A new Rivian R1S driver has been showing her car off in a series of social media videos. TikTok user Whitney Haley (@tennesseewhitney) calls the vehicle “the ultimate mom car” in a recent post. But is the SUV a good choice for moms?
First, the pricey elephant in the room needs to be addressed: CarsDirect data shows the base model Rivian R1s retails at more than $75,000 brand new and could go higher than $100,000, which means that even with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, the car will cost drivers a pretty penny. But even if you are cool with spending that much money on an EV, is it still a good option for parents?
Rivian R1S Offers Up Plenty Of Space
According to U.S. News and World Report, there’s a good amount of room for passengers and hauling their various effects while cruising around in a Rivian R1S. Behind the car’s third row alone, passengers can utilize 17.6 cubic feet of space. With the third row folded down, that goes up to 46.7 cubic feet, and if you put the second-row seats down, you’ll get a whopping 88.2 cubic feet of total space. So if you’re picking up some furniture for your kids’ bedroom at IKEA, you’ll be capable of some serious hauling.
There are additional compartments located under the rear-trunk floorboard that offer some extra room to stuff items into, which was demonstrated by this Rivian R1S driver who took the SUV model out for a test Costco run. As delineated in the clip, he was able to fit in a good amount of products from the retail chain, all without having to adjust the children’s car seats in the vehicle. Additionally, he showed off the Rivian’s large frunk space, which he also took advantage of as part of his assessment. This YouTuber also showed that the R1S’s frunk was capable of fitting several items from his own Costco run. Moreover, he said the frunk is capable of holding a standard size suitcase and carry-on bag.
So if you’re a parent carting around kids who engage in a variety of activities and sports, the Rivian R1S should offer you a good amount of room to ensure your kids are comfortable. And with impressive fast-charging capabilities and the option to use Tesla superchargers, one should be able to go on a long family road trip in a Rivian R1S packed with supplies for a journey with multiple people in tow. There are those who’ve done so and shared positive assessments of their experience online.
Are There Better “Mom” EV SUV Options?
If you’re not looking to drop $100,000 but would like a fully electric three-row family SUV, there are additional options available from reputable EV manufacturers. The Hyundai Ioniq 9 ($60,55 - $79,090) and Kia EV9 ($56,395-$73,495) are more pleasantly priced and still offer a good amount of space. The 2024 EV9, according to this Kia dealership, gives 41.4 inches, 42.8 inches, and 30.8 inches of legroom for its first, second, and third row respectively. The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 has identical legroom measurements to the EV9, except for the third row, which gives passengers 32 inches.
Legroom measurements for the Rivian R1S are comparable: Front seat riders also get 41.4 inches of legroom, with second row passengers enjoying 36.6 inches, and those in the backseat get a little boost over Kia and Hyundai’s models with 32.8 inches of legroom. When it comes to total space with all the rows down, the Rivian R1S has both Kia and Hyundai beat as the EV9 packs 81.7 cubic feet and the Ioniq 9 sports 86.9 cubic feet.
So if drivers have the money to spend, they’ll have to decide which car best suits their needs. It’s hard to ignore that both the top spec’d EV9 and Ioniq 9 cost as much as the Rivian R1S’s base model. But Rivian’s larger battery pack options also give riders more travel time: 410 miles on a single charge of maximum quoted driving range, versus the Ioniq 9’s 335-mile RWD and the EV9’s 304-mile light long range trim. Adding all-wheel-drive for Hyundai and Kia also brings down these range estimates.
Which three-row family EV SUV would you go for?
InsideEVs has reached out to Haley via email for further comment.
