2025 Rivian R1S Tri-Motor Tested: Three Is the New Four

We keep hearing that families today are under tremendous time pressure, and it must be true. How else to explain the very recent phenomenon of family SUVs with over 1000 horsepower? The three EV-exclusive automakers—Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid—all offer them for families that are truly on the go. With the Quad-Motor setup in the Rivian R1S now making 1025 horsepower, the new Tri-Motor option slots between the Quad and the Dual-Motor version, which tops out at 665 horses. The Tri-Motor’s single front unit and twin rear motors together muster 850 horsepower, which exceeds the output of last year’s Quad.On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!Despite a mere three-digit power output, this Rivian should get even the most over-scheduled families wherever they need to go—right now. In our testing, the R1S Tri-Motor flung itself from rest to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, which not only beats the previous 835-hp R1S Quad Motor’s 3.1 seconds, it ties the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT. And in the quarter-mile run, the R1S is the quickest-accelerating SUV we’ve ever tested; its 11.1-second, 121-mph run shades the Porsche by 0.1 second (with the same trap speed).Those times are achieved using Rivian’s new launch control, just as you’d probably do when leaving the Trader Joe’s parking lot. (Oh, wait, Rivian’s lawyer screen advises that it’s not for public roads.) To access it, switch into Sport mode, then touch the checkered-flag icon on the screen, then swipe up to confirm. The R1S squats and prepares itself for launch, while the driver holds the brake and floors the accelerator. Keep the wheel straight, or the system will admonish you to do so. Three green lights will illuminate, and then a chime goes off. Release the brake and feel the tires fight for traction. When certain milestones are reached (60 mph, 100 mph, quarter-mile), the screen flashes so you don’t really need to take your eyes off the road to know you’ve hit them. The Rivian also stores your times, and peak g-forces, in the display. Managing testing editor David Beard notes: “[The on-screen result] was almost dead-to-nuts to what I observed with the GPS.” So, it’s pretty accurate.The Rivian’s stopping performance isn’t so herculean, as the R1S required 173 feet to stop from 70 mph. That’s 23 feet beyond the Cayenne Turbo GT, but in the Rivian’s defense, its 6929-pound curb weight has nearly a ton more mass (literally) to bring to a halt. Outside of panic stops, you might not need to use the brakes at all. Rivian offers low, medium, and high levels of lift-off regen—unfortunately, with no paddles, you must make your selection on-screen. High is effectively one-pedal driving, and even the low setting has significant regen—there is no coasting mode. Suspension Tuning: Still Off-KeyWe’ve previously criticized the chassis tuning of the R1S—which was markedly different from the mechanically similar R1T pickup. Rivian has made a bevy of changes to the chassis of the 2025 R1S, including front and rear air-spring rates, retuned dampers, a revised hydraulic anti-roll system, and new bushings. There’s been some improvement—the excessive squat under acceleration has been tamed—but there’s more work to do.In the on-road drive modes, one can choose standard, lower, or raised ride height. The lower setting restricts the amount of suspension travel, making for tight, bouncy ride motions. You also can pick soft, moderate, or firm settings for the dampers and air springs (in Sport mode, it’s soft or firm only). Stray from soft, and an uncomfortable amount of harshness makes its way into the cabin.More on the Rivian R1SCornering is commendably flat, however, and we had no issue with the steering. We measured just 0.80 g on the skidpad on 22-inch Pirelli Scorpion MS Elect all-seasons. (All-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels are also available.) The Rivian’s tight turning circle makes this SUV relatively easy to jockey into parking spots. There are also multiple off-road driving modes, and the height-adjustable suspension can be raised to allow up to 14.7 inches of ground clearance. HIGHS: Racing for pink slips, cool modern interior design, square-jawed good looks.The R1S offers three battery-pack sizes this year: 93 kWh (Standard), 109 kWh (Large), and 14o kWh (Max). The Tri-Motor comes standard with the Max pack, which earns an EPA estimate of 371 miles on 22-inch wheels or 329 miles on 20-inchers. In our real-world highway range test, however, our Tri-Motor R1S came up well short, logging just 250 miles. (An earlier test of a 2025 Dual-Motor Performance model with the same Max battery yielded a more respectable 320 miles.) The R1S has a max recharge rate of 210 kilowatts on a DC fast-charger, and it’s compatible with Tesla Superchargers. Form FactorFor such avant-garde machine, the Rivian cuts a very traditionalist figure. Its proportions