Check out Mobile Mama here on TH-cam. She focuses on these aspects of the car. Glad OoS has incorporated this sort of information into their already considerably useful reviews.
What a great ad for mini vans :) Seriously though, families need these kind of practical reviews. I think the reason you buy this is just what the Dad said- It a sports car, off-roader and van all in one car. It's a compromise, but a good compromise. And the baby will be facing forward by the time he gets his RS1 anyway.
For families with kids in car seats, it’s really hard to beat a minivan. Sliding doors are awesome, the large cargo space. Hopefully we will see all-electric minivans for families in the future.
For the price category this is in, a lightly used 6 or 7 seat Model X fits the bill pretty well if the primary focus is families with more than 2 kids. Falcon wing doors are just as good as sliding doors for infants and toddlers, speaking from personal experience. You just need to make the call of whether or not you want the "baggage" that comes from owning a Tesla.
Totally agree. Also great mpg for the size. We have moved on from the minivan period now that the kids are older and require less stuff (seats/strollers), but definitely was the best vehicle for that phase of the family.
The Honda Odyssey is probably the most practical family vehicle on the market. It was specifically built for family’s with small children in mind. Great to see how this compares to the R1S.
The Odyssey is the ultimate family truckster- With children in there 20s, ours has been gone for well over a decade, but I still miss the enormous loading capacity and shear practicality of it from time to time. However I will say my wife was never happier getting something better looking and refined, despite the drawbacks.
@Matt Gibbs, I disagree. As a mom with an outdoorsy family, I believe the R1S is more useful in the long run. I doubt they will need that big stroller within 1-2 years. My son refused to ride in the stroller at 5 yrs. That particular wagon is banned in many theme parks, including Disney parks because of it blocks entire walkways. So they will probably down size their stroller into something smaller. If you go the mountains a lot, a mini-van won’t work.
I have two kids and hate minivans but I’d buy an Odyssey if I went to the dark side. My buddy with 4 kids has one and loves it. That V6 has been around forever and is stout. Why doesn’t anyone make an SUV with minivan doors and seats?
Props for getting a full family to agree to do this. My wife will NOT drive a minivan no matter how practical it is, but the sliding door makes taking out the infant so convenient. Swing out doors are so difficult in a tight parking situation!
Nonsense!!!! Who ever brought the idea that minivans are not cool!? Are you all stupid or what!! It’s litteraly the best vehicle and it has things like vacuum cleaner, seats storage….. can be very easily modded into RV awd versions are even perfect for overlanding now if we can have performance minivan which makes no sense it could be even better I guess.
@@carholic-sz3qv Are you seriously arguing a minivan is better off road than a Tesla Model X? You already lost all credibility. Anyway, statistically speaking, what do you think the odds this guy's wife needs to go off-road? I'm pretty sure if that were the case he would have started the comment saying his wife doesn't want to minivan because she offroads often in her Suburban, but no, the emphasis was on not being caught dead in a minivan or turning into her mom. I also highly doubt he or his wife have to regularly drive through Moab on the way to daycare.
In the first 5 minutes of this video I decided to go with the minivan. As for 4 wheel drive the Toyota Sienna is available in all wheel drive. Thanks for your help.
Many infant car seat carrier bases do not require IsoFix/Latch to be secured to the seat. The Popular Doona allows for the centre seatbelt to be used, which would solve the problem presented in the video.
Basically no carseats require latch, and using seatbelt installs is generally recommended when you are trying to do three across because it gives more options(you can shift the outboard seats towards the doors to make more room). Also two year olds should definitely be rear facing, and ideally should be rearfacing till they max out the rearfacing limits(generally around 4 or so). Babies are born with a lot of cartilage that hardens into bone over time. This includes parts of their spinal column. The vertebrae in the neck only start to harden around 2 years of age and doesn't finish until as late as 7 years. The soft spine combined with preschoolers heads still being large/heavy for their size means that they are much safer rearfacing where their necks are supported in the case of a crash. It takes more effort to find the right rearfacing seat for larger kids, but my 98% nephew and 90% son were able to rearface comfortablely until 4.5 and almost 5 respectively in mid priced seats.
So why do they take away “points” for a lack of latch? I applaud the attempt here but I don’t think this solves the family hauler questions. I’d love to OoS to Collaborate w/ MobileMamaReviews or someone on topics like this.
This is the #1 BEST family-situation review I've ever seen! Every one of us family people want to see EXACTLY this. We may not have 3 yet, we need to see where the stroller fits, how adults fit with car seats in place, EXACTLY THIS. LOVE IT! I actually take car seats to the dealer and latch them in, I just should make videos, lol. I showed up to Tesla test drive with the family's EXACT luggage situation from our prior trip. They laughed all day as I unloaded on the sidewalk from the prior vehicle stating "I only need to drive it if this fits better."
Really enjoyed this different perspective on the R1S as it really highlights lots of areas for improvement. I think you should do a similar video for every EV that a family may buy. Rivian definitely needs to fix the back air vents to have a manual mode, seat belt logic doesn't work if the seats are down and you have dogs back there!
Sounds like the 7 seat R1S should’ve been build on the same wheelbase as the R1T and there should be a 5 seat version based on this R1S platform - think Yukon vs Yukon XL type models.
My exact thoughts. I was hoping this would be a replacement for my Ford Expedition but seems like its more a Ford Explorer size. In the Ford Expedition standard length you can fit a 6'4" person in each row at the same time comfortably with still a good amount of leg space in each row. I've done road trips in the 3rd row being 6'4" for a few hours just fine no complains, I highly doubt I would want to be in that 3rd row more than 20 minutes. Hoping by the time my reservation comes they will offer a longer wheel base.
The unexpected "aha" moment from this video for me was folding the second row flat for kids to climb into the third row instead of sliding the seat forward.
Fitting that infant seat in brought back memories of the week before my son was born. The only car I had was a Scion xA. We came home from buying the seat and tried installing it. We discovered that they only way to get it in was to push the passenger seat all the way forward - in which case no actual human could fit in the seat. We made an emergency trip to a car dealership that weekend.
