The Rivian employee just handed me the keys, and said, "Have fun!"  I had him answer a few questions to make sure I knew the basics as I drone around Minneapolis.  He gave me the lowdown on the basic things, and how to use autonomy.  They had the car waiting outside with all windows down(78 degrees today in Minneapolis).  

As I began to drive, i kept the windows down, then closed all four door windows, but did not know where the button was to close the rear window, so I just went with it even though I wanted to see how truly quiet it was out on the highway, but it was very surprisingly quiet to the point I could not tell whether or not it was open or closed going 65.  It was a very smooth drive, and being the first time that I have actually been behind the wheel of an EV, it is quite fun to accelerate the way I have not experienced before.

I have to address the sound system as that seems to be the biggest aspect that is the deciding factor for many.  My CX-5 is the highest trim option with decent audio quality that feels like it at least immerses you into the spatial sound.  The sound quality in the R2 is very clean and crisp, but it lacks the depth and "punch" that I feel in my 2018 Mazda CX-5.  I do not know if it is something that is make or break for me, but there is no doubt some truth to the flatness of the audio.  I only used the infotainment radio option, and did not setup my phone to bluetooth and try that out, so there is a chance that bring in higher quality files bring out more depth in the audio quality.  

  
I also tried out the hands free driving for a brief stretch on the highway, and it was a little nerve racking at first being on my own in a demo drive, but it was definitely fun to see how it responded.  Even tried a lane change by turning the turn signal on, and it worked flawlessly.  Would to try it out on a longer stretch, but it was a good introductory test.

I read another post about being taller and not being able to see through the steering wheel opening and clearly seeing the whole screen in front of you, and I personally had no issues.  I am 6'4" and however I had my seat positioned at, I had no problem.  Did not ask or try adjusting the steering wheel, so there is likely some play in that when it comes to adjustment for clear view.

  
For those reading this far, I also had a brief conversation asking about timeline of potential deliveries.  I put in my reservation a few weeks ago, so I understand I will be tempering my expectations on the near future, but he said that he expects Minneapolis to be one of the first cities to get their deliveries based on location closest to Wisconsin facilities.  Curious to hear if anyone else has asked questions related to this based on your location, or if you have heard any other information about potential delivery times to certain cities?

  
Overall, I had a fun time driving it around, but know that I am fresh to driving an EV, and do not have anything to really compare it to apples to apples.  It has been helpful to read expereinces from people of all types of different car situations and experiences to help weigh how this will fare against other options.  So I am truly not sold on it yet, but take that with a grain of salt as we should with all these reviews.  

Test Drive Thoughts. Non-EV Owner(current CX-5) completely unfamiliar with the EV experience.