The R2 will remake Rivian.

TL;DR: Reviewed – The Rivian R2 Performance Launch Package. The R2 can be two things at the same time: an on-road angel and off-road beast. The Tesla Model Y is a great EV but no match for the R2 off-road . That’s what makes the R2 special. Other highlights: It’s a mid-size SUV, not full-size like the R1S – it is more agile, feels quicker, and, importantly, is less expensive. Autonomy+ tech handles most highway driving, though not as advanced (yet) as I had expected. Tesla NACS charging port for quick charges. Boasts an EPA estimated range of 330 miles. With bigger, all-terrain tires, that range will drop a bit. Rivian R2 Launch Package starts at $57,990. A cheaper version, the R2 Premium, coming later this year starts at $53,990. If you’ve waited to buy a Rivian, the R2 is an excellent place to start.

The R2 Is Remarkable: A Protean Ability To Change Personalities

Off-road: I will try to sum this up with a trip I took to the Mojave Desert. I started in Los Angeles traffic on Interstate 5 heading north toward Castaic, California. I engaged Rivian’s Universal Hands-Free driving system to navigate traffic on 5 (more on this below) and used Hands-Free during the entire drive – to the point where I went off-road (about a 50-mile one-way trip from my home). On the last leg, Hands-Free also worked on a small divided highway (Highway 138). I left the pavement at the massive Antelope Valley Solar Ranch and headed toward the northern edge of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve . After passing the ranch, I hit off-road pay dirt. I’ve done a lot of off-roading and I can say that the last half-mile is treacherous – up a steep hill strewn with softball-sized (and bigger) loose rocks. To get to the top of this hill successfully, you need a vehicle that is certifiably off-road capable. Why? Because you’re slipping and sliding on jagged loose rock while ascending a steep – very steep in spots – hill. I was sure that the R2 – with its 9.6 inches of ground clearance – could handle it but was still shocked at how easily the R2 made the climb. (And in silence – sans the loud growling of a gas off-road vehicle.)

On-road: The transition from off-road to pavement is equally remarkable. You go from rugged, off-road mode to fast, smooth on-road driving instantly. I can say pretty confidently that the R2 is the only under-$60K off-road capable electric SUV that lives comfortably in both worlds. And this should get even more enticing as Rivian offers more R2 trims at lower prices.

At the risk of repeating what I said above, the city and highway driving is smooth and refined. Handling and agility are better than the R1S (which I’ve tested multiple times) simply because of its smaller size. The transition from off-road to pavement in the R2 is seamless.

Charging is a snap at Tesla Superchargers – which I used exclusively. Just plug it in and it starts charging. At one Tesla Supercharger location in Simi Valley, I went from 95 miles (30% charge) to 266 miles (85%) in a little over 20 minutes. That was typical.

The two-row, 5-passenger cabin was quiet. The on-road polish, contrasted with its brawny off-road performance, is what makes the R2 so compelling. In either case, the cabin is quiet and comfortable.

No vehicle UI (user interface) is perfect and will always be confusing to some users. But I found I could get to critical settings easily, such as navigation, seat and side-view mirror adjustment, drive modes, off-road settings, and music. Rivian uses Unreal Engine 5 for the center display, bringing “stunning, state-of-the-art graphics to the cabin,” according to Rivian documentation. The “Haptic Halo Wheels” – a new feature – on the steering wheel are multifunctional and will take some practice to master. But once you understand how the wheels work, I found them extremely useful.

Rivian Autonomy+ / Universal Hands-Free

Rivian’s Universal Hands-Free, covering 3.5 million miles of U.S. and Canadian roads, automates most highway driving tasks. That means the R2 can drive itself on highways. Rivian’s lane centering is excellent. Very smooth, no ping-ponging. This is a non-trivial task. The Rivian R2 has the best lane-centering I’ve tested to date. Adaptive cruise control does braking, acceleration, and sets the distance from the car in front of you. To pass a car, the driver initiates the overtake* by hitting the turn-signal stalk, then the R2 executes the overtake. Note that the R2 does not have the option to do a fully-automated lane change, where the vehicle initiates and executes the overtake on its own – like General Motors’ Super Cruise, Ford’s BlueCruise, and Lucid’s DreamDrive. That will come with future updates.

Autonomy issues: The R2 occasionally would not initiate an overtake. It would show a red line indicating that an overtake was not allowed. I understand why this happens in construction zones and lane reduction areas. All Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) are cautious in these areas. But that wasn’t the problem I (occasionally) faced. Usually there was no clear reason I could see (e.g., no construction zone…no cars approaching in the left lane) as to why it wouldn’t do an overtake. This didn’t happen that often so it wasn’t a big deal but nevertheless perplexing.

Autonomy updates coming: To be fair, Tesla has something that Rivian doesn’t have – a city street smart ADAS. Tesla Full Self-Driving can navigate city streets, including stops (signals and stop signs), and can do turns. Pretty much operating like a robotaxi. That said, Rivian is moving ahead quickly with improvements to its ADAS, based on conversations and email exchanges I’ve had with Rivian. And a September 16 Morgan Stanley research note from its Laguna conference stated that “Rivian reiterated its plan to release eyes on, point-to-point by year end.” That means Rivian is moving toward a future that includes navigating city streets (e.g., signals and turns) like Tesla’s FSD. Autonomy+ is $49.99/mo or $2,500 one-time fee; lifetime access included on Launch Package as standard.

The R2 could very well propel Rivian to major EV manufacturer status. That would be very welcome and give American car buyers a viable alternative to the Tesla Model Y.

*The “Lane Change on Command” feature must be selected in settings. Rivian states clearly in documentation that “Universal Hands-Free will not stop or slow down for traffic lights or stop signs.”