about it. Until I found out the body is clam shell design, eg Lotus Elise/Exige. One little fender bender will cost 40+G from a certified shop..!

Fender Bender... I'll let you know if it costs $42,000 to repair

My insurance most likely will cover it but when my policy comes up for renewal the following year, I have a feeling I will be getting a letter saying I've been a great customer but last claim..
 
I really like Rivian trucks. Even bought some stock in the company (at too high a price).
But having owned a Tesla S for four years here in Vermont, range and charging became too much of a hassle, especially in very cold weather. And I had free supercharger charging as part of the purchase. In no way am I anti—EV, just not at this point in my life.
 
I test drove a Rivian SUV and put a deposit down before buying my GX. It is a beautiful vehicle. But I drive too much with a lot of trips for both business & pleasure to remote areas in AZ. I couldn't deal with the charging requirements. In fact, 2 days after my test drive, I had some overnight field work to near Topock, AZ out in a desert wash literally in the middle of nowhere. I mapped it all out as if I was driving the Rivian and I figured that I could get to the job with careful driving, but then I'd have nowhere to charge up. I'd have to drive another 55 miles further north (when home is south) to Kingman to get to a charging station....and hope that the Rivian would actually make it all the way to Kingman. Or beg for or buy electricity in Topock and stare at the dirt for 8 hours while I recharge. It just wouldn't work for me. The price of the vehicle is also far too high for what you get and the ridiculous cost of repair and high insurance is a deal killer too. If you get in a fender bender you will pay back the insurance company eventually or you'll get dropped.
 
Personally I like EVs. Instant torque, fewer moving parts (theoretically less maintenance and higher reliability but we know how that goes), ability to recapture some energy lost due to braking, cheaper for me to recharge at home here in Texas (<= $0.10 per kWh) than to fill up for equal milage. But, as things stand right now, there are 3 big obstacles that prevented me from going the EV route: 1) lack of infrastructure means I could easily get caught somewhere without the ability to charge 2) the massive time it takes to charge vs. fill up a tank of gas and 3) prices for high-end EVs like the Rivian are still too high relative to high-end ICE vehicles and the tax credit doesn't apply to vehicles with MSRPs over $80k.

Until they can fix the infrastructure and the charge time (I could live with a 10%-80% charge in 10 minutes, don't know that I'd be willing to wait any longer though) I don't see myself getting an EV or being generally accepted by the masses. Having said that, though. When they do fix those two problems (which I believe can be fixed), sign me up!
 
If I could pull into the equivalent of a Costco or even a Circle K and change out a few 20- or 30-lb battery packs in a couple minutes to go another couple hundred miles then I'd be all over it.
 
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I have both a 2024 GX550 OT+ and a 2023 Rivian R1S Quad motor.

I use the Rivian as a commuter car and have only ever charged at home on my Level2 charger. I have huge range anxiety so I’ve just accepted it’s the ‘back and forth to the office and around town mobile.’

I have the GX as a toy and for our longer trips to our properties in Michigan.

I know not everyone has that luxury of having multiple cars to choose from but I have found that the EV is a fun thing to have if you don’t have to expect too much out of it. Fast, head turning, cutting edge, etc.

That said, until they get 500mi range regardless of conditions, I can’t see not having an ICE vehicle for longer distances for the peace of mind and convenience.
 
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I have both a 2024 GX550 OT+ and a 2023 Rivian R1S Quad motor.

I use the Rivian as a commuter car and have only ever charged at home on my Level2 charger. I have huge range anxiety so I’ve just accepted it’s the ‘back and forth to the office and around town mobile.’

I have the GX as a toy and for our longer trips to our properties in Michigan.

I know not everyone has that luxury of having multiple cars to choose from but I have found that the EV is a fun thing to have if you don’t have to expect too much out of it. Fast, head turning, cutting edge, etc.

That said, until they get 500mi range regardless of conditions, I can’t see not having an ICE vehicle for longer distances for the peace of mind and convenience.
We have a performance EV sedan that is wonderful for commuting. And if the wife is willing to deal with me playing race driver, amazing to take up to our place in the mountains over a high alpine pass. But it will probably be years before I take it on a road trips again. Just too easy to get stuck with a level 2 charger and being stuck for hours while it charges. I also can't imagine us not having a EV for daily driving.


For original poster, GX if you plan to use it on road trips more than once per year IMO.
 

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