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There’s a moment, somewhere around mile 94 on a 160-mile highway slog, when your mind wanders, your fingers lazily twitch on the wheel, and the question bubbles up:
“Why am I even doing this?”
That’s exactly where Reddit user RivianRoamer found himself behind the wheel of his R1T, putting Rivian’s Enhanced Highway Assist to the test.
Real-World Performance Over 160 Miles
“On a 160-mile drive, most of it was with Enhanced Highway Assist.
This was a 10-mile stretch where the only input I gave was to switch lanes. It’s quite stable and even did well over mountain passes.”
It’s a review as calm and composed as the tech itself. But he didn’t sugarcoat it…
“The UX for when it’s on vs normal Driver+ needs to be improved.
Also, looking forward to comfort assist to improve lane position. It would get too close to 18-wheelers for comfort.”
In other words, promising.
That slight discomfort, getting a bit too cozy with a freightliner’s side panels, summarizes the Rivian experience today. It’s bold, ambitious, and largely well-executed, but it still walks that uneasy line between early adopter tech and real-world practicality. Where Tesla chases headlines with grandiose claims about robotaxis and autonomous coast-to-coast drives, Rivian sticks to the meat and potatoes of driving: help me not hate the interstate. That sentiment was echoed throughout the comments. User lytreezy nailed it:
“Honestly, this is good enough for me. I actually like driving my Rivian, but having this option for highway driving is great for relaxing a little. Don’t necessarily need FSD.”
There’s something refreshingly grounded in that mindset, especially in an industry drunk on its own innovation. Most drivers don’t want a car that can dream in binary and merge without consent, they want something that helps with the boring parts.
Rivian R1S vs. Tesla Model X
- The Rivian R1S is designed for rugged terrain, featuring up to 14.8 inches of ground clearance, hill descent control, and a robust suspension system, making it ideal for off-road adventures. It also offers practical features like a split tailgate and a powered frunk. In contrast, the Tesla Model X is more suited for urban environments, with limited off-road capabilities and a design focused on on-road performance.
- The Tesla Model X provides a car-like driving experience with immediate power delivery, responsive handling, and an adjustable air suspension system that enhances ride comfort. The Rivian R1S, while capable, has a heavier, truck-like feel, with a more reactive body over uneven surfaces and a firmer accelerator pedal, which may result in a less smooth ride compared to the Model X.
- Tesla leads in software innovation with its advanced Autopilot system, extensive Supercharger network, and over-the-air updates that continuously improve vehicle functionality. The Model X’s user interface is intuitive, and features like customizable steering settings and entertainment options enhance the driving experience. The Rivian R1S includes features like a bird’s-eye camera view and a powered frunk, but its Driver+ assistance system is less advanced, requiring pre-mapped roads and lacking the sophistication of Tesla’s offerings.
The act of gently nudging the steering wheel left, then right, mile after mile, watching the cruise control maintain a steady 68 mph, is a uniquely American kind of misery. User ShallowBlueWater said it best:
“I don’t need help driving streets. I need help driving highways and freeways where it’s god awful boring and can get stuck in traffic.”
People just want their car to take the wheel when their soul starts slipping out of their body somewhere around Ohio during a road trip.
Rivian’s Practical Approach to Highway Driving
And this is where Rivian nails the brief. Their Enhanced Highway Assist isn’t pretending to be a fully autonomous chauffeur.
It’s not eight grand worth of beta software and Silicon Valley swagger. It’s a tool, useful, smart, and largely unobtrusive. Sure, it needs refinements. But for a company still fighting for market share, this restraint speaks volumes. xDaciusx summed it up,
“I get in my Jeep to head somewhere, and I am immediately like ‘ugh. I have to drive and actually brake. Gross!!!’”
We’re spoiled now, but not stupid. We know when a feature makes life easier and when it’s just another expensive checkbox.
Stack the Rivian R1S next to the Tesla Model X, and the philosophical divide deepens. Tesla’s Model X is still more science project than sport-utility, complete with falcon-wing doors, interior gimmicks, and all the charm of a sterilized Apple Store. The R1S? It’s a Carhartt jacket with a battery pack, adventurous, purposeful, and just rugged enough to justify the price tag. The X might have a bit more thrust, but the R1S offers something far rarer soul. And crucially, when something goes wrong in a Rivian, you can usually talk to a real person. Not a chatbot. Not a “genius” at a service center. A person. And in some cases, that feedback actually gets heard, something unimaginable in the Tesla empire.
The same logic applies when comparing the Cybertruck to Rivian’s R1T. The Cybertruck feels like a fever dream cooked up by an algorithm fed only Blade Runner stills and Minecraft blocks. The R1T, by contrast, is a truck that remembers it’s supposed to carry gear, tow loads, and look halfway decent while doing it. Its gear tunnel is a revelation. Its interior is handsome, not hostile. And while Tesla fans may flock to the Cybertruck’s meme potential, Rivian owners seem more interested in climbing a hill than climbing social status.
Balancing Innovation with Real-World Challenges
Of course, not everything in Rivian land is roses and radials. Prices remain high, something Hungry_Bid_9501 pointed out, hoping Rivian could eventually
“Put out a vehicle that’s priced at 45k.” Hopefully, the R2 can change that.
And there are still moments that betray its youth, like UX quirks, sensor paranoia, and, yes, the occasional overly friendly merge with a semi-truck. But what makes Rivian promising isn’t perfection, it’s progress, combined with a clear understanding of what its drivers actually want. That’s rare. Tesla built a cult. Rivian is trying to build a community.
And if that community sometimes drives stubbornly in the left lane, as RivianRoamer did, well, that’s part of the charm.
“You can tell he’s American.”
One commenter joked. At the end of the day, maybe we don’t need our cars to dream. We just need them to think when we don’t want to.
Would you ever feel comfortable handing the wheel back to the car, sitting back, and letting it drive itself? Could you trust technology enough to handle the unexpected scenarios of highway driving, or would you prefer keeping full control yourself?
Share your thoughts and tell us how highway driving might change your road trip experiences in the comments below.
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
Image Sources: r/Rivian, Rivian Media Center
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Source: torquenews.com
