2024 Rivian R1S SUV vs 2024 Tesla Model Y: Comparison Test!
3RIVIAN R1S VS. BMW IX: WHICH IS THE BEST NEW ELECTRIC SUV FOR 2022?
AMERICANS LOVE THEIR SUVs. That’s part of why electric cars have not taken off with regular consumers in the US yet: there aren’t any EVs that we really want to buy.
We have the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T (which I compared and contrasted a few weeks back) to satisfy the pickup truck crowd, but for SUV lovers who want to go electric, the Rivian R1S and the BMW iX are the clear front-runners.
They’re similar in a lot of ways, including both price and range, but style, off-road chops, and that all-important brand logo on the front (if you care about such things) create clear divisions between the two depending on what you’re after.
But, if you’re trying to choose between the BMW iX and Rivian R1S and you haven’t quite made up your mind yet, here’s everything you need to know about how the vehicles compare stats- and feature-wise, and the things you’ll want to consider as you make your electric SUV purchase decision.
RIVIAN R1S VS. BMW IX: PRICE
The BMW iX xDrive starts at $84,195 for the iX xDrive50 trim with dual-motor all-wheel-drive, while the more powerful, performance-focused BMW iX M60 starts at $106,095.
As to be expected with BMWs, there are plenty of options to make even the most discerning iX xDrive50 buyer happy, including gorgeous 21- and 22-inch wheel options (that lower your estimated range, it should be noted), $2,450 for perforated leather seating, various option packages, a $3,400 Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system, a $1,600 dynamic handling package, and more.
All in, I was able to build a fully-loaded iX xDrive50 for $107,670 — not coincidentally, that’s almost exactly what the iX M60 starts at, though the vehicle customizer for the more powerful iX is not yet live.
The Rivian R1S starts at $72,500 for the Explore package, or $78,000 for the Adventure package that upgrades the interior, the sound system, as well as ventilated seats and dual front bumper tow hooks.
That’s all with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, while a quad-motor system (with an electric motor at each wheel) is an extra $6,000. Going from the “standard” battery pack to the “large” size is another $6,000, and that’s available only with the quad-motor option.
Choosing any color paint other than silver will cost you $1,750 or $2,500, while upgrading to the 20-inch all-terrain tires or the 22-inch high-performance street tires will cost you $2,500 or $3,500 depending on which wheel option you get.
A nicer interior can cost an extra $2,000, and numerous other features add cost including cargo crossbars ($500), a Yakima three-person roof-mounted tent ($2,600), a reinforced underbody shield for protection while off-roading ($2,000).
Checking almost every box, I was able to get the Rivian R1S up to $104,625, awfully close to the fully-loaded BMW iX xDrive50. Both the Rivian and BMW products are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and various state credits.
RIVIAN R1S VS. BMW IX: RANGE
The Rivian R1S with quad-motor and large battery has an estimated range of 316 miles according to the EPA, the only configuration currently available to be rated by the agency. Rivian estimates that the dual-motor variant will rate at least 260 and 320 miles for the standard and large pack respectively.
RIVIAN R1S VS. BMW IX: CHARGING SPEED
Rivian claims its batteries can take 220 kW on a DC fast charger, with future updates pushing that to 300 kW or more. According to Rivian, that’s good for filling 140 miles of range in about 20 minutes.
BMW says its car can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 35 minutes on a 250 kW charger, or about 10 minutes to increase range by 90 miles.
RIVIAN R1S VS. BMW IX: HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE
Rivian isn’t being exact, but it says the quad-motor R1S makes more than 800 horsepower and more than 900 ft-lbs of torque. Those are astonishing, supercar numbers — and the dual-motor version should be no slouch either, producing “more than” 600 hp and 600 ft-lbs of torque.
The BMW iX xDrive50 will make a peak combined output of 516 hp. The performance-focused iX M60 has a claimed maximum system output of 610 hp and a maximum of 811 lb-ft of torque with Launch Control activated.
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