Mat Watson reviews the Rivian R2: why I’ll never recommend the Tesla Model Y again

I’m bored of always recommending the Tesla Model Y to people, and I’m hoping the Rivian R2 will be the car to change this. It’s a new electric SUV which looks awesome and comes with loads of tech, and it’ll come to the UK in the next couple of years.

But is it good enough to beat the Model Y? Well I’ve been driving the new R2 in California, and this is what I thought of it.

New Rivian R2 design: it looks awesome

The Tesla Model Y isn’t exactly a looker – you buy it because it’s a damn good family SUV. The Rivian is different though, because it’s just bloody cool.

It looks boxy and rugged compared to the pebble-like Tesla, and I like the friendly oval headlights as well. They sort of remind me of a Dyson hair dryer, and it’s a design feature carried over from the larger R1S.

I like the light-up Rivian badge on the side, and the 20-inch alloy wheels look great wrapped in these all-terrain tyres. At the back it has a smart-looking light bar, and the roof spoiler is a neat touch which also smooths airflow over the car. It’s a properly cool-looking SUV.

New Rivian R2 interior and practicality: better than a Model Y?

I much prefer the way the Rivian R2’s interior looks compared to the Tesla Model Y. It manages to be minimalistic without being dull thanks to the multi-layered dash, and the wood trim is a nice touch as well.

Quality is also excellent, with soft-touch materials throughout and nicely-damped switches. Speaking of switches, the rotary dials on the steering wheel are really neat. You can use them to toggle things like your climate control and driving modes, and once you’ve got used to them they’re really intuitive to use.

Like the Tesla, you have to operate the mirrors and steering wheel adjustment through the screen, which I find pretty annoying. However, I do like the fact you get a driver’s display in the R2, unlike the Model Y which shows everything on the central touchscreen.

The infotainment system is also brilliant, with a large, bright display and a zippy processor. I love the cartoon-like graphics because they add even more character to this car.

But what about practicality? The space in the back seats is really good. You get loads of kneeroom, and the boxy roofline means there’s plenty of headroom as well. It’s even quite roomy with three in the back thanks to the R2’s slab sides.

The boot is also very nearly as big as the Tesla Model Y’s. You get 812 litres of space back there, which is around 10 litres down on the Tesla. The low load lip makes it easy to haul heavy items into the car, and there’s a massive front boot as well which is big enough for a kitchen. No, really.

Cool features of the new Rivian R2

You can get a fold-out camping kitchen for the Rivian R2 which fits underneath the bonnet. It includes an induction cooker which you can power using the car’s battery, as well as a drawer full of utensils. And that’s not the only cool accessory available for this car.

You can also get one of the largest and most sturdy roof tents I’ve ever seen. It’ll cost over £3,600, but it looks wicked and you can even project videos onto the side of it to watch from outside the car.

Hidden in the door is a really solid metal torch, or you can swap it out for an electric hand warmer for those chilly nights at the campsite.

Need to sleep more people? There’s a mattress option for the back seats which perfectly fits the contours of the car. You can even get a duvet set with the same design as the camouflage wrap Rivian used on the R2 prototype.

Inside the car there are a few more clever touches which are more useful in everyday life. There are two gloveboxes side-by-side for starters, and the massive door bins can extend outwards to fit big bottles. Rivian has even moved the speakers from the door into the footwell to free up space.

Driving the Rivian R2: it does something the Tesla Model Y can’t

The Rivian R2 can actually handle itself off-road, something not many electric family SUVs can do. It has a dedicated off-road mode, all-terrain tyres and better approach and departure angles than a Tesla Model Y. I took it on an off-road trail, and I was seriously impressed.

But that ability to handle tough terrain doesn’t make it a chore to drive on the road, because I was amazed at how quiet the cabin was at speed. It’s almost silent on the motorway, and around town the boxy shape and tight turning circle make it super easy to plonk into tight parking spaces.

The suspension is soft and subtle over bumps, but on a twisty road it’s also an easy car to drive quickly. It’s not quite as sporty-feeling as a Tesla Model Y, but it does a really good job of telling you what it’s doing beneath you. I like the way it goes around corners.

Rivian R2: Mat’s final verdict

The Rivian R2 is brilliant. It does all the normal, boring electric car stuff just as well as a Tesla Model Y, but then it also has cool, quirky features, it looks fantastic and it can actually go off-road.

I also don’t know how Rivian is managing to sell it so cheaply. In the United States it costs from $45,000, which is around £33,000. That makes it about the same as an equivalent Tesla Model Y.

Tesla has massive economies of scale that Rivian doesn’t. It’s a bit like your local boutique cafe offering a full breakfast for the same price as a McDonald’s McMuffin.

It’ll be a few years before the Rivian R2 is available in the UK, and by the time it does get imported over here I’d imagine it’ll cost closer to £50,000. Even at that price, I’d still choose this over a Tesla any day of the week.

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