2025 Rivian R1T Road Test and Review

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Tesla Cybertruck gets a lot of attention. This wildly angular electric pickup is impossible to miss and even became entangled in politics. Contrast that with the redesigned 2025 Rivian R1T, which is packed with changes but gets styling tweaks so subtle that only a Rivian enthusiast would notice. 

The Rivian is about half a size smaller than a Cybertruck or other electric pickups such as the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV. Powerful, nimble, capable, cleverly designed, and luxuriously finished, the Rivian R1T is an electric vehicle with a lot of appeal – especially after this year’s improvements. For this review, we just spent a week testing the updated 2025 R1T, which is priced from $69,900. Keep reading as we go through the latest changes and the Rivian’s pros and cons so you can see if it’s the right electric pickup for you. 

Familiar Look, New Mechanicals

The R1T first hit the market as a 2022 model, and except for new wheel designs, the 2025 model looks about the same as earlier years. But we don’t mind. We love the Rivian pickup’s style. Its three-light face includes two rounded vertical headlamps that interrupt a lightbar spanning from fender to fender. To us, the Rivian looks tough without being angry and distinctive without being busy. 

Under its familiar body, the 2025 R1T enjoys revised electric batteries and motors, a redesigned electrical system with simplified wiring, a revised suspension, a new heat pump for improved cold-weather range, and new amenities. In all, Rivian claims more than 600 changes this year. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Up to 1,025 Horsepower

You don’t buy an R1T because you want an ordinary pickup. You buy an R1T because you want to go fast. Even the base Dual Standard model, $69,900, has 533 horsepower and zips to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. That’s the same time Ram estimated for its since-discontinued TRX supertruck, powered by the famous “Hellcat” supercharged V8. 

The next-up R1T Dual, $77,900, has the same speed but a choice of larger batteries for longer range (which we’ll come to later). You can also add a $5,000 Performance Pack that provides 665 hp and a 3.4-second 0-60 run. 

Our test vehicle is the Tri, $99,900 – a new member of the lineup this year. While the Dual has one electric motor for the front wheels and one for the back, the Tri adds a second rear motor. The result is 850 horsepower with 60 mph arriving in just 2.9 seconds. Don’t forget to breathe if you stomp down your foot. Our 3-year-old loved the experience, and it occurs in near-silence – no roaring engine calls attention to your antics. At the top of the line, the Quad is on its with 1,025 hp and a 2.5-second run to 60 mph. 

Last year’s R1T was already fast, and this year’s model is even faster and has a broader lineup. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

More Efficient Than a Prius

We mentioned the Ram TRX. That truck could travel just 12 miles per gallon of premium unleaded gasoline. By contrast, the Rivian R1T is more economical than a Toyota Prius hatchback. 

Running on its standard tires, the 2025 R1T gets the energy equivalent of 76 mpg all the way up to 87 MPGe, depending on the powertrain and other trim differences. (Bigger wheels and all-terrain tires push the numbers down to as low as 68 MPGe.) And all that’s while it’s faster than the iconic Ram. The 2025 upgrades squeezed a few more MPGe out of each Rivian model, even as the new trucks got faster. 

As with other electric vehicles, though, your energy costs may vary. Nationwide, the average residential utility rate is 16 cents per kilowatt-hour. That varies from 10 cents (North Dakota) all the way up to 42 cents (Hawaii). And if you don’t have a way to charge your Rivian at home, you’ll typically pay several times the residential rate at a public charging station – especially if you use a DC fast charger. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Up to 420 Miles per Charge

We mentioned that the R1T has a choice of battery sizes. The base Dual Standard can travel an EPA-estimated 270 miles between charges – fine for most folks’ daily driving and some road trips, and better than many EVs on the market. But most folks upgrade to the larger 329-mile or 420-mile batteries in the Dual model. Our Tri model, with the biggest battery but more focus on speed, has an EPA-estimated 371 miles of range. A selectable Conserve mode bumps that to 405 miles, but overusing it can cause premature tire wear and handicap the Rivian’s performance. As with efficiency, note that selecting bigger wheels or all-terrain tires will reduce the truck’s range. A new heat pump this year promises improved real-world range in cold weather, too. 

Charging speed depends on your charger and the size of your battery. A typical DC fast charger would need about 30 to 40 minutes to get you from 10 percent to 80 percent capacity (DC charging speeds drop off rapidly after 80 percent). At a 240-volt home charger, you can fill up the battery in approximately 10 hours (depending on the R1T you own). That means no matter how much you drove during the day, you can likely leave home in the morning with a full charge. 

You can charge the Rivian at a Tesla Supercharger via an adapter, or at any other public charging station. Rivian also has its own charging network that focuses on outdoor-adventure locations. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

High-Performance Handling

Between its big pickup body and its massive electric battery, the R1T is a 7,000-pound truck – the weight of two Honda CR-Vs. The Rivian’s weight was evident when it was the only vehicle in a grass parking area to leave tire marks. But it wasn’t evident, at least in a negative way, from behind the wheel. 

