Compare the2027 Cadillac Lyriq VS 2027 Rivian R2

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 Lyriq are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The R2 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Cadillac Lyriq has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The R2 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Cadillac Lyriq achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Rivian R2 has not been tested.

The Lyriq has standard Post-Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The R2 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 Lyriq has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The R2 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Cadillac Lyriq comes with a standard HD Surround Vision, while the Rivian R2 doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Lyriq and R2 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Lyriq has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The R2’s Rear Cross-Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Lyriq and the R2 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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.

The Cadillac Lyriq weighs 638 to 1131 pounds more than the Rivian R2. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are almost 6 times as many Cadillac dealers as there are Rivian dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Lyriq’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are better in initial quality than Rivian vehicles. With 74 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Cadillac higher than Rivian.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Rivian vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Cadillac 8 places higher in reliability than Rivian.

The Lyriq has more powerful engines than the R2:

	Horsepower	Torque
Lyriq electric motor	365 HP	325 lbs.-ft.
Lyriq electric motors	515 HP	450 lbs.-ft.
Lyriq-V electric motors	615 HP	650 lbs.-ft.
R2 Standard electric motor	350 HP
R2 Premium electric motors	450 HP	537 lbs.-ft.
R2 Performance electric motors	656 HP	609 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lyriq-V electric motors is faster than the R2 Performance electric motors:

	Lyriq	R2
Zero to 60 MPH	3.3 sec	3.4 sec

The Lyriq can travel longer on a full charge than the R2 Performance All-Terrain (319 miles vs. 307 miles).

For better stopping power the Lyriq-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the R2:

	Lyriq-V	R2
Front Rotors	15.4 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	13.2 inches

For better traction, the Lyriq has larger standard tires than the R2 (265/50R20 vs. 255/55R21). The Lyriq’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the R2 (275/40R22 vs. 255/55R21).

The Lyriq’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the R2 Standard’s standard 65 series tires. The Lyriq’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the R2 Premium’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Lyriq has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the R2 Standard. The Lyriq’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the R2 Premium.

The Cadillac Lyriq’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Rivian R2 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Lyriq can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The R2 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Lyriq’s wheelbase is 6.2 inches longer than on the R2 (121.8 inches vs. 115.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Lyriq is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the R2.

The Lyriq’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the R2’s (47.9% to 52.1%). This gives the Lyriq more stable handling and braking.

The Lyriq AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the R2 Performance pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Lyriq has standard flush composite headlights. The R2 has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Lyriq Premium/Signature/V Series uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The R2 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Lyriq has 2.9 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the R2.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Lyriq’s rear seats recline. The R2’s rear seats don’t recline.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Lyriq Premium/Signature/V Series’ rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The R2 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Lyriq Premium/Signature/V Series’ liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The R2 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the R2, the Lyriq has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Lyriq (except Luxury/Premium) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The R2 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

On a hot day the Lyriq’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the R2 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Lyriq’s standard Keyless Access allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. An advanced key system standard on the R2 doesn’t offer a sensor on any door except the driver’s, so you’ll have to walk to the driver's door to touch the handle.

The Lyriq Premium/Signature/V Series has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the R2.

The Lyriq is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access too more content and better coverage than the R2, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Lyriq offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the R2.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Lyriq equipped with available HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The R2, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Cadillac Lyriq empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Lyriq’s Enhanced Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Auto Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The R2 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.