Charjd
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A month or two ago there was a flurry of Silverado EV Work Truck test drives. They were mostly extremely positive. The big problem is that you just can't get one. I gave up and bought a Rivian R1T. It's a fun car that I like a lot. I call it a car because it's not really what you call a truck. It has quirky futuristic un-truck-like styling that is hated and despised by real truck enthusiasts. I'm in the heart of truck country and I know. Nobody even knows what a Rivian R1T is here.
I don't know why I bought a Rivian; I didn't know much about them. I was driven to do something because of my frustration with waiting for the Silverado EV. I didn't want a Ford F-150 Lightning because they look clunky and ordinary. The way it happened is I paid the $1000 reservation fee and expected a long wait. I knew I could get it refunded any time. I was surprised to find that there was a number of them available and I found one in Georgia that matched what I wanted almost exactly. That propelled me into a buying a Rivian even though I wasn't really ready.
Anyone who searches for R1T on the internet will find an online lovefest. I thought I would focus on things I don't like. I owned a Chevy Volt, which I still have. That is partly why I was interested in the Chevy Silverado EV. The Chevy user experience is the culmination of decades of auto evolution and the Rivian is the result of only a few years of development. There are little things the Rivian lacks that I find bothersome. I have to stress that I've only had the car a few months and there might be stuff I don't know about. I miss the resume function for the cruise control. When you hit the brake, you can't go back to the speed you had set before. You have to set it again. The song browsing and listening feature for playing sound files from external media like USB drives is totally lacking. There isn't a single USB 1/2 socket in the whole car. This feature is standard on every other late model car I know about. I was very surprised it just wasn't there. The Rivian uses Bluetooth to stream whatever is on your phone. I haven't been able to pair with any other Bluetooth device. Chevy has a feature for voice-activated commands and vehicle communication. That is a useful feature for hands-free operation. I don't think Rivian even has a microphone to capture your voice. I like the Chevy's parking assist feature. I used to use it a lot. The Rivian doesn't have that.
I have watched YouTube tear-down videos that get into the guts of cars. There is a series which compares the Ford F-150 Lightning with the Rivian. Current Rivians have almost-hand-built-like features that don't lend themselves readily to mass production. They are expensive to build. The lack of standardized parts means that repairing a Rivian is extremely expensive and has to be done at a Rivian service center. This propels the cost of insurance to an astronomical level. Insurance is the biggest expense I have with the Rivian. There is little history of reliability. My biggest hope is that the thing is going to hold up and not need any repairs. Ever. (That aren't covered by a warranty.)
Like I said, owners love their Rivians. Mine has luxury items that I'm not used to. The air shocks make the ride very controlled and pleasant. I love the ride and I love to drive it. The suspension level goes from around nine inches to almost 15 inches. At the highest, off-road setting you can't go over 20 miles per hour. I love the lowest sport setting. It is amazing how a seven-thousand-pound vehicle can hug the road. Then there is the crazy acceleration. Mine has four motors and with all of them pulling it's an incredible experience. With traction control, you can't spin the wheels. It all goes into moving the car. The Rivian is considerably smaller than the Silverado EV, which I like. Parking it in a normal parking place is not difficult. It is also considerably lighter. An almost 5-ton truck is just ridiculous. The Rivian is still pretty heavy.
I know the Silverado EV will be an excellent vehicle. Early reviews have been very positive. But right now they are just a lot of vapor. Eventually there will probably be Colorado-sized trucks that will be a better fit for most people. That appears to be years in the future. Chevy knows the bigger the truck the bigger the potential profit margin. That's why they're starting with the biggest, most expensive model. And that's what customers are stuck with.
I don't know why I bought a Rivian; I didn't know much about them. I was driven to do something because of my frustration with waiting for the Silverado EV. I didn't want a Ford F-150 Lightning because they look clunky and ordinary. The way it happened is I paid the $1000 reservation fee and expected a long wait. I knew I could get it refunded any time. I was surprised to find that there was a number of them available and I found one in Georgia that matched what I wanted almost exactly. That propelled me into a buying a Rivian even though I wasn't really ready.
Anyone who searches for R1T on the internet will find an online lovefest. I thought I would focus on things I don't like. I owned a Chevy Volt, which I still have. That is partly why I was interested in the Chevy Silverado EV. The Chevy user experience is the culmination of decades of auto evolution and the Rivian is the result of only a few years of development. There are little things the Rivian lacks that I find bothersome. I have to stress that I've only had the car a few months and there might be stuff I don't know about. I miss the resume function for the cruise control. When you hit the brake, you can't go back to the speed you had set before. You have to set it again. The song browsing and listening feature for playing sound files from external media like USB drives is totally lacking. There isn't a single USB 1/2 socket in the whole car. This feature is standard on every other late model car I know about. I was very surprised it just wasn't there. The Rivian uses Bluetooth to stream whatever is on your phone. I haven't been able to pair with any other Bluetooth device. Chevy has a feature for voice-activated commands and vehicle communication. That is a useful feature for hands-free operation. I don't think Rivian even has a microphone to capture your voice. I like the Chevy's parking assist feature. I used to use it a lot. The Rivian doesn't have that.
I have watched YouTube tear-down videos that get into the guts of cars. There is a series which compares the Ford F-150 Lightning with the Rivian. Current Rivians have almost-hand-built-like features that don't lend themselves readily to mass production. They are expensive to build. The lack of standardized parts means that repairing a Rivian is extremely expensive and has to be done at a Rivian service center. This propels the cost of insurance to an astronomical level. Insurance is the biggest expense I have with the Rivian. There is little history of reliability. My biggest hope is that the thing is going to hold up and not need any repairs. Ever. (That aren't covered by a warranty.)
Like I said, owners love their Rivians. Mine has luxury items that I'm not used to. The air shocks make the ride very controlled and pleasant. I love the ride and I love to drive it. The suspension level goes from around nine inches to almost 15 inches. At the highest, off-road setting you can't go over 20 miles per hour. I love the lowest sport setting. It is amazing how a seven-thousand-pound vehicle can hug the road. Then there is the crazy acceleration. Mine has four motors and with all of them pulling it's an incredible experience. With traction control, you can't spin the wheels. It all goes into moving the car. The Rivian is considerably smaller than the Silverado EV, which I like. Parking it in a normal parking place is not difficult. It is also considerably lighter. An almost 5-ton truck is just ridiculous. The Rivian is still pretty heavy.
I know the Silverado EV will be an excellent vehicle. Early reviews have been very positive. But right now they are just a lot of vapor. Eventually there will probably be Colorado-sized trucks that will be a better fit for most people. That appears to be years in the future. Chevy knows the bigger the truck the bigger the potential profit margin. That's why they're starting with the biggest, most expensive model. And that's what customers are stuck with.
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