The Rivian is one of the best-handling pickups ever built. Between its unibody construction, well-sorted suspension, direct steering, and low center of gravity (courtesy of that big battery under the floor), it has the responsive agility of a small SUV. The ride is a little bumpy even after some upgrades this year, and even if you set the adjustable suspension to its softest setting. But it still rides well for a pickup, and the handling is even farther from ordinary trucks. It’s a great complement to the wildly powerful electric motors. Also, just after we tested the R1T, Rivian rolled out an over-the-air update that allows hands-free driving on select highways.

One note – if you’re new to electric vehicles, you may need some time to get used to the R1T. You can adjust the pickup’s regenerative braking level (the degree to which it’ll slow itself when you lift off the throttle), but even its gentlest standard is pronounced. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Capable and Functional

The R1T isn’t built as a simple work truck. This is a luxury performance vehicle. But whether you’re taking it off-road or hauling a load, it’s pretty capable, too. 

For off-roading, you can select an off-road driving mode and let the adjustable air suspension raise the truck’s body for up to 14.9 inches of ground clearance. The Rivian’s EV nature also helps because it’s so easy for the truck to distribute power where it's needed – remember, if you step all the way up to the Quad, you get a different electric motor for each wheel. 

When you’re working, the R1T can tow up to 11,000 pounds or haul a 1,764-pound payload. The truck’s ample power should make short work of these loads, but they’ll cut sharply into the truck’s electric range. Don’t expect to pull a camping trailer across the country in your R1T without frequent charging stops. 

The R1T has a modestly sized 4.5-foot-long bed. But Rivian didn’t stop there with storage spaces. As an electric vehicle with front and rear motors – and no need for a drivetrain to connect them – the R1T fits a “gear tunnel” between the rear seat and bed. It spans the width of the truck to provide secure storage space. There’s also a “frunk” under the hood where a conventional truck’s engine would live. And an available power-retractable bed cover gives you another place to keep your stuff safe and dry. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Comfortable Interior, but Not Huge

Full-size pickups are known for stretch-out space wherever you’re sitting. The R1T doesn’t quite deliver that experience. The front seats are comfortable and offer plenty of space, but drivers won’t feel like they're sitting in another time zone from the front passenger. And while adults can fit in the rear seat, they’ll find their knees much closer to the front seatbacks than in a Ford F-150 Lightning. 

Even the base R1T includes heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. These are particularly valuable features on an EV since they’re more efficient than heating or cooling the entire cabin. However, you can’t upgrade to massaging seats like in the Ford.

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Luxuriously Finished Cabin

The R1T’s interior is also finished to the high standard of a luxury vehicle. The dashboard is simple and elegant by pickup standards, yet less cold and spare than some EVs. Our test truck had warm open-pore wood trim, thick and sturdy floor mats, and synthetic leather upholstery that we found entirely convincing. 

Nearly all the Rivian’s controls rely on its 15.6-inch touchscreen. You either interact with the screen directly or use the screen to set the steering wheel controls. Audio volume, driving mode, climate temperature, and even adjusting the dashboard vents, steering wheel column, and exterior mirrors – all of it forces you to carefully swipe and tap your way through screen menus. It’s a cleverly designed system when you’re able to give it your full attention, but a distracting one while you’re on the go. Also, the R1T isn’t compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which would let you use your phone apps on the car’s screen. 

One Rivian advantage over key rivals from Tesla, at least, is that a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster lives behind the steering wheel. It shows your speed and a choice of other views right in front of you. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt

R1T vs. the Competition

As we mentioned, the R1T is about half a size smaller than rival electric pickups. That’s a problem if you need a big pickup bed or a big backseat, but it’s great news for the truck’s agility and maneuverability. Plus, the Rivian’s frunk and its exclusive gear tunnel help it use its size cleverly. 

On paper, the Tesla Cybertruck is pretty similar to the Rivian – similarly fast, efficient, and screen-focused. But the aesthetics are entirely different between the gentler, more conventional R1T and the sharp-edged spaceship of the Cybertruck. The Tesla has a longer bed but no gear tunnel, and it’s harder to see out of; the Rivian currently has a lower starting price. 

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a conventional full-size pickup with electric motors instead of a gasoline engine. It’s quick but not wildly fast, and it’s packed with tech without eliminating all physical controls. It’s a cushy, quiet, capable truck that could pass for 10 years old at a glance. 

The Chevrolet Silverado EV (and its wilder-looking cousin, the GMC Hummer EV) wears an EV-exclusive body and high-tech interior, but it drives more like a Lightning than a Rivian. Its main exclusive feature is a “midgate” panel that lets you expand the bed into the cab’s rear seating area. 

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Rivian R1T is an incredible machine. It nails the broad strokes of range, speed, and handling, while also packing lots of high-end amenities, clever storage areas, and a luxuriously finished interior. It’s an economical commuter car, a wildly powerful performance machine, a capable off-roader, and a useful pickup – all rolled into one.

Not everyone will tolerate the screen-reliant dashboard controls. Some people will prefer an EV that accelerates and brakes more like a gas-powered vehicle. And some folks will be happier in a full-size pickup than in the slightly smaller Rivian. But plenty of others will love the newly updated R1T. 

2025 Rivian R1T ・ Photo by Brady Holt