On 13 November 2026, Car and Driver published a comparison test of two new electric SUVs: the 2026 Jeep Recon Moab and the 2027 Rivian R2 Performance. Both run 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds in the magazine's testing, but they differ sharply on highway range, price and how they feel to live with. This article summarizes Car and Driver's comparison test, separates its measured results from what Jeep and Rivian claim, and explains who each SUV suits.
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Short answer. Car and Driver picked the Rivian R2. In its testing the R2 went 260 miles at 75 mph against the Recon's 160, cost $61,485 as tested against $73,345, stopped shorter and handled better. The Jeep Recon wins on removable doors, a roll-back roof, physical controls, CarPlay and Android Auto, and off-road hardware. Choose the R2 for range and value; choose the Recon if open-air, off-road Jeep character matters more than range.
This is a research summary, not a hands-on review. The Review NYU did not drive either vehicle. On 14 November 2026 we read Car and Driver's comparison test by senior editor Ezra Dyer, published on 13 November 2026, including its full specification and test-results table. All measured figures here (acceleration, braking, skidpad, highway range, charging times, observed efficiency and interior noise) are Car and Driver's results from its test cars, and the verdict is the magazine's.
On the same day we checked the makers' own pages, Jeep's Recon page and Rivian's R2 page, for current starting prices and claimed figures. Where a maker's claim differs from Car and Driver's measurement, we show both and label which is which. EPA range and efficiency figures come from Car and Driver's spec table unless we say otherwise. We read no other reviews, so the verdict is one publication's view.
The table puts Car and Driver's measured results next to what each maker publishes. A test result describes one car on one set of tires; a maker's claim is usually a best case under a standard procedure. Prices on maker sites were checked on 14 November 2026.
| Item | 2026 Jeep Recon Moab | 2027 Rivian R2 Performance |
|---|---|---|
| C/D test car price, base / as tested | $68,990 / $73,345 | $59,485 / $61,485 |
| Maker-listed starting price | $66,995 MSRP | Not shown for Performance; R2 Standard from $44,990 (coming 2027) |
| EPA range (per C/D) | 222 mi | 330 mi |
| C/D 75-mph highway range | 160 mi | 260 mi |
| Power | 670 hp | 656 hp |
| 0-60 mph, C/D measured (maker claim) | 3.5 sec (3.6) | 3.5 sec (3.6) |
| C/D DC fast charge, 10-90% | 43 min | 39 min |
| Cargo behind rear / front seats | 30 / 66 cu ft | 29 / 79 cu ft, plus 5 cu ft frunk |
| Ground clearance | 9.1 in | 9.6 in |
The two are nearly identical in straight-line speed, so acceleration is not a reason to pick one. The 100-mile gap in highway range is the number that matters, and it comes from efficiency rather than battery size. For a refresher on reading tables like this, see our guide on how to read a product spec sheet.
Range is where the test was least close. In Car and Driver's 75-mph highway range test, the R2 covered 260 miles and the Recon 160 miles. The magazine listed the Jeep's highway range as its main weakness, and its verdict on the Recon calls it fun and fast "but far from frugal."
The Recon has the larger pack (94 kWh vs 88 kWh, per Car and Driver), but it is heavier (6,190 lb vs 4,985 lb), rides on 33-inch all-terrain tires and has a 0.404 drag coefficient. EPA combined efficiency, per the magazine, is 71 MPGe for the Recon and 105 MPGe for the R2; Car and Driver observed 59 and 82 MPGe.
The EPA range figures reported by Car and Driver are 222 miles for the Recon and 330 miles for the R2 on its 21-inch all-season tires. The magazine notes that the R2's optional 20-inch all-terrain tires drop the EPA figure to 307 miles. Rivian's own R2 page also lists 330 miles for the Premium and Performance trims, though a footnote on that page says its range figures are preliminary estimates based on the EPA cycle rather than official EPA values. Jeep's Recon page did not state a range figure when we checked it on 14 November 2026.
Both fell short of their EPA numbers at 75 mph, which is normal for electric vehicles driven fast: the Recon reached about 72% of its EPA figure and the R2 about 79%. Car and Driver also noted the Recon's EPA range is short of the 300-mile mark many buyers now expect.
Car and Driver measured 10-to-90% DC fast charging at 39 minutes for the R2 and 43 minutes for the Recon, with average rates of 119 kW and 107 kW. Those are close. Because the R2 uses less energy per mile, each minute on a charger adds more driving distance to it. The makers' claims use different windows: Jeep lists 28 minutes from 5% to 80%, and Rivian says under 30 minutes from 10% to 80%, adding that every R2 has a NACS port for Tesla Superchargers. Most charging happens at home, so our roundup of home EV chargers is worth a look.
On paper these are two of the quickest family SUVs on sale. Car and Driver measured 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds for both. The R2 ran the quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds at 126 mph; the Recon took 11.8 seconds, held back by a 111-mph speed limiter that it reaches before the end of the run. Both makers claim 3.6 seconds to 60 mph, so the test cars slightly beat the official claims.
