Owner quotes — Cluster W3D

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

Quotes — cluster W3d (Wave 3 — American EV startups)

Paraphrased where noted per platform tooling guidance (short verbatim excerpts attributed by platform + handle). No invented quotes, no invented engagement counts.

rivian-r1s

• FB group "RIVIAN Electric Vehicles Discussion" (126k members), Sept 2026, crash post, 110 reactions (paraphrased): owner walked away from a serious accident with minor injuries — "It truly was a tank" — and praised Rivian Support for calling the vehicle and transferring directly to 911, with responders arriving in about five minutes.
• FB group, Sept 2026, 144 comments / 100 reactions (paraphrased): owner dislikes the latest software update and asks how to roll it back.
• FB group, Gen-2 R1S owner, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): "suddenly has this weird noise coming from the front wheels, any idea what it could be?"
• FB group, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): complaint that hiding the music widget doesn't stick — it reappears every time, and combined with the menu takes up a quarter of the screen; "Freaking drives me bonkers."
• FB group, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): truck refuses to remember saved seat/steering/mirror settings despite re-saving them.
• FB group, towing post, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): two-year towing veteran pulled a 32-ft, ~7,500-lb trailer 125 miles at 50 mph averaging ~1.3 mi/kWh, arriving with 29% battery — "speed seems to affect range much more than weight."
• Threads, @riviantrackr, Aug 2026 (paraphrased): first-look photos of 2027 R1S with captain's chairs arriving at service centers, Slate Sky interior.
• Ivanxpress (ex-Tesla owner, Gen-2 R1S): "Build quality is a common issue among newer EV manufacturers, and Rivian is no exception" — panel gaps, misaligned trim, broken hood clips, door seal falling off within two weeks.
• TorqueNews, R1S buyback case (paraphrased): owner who loved the SUV "more than anything I've ever bought" accepted a buyback after repeated electrical failures (sensors, airbag warnings, SOS/overhead light failures, simultaneous light-bar failure) and a rear-suspension clunk Rivian first blamed on cargo before finding bolts not torqued to spec.
• Edmunds owner summary, 2026 R1S: owners love "the quick power, roomy cabin, comfy seats and fun driving feel"; others report "rough ride quality, rattles, software bugs, range loss in cold weather, and slow or unhelpful service."

rivian-r2

• FB group "Rivian R2 Enthusiasts" (28k), Sept 2026 (paraphrased): new owner picked up Sept 19 and spotted another white R2 at a charging station the same morning — deliveries clustering.
• FB group, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): ex-R1T owner says the R2 "handles well and a little quieter" than the R1T; early negatives are "no car play" and "no 12v socket in front."
• FB group, Sept 2026, 19 comments (paraphrased): cup holder feels like "cheap rickety" plastic and pops open when the center console closes — "Need to redesign this."
• FB group, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): member who reserved Sept 5 hasn't heard anything while later reservations got invitations — delivery-order anxiety.
• FB group, Sept 2026, 39 comments (paraphrased): BMW X7 owner apprehensive about swapping a Bowers & Wilkins system for the R2's audio; thread is mostly reassurance.
• FB group, Sept 2026, 46 comments (paraphrased): first Tesla Supercharger session cost "way more expensive than when we charged our Model [Y] /kWh."
• Threads, @firerock31, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): anniversary delivery of an R2 — "pristine condition, excellent fit and finish, no panel gaps," delivery team "did an amazing job."
• Threads, @mrcippy, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): Rivian called with R2 delivery news set for next Friday — he feared a delay, but the car was ready early.
• EVXL, Jan 2026 (pre-delivery, paraphrased): the $45,000 figure is for the base single-motor; the Launch Edition dual-motor ships first and well-equipped models "could approach $70,000."