Thanks for the review. Super helpful to see how the car seats fit. I just wanted to add that you could put an infant car seat in the middle using the seat belt…but it would be tight either way. Also, it would be REALLY annoying to try and get the infant seat out from the middle with other car seats. I’ll be honest, this review made me want a mini van lol!
We found with our kids that having the rear facing seat in the middle worked best. Also helps to keep in mind they are only in those for a limited time, the removable car seat that clips in the base will get too heavy when the kid is 6-8 months old and the fixed rear facing seats are a bit slimmer.
Wow this is the most useful review for me. This is the real review for family. Honestly, I'm more interested in a minivan now. With power door and more space, I feel like the minivan is better than R1S. I wish there was a better mini van EV.
Seeing a Rivian in person, you realize it really fits in the mid-size truck category, so, I think it’s always going to come up short versus a minivan, a Suburban and maybe even a Tahoe. I think the appeal is for people who want something more adventurous than a Pacifica or not a behemoth like a Suburban. Except for the headlight treatment, I love the Rivian. Even better in person as I’m seeing more on the road every day.
You can do 3 across including rear facing in the 2nd row. You do not need isofix, basically all car seats, including infant seats can use seatbelt only.
The seatbelt method is really uncomplicated. And as far as safety goes, there is no difference. Don't get me wrong, the LATCH system makes carseat install CAKE, but they can only be used up to a certain weight anyway. Figuring out the seat belts is a necessity in the long run. We seat three across the back of our Model Y, all 3 kids are 5 and under. Two of them were rear facing, until very recently, so now we only have one rear facing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we could make it work for our family. At first it was a little tough, and we had to find the right combination, but now it's a breeze. We can install all three car seats in about 15 minutes total. Now, let's be honest, if they eventually offer the second row captain seat or a removable middle seat, that would be gold!
The seat issue is always a challenge. Had the same problems in an X5, Tahoe, QX60. The car seats are the problem here, not the Rivian. The baby needs to go behind the shortest person, so the tallest people go next to the baby. We had challenges like this with just 2 kids. The best day ever was getting rid of the carrier/base because those things suck. I will say that you can save a TON of room by ditching the quick latch base and just use the lap belt to anchor the carrier. Especially when they are little because their feet don't stick out. We did this on any occasion where it was the whole family traveling, or adding in the grandparents because it was such a waste of room.
Hope Rivian are taking all of these suggestions to consideration! These are real life circumstances and requirements! Great job team, showcasing all the cons and recommendations!
I feel like a lot of the suggestions would make the vehicle worse for people that aren't buying it for a family. They already have forced some of those compromises on early preorder holders by getting rid of the 5 seat trim. I'd take 2 seats and a platform over 7 seats any day.
Very good video, I’ve yet to see anyone do such a thorough R1S walkthrough with an actually family. My 3 kids are 18 months apart and this wouldn’t have been practical when they were all under 5yo old. Now that they’re 8,6, and 5 this is perfect. Too bad I have to wait until 2024 for my R1S.
Part of the problem this family is having seems to be their choice of car seats. Graco’s are notoriously clunky and have subpar safety rating. I think any family with multiple kids should consider Clek’s or Diono’s if more budget minded. Much better safety ratings and smaller footprint. They’re also much easier to install, especially the Clek’s.
Feel like this comment is overly simplified. Graco definitely makes some trash, but they also make highly rated seats. I've personally had issues with Diono. Lots of decent brands. Places will usually let you test fit their floor models to size to your car.
Just an fyi any third party crash test ratings you're looking at are not reliable. The only car seat manufacturer that releases their crash data in the US is clek.
Awesome job Kyle! My kids are all grown and drive their own cars but for any family being in the market for a large EV this is the best ever. Anybody having to fit car seats in the Rivian has a good take away from the loading test.
This was no joke the best review I’ve seen in this car. Given that our family is growing this just seems to logistically difficult with multiple kids and a dog and a tall husband. Looks like I’m headed to minivan land after all! darn!
It’s the only way a review should be done. There are a lot of great TH-cam reviewers but things like this, along with Mobile Momma, mean that you can get a sense of what *actually living with the vehicle* is like, rather than the sort of advertorials that so many other car reviewers push on YouuTube. At the very least, every reviewer should show a rear-facing car seat (maybe something big like a Foonf) in the back of SUVs and Crossovers- just for a moment- so we get an idea of how fam friendly the vehicle is. Car seats are also a great proxy for leg room. A six foot person can sit in the back, but are they more leggy? Or all torso? There’s less YMMV with a huge car seat in the back consistently showing legroom. It’s why a lot of friends went Model Y- really impressive leg room as demonstrated with a car seat.
@@dwayned.5238 I fit a Foonf in the back seat of my 2017 VW golf Alltrack pretty easily. My wife is a lot shorter than Alyssa though 😸 currently rocking the Foonf forward facing in my ID4.
Very much helps to have kids who are willing to climb in, resistance is much more common which normal means a parent climbing in to buckle kids in whilst trying to persuade them to sit still/sit up/stay in the seat/not press the release button
Thank you for doing this! Props to that family for being test subjects. Have one kid and will have another so should be plenty of space for us. To me, this is the only electric SUV that can do a little bit of everything.
I have an R1S coming this year and currently have a '23 Palisade. The one thing that really sets the two apart for me, having a 4 and 2-year old, is the lack of second-row pilot seats. That is probably the singular reason I'll keep the Palisade as we have parents visit frequently. Right now we can keep the kids in the second row, and adults can still route through the center to the 3rd row, which is quite spacious and comfy. I'm not a fan of either putting one child in the 3rd row, or moving a car seat in and out of the 2nd to allow access to the 3rd row.
