2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3X vs. Rivian R1S Quad Ascend: Maximum Effort

The term “supercar” isn’t one we use lightly. A supercar is something exotic with a touch of pedigree and exclusivity, as well as obscene power and phenomenal handling. The notion of an SUV—especially one that tips the scales at more than four tons—encroaching on the realm of the supercar was simply unheard of. Until now.  

GMC has been promoting the “supertruck” concept with its Hummer EV pickup and SUV since their debut in 2021. And with 830 hp on tap from its trio of electric motors, the 2025 Hummer EV SUV 3X certainly blurs the lines when you consider the Ferrari Purosangue only offers 715 hp from its 6.5-liter V-12 engine and only accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. The Hummer is still rather exclusive, as well, with just a few thousand hitting the road since it went on sale in 2022.  

Rivian’s quad-motor R1S SUV has been a powerhouse since its introduction, as well, with the first generation offering up to 835 hp. For 2025, Rivian has unveiled its second-generation R1S SUV, which, when fit with four of the company’s new built-in-house electric motors, produces a ground-pounding 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft of torque. This makes the Rivian R1S Quad the most powerful SUV on sale today.  

Because no other electric SUV currently sold in the U.S. stacks up as perfectly to the Rivian R1S in both stature and performance as the Hummer EV SUV, we rounded up a top-spec example of both to see which is best suited for supercar duty.  

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Holy Crap, They’re Fast   

We’ll skip the nonsense and cut straight to what everyone is here for. The 1,025-hp Rivian R1S Quad laid down a blistering 2.6-second 0–60-mph sprint. It also hustled its 6,824-pound mass through the quarter mile in just 10.5 seconds. That’s quicker than the Corvette E-Ray, Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and Mercedes-AMG GT63. It’s even 0.1 second quicker to 60 than the $475,000 McLaren 750S Coupe.  

The 830-hp Hummer EV SUV is no slouch, either. Despite tipping the scales at more than four tons, the Hummer can run from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. The quarter mile is covered in 11.8 seconds and would be quicker if the Hummer weren’t held back by its 112-mph speed limiter. Utilizing the SUV’s Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode overwhelms the large 35-inch all-terrain tires at launch resulting in wheelspin at all corners. On stickier street tires, the Hummer would likely give the more powerful Rivian a run for its money.  

Braking is an entirely different story, with both vehicles returning results more in line with the heavy SUVs that they are. The Rivian comes to a stop from 60 mph in 107 feet thanks to the same grippy Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tires that enable its lightning-quick acceleration. It’s not without drama, however, as the pedal offers an incredibly long stroke and drops entirely to the floor under full-effort braking. The Hummer is even more dramatic in its 142-foot braking effort. Laying hard into the decelerator results in a comical amount of nosedive. The ABS is noisy, as are the all-terrain tires, and the pedal offers little in the way of feedback.  

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But Can They Handle a Corner?  

We’ve established that both the Rivian R1S and Hummer EV SUV offer acceleration that races into supercar territory, but the story changes a bit when the road gets twisty.  

With adaptive air ride at each corner and a massive 14 inches of suspension travel, the Hummer simply irons bumps into submission. It’s impressive how smooth the nearly five-ton SUV on 35-inch tires handles just about any road imperfection. However, it’s the same long-travel suspension and oversize off-road tires that make twisty roads a sometimes harrowing affair.  

Like an amusement park ride, the Hummer EV SUV pitches and yaws heavily with every steering, throttle, or brake input. With its 73.3-inch track width and 86.5-inch overall width, the Hummer fills every bit of a lane on backcountry roads, so much so that coming head-on with anything equally sized or larger can be intimidating for even the most seasoned of drivers. At its lowest suspension setting, the Hummer offers 12 inches of running ground clearance, which means its advantage from having all the battery pack’s weight down low is somewhat diminished. 

