Lightning vs Rivian - new truck buyer…

[FloridaMan655321]

PIANO BLACK SUCKS.

Amen

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[Whammy Bar]

PIANO BLACK SUCKS.

But it's a perfect base material to wrap in whatever vinyl you prefer.

 

[trev5150]

But it's a perfect base material to wrap in whatever vinyl you prefer.

All over the dashboard and center console though, so it can get nasty within a year with scratches and fingerprints and spilled coffee?

No.

 

[Attorneyslattery]

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I looked at both the Rivian and the Lightning and went with the Lightning ER. My wife and I wanted an EV and we have 3 young kids. Rivian is luxury car in a truck body. The lightning isn't a grocery getter, but there is room for 3 car seats in the back and I don't feel bad when the kids make a mess. I also use the full size bed on a regular basis and it is a much better deal. I thought about buying used but I decided to buy new. My reasoning was if someone was willing to eat the depreciation on one with low miles there is probably something wrong with it and I didn't want to be one of the pioneers who find out just how long the higher mileage ev's will last.

 

[mrau]

'm curious how many people have went the other way started with the Ford, sold it and bought a Rivian.

We may never know. Those that switched are likely on the Rivian forums now.

 

[mme_and_lightning]

I’m sure others here have debated between the Rivian and a higher trim Lightning - for background, I will be a first time truck owner (waited 59 years… well, at least 30 of the 59 years)

I took a lighting out for a test drive a couple of days ago and was absolutely smitten! Absolutely nothing I didn’t love about it. Hard to imagine anything I will like better in an EV pickup.

But am still doing my diligence since I expect to have this bad boy for a long time - usual tenure with me is 10 years

We’re on a Lightning forum so clearly the bias here is to the Ford - but still, I would find value in hearing your take and reason why the Lightning is the better choice than the Rivian.

I am in the Boston area, don’t expect to tow much and plan to pimp my ride a hit to help promote my side hustle business… vintage baseball cards. See my new logo below

love to hear your thoughts -

thx

Jeff

Timeframe: Have your heater fan die in February in a Rivian? In a Lightning?

I bet you I'll find a place and get the repair faster in a Lightning. Most likely at a Ford dealership too.

 

[Southeastern-Fourwheeler]

I was taught by Gramps on his three-speed F series on the column when I was 13. I am entering my 51st year of owning, having purchased my first F100 in 1974 when I was a senior in high school. I made some great memories with friends using that truck. It got me around in December 1974 when we had 20 inches of snow. I eventually traded the truck in March 1976 for my F100 4x4. I put white wagon wheels on it, added all-terrain tires, and had a push bar and KC Daylighters installed. The look wasn’t very popular at the time in my area since most 4x4s were farm or work trucks. That truck was used to help family and friends during the blizzard of 1978. I also used it for cross-country ski trips and snowmobile trips north.

While I still have the '76 and intend to restore it, I restored my 2003 F150 FX4 shortly before purchasing the Lightning. It still serves its purpose and saves the Lightning for my daily commutes. Over the years, I have leased numerous F150 models, allowing me to experience many changes during that time. I must admit the Lightning far exceeds many of those changes.

Even though I was cautioned about buying a first-generation electric, I have had nothing but great luck with the ICE F series. Friends always used to ask, “You know what FORD stands for, don’t you?” Fix or Repaired Daily. I must admit, I've never had those problems, only regular service issues. The Lightning has many serviceable components similar to the ICE models I own/owned and have worked on for many years, so the choice was a no-brainer for me.

As I always say to those inquiring about my EV, they aren’t suitable for everyone, so conducting thorough research is essential. Understand your intended use for the truck. Keep in mind that an EV charging station differs from a gas station. Weigh the pros and cons of towing. Allow yourself extra time to appreciate the journey; if your focus is solely on the destination, reconsider your choice.

I have my biases about the Rivan vs. Lightning choice; however, based on my experience, if you are looking for a traditional-style pickup that will knock your socks off, you won’t be disappointed with the Lightning. Good luck with your decision.

 

[MidAtlanticLightningClub]

I’m sure others here have debated between the Rivian and a higher trim Lightning - for background, I will be a first time truck owner (waited 59 years… well, at least 30 of the 59 years)

I took a lighting out for a test drive a couple of days ago and was absolutely smitten! Absolutely nothing I didn’t love about it. Hard to imagine anything I will like better in an EV pickup.

But am still doing my diligence since I expect to have this bad boy for a long time - usual tenure with me is 10 years

We’re on a Lightning forum so clearly the bias here is to the Ford - but still, I would find value in hearing your take and reason why the Lightning is the better choice than the Rivian.

I am in the Boston area, don’t expect to tow much and plan to pimp my ride a hit to help promote my side hustle business… vintage baseball cards. See my new logo below

love to hear your thoughts -

thx

Jeff

They are both great trucks. I was glad the Lightning and R1T were the first two trucks to market as they are very different and fill different use cases.

The real question is what do you need your truck to do.

The R1T has many features the Lightning doesn't. It can come with more power. Rivian has better software teams and OTAs. It's also more expensive at the low end.

If you need your truck to fit into a smaller garage, drive and park a lot in crowded cities, or be a serious off-road vehicle, the R1T may be your better choice. It's also much more car-like. My wife voted R1T as we were moving from a Tacoma and would drive the truck more if we had bought an R1T.

I needed a full-size bed, a big and capable frunk, lots of exportable power (110v and 220v), an easy to access tow hitch, and good towing capability.