lucid-air

• lucidowners.com, "Expected depreciation of 2026 Air GT" (paraphrased): owner-modeled baseline for a $132,550 MSRP Grand Touring — 43.5% retained at 3 years ($57,660), 33.7% at 5 years ($44,670).
• DriveTeslaCanada, June 2026 (paraphrased): Quebec Air Pure owner won CAMVAP arbitration after documenting repeated towings, alignment problems, electrical faults, trim falling off, GPS/audio dropouts, weatherproofing failures, and ADAS steering toward oncoming traffic; Lucid allegedly argued the car wasn't designed to be parked outdoors in freezing winter.
• autoevolution, ~2025 (paraphrased): Engineering Explained's Jason Fenske, six months and 3,400 miles into a 2025 Air Touring — the most frustrating car he's owned; frunk lid with "a mind of its own," failed OTA updates, silent speakers, coolant pumps not spinning up.
• reviewatlas owner aggregation (paraphrased): Lucid Owners Forum member, 18 months in an Air Pure — "Seats are the most comfortable I've owned, better than my previous BMW 7-Series. Silent highway cruising is addictive."
• Same aggregation, Reddit owner at 2.5 years (paraphrased): "100k miles now, original tires wore fast but powertrain flawless. Warranty covered roof fix."
• Same aggregation (paraphrased): "Phantom drain 2-3% daily; CCS charging caps at 200kW disappoints vs. Superchargers."
• FB "Lucid Owners Club" (27k), Sept 2026 (paraphrased): safety PSA noting Lucid's emergency 12V jumper leads sit behind the right-rear wheel liner and doors have mechanical emergency releases — "know your emergency procedures before you need them."
• FB group, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): GT owner bought the Air for 3-across rear seating, then "fell in love with the rest of the car... the way GT drives, you forget about the little things."
• CarBuzz, Aug 2026: "a 2025 Air GT sold through Cars&Bids in January 2026... went under the hammer for $75,500 — a concerning 39.5% decrease in just a year."
• TorqueNews, ~2025 (paraphrased): on the CR 7/100 score — the majority of reported issues "aren't related to the powertrain or battery... complaints center on minor irritations: frunk alignment, door handle quirks, Apple CarPlay connectivity glitches, and the occasional software hiccup."

lucid-gravity

• lucidowners.com, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): 2026 Gravity Grand Touring owner, delivered Dec 2025 — recurring 2nd-row seat issues after multiple replacements/repairs, intermittent drive-system/cooling errors, "out of service for over 80 days total"; Lucid service allegedly confirmed the seat issue had halted deliveries; after opening a replacement/repurchase case, service became "totally unresponsive."
• lucidowners.com, July 2026 (paraphrased): late-June 2026 delivery — "Major regrets": Homelink accessory-credit runaround, unanswered service calls, software update breaking data/location services; "One of the worst client experiences I have ever had. They are not ready to compete with Rivian or Tesla."
• TorqueNews, Apr 2026 (paraphrased): Reddit owner, five days post-delivery — Gravity "bricked and needed a hard reset" on delivery day, then stranded his family (35-week pregnant wife, toddler) when the fob wasn't recognized and the car wouldn't enter Drive, the third such event that week; also rear-steer fault, DreamDrive Pro malfunction, scratched driver window. "The most revealing part of the post is that the owner still likes the vehicle."
• eletric-vehicles.com, July 2026 (paraphrased): hands-free driving arrived via UX 3.6 in June, but "owners reported intermittent hands-free failures introduced by the same release," with reps saying a patch was "days away."
• GlobeNewswire/LCID suit filing, July 2026 (paraphrased): 29 consecutive days of halted Gravity deliveries in Q1 2026; production-to-delivery gap widened (5,500 produced vs. 3,093 delivered); days-on-hand inventory stood at 108 in Dec 2025.
• Electrek, June 2026: "plagued with some software issues... A few software bugs and an ADAS system that has yet to reach its potential keep the Gravity from a higher score."
• Threads, @simplygregster, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): "The Lucid Gravity Is A Family EV That Drives Like A Supercar!"
• Threads, @alexball12, Sept 2026 (paraphrased): cross-shopped Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity, and Chevy Blazer — "Blazer is out of the running," asking Gravity owners what else to consider.
• The Drive, Jan 2026 (paraphrased): the as-tested $122,200 Grand Touring is "about $40,000 less than the slower and less-powerful Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. Rough."