CAR REVIEW

Quality Verified | Posted July 14, 2023

2023 AAA Car Guide Winner: 1st Place Pickup

The 2022 Rivian R1T Adventure earned the overall top score in its class in the 2023 edition of the AAA Car Guide .
1st-place-pickup
What is the AAA Car Guide?
The AAA Car Guide helps consumers navigate the evolving automotive marketplace by ranking and rating the newest vehicles, including EVs. The Guide provides consumers with reviews, based on testing by AAA Engineers, highlighting how many advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are included in the vehicle, along with other criteria and information.
2022 Rivian R1T Adventure​
VEHICLE TYPE
BASE PRICE
PRICE AS TESTED
IIHS / NHTSA
Pickup Electric
$73,000
$97,800
top-safety-image
Overall Observations

The Rivian R1T is an innovatively designed, versatile electric pickup with lots of power and many clever features. Our test truck came with a powerful and responsive quadmotor setup – a single motor per wheel – good for more than 800 hp and 4-wheel drive.

 

The R1T’s cabin provides plenty of room for passengers. The steering has a good overall feel, and the adaptable air suspension delivers a comfortable ride – rare among pickups. Unique features include Camp Mode, Pet Comfort Mode, and Soft Sand Mode. An excellent lineup of ADAS features is standard. Road and drivetrain noise intrude into the cabin, however. The EV range is good – more than 300 miles if you’re not towing a heavy load – but the large, 135-kWh battery requires long Level 2 charging times.

 

Clever features include a gear tunnel between the cabin and bed, suitable for snowboards, camping gear, and the like; an automated, camera-based security system; a power-retractable tonneau cover; and a good-size front trunk. The auto self-leveling suspension provides a level camping surface atop uneven terrain. The R1T’s enormous 16-inch infotainment screen can prove distracting, however. And, oddly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are unavailable. We also noticed a fair amount of squeaks and rattles during our testing, indicative of early build quality issues. Finally, the panoramic sunroof has no shade option, and rear visibility could be better.

Strengths and Weaknesses

AAA’s Recommendation: Whether you own an electric vehicle or a gas-powered car is up to you – and you should consider lots of factors in making that choice. No matter what type of vehicle you’re choosing, we recommend visiting a dealership, test driving one, and asking as many questions as possible to make an informed decision.

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