Rivian's hidden hitch is a pain to use, the R1T doesn't have as much exportable power, and the R1T doesn't have nearly as good software options when towing. We've towed a 24' travel trailer across the country and back as well as a trip from MD to Texas for the eclipse and around the southeast this year. Towing matters to me. Rivian blew the frunk but has the gear tunnel.

The Lightning filled my needs. It is also good to know there are dealers around the country who can work on them. There are tons of F-150 accessories at good prices. Rivian is a niche market for accessories.

However, if I had to sell my Mach E and Lightning and only could have one vehicle to do everything I need, I would buy a Rivian R1T. There would be lots of compromises but the R1T has lots of versatility.

Until then, I love my Mach E and Lightning combo.

 

[Newton]

I did not like the way that the Rivian drove, otherwise it was quite impressive. The regen was too aggressive for traffic and I was told that there was no way to modify it. For a small truck it did not seem all that nimble and on a hot day I hated the sunroof. I have read that there have been changes and improvements, and people do say that they get used to it. If you have passengers make sure that they are comfortable with riding in it - my wife was not. Regen is easier for the driver than the passenger.

On my EV6 you can set the level of aggressiveness which is nice. Ironically now that I have the Ford I leave regen on and set the Kia to the highest level - but I also rarely drive in traffic.

The Kia is easier as an EV than my SR Lightning, if range is at all of a concern I would consider something else like the Rivian. The difference in charging speed Is quite noticable, which does not bother me all that much because it still takes less time to charge than it does for my wife to finish shopping at whatever shopping center we are charging at.

There is absolutely no comparison as a truck, with the full cab, frunk and an ARE canopy (not in my picture) the Lightning is the best road tripping/moving stuff vehicle ever made. It is also the most comfortable vehicle that I have owned. If money is no object and you really need a truck then the Silverado would be worth a serious look. If you don’t need a truck then get some other EV, there are a lot of disadvantages to trucks.

Edit: I just got back from several weeks in Europe and holy %$@# the truck looked big when I got back into it. I was watching somebody struggle with a huge truck in a Belgian downtown and thought “why would anybody have an F-150 on these medieval streets”, when it passed I realized that it was a Ford Ranger!

 

[Hammick]

Nothing you will find will match the space the F150 offers. I am 6-2 and with my seat all the way back (though I wish it went lower) I can fit real adults in every seat. If the Cybertruck had rear leg room I might have went that direction (I had one for a weekend). The F150 has a very soft ride, which most of agree feels Cadillac floaty at highway speeds, but I think this can be corrected for a few hundred dollars. I looked at the Rivian but it doesn't self drive and is much smaller, much more expensive. All of the trucks seem to have about the same range except the Silverado, but it is also much more expensive. The Cybertruck's 4 wheel steering is AMAZING, and of course the UI is the best of all of them, but there is quite a bit of negativity towards them and the insurance (for me) was nearly double over the lightning. I didn't want to worry about what someone might do to my truck when I parked it.

The lightning has some cool party tricks like the self driving, being able to charge on the Tesla network, powering your house (yeah Tesla does that too) and the bed scales.

But at the end of the day it's a F150. It was the best bargain electric truck for the money hands down.

The latest update added divided highway self driving to the Gen 2 R1s.

 

[Hammick]

I did not like the way that the Rivian drove, otherwise it was quite impressive. The regen was too aggressive for traffic and I was told that there was no way to modify it. For a small truck it did not seem all that nimble and on a hot day I hated the sunroof. I have read that there have been changes and improvements, and people do say that they get used to it. If you have passengers make sure that they are comfortable with riding in it - my wife was not. Regen is easier for the driver than the passenger.

The R1T and R1S have selectable regen of low medium and high. I find the regen as good as our Ioniq 5 and better than the lightning which are both pretty good at regen

 

[Hammick]

We may never know. Those that switched are likely on the Rivian forums now.

We have both a Lariat ER and and a Gen2 R1S Trimax. Happy to answer any specific questions.

 

[Madtroniks]

Everyone has done a very good job giving you solid feedback on both models.

I would recommend doing a test drive for both models before you commit.

My input as an owner of a Rivian is decide what is important to you from features or capability from your vehicle.

Make a list of top 3 - 5 things you're looking for or you can't compromise on.

This will help you figure out which direction you should go in.


These could be:

Power (HP / TQ)

Range

Mid Size versus Full-size truck

Onboard Power 240v / 9.6 kw like Ford Pro Power Onboard

Ability to power your home right away with the correct equipment.

Bed Size / payload

Off-road Capability

Software / Over the air updates

Audio quality / cabin noise.

 

[Newton]

Just curious, does it have a mode where you can turn regen completely off? The salesperson did not seem to think so (this was at the Rivian showroom in Burnaby) but I would think that in bad conditions it would be a requirement. This was a few years ago so a lot has probably changed.

I saw an Amazon Rivian van yesterday, those look pretty slick. The first thing that popped into my head was “conversion project!” but it will be a few years before any are available, I suppose.

 

[Hammick]

Just curious, does it have a mode where you can turn regen completely off? The salesperson did not seem to think so (this was at the Rivian showroom in Burnaby) but I would think that in bad conditions it would be a requirement. This was a few years ago so a lot has probably changed.

I saw an Amazon Rivian van yesterday, those look pretty slick. The first thing that popped into my head was “conversion project!” but it will be a few years before any are available, I suppose.

No they don't. All three levels of regen are one pedal driving and will completely stop the vehicle. Not sure if "snow mode" has even less regen or no regen at all. I find the regen on our '25 R1S to be excellent and the medium setting is what we use.

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