Rivian‘s R1S sport utility vehicle edged out the Lucid Gravity rival in a head-to-head comparison by industry consultant Edmunds, which cited better value and cabin quality.
Both vehicles received a 7.8 out of 10 rating, but reviewers said on Thursday the Rivian R1S Tri Max is “more comfortable than the Lucid and less expensive too.”
Rivian announced in June the R1S SUV will be priced from $76,990. The top-end Tri-Motor versions starts at $100,990 for the R1T and $106,990 for the R1S.
“If we play to our heart, the Gravity wins because it’s absolutely incredible to drive and we recognize this SUV’s outstanding potential,” the reviewers wrote.
“Thinking rationally, however, the R1S is the SUV that takes the cake,” it added.
Lucid Gravity was first unveiled at the LA Auto Show by the former CEO and Chief Technology Officer, Peter Rawlinson.
Rawlinson, who previously worked at Tesla when the Elon Musk-led company was developing the Model S sedan, drove out of the production line the first Gravity vehicles late last year.
Lucid’s Gravity Grand Touring, the top trim of the model, was praised as “one of the best-driving SUVs on sale today.”
However, Edmunds flagged shortcomings in interior quality, citing “flimsy” sunshades, gaps in the cargo area, and unlabeled touch controls on the steering wheel.
“There are way too many low-rent materials in a vehicle that costs more than $100,000,” the publication wrote.
“Calling this a comparison test is really a case of logic vs. emotion,” Edmunds said. “If we play to our heart, the Gravity wins because it’s absolutely incredible to drive… Once Lucid ties up a few loose ends, the Gravity will be an exceptional electric luxury SUV.”
However, the reviewers named the R1S as the winner.
“The Rivian wins because it’s a better overall value and has a more functional, more complete cabin. There are no caveats to the Rivian’s win: It’s the SUV we can most easily recommend right now.”
Edmunds added that the five-seat version of the Gravity “falls short in many ways,” leaving “room for improvement” despite Lucid’s reputation for engineering high-performance luxury EVs.
Rivian said Thursday it delivered 13,201 vehicles in the third quarter, while producing 10,720.
The results topped Wall Street estimates for deliveries, but shares fell sharply after the company cut its 2025 sales outlook for the second time in five months.
The company led by the interim chief executive Marc Winterhoff is expected to release its production and delivery figures later Friday.
Earlier this week, the company rejected monthly US sales estimates from Motor Intelligence that put its September tally at 910 vehicles, up 55% from a year earlier.
Lucid does not disclose US sales or monthly figures in any market, instead reporting global production and deliveries on a quarterly basis.
Last month, Winterhoff revealed that the internal target remained at 20,000 units despite the company trimming its production goal to a range of between 18,000 and 20,000 vehicles.
