For me, a truck has to have the perfect mix of tech, cargo space, capability, and range. My mom is not at all a truck person—it’s why she traded her Honda C-RV for an Acura ADX—but she wanted to know more after walking around the 2026 Rivian R1T in our driveway. Starting at $115,990 plus destination and freight at $1,895, this is not your average EV or off-roading truck; it’s tech-savvy and trail-ready.
If I were shopping for a truck, I would have to be able to connect my phone, play my favorite songs, enjoy the views, but most importantly, have the capability to drive over rocky terrain to and from home in one piece. But with the Rivian R1T Quad Motor sitting at the top of the lineup, it has the most capability for extreme on-and off-roading. And to have it all is the ultimate glam when a gal has options for her drive.
After I drove my mom around in the Rivian R1T, here’s what converted my mom from “No, trucks aren’t for me,” to “Oh, my God, I want one of these trucks!”
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
The Sleek-Looking Rivian R1T Quad Motor Packs 1,025 Eager, but also Tame, Ponies
I loved driving the Rivian R1T because it felt like a home away from home with its silent drive and the long, 374-mile range to enjoy a day trip and back on one charge. There are four motors in the Rivian Gen 2 R1 (one motor per wheel), making it all-wheel drive with a horsepower total of 1,025 HP and a dizzying zero-to-sixty time of 2.5 seconds. There’s even a feature to keep track of your launches, including a camera to record them. Power aside, the range makes me think EV road trips are possible, and it would make skeptics comfortable getting around traffic without worrying whether or not you could make it.
Acceleration is, of course, effortless, and the power is fast but gradual (unless you’re in launch mode), so you won’t feel a lag or sudden jolt. In Conservative mode, it rides like a luxury truck, absorbing bumps as the suspension softens. In Sport, it lowers itself and stiffens to brace for speed. It’s just right. It can do what you need and want it to do with mindblowing ease.
But you’ll want to keep an eye on your speed because it’s so silent and calm in the cabin, whether you’re going 30 or 60 mph. Usually, the highway makes driving in an off-roader a nightmare on the ears for me, but I could get used to the quick and chill vibes bestowed on me, not hearing or feeling every bump in the road along the tollway.
Off-Road Modes that Match Your Driving Adventure Terrain
On trail roads, the Rivian R1T is right at home, where you can adjust the settings on the massive multimedia screen and the company’s excellent, made-in-house software to ensure you apply the power where you want it to go and on what type of terrain, too. This is available on the RAD Tuner Mode, where you have sliders to move around to your liking. Plus, the Quad Motor is the only model with the Kick Turn ability, which is to help get you out of a tight spot (plus it looks cool).
Kick turn brings on the fun when in all-terrain and rock crawl modes, so you can make those tight turns on the trail without taking wide turns. Safety and capability are in mind for you to maneuver dense trails with narrow paths, especially since this activates at low speeds and only on certain types of terrain. This is the type of off-roading feature that instills confidence in truck enthusiasts like me and also encourages future potential truck owners like my mom to consider the possibilities.
Customization is everything, and especially if your drive changes through the seasons, you can even select off-road modes that match your off-road experience, from sand and rally to all-terrain, rock, and drift. My Mom is not a fan of rock crawls, so we avoided the off-road park. However, we did enjoy some spirited gravel trails nearby, and she loved us jamming out to the Spice Girls while kicking up some Texas dirt.
When It’s Not Covered in Dirt, It Dazzles in the Driveway
My Mom and I adored the exterior styling, because it looks different with its refined lines along the body, mindfully minimalist wheel design that looks functional and cool with unique wheels, and overall, it makes it easier to find in a sea of extra rugged, all-black truck types in their own thrill-seeking forms. Rivian R1T has a longer cab, with a rather short bed. Upfront the standout light bar across the grille is easy to spot among the crowd with its distinct, oval-style lights. Underneath, there are reinforced underbody plates, too, for protection on those rocky drives.
