Lightning vs Rivian - new truck buyer…

[belfast1933]

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

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[Timeless Epoch]

I've been a truck owner all my life, so we differ there. But I was contemplating a Rivian vs Lightning just a few months ago.

At this point in my life, a Rivian RT1 would be enough truck for me, and all things being equal I have a small preference for the Rivian. A little more compact, but still plenty capable. Seems to have better software and better software updates. More modern in terms of features, but still a fairly classic truck style.

But things are not equal. For me, it came down to incentives, trade in of my old F150, and 0% financing. Each of which Rivian came up rather short with. I ended up with a Platinum for quite a bit less than a standard range dual motor Rivian, with better financing and about $5k more for my trade in. All that may have changed, but that was the situation for me in March.

 

[Athrun88]

I also looked at a R1T before pulling the trigger on a Lighning (first time truck owner as well). Ultimately went with Lighning because I wanted a more traditional looking EV. I don't want to stand out, I don't want to be noticed. I want to go in, do my work, get out. Also, the way I'd want a R1T equipped was significantly more expensive than a similarly equipped Lightning.

That being said, if you're looking for a well equipped lifestyle truck, the Rivian is a good choice, especially if you can handle the price. Otherwise, I feel the Lightning gives a better overall value.

 

[bmwhitetx]

My son interned at Rivian for 8 months - great vehicle and well-thought out. I think the main issue with them will be service availability and will they still be around for your 10-year ownership.

 

[Whammy Bar]

I'm sticking with the Tacoma / Tool Truck suggestions from your other thread.

After seeing the frequency of issues both first-hand and on here, I'd say the Rivian of your dead set on electric. The Scout if you're willing to wait for a pretty hyped truck. Or the Slate if you're willing to wait for a budget EV.

 

[luebri]

I absolutely love my lightning, but definitely have my doubt abouttheir commitment to EV and ability to deliver good software. If Rivian actually had a full-size truck and not a midsize truck that would be my perfect choice. I need a full size cabin because of our family size, if your in Boston area wheee some of the density makes a full size truck a hassle and don’t have lots of passengers then mid size Rivian would definitely be my choice, assuming the price works.

 

[K6CCC]

I did not even consider the Rivan. I pretty much need a full sized 4x4 truck. In fact one of my grumbles about the lightning is that it's only available with a short short bed. Would have preferred a traditional 6.5 foot "short" or there abouts bed. But I will live with the 5.5 foot bed of the Lightning. The only slight competition was the Silverado, but I'm really annoyed that Chevy built that on the Avalanche frame and called it a Silverado, and the price tag. Also, although I at sort of consider myself a Tesla fanboy, I did not even consider a Cybertruck.

For demographics, the Lightning is my 3rd 4x4 PU and 4th 4x4 vehicle - 82 AMC Eagle, 86 Toyota 1/2 ton 4x4, 2003 Dodge 2500 4x4, and now the 2024 Lightning. I mainly use a 4x4 truck to drive crappy dirt roads to mountaintop 2-way radio sites. Yea, I get my truck dirty! I carry all kinds of stuff in the bed. Sensitive stuff often goes in the back seat.

 

[Heliian]

If you need an actual truck, get a lightning. If you have the cash to blow on a small truck then rivian. If you've got cash to blow on a full size then Silverado

The f150 lightning is a great truck, best bang for your buck by far. Ford isn't going anywhere, they'll be around another 100 years.

 

[Randall Stephens]

This isn’t a Tesla forum, or even really a Ford forum per se. you’ll get some pretty honest thoughts here and very little “the front fell off, but I still love the truck” type posting. that said, I went with a lightning because the bed was bigger and the most important to me, the front trunk doesn’t require a lift over to put things in it. The front trunk is pretty massive all things considered. That said, the R1 family are nice vehicles, as are the silverado EVs.

 

[LiteNing]

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 didn't give the Rivian much consideration mainly because I doubt the long-term viability of the company (which has implications for warranty items, recalls and the like). I have more to say on that subject, but I'll leave it there.