I believe all car seats have to be able to use the shoulder belts. Latch is an extra. I often used the shoulder belts on our cars because the latch hooks weren't certified for multiple seats on one hook, they were a pain, and I could tight more leverage on the shoulder belt
Thanks for doing a family review! I second the person that commented the newborn can use seatbelt as anchor - there is no difference in safety from an engineering standpoint. I also have a 4yo, 2yo, and 3mo old with a Tesla Model 3P and Subaru Ascent. I would like to know the weight of that 2 year old sitting forward facing - normally it’s 40lbs for convertible car seats. She should most likely be required to sit backwards facing which then would make the most convenient configuration as forward facing 4yo in back and the 2 other seats in the middle. What we’ve found - before you put newborn in, slide seat forward to allow 4yo in, then slide back. Stroller slid in after other 3rd row seat folded down. As a side note, 3 slim fit car seats, a 70lb German Shepard on floor with no transmission tunnel, a 2 seat stadium seating stroller, pack and play, a 6’2” male and 5’6” female fit in the Model 3P. It’s a sight to behold!
Please do more of these. I've had to take the whole family to try out different vehicles. I just tried fitting two boosters and a car seat in the rear bench of the CyberTruck; it was real tight. The F150 Lightning fits the three comfortably, and turned out to be best family road trip vehicle except for range. We actually chose it over the Yukon for a 2k mile round trip to Colorado. The Silverado EV RST also fits 3 comfortably. Anyway, just saying I'm sure there's more of us out there that would like to see how the space works. Based on what's available in the EV space, I don't think we're giving up the Yukon Denali Duramax as the main family hauler just yet.
Thank you for that! As a family with kids it was great seeing how things fit. If the option was available I rather go for the longer wheel base. Even 5in would help so much! Granted the car still needs to fit in a typical garage.
Legitimately have been researching this sort of thing for all sorts of cars, from the R1S, X5, Model S, etc. So difficult to find actual information except for front passengers who are 5'6". Putting a 6' passenger in the front with a rear-facing car seat is super helpful to see!
It would be interesting to see the year later follow up. I bet they seriously miss this sliding doors on the van. That was a game changer for my kids when we moved from a Tahoe to a Sienna.
This is great content. Almost exactly my use case. Excellent real life stuff. My Veer baby wagon folds a bit skinnier. Just barely fits in the back of a model Y, and the accessories eat up the rest. Folding the 3rd row down and the larger frunk makes this better for road trips than the MY. Keeping the Y (it's fantastic) and replacing my 1/4-life crisis coupe with the R1S 2nd gen. You should do this again with the same family for the Gen 2. I'd love to hear their "after" story!
What a great video ❤ I mean this might stop me from buying a R1S and look for a minivan, but seriously, we need this type of practical review. Can’t thank you enough for this!
Wow.... this was a great review for families! I currently have 2021 Honda Odyssey too and was thinking about to reserve R1S. You guys nailed every points that I was curious about!! Thank you!
If your young family exceeds 4 you cant really go wrong with a minivan. I know some people hate them but the shear practicality of the amount of space you get with a van cant be beat.
Great video to show a more practical prospective of the Rivian. Our kids are a little older so we just have a booster seat which makes things easier. One area the Rivian really lacks in is interior storage and cup holders. This is a 7 seat suv and only has a couple of permanent and two pull out cup holders (if using all seats). Really an oversight or prioritizing style over function. I mean who doesn’t travel with a water bottle or coffee?
I imagine the shorter length is to accommodate more garage space lengths. An R1T physically would not fit into my CA Bay Area garage, but the R1S will!
Great review, more of these please :) KIa Ev9 and when the EX90 arrives as well :) One thing which I noticed was though that when the stroller was in the cargo there was not much space left for anythingelse.
I am ao glad i found this channel. By far the best reviews. Technical knowledge and approachable. We are co sidwring an R1S for our growing family. Have a 1 year old and will start working on #2 soon. I love the rivian but have been worried about this. Really wish theh made am R1SL that is longer and eith captains chairs
This is very very tight for a family of five with carseats. Not to mention how hard it will be to get back to the third row if your child need helps buckling or unbuckling
Being a longtime car and truck enthusiast, I would recommend Diono car seats. Game changers. The basic Graco and common brands are too bulky and take up too much space. Did the sunroof not having a retractable cover not bother you guys at all as a current or summer month annoyance? I literally just found out there is not retractable interior sunroof cover and it's kind of a deal breaker for me
Thank you for this video. This answers a lot of questions for people with families. I was surprised that the front passenger seat can’t fit a 6ft person comfortably unless the seat is back much more.
Loving this new type of review, haha. And lovely girls cooperating too. With a rearward facing car seat behind, you sadly have to accept to have the back of the seat in front a bit more upright than you'd like in many cars... I'm sure many have said before already but Isofix is the European standard and LATCH is the one in US. I much prefer the LATCH system from a usability standpoint (Don't know from a safety standpoint but I'm sure its good enough). Our family have one LATCH car seat for our travels in the US, one Isofix seat for our own car in the UK and one just strap it in with the seatbelt car seat for our travels in Europe. (European rental cars are tiny in comparison...) There's nothing wrong with a minivan... Or Daddy wagon as we like to call them. Booked one for our first US visit post baby and got a Toyota Sienna rental. With the 3rd row down we got all our luggage, a Radio flyer wagon to bring back to Europe similar to what your family had, and our baby stroller not even collapsed in the trunk. Certainly practical and with US size roads and parking lots it didn't even feel big. Truly brilliant! But... still prefer to try other more normal cars so have rented a SUV size (as usual) since haha, still enough space. Thanks for this new angle of review. I'd love an R1S (Or T) in UK but think it will still be massive. It's even wife approved too. Hoping to be able to rent EVs (these in particular) in the US as we usually do in Europe soon. (Hopefully you wouldn't need a million different charging apps to charge without being ripped off as in Europe too)
Once the KIA EV9 comes out I'm curious how that would compare to the R1S given the EV9 has almost the same design as their popular gas powered KIA Telluride. The EV9 would have the same range as the R1S and faster charging speed also.
This why I have a long wheelbase Expedition. Three row SUVs rarely have adequate cargo space. You can carry people, or stuff, but not both...unless you get the long wheelbase.
