2022 Rivian R1T and R1S: Which one? And how we’d spec them

Turns out the Autoblog crew likes yellow electric trucks. Who knew? Rivian has officially opened its configurator to the public, so of course all of us needed to dive in and build our ideal Rivians. Both the R1T and R1S builder tools went live simultaneously, so we chose to make body style one of the options. Pickup or SUV? Then Rivian includes a couple packages to choose from, a whole array of paint colors and some interior trim options, too. Early returns in the Rivian Owner’s Forum indicate that folks are favoring the pickup with a wide margin (a couple of:1) within the SUV. You can observe a spreadsheet filled with orders to obtain a concept of how other medication is configuring their trucks.

As is usually the case, we largely stuck to interesting colors. Though even a few of the more drab shades of gray or silver look excellent around the R1T and R1S. Nobody being allowed to pick the fancy Launch Edition, since those are officially sold out – Rivian has greyed-out the selection box on its configurator. That being the case, anybody that builds one now won't have it until January 2022 at the earliest. Here's the link to Rivian's site if you wish to build one yourself.

Below you will find our editors' builds.

West Coast Editor James Riswick: First, let’s simply take a minute to applaud Rivian for offering both R1T and R1S in not only colors, but vibrant ones. Huzzah!

Now, I truly don’t need or desire a truck, regardless of whether it’s run by gasoline, diesel or electricity. As a result, I’d be getting the R1S. But beyond my preference for SUV over truck, I truly dig its look being an SUV. Long roof, lots of ground clearance … I've got a type. Also, when painted yellow, it reminds me from the second-gen Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery or even a Toyota FJ Cruiser once they were painted yellow. Rivian’s Compass Yellow can also be reminiscent of Lexus Solar Yellow, which is sensational. 

I further went with the base Explore Package. I’d save 7,500 imaginary dollars and extremely only give up some underbody shielding, tow hooks, an expensive audio system, ventilated seats and natural wood trim. I’d be also giving up the opportunity to pay much more for that Adventure’s green interior option, but that would not at all opt for yellow and the shade is a tad to reminiscent of my parent’s pistachio appliances from 1979. The exterior is loud enough, I’ll stick to black. 

Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: To be sure with James the Rivian R1S looks sensational in yellow. But I’m going to go with the R1T pickup since it would allow me to make use of one vehicle for so many disparate use cases. And I’m gonna get it painted green. And yes, I’ll pair by using the 70’stastic avocado green interior, thanks to you.

I went full-scale with my build, choosing the experience Package and the Max pack extended-range battery option. This really is going to be an expensive electric truck. I added the $1,800 off-road wheel and tire package and the optional Camp Kitchen, because that would be one of many uses for this truck: off-grid camping. That brings the entire to $93,500. I’m not to imply I’d actually spend my own money on this particular R1T, but I’d attempt.

Road Test Editor Zac Palmer: I have seen the Rivian R1T in 2 different colors now: LA Silver and Rivian Blue. The blue is superb, but when I saw you might have the18 wheeler in yellow, I knew it had been going to be the one for me personally. Plus, the Compass Yellow paint is the same shade of yellow you will find around the brake calipers and throughout the interior. I dig the consistent theme, and yellow also just happens to be my favorite color.

For tires and wheels, I went with the dark-painted 20-inch wheels covered with all-terrain rubber. The black wheels result in the yellow calipers within pop even more, and the meatier rubber should result in a better ride. When it comes to interior, I had been torn between the Forest Edge and Ocean Coast options. Neither are boring, but the $2,000 green upholstery is just too cool for me to avoid. It fits the outdoorsy sense of the18 wheeler perfectly, especially when combined with dark wood trim. I would seem like I'm in a green forest each time I am going for any drive, and that's mighty appealing within an electric truck. In terms of other extras, I ponied up the $7,500 for that Adventure Pack. Her off-road upgrades and yellow interior accents I want, and also the other tech items look worth the extra dough, too. I skipped the Camp Kitchen, because frankly I want to cook by fire when I'm out camping anyway. All in, I'm sitting at $83,000.

Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: Yeah, that yellow R1S is the someone to have. That Compass Yellow reminds me from the yellow I wish I’d gotten in my old 2004 Subaru WRX. I’d pick the lesser Explore package, but add the off-road goodies and 20-inch all-terrains. I love the light “Ocean Coast” interior. I’m choosing the seven-seater to accommodate more than just my family of four if needed.- For $76,300, I've a festive electric SUV that gets the entire Snyder crew – pups included – up to the cottage, and permits us to confidently explore a few of the scenery off the beaten path.

News Editor Joel Stocksdale: I’m going with an R1T. I like the feel of the18 wheeler a little better, and I convey more use for any cargo area than a big hatch or perhaps a third row seat. I’m also choosing the pricier Adventure Package, and that’s almost exclusively to obtain the gorgeous Ash wood trim. The other interior amenities and off-road upgrade are simply icing around the cake. And while I’d probably go with the green on green combination that Jeremy picked if I were really buying one, I’m choosing another thing to become a quite different. I like blue generally, therefore the gorgeous Rivian Blue is appropriate up my alley. I’m also going with the black interior that suits the blue much better than saving money interior. Plus it’s less likely to stain than the bright white interior. The black interior will accent the 20-inch black wheels with all-terrain tires I'd choose, too. The main one option I would skip may be the larger battery pack. The conventional 300 miles or even more of range could be more than enough in my needs, particularly with DC fast charging capability. All in, my truck involves $81,000.

Associate Editor Byron Hurd: I made a decision to go with the R1S, and despite my love of flashy paint jobs, I made a decision to choose El Cap Granite for the SUV’s exterior. It looks nice using the contrast from the front lighting elements. The “basic” Explore interior suits me fine, even if that available Ash trim is quite enticing, i opted for the five-seat config since I’d do not require the additional row. After exploring the available off-road goodies, I handed down both the package and the wheel/tire options. They’re fine, but I’d probably wait and find out what the up-fitting options seem like after I’ve had a opportunity to have the truck out a bit and get an idea of just how much off-pavement time I possibly could realistically get by using it. All-in, my build checks in at $71,500. 

Managing Editor Greg Rasa: First, re: R1T vs. R1S, a truck has more utility, along with a four-door truck is virtually a sports utility vehicle anyway. Next, I’m unsure concerning the Rivian colors, a minimum of depending on how they look on the configurator. The green and yellow might grow tiresome to reside with, and also the particular shade of red didn’t appeal. Also, I’ve also never warmed up to Rivian’s dead-eyed-robot headlights (though I otherwise love the design). So I considered going with white paint, which deemphasized the headlights, but rather landed on Rivian Blue. It’s the most expensive choice, at $2,500, so it should be the best, right? This is the same color Joel chose, however i went with the experience Package’s upscale white Ocean Crest interior with the beautiful woodwork. This truck pencils out at $77,500, so the white interior is going to be fine because I am never, ever getting a vehicle that expensive dirty. And that's why I didn’t spring for off-road tires and wheels. Final point: I skimped around the battery. A 300-plus-mile range is more than enough for anyone.