Rivian R2 vs. Tesla Model Y

EMME HALL: Tesla has been the name of the EV game for 15 years now, but Rivian has just arrived with this little R2. Now, you can make all the Star Wars jokes that you want. This might be the droid that you're looking for. We're Edmunds, and we test hundreds of cars each year on the road and at our private track so you get the most trusted reviews. If you want to know which car, truck, or SUV is the best, then stick with us. [ENGINE REVVING] Say hello to my friend, the R2. Now, we're going to cover this thing from boot to bonnet today. Don't you worry. But if you want to know the ratings and all the nitty gritty details, we've got them over on the site. So I will drop a link in the description, or you can just hit the QR code. Now, the R2 starts at about $45,000. But that is for the standard trim. And that's not coming to us until 2027. I know. So this one is a fully loaded Launch edition. It's about $60,000. So what do you get for your money? You guys, these little wheely dapper things, these things are insane. [MUSIC PLAYING] Now, look, it's not all puppy dogs and rainbows in here, but there is a lot to about this interior. I mean, I love the fact that they basically just took an R1S and shrunk it down. There's real wood. The fabric feels nice. Everything in here is great. Plus, there's a lot of innovative storage. I mean, check it out-- you guys, I have not one, but two glove boxes. And there's this little door down here that pulls out from the center console. I love the thoughtful storage that's going on here in the door. I've got this upper storage tier for smaller items. I can fit a whole big dumb cup, and I can even get a bigger dumb cup because, look, this moves. And I got a flashlight in the door. So whoever is the VP of door design, y'all, they deserve a raise. This is cool. It's really the tech that's hit or miss here in the R2. Now, the hits are is that I've got a really nice screen, and I have a digital gauge cluster. And if you're wondering why that's important, don't worry-- you'll find out when we go into the Model Y. And I really like this screen. It is nice and responsive. The graphics are great. And, look, it's actually got a personality. Like, everything here is really fun. Plus, I love that I have a magnetic phone holder here for my phone, and it also is a wireless charger. But I'm still on the fence about what Rivian calls the halos here on the steering wheel, because there's a lot of functionality built into them. And it can get a little overwhelming. So, for example, on the right one, if I pull it towards me, that's how I select my drive modes. OK, that's really cool. But then I can push it to the right or push it to the left. And then I get different options, so for my fan or for the temperature. So, like I said, a lot of things that you can do here. But I love how tactile they are. When I have something that's got a lot of different options-- like, oh, there's so many clicks and it just feels so very good. But I'm not sure if it's an advantage over what the R1S has, which is just a traditional small little roller guy and a button. Is it solving a problem that we don't need? However, and these are really big "howevers," you guys, you cannot get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Now, Google Maps is still here. So you get turn by turn directions and live trafficking. And that's all great. But if you want more, like satellite maps or any Google reviews, it's part of a subscription which is $15 a month or $150 a year. Now, with that subscription, you also get Rivian's AI assistant, you get Wi-Fi, and then you get access to all of the other apps. So that means that I already pay to access Spotify, like on my computer, on my phone, and then I have to pay to access it in my SUV? Girl, no. No. But the NAV here is great for EV route planning, because you can use the supercharger system. But you can't use every single one. And this NAV knows the difference. So if you try to do a route planning with your phone, you might end up at a supercharger that, well, you can't use. Oh, and here's one thing that I really hoped would not make it from the R1S and R1T. You guys, the vents, you adjust them on the screen. Why? Why? Why do I have to go to a screen to adjust the direction of air? Rivian, oh, my gosh. I got a charger right up here in the seats. That's cool. [MUSIC PLAYING] Normally when I test legroom, I sit behind myself. But I'm only 5'9. So this time, I've got the seat moved all the way back. And, you guys, look at how much room I have back here. There is so much space. Plus, I've got real adjustable vents, so I know Rivian knows how to make them. These rear seats are also heated. I've got this nice flat floor and these USB-C ports right here in the seatback. I love everything that's going on. These seats back here have a nice natural recline. And these rear doors open up pretty wide, so it should be pretty easy to get a car seat in here. However, the lower latches, they're kind of buried way back in there. So you're going to have to search for them just a little bit. Now, before you ask, no, there is not a gear tunnel. But you do get a really big frunk. Now, this is not an electric door. It's actually working off of these hydraulic struts, OK? And once it's open, you've got about 5.2 cubic feet of space. It is really big. And you've got a nice spot right here for your windshield wiper fluid. And, you