Similar to having a pair of shoes for every occasion, there are many wheels to choose from and sizes with Rivian R1T: 20” or 22” wheels, staggered sizes where the rear is bigger and reminds me of driving a Corvette, but this time, we’re off-roading; and Laguna Beach Blue brake calipers that come with the Quad motor with accented badges so everyone knows you’re pinkies out and mean serious off-road business.
Intentional design to include functional utilization, like an onboard air compressor, is necessary when you’re remote. Things like this come in handy in case you need to inflate your tires to make it back after letting some air out to crawl over rocks more easily.
On our model, we enjoyed the LA Silver exterior paint, which felt like a chameleon to me because we’d drive and it would take on the colors of the sunset. I thought it was a light blue until I took a closer look and realized it was only reflecting the sky. You can also select from 8 paint colors, including Storm Blue and Launch Green, which is exclusive to the Launch Edition only.
A Tesla-Style Charger Makes Charging Easier—And it’s Fast
When I needed to charge, I could pull up to any charging station that supports the NACS charge port for Tesla Supercharger access, plus peace of mind knowing that the six-figure purchase would come with two adapters if you needed to charge at a DC or JCCS charger in case the charging station does not support NACS.
The Rivian R1T Quad Motor can actually charge pretty quickly for such a massive, power‑hungry truck. On a DC fast charger, it can accept up to 220 kW, and in ideal conditions, it adds a meaningful chunk of range fast—roughly 140–170 miles in about 30–45 minutes on a Tesla V3 or V4 Supercharger, since the truck is capped at 220 kW even if the station can deliver more. In practice, the sweet spot is the 10–80% window, where it averages around 122 kW and takes about 43 minutes to complete that portion of the charge.
It’s not the absolute fastest‑charging EV on the road, but for a 135‑kWh battery feeding four motors, the R1T’s charging performance is impressively road‑trip‑friendly. Plus, the Rivian app shows you incredibly insightful information, like where most of your power is being used (like the climate controls), how long it’ll take to reach a full charge, and more.
The Posh and Premium Interior Doesn’t Feel Truck-Like
I’ve driven plenty of trucks, and premium trucks at that—but none measure up to the beauty built into the Rivian R1T’s interior. It’s spacious, with acres of space for both front and rear passengers, but it’s also gorgeous. The Ocean Coast seating and Driftwood interior accents combo make you feel like it belongs in a modern home’s living room. It’s timeless wood accents juxtapose that although camping may not sound like fun for me, sometimes I do want to be glam with a touch of the great outdoors every once in a while. The plaid carpeting is unique to Rivian, and it adds to the overall experience.
Comfy, stylish leatherette seats make it more enticing to potentially take the long way home without actually roughing it. In the backseat, there is storage behind each seat, in the doors, and ample legroom. The more that my mom and I explored the Rivian R1T Quad with built-in charging like a household outlet or for cookware on the flexible truck bed, or testing the spaciousness with the trunk in front, I realized having these options made it more appealing in ways we never expected.
As my mom pointed out, there are ample cupholders to fit all of your favorite cups, a place underneath for your purse, and spots throughout for snack storage. Mom couldn’t stop talking about the storage and how it complemented the space; your purse has its own designated spot within arm’s reach if needed (including purse hangers on the back of the front seats). Speaking of space, don’t forget that there is a gear tunnel for longer storage items like a snowboard or tent, plus a frunk for even more storage. So, not only is the interior stunning, it’s functional, too.
Now For the “Software-Defined” Part of the Equation
Everything feels like it sits in its right place, from the steering wheel ergonomics and placement to the driver display and multimedia touchscreen. I could move around menus and not disconnect the next steps or fumble through the menu to get back. And when I wanted to focus on driving, my mom played DJ and kept the vibe going with her Spotify playlist.
