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If you haven’t already, head to my Instagram and check out my Story highlight for the 2022 Polestar 2 to see my live review.

I hate leading a Polestar review with Tesla in the subtitle - but every other review of the Polestar does too. The fully-electric Polestar 2, despite looking like a crossover SUV, is actually classified as a sedan meant to compete with the ubiquitous Tesla Model 3. If I had never done this review, I would have thought the Polestar 2 was meant to compete with the Tesla Model Y SUV, but apparently, they’re at different price points. After spending a day with the Polestar 2, I think it’s a very compelling Model 3 competitor. Let’s get into why…

First - the elephant in the room. What the heck is a Polestar and why does it look like an unbadged Volvo? Polestar was actually Volvo’s performance division - certain Volvo models had Polestar versions with performance and style upgrades. In recent years, Polestar was spun off into a separate brand owned by Volvo and its Chinese parent company Geely. It’s now focused on making luxury EVs like the Polestar 2.

Who Would Drive It?

What type of driver is the Polestar 2 targeting? Well, in short, anyone interested in the Tesla Model 3. That’s going to be a buyer with an eye toward luxury, cutting-edge technology, bold yet minimal design, and someone who cares about the environment (or just wants to feel cool in an EV and the environmental benefits are residual). The Polestar is not cheap, clocking in at nearly $50K (and likely more with options), so this is going to be a nice option for your gainfully employed city dweller with plenty of charging stations nearby (or those in the suburbs who can charge at home and have manageable commute lengths).

Stats

Let’s get into some numbers. Brand new for the 2021 model year, you have two motor choices on the Polestar 2. The first is the less powerful Single Motor option which starts at about $46K and gets you a 270-mile range on a full charge. This is good for 231 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque which will propel you from 0- 60 in 7 seconds. I would call that a fair amount of power and what you expect to find in most base model crossover SUVs these days. The $46K figure actually doesn’t sound horrible for what you get, but the options (which I’ll discuss) will run that up into the $50’s very easily.

The second option is a more powerful Dual Motor AWD set-up, which starts at about $50K (not much more than the Single Motor). But, if you want that extra power and AWD, your electric range is going to suffer. The Dual Motor has a 249-mile range. And when thinking about range in EVs, you have to remember that EVs are generally not supposed to be charged to 100% battery, which is bad for battery longevity. You should only be charging it to 90%….so you have to remember that your realistic range is always a bit lower than what the manufacturers say. At any rate, the Dual Motor model was the car I reviewed (and fell in love with). It was easy to with 408 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque, which will get you from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. That is squarely within the range of sports car performance numbers.

The best thing about EVs of any type is that they benefit from instant torque. When you hit the accelerator there is no delay (as you would get with a turbo-powered gas engine, for instance). All of your torque is sent to the wheels instantly, making these cars very fun (at any power level). But, of course, the Dual Motor was super fun!

As far as the availability of these cars - there isn’t a ton of inventory right now. That said, in the Los Angeles area, they had a handful of pre-configured Polestar 2’s available to order. So, if you like the colors and options available, you would probably be able to find one pretty easily and those models deliver within 3 weeks. Last point - Polestar 2’s qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which I have not boiled into the prices above. Just consider it a nice bonus on your taxes…which by the way Tesla’s no longer qualify for (because they have sold too many of them). Thats a nice hack to make the Polestar 2 effectively much cheaper than a Model 3.

Competition

Let’s talk about the Polestar 2’s competition - Tesla and beyond. There’s actually quite a few players in the game right now.

Tesla Model 3 - $47K, 267-mile range, 0-60 in 5.8 seconds - 283 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque. The entry-level Model 3 is very comparable to the Polestar in price and range. It is a bit faster to 60 (by one second) and has a bit more horsepower and torque. Also - this is a pro or con depending on your vibe - the Tesla has its huge 15” center screen whereas the Polestar has an 11.2” center screen and digital dashboard (which I tend to like better than one big screen). But when it comes to screens in EVs…size matters.

Volkswagen ID.4 - $42K, 280-mile range, 0-60 in 8 seconds - 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque. The VW is more of a budget competitor to the Polestar (though not exactly cheap). It’s slower and less powerful, but that results in 10 miles more range. Also, it has a smaller display screen (10”). I actually like how these look, but they’re a little more curvy and quirky than the Polestar’s more boxy design.