guys, there's some mutant creature right here. I don't know what Rivian is getting at, but it's a little strange. Now, when you're closing it, you're going to feel like you're really fighting those hydraulics a little bit. But just click it into place, and then the latch is electric and it's all done. Now these seats back here fold down 40-20-40. But it's not electric. You got to reach in, push the button, and then push those seats back. But they fold down pretty flat. And because it's Rivian and they expect to go camping, they say that someone that's 6'2 could sleep back here. I think you'd have to be diagonal, but you could do it. Also, you guys, you've got power back here. There is a 12-volt outlet and a 120-volt outlet. It goes to 1900 watts. You can power so many things with 1900s watts. And look at this-- the rear window goes up and down. I love this because then it's so easy to access your gear in the back. All right, you guys. We are in the R2. And, because this is the top trim, this means we've got a ton of power-- over 650 ponies and over 600 pound feet of torque. And one thing that we really love about having all of that power is, you guys, this thing does not run out of steam. On a lot of other EVs, when you get up to a higher speed, it just kind of goes bleh. But this thing just pulls and pulls and pulls. In fact, we did the quarter mile in over 120 miles per hour. Ahh! Now, this thing is really good at soaking up bigger bumps that you come across on the pavement, but it's the smaller things that seem to upset it just a little bit. On this slightly broken pavement, a lot of vibration is coming into the cabin. And it's pretty loud. There's a lot of wind noise in this thing. It's shaped like a box, right? So it's kind of hard to get around that. I also feel like the steering here is a little light. And it's kind of vague. It's tough to feel like where I am on center or how much input I'm giving it is actually turning the wheels. Like right here in this turn, I don't feel as confident as I want to feel. Now, there are two other trims of the R2 that are available-- well, they will be available later on-- but neither one of them can match the power of what we have here. So if you like to go fast, you're going to have to spring for the top trim. Now, I'm a big fan of one-pedal driving. That's where you lift your foot off the accelerator, and you get some motor braking that puts electrons back into the battery. And, hey, it's like a video game and it's free electrons. But I have to say, the highest level of regen in this, it's a lot. I had to drop it down one notch to the standard regen. It still brings a car to a complete stop when I lift off the throttle. It's just a little bit easier to control and not quite as herky jerky. I do like that Rivian has included a little blind view monitor here in the gauge cluster. So when I signal to go to the right, I get a little video feed of what's happening in my blind spot on my right. And that's pretty awesome. There's also some semi-autonomous self-driving technology in here, and it's pretty good. It's just that Tesla's has just a little bit more functionality. But you can't go off road in a Model Y. Now, you're not going to go super off road in this thing, but you do have a couple of different off road modes, including a sand mode for driving in the soft sand and a rally mode if you want to get all sideways. So, great interior here in the R2, and I gotta love that sweet, sweet electric torque. But let's see what the Model Y brings to the table. And, of course, we have the very familiar Tesla Model Y. Now, we have this as part of our one-year road test fleet. And we have ranked it as one of the best EVs that you can buy. Now, it starts at about $40 grand, but this is the Launch edition that we bought in March of 2025. And that comes in at just over $60,000. Now, the Tesla Model Y is the best selling EV in the country. But there are some things that the R2 does better. So let's find out. There is something missing in this car, and I can't put my finger on it. I've got a big screen, OK? And I've got a good set of cupholders. But what is missing? [MUSIC PLAYING] The design here in the Tesla Model Y can look clean or cheap, depending on your viewpoint. Now, for me, I just think it looks kind of unfinished. I need a little bit more visual stimuli. But, having said that, you guys, the materials in the build quality are so much better in this generation than in the past generation. And, like the R2, I've got plenty of space. Headroom and legroom is great. Now, I don't have those cool dual glove boxes like I do in the R2, but this center console, it's pretty deep. And I got a good set of cup holders. And, y'all, I bet I could put at least six, if not eight, Diet Dr. Peppers in this cubby. I mean, it's super deep. Now I've got some dials and buttons here on the steering wheel that function similarly to what we have in the R2. The only thing is that when I use them, I actually have to avert my eyes to the right. And why is that? Well, that is because there is no gauge cluster. That's right. Everything happens here, including shifting gears and including my speed. There's nothing in front of me I don't even have a head up display. Why? Tesla, why must you do this to me? And there's only one USB-C port. I mean, what is this, a Toyota Land Cruiser from 2016? Now, Tesla's center screen is really robust, and it's pretty snappy. But, you guys, it controls absolutely everything. I mean, all of your controls, your driving dynamics, when you charge, how you charge, all of the autonomous features. It's all here on the screen, except Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Now, like the R2, you can also get a subscription that gives you satellite maps, and the AI assistant, the pet cam. It is less expensive. It's $10 a month or $100 a year-- but you still need a subscription to get all of the good stuff. And with all of this, like streamlining, I'm really surprised that Elon has actually included a regular turn signal stalk. Oh, you guys, there's a game. Don't hit that. No, no, no. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Yes. Games in the back seat. Now, compare apples to apples, this seat is pushed all the way back. And I've still got some room here-- a little bit less than what's in the R2, but I am a little bit constrained by headroom because I have this sloping roof, right? I have a flat floor like we do in the R2. But this feels a little bit more narrow, so I'm not sure that I would actually want to put somebody here in the middle unless I really, really liked them. Now, I've got a screen back here. And, yep, guess what? It controls your airflow just like it does in the front, because, god forbid, you have any manual vents in any of these vehicles. But you've got some other things like infotainment stuff and those cool games. So we'll give it a pass. It's a little difficult to reach it. I feel like I'm moving forward quite a bit. And that is especially true when I power recline my seats, baby. Oh, yeah. Now, listen, if you have kids, I mean, god help you with this white interior, but you should also know that these lower latch anchors, they are really in there deep-- a little bit more so than the R2. So you're probably going to just put your car seat in here and never take it out. [MUSIC PLAYING] I've got a pretty good sized frunk here in the Model Y-- not quite as big as what's happening in the R2. But I love that the load height is lower. So you don't need to be quite as buff to put heavy things into here. Now, in the Model Y, you don't get a spare tire. And you don't even have the option of purchasing one. But that means that you get a lot more space underneath here. So I guess that's kind of cool. Now, these seats are operated electronically with a push of a button here or from the touch screen. And when these are folded down, they're almost flat. But you do have a little bit less cargo space than you do in the R2, mostly thanks to Tesla's sloping roofline. There are also no charge ports, no outlets, nothing like that. And the Model Y loses big when it comes to towing. The R2 can tow 4,400 pounds. The Tesla, just 3,500. Now, the ride quality and the handling here-- like, everything just feels really, really, like, tight and snugged up. I feel like I'm wearing this vehicle. So it's not upset by all those little imperfections in the pavement like the R2 is. It's a little bit stiffer and it corners really, really flat. I do like the steering in here. It feels like it's a lot more precise, it's much tighter, and it's much heavier, to the point where, you guys, if you're driving this in a parking lot, you might actually think that you have a flat tire. That's how heavy this steering feels. The Model Y is a lot quieter than the R2. Part of that is because it's got really great double paned glass. It's also a more aerodynamic shape. And, you guys, the tires are not as aggressive as what's on the R2. Now, the trade-off there is you're probably not going to be doing a lot of off roading in your Model Y. I mean, look, the R2 can ford a water crossing. This can ford a puddle, probably. You do get one-pedal driving in the Model Y. Yay. But while in the R2, those brakes really feel like it's mechanical, even if you're not dipping into the mechanical brakes. Here, it really feels fake. But, hey, I got to a stop and I didn't even put my foot on the brake. This car will also give me my blind spot here in a video feed on the center screen. I wish it was right in front of me, but I don't have a gauge cluster, so I can't do that. But Tesla's full self-driving supervised, and there's an emphasis on the "supervised" there, because there's no such thing as a self-driving car-- you have to pay attention-- but, essentially, Tesla makes the only vehicle that can drive you from point to point. You do have to pay attention, though. So at the end of the day, there's two really good reasons to buy a Model Y. Number one, it's just fun to drive. And, number two, the full self-driving supervized, you guys, it's the real deal. Now, for a car that is just a full of cameras, it's pretty surprising that I don't have a 360-degree camera. But I do have this button here on the dash. And then you get three views on your screen. And if you want all four, you have to swipe up. So I'm not a fan of some of the hoops that Tesla makes me jump through to actually get this car moving. I gotta admit, it's a great driving experience. We put every EV through the Edmunds EV range test, where we drive on a mix of city and highway miles on real public roads to get the most accurate measure of a car's real world range. So in our testing, the Rivian fell short of its EPA estimated 330-mile range. Our R2 only managed 304 miles on a single charge. Now, getting over 300 miles is still a pretty good result, but we were disappointed