Kyle- Can you fold the middle seat of the 2nd row flat while keeping both of the outside 2nd row seats up? I like the option of just throwing skis inside. Also, with some vehicles we have had this has been the easiest way for the kids to get to the 3rd row without having to mess with folding the outside seats with car seats installed.
I was hoping this was bigger than a model X, I currently have the exact same car seat setup you used and it fits better in the model X. Was looking forward to an R1S, now not so much anymore, it’s too small.
You don’t *need* LATCH anchors. You can put the rear facing seat in the middle of the second row using the seat belt, which is actually stronger than the LATCH anchors.
This is like a smaller 3 row suv. Still not as good as a minivan would be. Like I can’t imagine doing all these for and aft seat changes and stuff and then gotta ride cramped for a road trip. Minivan is still the best.
This is probably a dumb question/request in the grand scheme of things, but could you please compare the R1S to a Chevy Tahoe? I always drove Tahoes and Suburbans until I bought my Model Y and while I love the Y I miss driving a big suv. I'm so torn whether to order an R1S or a Silverado EV or just wait until GM eventually makes an electric version of the Tahoe.
This might not be for the car seat base that they have but you don’t need anchors to install an infant car seat nor a car seat base. You can install infant bases and car seats in the middle seat with a seatbelt. Installing with a seatbelt is good for children that weigh more because anchors have weight limits.
I also said I’d never own an MPV (minivan), but ended up with one. Ditched it as soon as we were down from three car seats. Wish the R1S was available in the UK, it would be the perfect replacement for our Landrover Discovery (no real 7 seater EV options in the UK)
@@PD-we8vf Incorrect. Electric trucks emit ~2.3 tons of C02 per year (if solely relying on the grid) versus a 25 mpg F-150 that emits 6.7 tons of C02 per year. If you have solar panels and charge your Electric truck off of solar energy then you are driving on 100% renewable energy. At present, ICE cars do take much less C02 to produce (~6.5 tons versus ~16 tons). But by 30,000 miles driven, even charging directly from the grid, Electric Trucks catch up, before then saving 4.4 tons of emissions per year for the remainder of its lifespan. As the grid continues to use more renewables, driving electric will continue to provide further CO2 reductions. As more EVs are built, the production efficiency will also decrease C02 usage. Source: th-cam.com/video/ZcLoimQD6qE/w-d-xo.html
@@PD-we8vf poorer than the church mouse 😂 but regardless you are wrong, EVs are the greener option regardless of how you compare it as this video will explain. th-cam.com/video/rdqtFXyDLIo/w-d-xo.html
I think that double stroller is one of the largest in the market. I have a Veer Wagon which do not fold much as well. and end up purchasing another "sit and stand" double stroller since it s not compact and a lot lighter..
12:10 of the video …. Definitely understand..: that’s my main issue too with finding a vehicle to sit comfortable on road trips where I’m 6’2 and I have a newborn baby in back of me so the car seat has to stay in safe position. Tall people problems.
What a beautiful family. Congratulations. Excellent all around vehicle, but people saying it's expensive are not wrong, also range needs to be much higher. At least 400. Little kids have emergencies, car needs to be ready to roll all the time....
6:26 the donut fit, does the tire fits too? I thought the donuts are smaller than actual tires. May be once flat, it might fit? Can you deflate a tire and see if it would fit fine? Thanks
I still find Americans' hate for minivans funny. I once said the Tesla Model X and Y are more like minivans than SUVs, and the fans are really offended. Short hood, blob shape, low ground clearance, they are minivans! Maybe not like the boxy Honda and Toyota, but more like the smaller ones such as Mazda 5. Tesla probably knows calling them minivans will hurt marketing.
I have never seen a review like this before. Actual advice for real families. Thank you.
Check out Mobile Mama here on TH-cam. She focuses on these aspects of the car. Glad OoS has incorporated this sort of information into their already considerably useful reviews.
What a great ad for mini vans :) Seriously though, families need these kind of practical reviews. I think the reason you buy this is just what the Dad said- It a sports car, off-roader and van all in one car. It's a compromise, but a good compromise. And the baby will be facing forward by the time he gets his RS1 anyway.
For families with kids in car seats, it’s really hard to beat a minivan. Sliding doors are awesome, the large cargo space. Hopefully we will see all-electric minivans for families in the future.
I would rather strap my kid to the roof than drive a minivan. I will die on that hill.
@@willd12 your loss if your ego is so fragile that you feel it is threatened by driving a highly practical and comfortable vehicle.
@@cypvh74 that’s exactly it. Good catch.
For the price category this is in, a lightly used 6 or 7 seat Model X fits the bill pretty well if the primary focus is families with more than 2 kids. Falcon wing doors are just as good as sliding doors for infants and toddlers, speaking from personal experience. You just need to make the call of whether or not you want the "baggage" that comes from owning a Tesla.
Totally agree. Also great mpg for the size. We have moved on from the minivan period now that the kids are older and require less stuff (seats/strollers), but definitely was the best vehicle for that phase of the family.
The Honda Odyssey is probably the most practical family vehicle on the market. It was specifically built for family’s with small children in mind. Great to see how this compares to the R1S.
Only the owner/family could decide for sure but the R1S almost seems like an expensive way to sacrifice functionality for a family like this.
The Odyssey is the ultimate family truckster- With children in there 20s, ours has been gone for well over a decade, but I still miss the enormous loading capacity and shear practicality of it from time to time. However I will say my wife was never happier getting something better looking and refined, despite the drawbacks.
@Matt Gibbs, I disagree. As a mom with an outdoorsy family, I believe the R1S is more useful in the long run. I doubt they will need that big stroller within 1-2 years. My son refused to ride in the stroller at 5 yrs. That particular wagon is banned in many theme parks, including Disney parks because of it blocks entire walkways. So they will probably down size their stroller into something smaller. If you go the mountains a lot, a mini-van won’t work.
I have two kids and hate minivans but I’d buy an Odyssey if I went to the dark side. My buddy with 4 kids has one and loves it. That V6 has been around forever and is stout. Why doesn’t anyone make an SUV with minivan doors and seats?
