Compare the2025 Mercedes EQS SUVVS 2025 Rivian R1S

Safety
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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The EQS SUV’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The R1S doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the EQS SUV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The R1S doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The EQS SUV has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The R1S doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The EQS SUV’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The R1S doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The EQS SUV has a standard Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The R1S doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The EQS SUV has a standard Maneuvering Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The R1S doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the EQS SUV 4MATIC’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The R1S doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The EQS SUV has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The R1S doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the EQS SUV and R1S have rear cross-traffic warning, but the EQS SUV has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The R1S’ Rear Cross-Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the EQS SUV and the R1S have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Rivian vehicles. With 60 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Rivian.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EQS SUV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the R1S:

	EQS SUV 450	EQS SUV 580 4MATIC	R1S
Front Rotors	15.3 inches	16.3 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	14.9 inches	14.9 inches	12.9 inches

The EQS SUV stops shorter than the R1S:

	EQS SUV	R1S
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	132 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The EQS SUV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the R1S’ 65 series tires. The EQS SUV’s tires are lower profile than the R1S Ascend Quad Max’s 50 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EQS SUV has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the R1S.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the EQS SUV can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The R1S doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The EQS SUV’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The R1S doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EQS SUV’s wheelbase is 5.3 inches longer than on the R1S (126.4 inches vs. 121.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the EQS SUV’s turning circle is 5.3 feet tighter than the R1S Quad Max Ascend’s (36 feet vs. 41.3 feet). The EQS SUV’s turning circle is 7.3 feet tighter than the R1S’ (36 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

Chassis

The Mercedes EQS SUV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 400 pounds less than the Rivian R1S.

The EQS SUV is 9.5 inches shorter in height than the R1S, making the EQS SUV much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

For excellent aerodynamics, the EQS SUV has standard flush composite headlights. The R1S has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Cargo Capacity

The EQS SUV has a much larger cargo volume than the R1S with its rear seat up (22.7 vs. 17.6 cubic feet).

The EQS SUV’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The R1S’ tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EQS SUV’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The R1S doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its tailgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

An ASSYST PLUS is standard on the EQS SUV to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Rivian doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the R1S.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the R1S, the EQS SUV has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The EQS SUV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The R1S doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EQS SUV’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. An advanced key system standard on the R1S doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The EQS SUV’s optional power side swing out doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the sport utility. The R1S doesn’t offer a power rear door.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the EQS SUV to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The R1S doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The EQS SUV’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The R1S doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the EQS SUV Maybach has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The R1S doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the EQS SUV to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The R1S doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the EQS SUV is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The R1S’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The EQS SUV has standard front air conditioned seats and the EQS SUV Maybach also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The R1S doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The EQS SUV offers optional massaging front and rear seats (rear massaging seats standard on Maybach). Massaging seats aren’t available in the R1S.

Both the Mercedes EQS SUV and the Rivian R1S have a standard Qi wireless phone charging system in the front seat. To easily keep personal devices charged in the second row seat, without cables tangling and wearing out, the EQS SUV also offers an optional wireless charging system in the second row seat. The R1S does not.

The EQS SUV’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The R1S doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The EQS SUV is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The R1S doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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