My Experience with the Rivian 20% Off Discount

Rivian Connect+ Requirement: Change in Policy or Glitch?

Rivian Mom · 2025-05-15T14:45:12+00:00

I've been using my phone's hotspot for months, and my Rivian connects to it automatically to run TuneIn and Spotify through the built-in apps on the main display. To be clear, this wasn’t Bluetooth streaming but actual phone data, and the apps worked perfectly without any issues. In Monday for the first time, I saw a Connect+ message pop up, even though the truck was linked to my phone’s data. I can still stream from my phone using Bluetooth, but the sound quality and user experience weren’t as good. This issue started between over-the-air software updates, though it might be tied to a specific date in the system. I tried a soft reset, but nothing changed. Has anyone heard if Rivian changed their policy on this? I remember Connect+ used to mention it provided "data" for streaming apps, suggesting you could use your own data instead. Now, it seems like you need Connect+ just to access the apps at all. I was surprised they allowed phone hotspots to work before, so this might be a deliberate change. I’m okay with paying for Connect+ if this isn’t just a temporary glitch. Any insights would be appreciated.

BG

Administrator

Staff member

Oct 7, 2024

I wanted to share my personal experience with the recent 20% discount offer from Rivian, even though the sale is now over. Really more of a heads-up to be on the lookout for deals because Rivian is really looking to move units this year and moving into 2025.

For those who placed a preorder between March 1 and May 25, 2022, Rivian offered a "preorder pricing voucher," which amounted to a 20% discount on all R1T and R1S versions. The total list price before the discount was around $95,000, but with that discount, we ended up paying about $76,000. After all the vehicle taxes and fees, we ended up at $86,000.

We debated between getting a Lexus GX550 or the Rivian R1S. After weighing our options, we decided to go with the Rivian R1S Dual Motor Performance Large as the GX550 OTD price was around $105K for an Overtrail+.

Breakdown and fees:

Vehicle Sales Tax (CA 95762): $5,710.46 (7.250% tax)
Rivian Wall Charger Tax: $54.38 (7.250% x $750.00)
Home Delivery Fee: $0.00
Destination Fee: $1,800.00
Documentation Fee: $85.00
Title & Registration Fees: $860.00

After all was said and done, our total came out to $86,000, which I think was a killer deal as without the discount we would have been looking at $108,000 OTD.

My wife is much happier knowing she won’t have to pay for gas anymore, and we’re pretty stoked about our decision.