Ew
Props for getting a full family to agree to do this. My wife will NOT drive a minivan no matter how practical it is, but the sliding door makes taking out the infant so convenient. Swing out doors are so difficult in a tight parking situation!
Model X?
Nonsense!!!! Who ever brought the idea that minivans are not cool!? Are you all stupid or what!! It’s litteraly the best vehicle and it has things like vacuum cleaner, seats storage….. can be very easily modded into RV awd versions are even perfect for overlanding now if we can have performance minivan which makes no sense it could be even better I guess.
@@xsterawesome lol….it’s terrible offroad ground clearance is trash!!!
@@carholic-sz3qv Are you seriously arguing a minivan is better off road than a Tesla Model X? You already lost all credibility. Anyway, statistically speaking, what do you think the odds this guy's wife needs to go off-road?
I'm pretty sure if that were the case he would have started the comment saying his wife doesn't want to minivan because she offroads often in her Suburban, but no, the emphasis was on not being caught dead in a minivan or turning into her mom.
I also highly doubt he or his wife have to regularly drive through Moab on the way to daycare.
When you opened that front trunk, my first thought was, "you could probably get at least two kids in there."
One spare tire or two spare kids. Tough to say which wins out.
It’s a 9 seater!
With a drain, so…the possibilities….
In the first 5 minutes of this video I decided to go with the minivan. As for 4 wheel drive the Toyota Sienna is available in all wheel drive. Thanks for your help.
Yes, exactly the same feeling here. Basically means the 3rd row seats are pretty useless for long trips.
Many infant car seat carrier bases do not require IsoFix/Latch to be secured to the seat. The Popular Doona allows for the centre seatbelt to be used, which would solve the problem presented in the video.
Basically no carseats require latch, and using seatbelt installs is generally recommended when you are trying to do three across because it gives more options(you can shift the outboard seats towards the doors to make more room). Also two year olds should definitely be rear facing, and ideally should be rearfacing till they max out the rearfacing limits(generally around 4 or so).
Babies are born with a lot of cartilage that hardens into bone over time. This includes parts of their spinal column. The vertebrae in the neck only start to harden around 2 years of age and doesn't finish until as late as 7 years. The soft spine combined with preschoolers heads still being large/heavy for their size means that they are much safer rearfacing where their necks are supported in the case of a crash. It takes more effort to find the right rearfacing seat for larger kids, but my 98% nephew and 90% son were able to rearface comfortablely until 4.5 and almost 5 respectively in mid priced seats.
So why do they take away “points” for a lack of latch?
I applaud the attempt here but I don’t think this solves the family hauler questions.
I’d love to OoS to Collaborate w/ MobileMamaReviews or someone on topics like this.
This is the #1 BEST family-situation review I've ever seen! Every one of us family people want to see EXACTLY this. We may not have 3 yet, we need to see where the stroller fits, how adults fit with car seats in place, EXACTLY THIS. LOVE IT! I actually take car seats to the dealer and latch them in, I just should make videos, lol. I showed up to Tesla test drive with the family's EXACT luggage situation from our prior trip. They laughed all day as I unloaded on the sidewalk from the prior vehicle stating "I only need to drive it if this fits better."
Really enjoyed this different perspective on the R1S as it really highlights lots of areas for improvement. I think you should do a similar video for every EV that a family may buy.
Rivian definitely needs to fix the back air vents to have a manual mode, seat belt logic doesn't work if the seats are down and you have dogs back there!
Sounds like the 7 seat R1S should’ve been build on the same wheelbase as the R1T and there should be a 5 seat version based on this R1S platform - think Yukon vs Yukon XL type models.
My exact thoughts. I was hoping this would be a replacement for my Ford Expedition but seems like its more a Ford Explorer size. In the Ford Expedition standard length you can fit a 6'4" person in each row at the same time comfortably with still a good amount of leg space in each row. I've done road trips in the 3rd row being 6'4" for a few hours just fine no complains, I highly doubt I would want to be in that 3rd row more than 20 minutes. Hoping by the time my reservation comes they will offer a longer wheel base.
The most helpful family test I have seen it. It is also very helpful for Rivian.
Definitely makes me NOT want a Rivian.
The unexpected "aha" moment from this video for me was folding the second row flat for kids to climb into the third row instead of sliding the seat forward.
Great video for families to see the reality of this vehicle. the rear facing infant seats are certainly a challenge for a lot of vehicles.
Fitting that infant seat in brought back memories of the week before my son was born. The only car I had was a Scion xA. We came home from buying the seat and tried installing it. We discovered that they only way to get it in was to push the passenger seat all the way forward - in which case no actual human could fit in the seat. We made an emergency trip to a car dealership that weekend.
Thanks for the review. Super helpful to see how the car seats fit. I just wanted to add that you could put an infant car seat in the middle using the seat belt…but it would be tight either way. Also, it would be REALLY annoying to try and get the infant seat out from the middle with other car seats. I’ll be honest, this review made me want a mini van lol!
We found with our kids that having the rear facing seat in the middle worked best. Also helps to keep in mind they are only in those for a limited time, the removable car seat that clips in the base will get too heavy when the kid is 6-8 months old and the fixed rear facing seats are a bit slimmer.
#VanLife
Wow this is the most useful review for me. This is the real review for family. Honestly, I'm more interested in a minivan now. With power door and more space, I feel like the minivan is better than R1S. I wish there was a better mini van EV.
Seeing a Rivian in person, you realize it really fits in the mid-size truck category, so, I think it’s always going to come up short versus a minivan, a Suburban and maybe even a Tahoe. I think the appeal is for people who want something more adventurous than a Pacifica or not a behemoth like a Suburban. Except for the headlight treatment, I love the Rivian. Even better in person as I’m seeing more on the road every day.
You can do 3 across including rear facing in the 2nd row. You do not need isofix, basically all car seats, including infant seats can use seatbelt only.
Installing a car seat with seat belts only is a pain. LATCH is much easier.
The seatbelt method is really uncomplicated. And as far as safety goes, there is no difference. Don't get me wrong, the LATCH system makes carseat install CAKE, but they can only be used up to a certain weight anyway. Figuring out the seat belts is a necessity in the long run.
