Rivian R2 review from a P4 Owner
Will keep this somewhat short but this is my opinion on the R2 Performance after a 30min test drive as a 26' P4 owner with the Plus pack (~3000 miles so far). Hopefully this'll help anyone looking between the two.
Build Quality : Honestly seems comparable. My P4 came with a few rattles that I've had to fix myself. The R2 didn't seem to have any rattles but the fact that some of the weather stripping was already loose (could be a demo issue) didn't inspire much confidence either. Would put both as a 8/10
Performance : Despite the R2 Perf advertised as having over 100hp over the P4 DM (656hp vs 544hp) their 0-60 times are nearly equal and it felt this way. Both are unnecessarily fast. Regen braking is pretty similar too. Acceleration curve on the R2 feels more relaxed compared to the P4 though.
Ride : P4 on 20's with the active ZF dampers is far more plush and refined than the R2 on 21's. The R2 damping (on the softest setting) is close to what the P4 feels like if there was a setting between nimble and firm.
Handling : P4 overall feels more responsive than the R2, but the wider stance might be helping it. But I don't think this matters to 95% of buyers, these are SUVs after all.
Software : Rivian's UI seems quirkier/feature packed and marginally snappier to use than Polestar's, and I assume this will only improve with OTAs that I bet Rivian will be pushing out far more often than Polestar (for example, we still haven't gotten digital keys for android despite it being an AAOS platform lmao).
Audio : The R2 speakers are honestly very comparable to the base Tesla sound system (what you get on the M3/Y RWD), though it definitely has the P4 (non-HK) system beat. If I were to give the HK system in the P4 an 8/10, the R2 is about 6/10. Even with a bunch of EQ tuning, it didn't have the range I'm used to.
Materials : Honestly this was the biggest gap. Rivian has some nice wood trim and soft-touch material in the cabin, but it didn't feel 60k nice. The P4 has much nicer materials spread throughout, esp. with the star-knit deco ambiance.
Seats : Both are comfortable, though the P4 does have better bolstering. Rear seat experience in the P4 is much farther ahead though with the Plus pack.
Size : R2 has more space, that's pretty much it. Both feel very roomy, but P4 is still only a liftback after all.
Overall, for what the R2 Perf is priced at - I would personally not be able to justify it compared to the P4 with the current discounts. Otherwise on a pure MSRP basis (60k vs 72k), it's a solid option. The design language and theming of the two are pretty different as expected. R2 feels more outdoorsy and rugged, P4 encapsulates scandinavian luxury.