Neither SUV impressed the magazine on a twisty road. On the skidpad the R2 held 0.81 g and the Recon 0.74 g, and the R2 stopped from 70 mph in 178 feet against the Recon's 201 feet. Car and Driver suggests tires explain part of that: the test R2 wore 21-inch all-seasons, the Recon chunky all-terrains.
Car and Driver found the Recon far more composed than the Wrangler it imitates, crediting its independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, and it found the ride cushy thanks to tall tire sidewalls. The R2 got warmer praise: several of the magazine's staff felt it drives better than Rivian's larger R1S, with firm body control and enough give to absorb bad pavement. The R2 was also quieter at 70 mph (67 vs 70 dBA).
Both apply regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator, but the R2's is stronger even on its lightest setting, which Car and Driver lists as a low point. If you prefer to coast, the Jeep feels more natural.
Both seat five. From Car and Driver's spec table:
Car and Driver called the Jeep's cabin "undeniably more user-friendly." The Recon backs up its touchscreen with physical buttons on the dash and steering wheel and real knobs for volume and tuning, and its Uconnect 5 system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The R2 does not offer phone mirroring at all. Rivian also routes some basic adjustments, such as the steering wheel and mirrors, through a touchscreen menu and the steering-wheel scroll wheels. The magazine found that annoying but infrequent.
This is the Jeep's signature. The Recon's doors and rear windows come off without tools, and it has a power roll-back soft top. Car and Driver warns each door weighs about 70 pounds. The R2 has a fixed glass roof and can lower all its windows, including the rear hatch glass, at the push of a button. Car and Driver describes the drop glass as standard on its test car; Rivian's site lists rear drop glass as included with the Premium and Performance trims, so check the trim if this feature matters to you.
As tested by Car and Driver, the R2 Performance with the Launch package came to $61,485 (a $59,485 base price plus $2,000 Launch Green paint). The Recon Moab came to $73,345, from a $68,990 base, with options including the $1,995 Comfort package, the $995 tow package and a $995 black roof. So the cheaper SUV in this test was also the one with more range.
On 14 November 2026, Jeep's Recon page listed a starting MSRP of $66,995 for the Moab, the only trim it showed, and said that figure excludes taxes, title and registration. That is $1,995 below the base price in Car and Driver's spec table; Jeep's page did not say whether destination is included, so we cannot confirm what accounts for the difference. Rivian's R2 page listed the R2 Standard from $44,990, marked "coming 2027," and did not show a price for the Performance trim that Car and Driver tested. Car and Driver reported that simpler R2 versions are coming at prices closer to $50,000.
Launch editions often bundle options, so compare like-for-like trims; our guide on how to tell if a sale is a real deal covers checks that apply to car prices too.
Car and Driver noted that the $70,000-plus Recon is beaten on EPA range by the roughly $29,000 Chevrolet Bolt (262 miles), and that the R2 delivers most of the far pricier R1S's appeal at a mainstream price.
Car and Driver did not seriously off-road either SUV, so this rests on hardware, not measurements. The Recon Moab comes with skid plates, an electronically locking rear differential and 33-inch all-terrain tires as standard, according to the magazine. It has 9.1 inches of ground clearance.
The R2, which looks more like a road car, actually has more ground clearance at 9.6 inches (a figure Rivian also lists), and its 32-inch-diameter tires are only slightly smaller. Car and Driver's guess is that the two would be closer off-road than their styling suggests, but that is speculation until someone tests them on the same trail. The Jeep's locking differential is a concrete advantage; the rest is unproven.
Car and Driver picked the R2 as the winner, calling it "a premium SUV for the masses that happens to be electric." The reasons: more highway range, a lower price as tested, better braking and grip, a better ride, and more cargo space with the seats folded. Its weak spots are the cabin controls, the lack of CarPlay and Android Auto, and strong mandatory regenerative braking.
Car and Driver called the Recon better at being a Jeep than at being an electric vehicle. If you are thinking of waiting for a later version, see our piece on the newest model vs last year's model.
The Rivian R2 won. Car and Driver's 13 November 2026 test favoured the R2 Performance for range, price, braking, handling and folded cargo space.
In Car and Driver's 75-mph highway range test, the Rivian R2 Performance covered 260 miles and the Jeep Recon Moab covered 160 miles. Their EPA figures, per the magazine, are 330 and 222 miles.
Car and Driver's Recon Moab cost $73,345 as tested and its R2 Performance $61,485. On 14 November 2026, Jeep's site listed the Recon from $66,995 MSRP, and Rivian's site listed the R2 Standard from $44,990 (coming 2027) but showed no Performance price.
They are almost equal. Car and Driver measured 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds for both. The R2 was quicker through the quarter-mile, 11.4 seconds against 11.8, partly because the Recon is limited to 111 mph.
Car and Driver did not seriously test either off-road. The Recon has skid plates, a locking rear differential and 33-inch all-terrain tires, but the R2 has more ground clearance, 9.6 inches against 9.1.
According to Car and Driver, the Jeep Recon supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through its Uconnect 5 system, while the Rivian R2 does not offer phone mirroring.