We seat three across the back of our Model Y, all 3 kids are 5 and under. Two of them were rear facing, until very recently, so now we only have one rear facing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we could make it work for our family. At first it was a little tough, and we had to find the right combination, but now it's a breeze. We can install all three car seats in about 15 minutes total.
Now, let's be honest, if they eventually offer the second row captain seat or a removable middle seat, that would be gold!
@@lh2338 likewise, we have 3 across in our model 3, no issue.
The seat issue is always a challenge. Had the same problems in an X5, Tahoe, QX60. The car seats are the problem here, not the Rivian. The baby needs to go behind the shortest person, so the tallest people go next to the baby. We had challenges like this with just 2 kids. The best day ever was getting rid of the carrier/base because those things suck. I will say that you can save a TON of room by ditching the quick latch base and just use the lap belt to anchor the carrier. Especially when they are little because their feet don't stick out. We did this on any occasion where it was the whole family traveling, or adding in the grandparents because it was such a waste of room.
Hope Rivian are taking all of these suggestions to consideration! These are real life circumstances and requirements! Great job team, showcasing all the cons and recommendations!
I feel like a lot of the suggestions would make the vehicle worse for people that aren't buying it for a family. They already have forced some of those compromises on early preorder holders by getting rid of the 5 seat trim. I'd take 2 seats and a platform over 7 seats any day.
That rear gate is a definite ER trip for some head stitches after a family day out with the kids running around the car.
That rear AC issue is a big one we live in Texas and we would never know that the kids weren't getting AC in the back
Very good video, I’ve yet to see anyone do such a thorough R1S walkthrough with an actually family.
My 3 kids are 18 months apart and this wouldn’t have been practical when they were all under 5yo old. Now that they’re 8,6, and 5 this is perfect.
Too bad I have to wait until 2024 for my R1S.
Love it, thanks for the review Kyle and we agree having it built on the longer wheel base would be a great option!
Part of the problem this family is having seems to be their choice of car seats. Graco’s are notoriously clunky and have subpar safety rating. I think any family with multiple kids should consider Clek’s or Diono’s if more budget minded. Much better safety ratings and smaller footprint. They’re also much easier to install, especially the Clek’s.
Feel like this comment is overly simplified. Graco definitely makes some trash, but they also make highly rated seats. I've personally had issues with Diono. Lots of decent brands. Places will usually let you test fit their floor models to size to your car.
Just an fyi any third party crash test ratings you're looking at are not reliable. The only car seat manufacturer that releases their crash data in the US is clek.
Awesome job Kyle! My kids are all grown and drive their own cars but for any family being in the market for a large EV this is the best ever. Anybody having to fit car seats in the Rivian has a good take away from the loading test.
This is the best review for families with smaller kids on the R1S! Thank you!
This was no joke the best review I’ve seen in this car. Given that our family is growing this just seems to logistically difficult with multiple kids and a dog and a tall husband. Looks like I’m headed to minivan land after all! darn!
Great test! Would have been interesting to see if Kyle/Alyssa could fit in the Odyssey with everyone loaded as a reference comparison...
If the Oddassy was electric it has all you need . They are paying more and losing room
Leave it to Kyle to get an actual family for a review.. minivan and all 😂
It’s the only way a review should be done. There are a lot of great TH-cam reviewers but things like this, along with Mobile Momma, mean that you can get a sense of what *actually living with the vehicle* is like, rather than the sort of advertorials that so many other car reviewers push on YouuTube. At the very least, every reviewer should show a rear-facing car seat (maybe something big like a Foonf) in the back of SUVs and Crossovers- just for a moment- so we get an idea of how fam friendly the vehicle is. Car seats are also a great proxy for leg room. A six foot person can sit in the back, but are they more leggy? Or all torso? There’s less YMMV with a huge car seat in the back consistently showing legroom. It’s why a lot of friends went Model Y- really impressive leg room as demonstrated with a car seat.
@@dwayned.5238 I fit a Foonf in the back seat of my 2017 VW golf Alltrack pretty easily. My wife is a lot shorter than Alyssa though 😸 currently rocking the Foonf forward facing in my ID4.
Very informative. I'm surprised that the R1S didn't prove as versatile and roomy as I anticipated.
Very much helps to have kids who are willing to climb in, resistance is much more common which normal means a parent climbing in to buckle kids in whilst trying to persuade them to sit still/sit up/stay in the seat/not press the release button
Thank you for doing this! Props to that family for being test subjects. Have one kid and will have another so should be plenty of space for us. To me, this is the only electric SUV that can do a little bit of everything.
I have an R1S coming this year and currently have a '23 Palisade. The one thing that really sets the two apart for me, having a 4 and 2-year old, is the lack of second-row pilot seats. That is probably the singular reason I'll keep the Palisade as we have parents visit frequently. Right now we can keep the kids in the second row, and adults can still route through the center to the 3rd row, which is quite spacious and comfy. I'm not a fan of either putting one child in the 3rd row, or moving a car seat in and out of the 2nd to allow access to the 3rd row.
Would love to see Rivian make a minivan with rear sliding doors, AWD, and a bit of ground clearance.
The way their motors and everything are set up it would probably look like a Ford Flex. Interesting…..
Great review, thanks! It doesn't look as roomy or as comfortable as I thought it was. Very useful info.
Some rear facing seats can use seatbelt attachments instead of the iso-fix latches.
I believe all car seats have to be able to use the shoulder belts. Latch is an extra. I often used the shoulder belts on our cars because the latch hooks weren't certified for multiple seats on one hook, they were a pain, and I could tight more leverage on the shoulder belt
Thanks for doing a family review! I second the person that commented the newborn can use seatbelt as anchor - there is no difference in safety from an engineering standpoint. I also have a 4yo, 2yo, and 3mo old with a Tesla Model 3P and Subaru Ascent. I would like to know the weight of that 2 year old sitting forward facing - normally it’s 40lbs for convertible car seats. She should most likely be required to sit backwards facing which then would make the most convenient configuration as forward facing 4yo in back and the 2 other seats in the middle. What we’ve found - before you put newborn in, slide seat forward to allow 4yo in, then slide back. Stroller slid in after other 3rd row seat folded down. As a side note, 3 slim fit car seats, a 70lb German Shepard on floor with no transmission tunnel, a 2 seat stadium seating stroller, pack and play, a 6’2” male and 5’6” female fit in the Model 3P. It’s a sight to behold!
