2023 Rivian R1T Truck

The new 2023 Rivian R1T is subtly revised with the addition of some over-the-air updates and the slow and gradual release of more powertrain options. We're a bit frustrated that all the trim levels are not yet available, but at least the truck made it to market, which is more than can be said of the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck. Ignoring the Tesla as a fiction until it's actually here, the Rivian R1T's main competitors will be the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, and Lordstown Endurance. The Rivian's abilities and specs suggest that it's hit the market right at the top, with a superb blend of talents and pricing that sits between the Ford and Lordstown on the one side and the Hummer on the other. It will be even better once the cheaper Explore trim is here, but even now, the default 533-hp R1T Adventure is a supremely capable electric truck with eye-widening performance and class-leading towing and off-road credentials.

The cheapest 2023 Rivian R1T Explore's price in the USA is supposed to start at under $70,000 once it's available, but we don't know when that will be and, for the time being, the Adventure is the only one of the trim levels in the range currently on sale. It will cost you $73,000 with the Standard 105-kWh battery pack and dual-motor setup. This is the MSRP for the Rivian R1T Adventure, which means it excludes the $1,800 destination fee. How much you'll pay for an R1T depends on whether you add any extras or upgrade the drivetrain with the Performance Pack (+$5,000), quad-motor setup (+$8,000), Large 135-kWh battery (+$6,000), or Max 180-kWh battery (+$16,000).

The R1T comes as standard with height-adjustable air suspension and an independently sprung rear end, but it doesn't always deliver the pillowy ride you might be expecting, even on the standard 21-inch wheels. It tends to shudder, bob, and jiggle a bit on undulating or broken tar, like most trucks, but it's effective at keeping large shocks away from the occupants. Dropping the suspension lower in Conserve mode to improve efficiency and reduce drag has a marked effect on ride quality and definitely makes the truck feel harsher. At other times and in other modes, it can occasionally wallow a bit and feel underdamped. Maybe this is the kind of difficulties you're facing while engineering a 7,000-pound car to hide its weight. Most of the time, the R1T does a convincing impression of a large sedan and corners surprisingly sharply, thanks to McLaren's hand in the suspension development. The performance is certainly mesmerizing, especially with the 835-hp quad-motor setup, which is probably overkill for a truck. The 665-hp dual motor setups strike a fine balance and are still plenty fast enough. Off-road, the huge maximum ground clearance and torque vectoring make the R1T almost unstoppable.

The Rivian R1T is a superb first effort at an electric truck. We've been waiting since forever for the much-vaunted Tesla Cybertruck, but now Rivian, Ford, GMC, and even the beleaguered Lordstown have beaten the Tesla to market. In this company, the R1T does enough to merit consideration as the top choice. Even at the base level with the smallest battery, it beats the base F-150 Lighting's range by 30 miles and its off-road ability is simply astounding - but it's quite a bit more expensive than the larger Ford. Provided Rivian can get production of all derivatives and configurations going soon, there's little that can seriously challenge the R1T in this segment for now except the excellent and more affordable F-150 Lightning.

With the Explore not actually available yet and last year's Launch Edition no longer for sale, the Adventure is the only trim. The 533-hp dual-motor setup will be more than enough for most people and saves you $8,000 over the quad motors, but we would spend the $6,000 for the Large battery to boost range and allow some leeway for road trips and towing.