Four-wheel steering is the Hummer’s saving grace. Without it, the vehicle would be a handful to maneuver just about everywhere. However, the Hummer has a turning circle smaller than that of the far tidier Mustang Mach-E, at just 34.5 feet. By comparison, the Rivian R1S offers a turning circle of 41.3 feet. And Crab Walk, while largely pointless in daily life, is truly the chef’s kiss on the whole system.  

The Rivian R1S is notably more athletic than the Hummer EV SUV. Right out of the gate, the difference between the Hummer and R1S couldn’t be more evident. At nearly a full ton lighter, the Rivian feels nimbler and vastly more willing to zip around tight corners than the larger Hummer. The SUV’s air suspension with hydraulically linked dampers allows it to corner flat with very little body roll, and the amount of cornering force that can be generated without squeal from the meaty 275/50R22 Michelin tires is impressive.  

Rivian offers so many drive modes that getting the SUV dialed to the road conditions is quite easy. There are three categories: On-Road, Off-Road, and Towing. On-road houses All-Purpose, Conserve, and Sport, along with the new-for-Quad Launch Control. While we generally found All-Purpose to be the most comfortable, Sport proved to be the ticket for spirited driving. Within each of these modes you can drill down further and individually tailor the damping, ride height, and more. As in the Hummer, the graphics across the dash screens also change with each different drive mode, which is a nice touch.  

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Long Range and Fast Charging  

Both the Hummer EV SUV and Rivian R1S offer range that exceeds 300 miles. For the Hummer that’s an EPA-rated 312 miles from its massive 199.1-kWh Ultium battery. The Rivian R1S Quad has yet to receive its official rating from the EPA, but Rivian says its internal testing suggests an EPA rating of 355 miles or better.   

The real world is an entirely different story, though. It takes a lot of effort to push these boxes through the air at highway speeds, and for that their range takes a hit. In our 70-mph MotorTrend Road-Trip Range test, the Hummer returned just 245 miles of usable range, a 21-percent penalty against its EPA rating. The Rivian returned 274 miles of road-trip range from its far smaller battery pack (23 percent off its estimated EPA range).  

Topping off the batteries is a relative nonevent, and despite the Hummer’s capacity being an entire Bolt greater than the Rivian’s, charging times for both proved remarkably similar. Getting from a 5 to 80 percent state of charge took 54 minutes for the Hummer and 55 minutes for the Rivian, and both added 72 miles of range in the first 15 minutes. The Hummer’s advantage comes from its ability to charge at a whopping 300 kW; the Rivian charges at a maximum of 220 kW. Both can hold close to their peaks deep into the charge. In our testing, the Hummer maxed out at 311 kW and the Rivian at 200. Going from 80 to 100 percent charge, the advantage turns in the Hummer’s favor with the GMC taking an additional 35 minutes to reach full.    

Rivian’s R1S is officially capable of charging at more than 15,000 of Tesla’s ubiquitous Superchargers. Using an adapter or Tesla’s Magic Dock, the R1S easily connects to and charges from any of Tesla’s 250-kW towers. GMC says its Hummer also is compatible with 17,800 Superchargers.

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Interior Comfort and Convenience Features   

We have high expectations for any vehicle that arrives with a price tag north of six figures. The top-spec Rivian R1S Quad Ascend has a sumptuous interior, with notable improvements over the previous generation. Small touches like the plaid floormats, metal trim on the pedals, and use of real wood throughout really set it apart. And both rows of rear seats are just as pleasing to experience as the front.  

Unlike the Hummer, the R1S offers a third row of seating. Accessing the way back is as simple as pressing a button on the middle seats to move them forward. When pulled back into place, the second row remains forward so as to not crush the third-row occupants. However, what’s left is a cramped and uncomfortable space for all rear seats. It’s technically possible to fold two adults in the third row, but it’s best left for children. A nice touch: The Rivian’s third-row HVAC vents automatically turn on when the seats are occupied.  