As for the truck itself:

1. The Lightning shares a large commonality with the ICE F-150, so there is a huge aftermarket for accessories. There are hundreds of tonneaus available in every shape and size, for example. Want a topper or off-road lights or toolbox for the bed? Guaranteed to be a least 5 companies that make one for the F-150.
2. I think the front trunk on the Lightning is easier to use. Do you want to lift things up to the bumper or the top of the hood to put them in?
3. The Lighting has more 120V/240V power. R1T has plenty of power for camping or powering essential home loads in an emergency, but the Lightning can power just about everything. Whether or not it makes a practical difference, I like the idea of having A/C when the power goes out.

Reasons you might prefer the R1T:

The Lightning is my first truck, too... wheelbase is the elephant in the room. Maneuvering can be a challenge you're not used to driving such a large vehicle (especially in the city). The R1T's wheelbase is a full 10 inches shorter and overall length is 15 inches shorter. My Lightning always sticks out when I charge at work, but the Rivians never do. Another thing is that both trucks are a hair over 6.5ft tall. Make sure you don't need to regularly use any parking garages with a 6.5 limit, like at airports.

 

[Henry Ford]

How are you going to use your vehicle? What do you value in a vehicle? Performance? Style? Luxury? Utility?

 

[3121]

I’ve owned both. Hands down the Lightning is the better vehicle. The Rivian has THE BIG SCREEN cool factor but the build quality is pants and service is a nightmare. The Rivian staff are full of effusive platitudes but their quality of work and back-ups to get in for service is bananas. Everything Rivian worked on was a try-try-again method. And my rig always came back with some scratch or ding.

The ford has been rock solid aside from a few minor recalls and software updates. All my Ford service has been mobile service at my house. I have 3 ford dealers nearby so if I ever did have an issue I have lots of choice for repairs.

Build and paint quality on the ford is WAY better than the Rivian.

I put Rivian in the same league as Range Rover… looks super cool but more about looking cool than being reliable and practical.

We have two young kids and the ford is super durable and full of family utility.

Lastly - Pro Power 240v has run our whole house with a simple RV back feed cable duo g several power outages.

I like Rivian and hope they do well (I’m a shareholder) but Ford has them beat for now IMO

 

[RocketGhost]

The deal killer for me with Rivian is the way they do door handles and locking. If you don't want the truck to unlock when you walk near it, or unlock when you walk away, you have to turn off proximity locking and use buttons on a keyfob. I like on the Lightning that I have take an affirmative action to unlock it - grab the handle. And if I don't want it to lock, I just don't tap the button when I get out.

I hear that it can be annoying with Rivians when your phone is just in range of the truck, say you are inside the house and the truck is parked just outside, and it keeps locking and unlocking itself. For me sometimes I want my truck to stay unlocked, for example in my garage, at a friend's house, or if I'm going back and forth loading or unloading stuff. And I may want it to stay locked if I'm walking near it but I'm not getting in.

I really appreciate having regular prox keys (or PAAK which operates the same) and handles with touch sensors for lock activation.

 

[RickLightning]

There is very little comparison discussion about Rivian. I never considered it, way too risky.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

I've been a mix of truck and car ownership throughout my life, though the cars have mostly been on the sports car end. Closest to a SUV I've had was a 86 Bronco II and a 2013 WRX.

With that said, here is my useless thoughts and opinions.
I feel if you're looking for more luxury, you should look more at Rivian. If you don't care about luxury, then a F-150 Flash is a pretty awesome selection.

There are some other details that might help your decision. I am using my truck as a backup for my house, and the Rivian doesn't have a 240v output for this function.
Rivian is still a tad bit up in the air as how long they will last. Even if Ford decides to stop doing anything electric, they will still survive long enough to support the Lightning. I'm assuming the Rivian will be fine with investments from Amazon and VW, but they still haven't turned a profit.
If Rivian is still around in 5 years, and they have a 240v output, I might look into them for a future vehicle.

I think with either truck, you will have a great vehicle.

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