to see it miss its estimate. And, if you opt for the all terrain tires to get more off road capability, the estimated range drops even more. So to get the most range out of the R2, you're going to have to wait for the upcoming rear wheel drive model, which Rivian says is going to get 345 miles. But you can bet we're going to test that one, too. And charging is pretty easy, too. The Rivian's got a max port. It's in the same location as what you'd find on a Tesla, so it's really easy to use the Tesla charging cords. And Rivian says that you can go from 10% to 80% state of charge in about 29 minutes. We've tested a few versions of the current Model Y, and, for the most part, they have matched or exceeded their EPA estimates. This version that we have here matched its EPA estimate of 327 miles, and the basic Model Y standard actually went a little further. Now, just like with the Rivian, skip the all wheel drive versions if you want to maximize your range. So, yeah, this little Model Y went a little more than 20 miles further on a charge than the R2. And that's not all that far, right? But the Model Y takes the win here, not just because of those 20 miles. The Model Y is just more efficient, using less electricity to go further, which means less cost to you over time. Now, Tesla talks about charging a little bit differently. They use miles gained as opposed to state of charge. And they say that you can get anywhere from 144 to 185 miles of range in 15 minutes of supercharging. Of course, all of that is dependent on optimal conditions. Now, before we go any further, if you have any questions or you want us to maybe take the R2 off road with me behind the wheel, just let us know in the comments. We will be sure to read them and answer any of your queries. And don't forget to like and subscribe. It does a lot for helping us with the YouTube algorithm. Now, remember, we are talking about the R2 performance. This is the R2 that you can buy today. And it starts at just under $60,000. If you want one that is less expensive with less power, you're going to have to wait at least until later this year, if not until spring of 2027. Now, we got this with the tow package and the autonomous driving package included. But that is just for a limited time. So fortune favors the bold. And if you want any other color besides silver, it's going to cost you at least $1,000. Plus, there's all that subscription stuff that I talked about earlier. Now, when it comes to the warranty, this has got a general warranty of four years or 50,000 miles. But the battery is warranted for eight years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first. Now, at right around $41,000, the base Model Y undercuts the future base model of the R2 by a couple grand. But remember, this is our long termer, and we paid right around $61,000 for it. But at the time, that included lifetime of full self-driving. If you buy this now, you're going to pay $99 a month for it. Sorry. But, really, it's the performance and the premium all wheel drive models of the Model Y that we should be looking at. So the performance, right around $60,000. The premium all wheel drive is around $51,000. And, you guys, you can buy that now. Now, when the base models of the R2 comes out, yeah, those things are going to catch up. But for right now, this very instant summer of 2026, you guys, you can get a really nice Model Y for less money. You get the same basic warranty with the Model Y as you do in the R2, but the battery's a little bit different. Yes, it's for eight years, but some versions you only get a 100,000-mile warranty. Others, you get a 120,000-mile warranty. So if you drive a lot, you really need to pay attention to that. Now, as you can see from our scores, there's not much of a gap here between these two cars. The Rivian's quality and character means it gets a top x-factor score, because it's a car that, well, just feels special the moment you get into it. The Tesla's lead in range and efficiency is actually bigger than it looks, because we weight that more heavily when we calculate the final score for EVs. So the Tesla comes in with an excellent score. And if you prioritize range and efficiency, or maybe you just want to take some of the stress out of commuting, the Model Y is the obvious choice here. And the Rivian? Well, look, we love this overall package. I mean, it is practical. It's premium. And it's rugged. And with its own excellent score, we have a tie! Yes. These two cars slot in together in second place overall in our EV SUV ratings. As they sit, they are two very strong options. And which you choose really depends on what you want out of your EV. But it's not quite that simple. See, when we had the R1T as part of our one-year road test fleet, that truck continually got better because we got software updates. So we got more range, we got a better ride quality while we owned the vehicle. So if Rivian can keep up that kind of customer service and give us some of those updates, I mean, who knows what can happen with that vehicle? So, in the future, you might see some shakeups in the rankings. So be sure to stay tuned, because we will update them as they happen. But if I were to take home one today, I would pick the R2, OK? Because I love the way it looks both inside and out. And I like that I've got the ability to go off road, if only a tiny little bit. Thanks so much for watching, you guys. We'll see you next time.