From a technology standpoint, the Rivian R1S is deeply impressive. That said, there’s also an incredibly steep learning curve for anyone not already familiar with the brand. Basic vehicle functionality is found in the seemingly most random places. We’re not wild about needing to adjust functions such as sideview mirror angles and steering column height through the screen, although the R1S’ likely owners will mostly set and forget. And, philosophically, we find it bothersome to aim the air vents via the touchscreen, which can be unnecessarily fussy overall in terms of layout. But these are not new complaints.  

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As much as Rivian wants to play it off, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still important to most drivers. That’s one area in which the Hummer delivers, offering wireless functionality for both standards. Although Rivian’s mapping software works decently well, there’s something to be said for GMC including Google Maps and Google Built-In within its software suite.  

The Hummer offers an elegant two-tone black-and-white interior with unique lunar graphics found throughout. There are copper accents, elegant texture on the screen frames, and impressive graphics on the stainless-steel speaker grilles. Spend more than a few moments in the cab, and you’ll start to get the feeling the interior could have been pulled straight from a Sierra pickup. And that familiarity is a good thing. However, some downmarket plastics shared with some much less expensive GM products are obvious and disappointing. 

The large infotainment screen is propped up in the center of the dash as if it were an afterthought. That said, the graphics, which are powered by the Unreal Engine, are quite impressive. Although we thoroughly appreciate the physical buttons and controls in the Hummer, the tabbed nature of functions like the heated and ventilated seats quickly becomes needlessly complex.  

Both vehicles share one common annoyance right above everyone’s heads. Clear glass, and now plastic, roofs have become the bane of our existence. We have lobbed complaint after complaint about how hot vehicles with these sorts of roofs become, and there’s still no end to the trend in sight. Thankfully, Rivian now offers the Ascend model with an electrochromic glass panel that turns from clear to opaque at the touch of an (ill-placed, hard-to-find) button. Hummer’s removable plastic roof panels are no better. The thin plastic transmits a great deal of solar load into the cab, even the solid black versions. And they squeak, to boot. Call us old-fashioned, but a solid metal roof would be a welcome option.  

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Final Thoughts  

As the sun set, we had time to reflect on this amazing pair of SUVs, each ridiculous in its own way. The Hummer EV SUV is wonderful if your intention is to drive around town giggling and indulging your inner 12-year-old. It’s a ball of pure American joy. It’s packed with entertaining widgets and graphics, entertains with Crab Walk and WTF modes, and absolutely dominates off-road when properly equipped. But it’s also the least efficient electric vehicle of the modern era.  

By contrast, the Rivian R1S takes a more sophisticated approach with softer exterior lines, a properly upscale cabin, and absolutely bonkerballs performance. Highway handling is phenomenal, it corners with the best, and it, too, is unstoppable off-road. However, given the heavy dependance on screens, if you’re a more analog type, living with the Rivian will be frustrating.  

Unfortunately for GMC, when driven back to back with the R1S, the Hummer feels cheap, incredibly heavy, and pretty darn clumsy. The Rivian R1S brings class, composure, and well-rounded performance to the table, which is why we have no qualms in declaring it the winner. And, although the massive quad-digit horsepower is a fun bragging right, stepping down to the slightly less powerful (850 hp) tri-motor R1S would only strengthen our decision with its lower cost of entry. 

It bests the Hummer EV SUV, but is the 2025 Rivian R1S Quad Ascend worthy of induction into the hallowed supercar class? We say yes, haters be damned.  

2nd Place: 2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3X

Verdict: The Hummer EV SUV was GMC’s moonshot, its no-holds-barred, anything-goes entry into the world of electrification, a flagship that would get people excited for the future. And although the Hummer has delivered on that promise, the competition has quickly leapfrogged it in nearly all metrics. Still, it’s hella fun. 

1st Place: 2025 Rivian R1S Quad Ascend  

Verdict: Rivian has quickly become a top player in the luxury SUV space, and the updated R1S doesn’t change that. It has elegant, tech-forward styling inside and out, and pushing quadruple-digit power through a high-riding SUV is as level of forward-thinking insanity that we’re here for.