Lucid Gravity vs. Rivian R1S: A Matter of Heart vs. Brain

Powerful electric luxury SUVs go head-to-head

written by Steven Ewing
edited by Clint Simone
10/17/2025
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Both of these electric performance SUVs offer luxurious accommodations for seven passengers.
The Lucid Gravity is incredibly fun to drive and offers solid range.
The Rivian R1S has a more well-thought-out interior with better tech.

Spoiler alert: It's a tie. Adding up the scores, the official Edmunds Rating for both the Lucid Gravity and Rivian R1S is a very good 7.8 out of 10. But keep reading; this head-to-head comparison test will still produce a winner in the end. Because while these two electric SUVs both offer performance, luxury, functionality and range in spades, one stands out as the more rational pick — and the one we'd rather live with day to day.

2025 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring

Edmunds Rating: 7.8/10
The good: One of the best-driving SUVs on sale today
The bad: Poor interior quality; needs more attention to detail

The Gravity SUV is Lucid's follow-up to the Air sedan, a vehicle we recently lived with for about three years. We're glad to see Lucid kept many of the Air's best qualities intact; the Gravity is extremely entertaining to drive, offering one of the best balances of ride quality and overall handling of any new SUV available today. And while we didn't hit the EPA's estimated 450-mile range when we put the Gravity on the Edmunds EV Range Test, the Grand Touring's 400-mile showing is still pretty solid — and bests the Rivian R1S in this comparison.

Still, the Lucid falls short in many ways. The interior, while spacious and comfortable, feels decidedly cheap. The sunshades for the glass roof are flimsy, and you have to manually install them. We tested a two-row version of the Gravity and noticed a strange gap between the cargo load floor and the back seats. It could be a problem for loose items that roll around and fall in. The touch controls on the steering wheel are flimsy and unlabeled. There are way too many low-rent materials in a vehicle that costs more than $100,000. We know Lucid can do better; the Gravity feels like it has room for improvement.

2025 Rivian R1S Tri Max

Edmunds Rating: 7.8/10
The good: More comfortable than the Lucid and less expensive too
The bad: Touchscreen controls everything; trucky ride quality

The Rivian R1S isn't half as good to drive as the Lucid, with a rougher, more truck-like ride on the street. That's fine if you opt for an off-road spec with all-terrain tires, but with 22-inch wheels and street tires, the R1S is a bit too harsh around town and doesn't handle with the same poise as the Gravity. The R1S falls short on range, too: The EPA estimates the longest-range R1S Dual will travel 410 miles, and the Tri Max version tested here completed 361 miles, 10 miles shy of its 371-mile EPA rating.

That said, the Rivian R1S is miles ahead of the Lucid in terms of interior functionality and build quality. The seats are more comfortable, and the glass roof has an electronically adjustable opacity so your passengers won't get fried on a hot day. Sure, we hate the fact that everything — including the direction of the front air vents — is controlled through the central touchscreen. But the Rivian is generally easier to live with day to day. It also benefits from years of software upgrades, something that Gravity will earn over time.

Winner: Rivian R1S

Calling this a comparison test is really a case of logic vs. emotion. If we play to our heart, the Gravity wins because it's absolutely incredible to drive and we recognize this SUV's outstanding potential. Once Lucid ties up a few loose ends, the Gravity will be an exceptional electric luxury SUV.

Thinking rationally, however, the R1S is the SUV that takes the cake. And when we polled the staff, it's the EV everyone said they'd rather drive daily. 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.

Photos by Ryan Greger

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by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

edited by Clint Simone

Clint Simone has worked in the automotive industry since 2015. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Before joining Edmunds as a senior features editor, Clint contributed to Motor1.com and InsideEVs, evaluating mostly electric cars. Clint loves hot hatchbacks more than any other type of vehicle but secretly enjoys driving big trucks when he gets the chance. He would never admit to that.

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