are classic SUV and the form language unadorned. The oversized wheels and tires are very of the moment, but the chief sop to modernity is the LED-outlined pill-shaped front lighting elements. Inside, the restrained, rectilinear motif continues. There are large, upright windows. Our Tri-Motor test car had the fancier Ascend interior (lesser versions get the Adventure interior). Its open-pore wood trim is layered, lending some depth to the dash and door panels, but nothing feels overly design-y. The plaid carpet mats and matching seat stitching are a neat touch, while the shallow open bin down on the floor between the front seats is a practical one. Even the front seatbacks are nicely finished. This is a handsome cabin.The accommodations seat seven, though the standard third row is strictly for kids. There’s a reasonable amount of cargo space (18 cubic feet) with the rearmost seat in use, expanding to 91 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. And like any self-respecting EV, the Rivian has a frunk, and this one is usefully large at 10 cubic feet.For all that, the Rivian, being both an EV and the product of a startup brand, falls into some predictable traps. The dash is bereft of switchgear, as Rivian followed Tesla by putting almost everything onto the giant central touchscreen. You have to go into the display’s menus to adjust the side mirrors or the steering column, which is actually a two-part process that also includes using buttons and thumbwheels on the steering-wheel spokes. Ugh.LOWS: Unsettled ride, overreliance on screen-based controls, disappointing real-world range.Most annoyingly, all climate controls are on-screen, including the formerly simple task of adjusting the air vents. There is, however, a Pet Comfort mode that maintains the cabin temperature when parked for your animal companions.The central screen may be theater-sized, but many of the touchpoints are small. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain unavailable—though you can subscribe to Google Cast streaming video service or Apple Music.
The R1S’s tech has a steep learning curve, and the on-screen animations make some of that fun, but there’s a lot to take in. Like some EVs, there’s no start/stop button. At least there’s a shifter, but it’s a flimsy-feeling column stalk, which oddly is also tasked with some cruise-control functions. Of course there’s a glass roof overhead, and the electrochromic glass does without a shade, but even the darkened setting doesn’t fully block Old Sol.The Rivian doesn’t come with a key fob; you get a plastic keycard instead, and that doesn’t function as a remote, nor does it enable passive entry. You must press it against the door handle, like a tap-to-pay credit-card transaction, in order to lock or unlock the doors. To get passive entry, you need to set up your smartphone as a key, which most owners surely would do.VERDICT: Wildly quick and full of features but not without shortcomings.The R1S Tri-Motor fully embraces the EV experience. And whether you see yourself driving into the future, or simply heading across town to a soccer match, you’re sure to get there in record time.
SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Rivian R1S Tri-Motor Max
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE

Base/As Tested: $107,700/$114,350
Options: All-Terrain upgrade (full-size spare tire, reinforced underbody shield), $3700; Storm Blue paint, $2500; portable camp speaker, $450
POWERTRAIN

Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 312 hp
Rear Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 269 hp each
Combined Power: 850 hp
Combined Torque: 1103 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 140 kWh
Onboard Charger: 11.5 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 210 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive
CHASSIS

Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.5-in vented disc/12.9-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion MS Elect
HL275/50R-22 116H M+S RIV
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 121.1 in
Length: 200.8 in
Width: 79.3 in
Height: 77.3 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 59/49/36 ft3
Cargo Volume, Frunk/Behind F/M/R: 10/91/49/18 ft3
Curb Weight: 6929 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 2.8 sec
100 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.1 sec @ 121 mph
130 mph: 14.2 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.2 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 130 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 348 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING

Observed: 51 MPGe
75-mph Highway Driving: 54 MPGe
75-mph Highway Range: 250 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/City/Highway: 68/72/63 MPGe
Range: 371 mi
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDReviewed byJoe LorioDeputy Editor, Reviews and FeaturesJoe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.
Source: caranddriver.com