I prefer Apple CarPlay, but this system had even me calmly navigating the GPS in unfamiliar places and relaxing and trusting each turn of the way. You and your passengers can connect to a WiFi Hotspot and work or watch entertainment, and your driver can prepare for the drive with an easy-to-use navigation where it feels cozy and parallel to the drive ahead of you.
The Rivian R1T Quad Motor isn’t just quick on pavement—its software (hence their definition of it being “software-defined”) suite keeps getting better, too. With the latest 2026.03 update, Rivian expanded Sport Mode access with the option to keep the truck at standard ride height, and a new cold‑weather battery indicator that shows exactly how much energy is being used to warm the pack for optimal performance. You also get a surprisingly robust Apple Watch app, which lets you lock and unlock the truck, check the state of charge, adjust cabin temperature, and even use your watch as a digital key—perfect for camping or trail days when you don’t want to carry your phone.
It’s a great example of how Rivian treats the R1T as a software‑defined truck: the longer you own it, the more capable it becomes. And, lest we not forget, the Gen 2 model will be getting the Autonomy+ update soon, for hands-free driving on more than one million miles of mapped roads.
Here’s What Mom and I Loved Most After Our Time with the Rivian
By now, you’ve figured that the two of us had a long list of things we really, really liked about the Rivian R1T Quad. But, to sum it up, here’s what we agreed on:
- At the top of the lineup, you get 5 premium wheel options to stand out and take on any terrain. My mom and I are both short, and her favorites were the 22” wheels (something is empowering about having height where you need ground clearance that resonates for us here).
- You can enjoy capability even as a standard, but for more capability, you get 11 drive modes on the R1T Quad, which include Launch, Kick Turn, and RAD Tuner for maximum fun, capability, and customization.
- The base R1T at $72,990 has 3 modes; you’ll get 3 more with the R1T Dual; and the R1T Tri has 9 drive modes, including Launch.
- The companion app brought the experience to life and gave me a sense of ownership. When I charged, I could watch the lights blink on the front until it was fully powered to 100%. I loved tracking my charging progress and the live cam, so I could stop and watch the neighbors enjoy the Rivian R1T, too.
- Standard towing on the base R1T Dual is a whopping 7,700 pounds and can tow up to 11,000 pounds with the R1T Quad, so you can always take the things you need for a great adventure, from an ATV to a small, sleep camper. I’d want to bring one, so I can sleep comfortably and bring some additional comforts on the go.
- Having a digital key on all your devices is super tech-forward, and I love that you can also connect a WiFi hotspot to work or play from a campsite or along the drive.
- The Sound + Vision Package gets you a dynamic glass roof and premium audio system for sensory immersion.
- Rivian Autonomy+ for hands-free driving and lane change on command. With driver assist features like these, when paired with 11 high-resolution cameras and 5 radars, you get 360 degrees of views to get you safely in and around traffic.
Having the Capability and Conveniences Can Make a Difference in This New Era of Truck Lovers
You don’t have to be a truck person to appreciate the tech, comfort, and performance that is complemented well with storage and charging utilization in mind. There’s a space for everything and everyone, and I mean that because whether it is a drive mode or setting kneel mode for easy in and out, customization and the experience is ultimately up to your settings. From pet comfort mode to setting daily routines on the app, this is the truck for my glam mom or me.
We’re planners, and I loved that we could find charging stations for NACS and standard chargers anywhere on the go. The comfy seating and connectivity sold it for my mom, but it was definitely the little things that made her smile.
From the chirping cricket sound when we locked up at night on the app, having a place for our phones, cups, and purses, and the quiet ride gave us a chance to catch up and forget we were running errands around town. Driven by tech and performance, it felt so much more meaningful that I could drive 374-mile range, work from anywhere with the hotspot, charge everything I need, and get back in time for dinner. I’ve driven my mom in press cars before, and I’ve never seen the same look on her face: this was the truck she didn’t know she wanted until that first drive. And I can’t blame her: this EV is still on my wishlist.