Please do more of these. I've had to take the whole family to try out different vehicles. I just tried fitting two boosters and a car seat in the rear bench of the CyberTruck; it was real tight. The F150 Lightning fits the three comfortably, and turned out to be best family road trip vehicle except for range. We actually chose it over the Yukon for a 2k mile round trip to Colorado. The Silverado EV RST also fits 3 comfortably. Anyway, just saying I'm sure there's more of us out there that would like to see how the space works. Based on what's available in the EV space, I don't think we're giving up the Yukon Denali Duramax as the main family hauler just yet.
A bit tighter in there than I expected, but I love the lateral sliding on the 2nd row.
That would be back-breaking to have to lean in there to get the kids buckled in the 3rd row.
Yeah why didnt they show that?
This is actually a really good review of the r1S! Gives more perspective on what’s more family friendly and what’s not!
Thank you for that! As a family with kids it was great seeing how things fit. If the option was available I rather go for the longer wheel base. Even 5in would help so much! Granted the car still needs to fit in a typical garage.
Legitimately have been researching this sort of thing for all sorts of cars, from the R1S, X5, Model S, etc. So difficult to find actual information except for front passengers who are 5'6". Putting a 6' passenger in the front with a rear-facing car seat is super helpful to see!
It would be interesting to see the year later follow up. I bet they seriously miss this sliding doors on the van. That was a game changer for my kids when we moved from a Tahoe to a Sienna.
The R1S is as family-oriented as a Range Rover. Perhaps future Rivian models will be more family-friendly.
This is great content. Almost exactly my use case. Excellent real life stuff. My Veer baby wagon folds a bit skinnier. Just barely fits in the back of a model Y, and the accessories eat up the rest. Folding the 3rd row down and the larger frunk makes this better for road trips than the MY. Keeping the Y (it's fantastic) and replacing my 1/4-life crisis coupe with the R1S 2nd gen.
You should do this again with the same family for the Gen 2. I'd love to hear their "after" story!
What a great video ❤ I mean this might stop me from buying a R1S and look for a minivan, but seriously, we need this type of practical review. Can’t thank you enough for this!
Wow.... this was a great review for families! I currently have 2021 Honda Odyssey too and was thinking about to reserve R1S. You guys nailed every points that I was curious about!! Thank you!
So what's your verdict? Keeping the Odyssey?
Love the C5 allroad too! I miss my 6mt allroad everyday!
If your young family exceeds 4 you cant really go wrong with a minivan. I know some people hate them but the shear practicality of the amount of space you get with a van cant be beat.
I’m considering an r1s and this is the review I needed as I have a large family and would be switching from an odyssey
Great video to show a more practical prospective of the Rivian. Our kids are a little older so we just have a booster seat which makes things easier. One area the Rivian really lacks in is interior storage and cup holders. This is a 7 seat suv and only has a couple of permanent and two pull out cup holders (if using all seats). Really an oversight or prioritizing style over function. I mean who doesn’t travel with a water bottle or coffee?
I plan on doing a review for the R1S with my 3 year old and 1 year old Twins this November
for a big family, mini-van is the way to go..or go for Yukon, Tahoe, Sequoia etc.
I imagine the shorter length is to accommodate more garage space lengths. An R1T physically would not fit into my CA Bay Area garage, but the R1S will!
Great review, more of these please :) KIa Ev9 and when the EX90 arrives as well :) One thing which I noticed was though that when the stroller was in the cargo there was not much space left for anythingelse.
This video was so helpful showing us all, what it would look like daily.
I am ao glad i found this channel. By far the best reviews. Technical knowledge and approachable.
We are co sidwring an R1S for our growing family. Have a 1 year old and will start working on #2 soon. I love the rivian but have been worried about this. Really wish theh made am R1SL that is longer and eith captains chairs
This is very very tight for a family of five with carseats. Not to mention how hard it will be to get back to the third row if your child need helps buckling or unbuckling
I would love to see this style video of them trying to fit all their gear in a Model X to see how that goes.
Being a longtime car and truck enthusiast, I would recommend Diono car seats. Game changers. The basic Graco and common brands are too bulky and take up too much space. Did the sunroof not having a retractable cover not bother you guys at all as a current or summer month annoyance? I literally just found out there is not retractable interior sunroof cover and it's kind of a deal breaker for me
Wow I appreciate a family centric review so much, super helpful, please do the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90 next for family centric!
Thank you for this video. This answers a lot of questions for people with families. I was surprised that the front passenger seat can’t fit a 6ft person comfortably unless the seat is back much more.
Thanks to Colton for bringing the family out. Can't be easy with 3 little ones.
This is an amazing kind of video. It’s hard to imagine just by reading dimensions. Hope more such videos are made. Well done and thanks for sharing
Loving this new type of review, haha. And lovely girls cooperating too.
With a rearward facing car seat behind, you sadly have to accept to have the back of the seat in front a bit more upright than you'd like in many cars... I'm sure many have said before already but Isofix is the European standard and LATCH is the one in US. I much prefer the LATCH system from a usability standpoint (Don't know from a safety standpoint but I'm sure its good enough). Our family have one LATCH car seat for our travels in the US, one Isofix seat for our own car in the UK and one just strap it in with the seatbelt car seat for our travels in Europe. (European rental cars are tiny in comparison...)
There's nothing wrong with a minivan... Or Daddy wagon as we like to call them. Booked one for our first US visit post baby and got a Toyota Sienna rental. With the 3rd row down we got all our luggage, a Radio flyer wagon to bring back to Europe similar to what your family had, and our baby stroller not even collapsed in the trunk. Certainly practical and with US size roads and parking lots it didn't even feel big. Truly brilliant! But... still prefer to try other more normal cars so have rented a SUV size (as usual) since haha, still enough space.
Thanks for this new angle of review. I'd love an R1S (Or T) in UK but think it will still be massive. It's even wife approved too. Hoping to be able to rent EVs (these in particular) in the US as we usually do in Europe soon. (Hopefully you wouldn't need a million different charging apps to charge without being ripped off as in Europe too)
I hope Rivian and Minivans are taking notes on all of this.
Cant wait for an electric minivan.
Once the KIA EV9 comes out I'm curious how that would compare to the R1S given the EV9 has almost the same design as their popular gas powered KIA Telluride. The EV9 would have the same range as the R1S and faster charging speed also.
This why I have a long wheelbase Expedition. Three row SUVs rarely have adequate cargo space. You can carry people, or stuff, but not both...unless you get the long wheelbase.
Thank you for thinking of us with families. Extremely helpful review!
2:54 as a former X5 customer, actually I find non-power lower lift gate is better, have been accidently opened the gate all time.
Kyle- Can you fold the middle seat of the 2nd row flat while keeping both of the outside 2nd row seats up? I like the option of just throwing skis inside. Also, with some vehicles we have had this has been the easiest way for the kids to get to the 3rd row without having to mess with folding the outside seats with car seats installed.
I've connected the car seat latch on a 2018 4runner using the latch on the closet latch to the middle seat to lock the car seat in the middle
I was hoping this was bigger than a model X, I currently have the exact same car seat setup you used and it fits better in the model X. Was looking forward to an R1S, now not so much anymore, it’s too small.
You don’t *need* LATCH anchors. You can put the rear facing seat in the middle of the second row using the seat belt, which is actually stronger than the LATCH anchors.
This is like a smaller 3 row suv. Still not as good as a minivan would be. Like I can’t imagine doing all these for and aft seat changes and stuff and then gotta ride cramped for a road trip. Minivan is still the best.
Thanks so much, was definitely curious about sitting infront of the car seat
This is such a practical review. Helped me a lot in making my decision. Thank you.
This is probably a dumb question/request in the grand scheme of things, but could you please compare the R1S to a Chevy Tahoe? I always drove Tahoes and Suburbans until I bought my Model Y and while I love the Y I miss driving a big suv. I'm so torn whether to order an R1S or a Silverado EV or just wait until GM eventually makes an electric version of the Tahoe.
This might not be for the car seat base that they have but you don’t need anchors to install an infant car seat nor a car seat base. You can install infant bases and car seats in the middle seat with a seatbelt. Installing with a seatbelt is good for children that weigh more because anchors have weight limits.
I also said I’d never own an MPV (minivan), but ended up with one. Ditched it as soon as we were down from three car seats. Wish the R1S was available in the UK, it would be the perfect replacement for our Landrover Discovery (no real 7 seater EV options in the UK)
How rich are you? All that money and you can’t even understand that the carbon footprint of an ev is larger than a petrol car?
@@PD-we8vf Incorrect. Electric trucks emit ~2.3 tons of C02 per year (if solely relying on the grid) versus a 25 mpg F-150 that emits 6.7 tons of C02 per year. If you have solar panels and charge your Electric truck off of solar energy then you are driving on 100% renewable energy. At present, ICE cars do take much less C02 to produce (~6.5 tons versus ~16 tons). But by 30,000 miles driven, even charging directly from the grid, Electric Trucks catch up, before then saving 4.4 tons of emissions per year for the remainder of its lifespan. As the grid continues to use more renewables, driving electric will continue to provide further CO2 reductions. As more EVs are built, the production efficiency will also decrease C02 usage. Source: th-cam.com/video/ZcLoimQD6qE/w-d-xo.html
@@PD-we8vf poorer than the church mouse 😂 but regardless you are wrong, EVs are the greener option regardless of how you compare it as this video will explain. th-cam.com/video/rdqtFXyDLIo/w-d-xo.html
I got my R1S window. Sometime 2024. Prettt excited. Love the content.
I think that double stroller is one of the largest in the market. I have a Veer Wagon which do not fold much as well. and end up purchasing another "sit and stand" double stroller since it
s not compact and a lot lighter..
12:10 of the video …. Definitely understand..: that’s my main issue too with finding a vehicle to sit comfortable on road trips where I’m 6’2 and I have a newborn baby in back of me so the car seat has to stay in safe position.
Tall people problems.
Great review video for families. Thank you.
Looking forward to seeing one of these for the ID Buzzz
My take home? I’m so glad my kids are out of those infant seats. Boosters and forward facing car seats are so much easier
I don't think I'd bother shifting the spare tyre. The frunk is enormous and easily accessible! Great review though.
You can use a seatbelt to secure rear facing in the center
Same wheel base as R1T plus 6 seat variation would be awesome!
I'm sure the third row vents could be fixed with a software toggle. Great video all around, very informative.
I don’t have children but thought this video was quite interesting seeing the family needs put to the test.
This is a awsome review. Im in the same boat with 3 kiddos.
What a beautiful family. Congratulations. Excellent all around vehicle, but people saying it's expensive are not wrong, also range needs to be much higher. At least 400. Little kids have emergencies, car needs to be ready to roll all the time....
6:26 the donut fit, does the tire fits too? I thought the donuts are smaller than actual tires. May be once flat, it might fit? Can you deflate a tire and see if it would fit fine? Thanks
I have a wife, two teens, and an Australian Shepherd. This is the perfect size for me. I would not have ordered it if it was any larger.
That stroller is a monster!
13:48 would it have been better design and cheaper to keep the SUV the same size as the truck so only the body pannel would be different?
I would be interested in seeing a review of the defender 130 in this format.
I still find Americans' hate for minivans funny. I once said the Tesla Model X and Y are more like minivans than SUVs, and the fans are really offended. Short hood, blob shape, low ground clearance, they are minivans! Maybe not like the boxy Honda and Toyota, but more like the smaller ones such as Mazda 5. Tesla probably knows calling them minivans will hurt marketing.