Ford Mustang Mach-E - $44K, 247-mile range, 0-60 in 5.8 seconds - 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The Mach-E is another player in this space that seems to be getting pretty popular. I love how it looks, and it even beats Tesla at the screen game with a 15.5” center display (probably on purpose - Ford is coming for those EV sales). Range is a bit lower on these than the Single Motor Polestar, but the car is pretty powerful and a bit cheaper to get into.

I should note that the recently released Hyundai Ioniq5 (retro-looking hatchback) and Kia EV6 (futuristic-looking 4-door coupe) are also floating in the $41-45K price range with similar ranges and capabilities. Because there are relatively few EVs on the market, I tend to think that EV buyers are willing to shop across different price points. Unlike a Honda Civic buyer who might cross-shop a Hyundai Elantra or Mazda3, an EV buyer might be looking at a Polestar right on down to some of the more budget-friendly EVs like the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Kia Niro, etc. Of the slightly cheaper options (again, a new EV is not ever going to be super cheap), I tend to like the Chevy Bolt EUV (which has more of an SUV shape than the regular Bolt). That will get you to a 250-mile range for a base price of about $34K.

Standard Features

The Polestar 2 comes equipped with a lot of nice standard features. These include: LED headlights with camera-adjusted brightness and adaptive rear LED taillights; auto-tilt and folding frameless side mirrors (which look super cool); 19” wheels; it’s the first-ever car with a Google assistant built-in; an 11.2” center display; heated front seats; high-performance 250 watt 8-speaker audio; rain sensor; Apple CarPlay (coming spring 2022, right now it’s only the standard Google system); 4 USB Type-C connectors; rear camera; front and rear park assist; foot-operated tailgate; digital key; activity key; the only free color is black- all others cost $1,200; charcoal embossed textile seats with 3D etched decor; a basic safety assistance package including collision avoidance, run off road mitigation, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping aid; and all Polestar 2’s come with over-the-air (OTA) updates which can upgrade the car’s tech and even power (i.e. make the car faster) via software updates from the manufacturer.

The interior textile options are 100% vegan. They looked and felt pretty cool, but I question how long they might last or hold up to wear and tear. The car I was in only had about 3,000 miles on it but was used as a rental. There were already parts on the door where there was permanent staining and other parts near the center console that looked a little dirty and hard to clean. If you are pretty clean and take care of your stuff, I’m sure you’d do fine with the materials. But it might not be great for messy people, kids, etc. There is an option for Nappa leather….but you might go to environmental hell if you choose it.

Trims and Options

There are three option packages on the Polestar 2:

Pilot Package: $3,200 - adds pixel LED headlights (which do a cool animation at startup); LED front fog lights with cornering lights; 360 camera (can see on any side of the vehicle at any time); upgraded driver assistance package with pilot assist, adaptive cruise control, emergency stop, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert with braking, rear collision warning and mitigation: auto-dimming exterior mirrors, and park assist (side). I think the Pilot Package is worth it for the upgraded safety suite alone.

Plus Package: $4,000 - heat pump (more efficient way of heating the car that saves range); a panoramic sunroof; Harmon Kardon premium sound; Weavetech seats with black ash decor; full power seats; heated rear seats and steering wheel; interior high-level illumination; wireless phone charger. This package is a little costlier, but I will admit the panoramic roof changes the entire vibe of the car into more of a high-end luxury feel. That said, there’s no shade for it and it does make the car hot, so I could probably live without it. The Harmon Kardon sound system was good, but not amazing. I’m torn on this package.

Performance Package: $5,000 - shock absorbers; gold Brembo front calipers; 20” wheels; performance summer tires; gold seat belts; high gloss black roof. The car I tested did not have this option - it seems pretty expensive for largely visual upgrades, but the gold touches look cool and I think the black roof looks great, especially if you get a white car.

Driving Impressions and Safety Suite

The Dual Motor Polestar 2 was extremely fun to drive. The instant torque paired with the AWD made me feel invincible - I took corners at high speeds and the car felt extremely solid. The steering feel is adjustable on the Polestar, and when set to firm it makes for a sporty and dynamic ride. Overall, the car is extremely quiet and smooth. I really fell in love with it after driving it for a day. But I’d be curious if the Single Motor model (which has much less power) would be nearly as fun.

The Polestar I was driving benefitted from the Pilot Package and its upgraded safety suite. Overall, I don’t think the self-driving tech matches Tesla’s capabilities - but it’s pretty good. On highways and with gentle curves, the lane-keep assist handles the car very well. On surface streets, when you encounter a dramatic curve the car sometimes over-adjusts. It also pulls you dangerously close to center medians at times (common with most self-driving tech). The adaptive cruise control was very smooth from start to stop. I’d say the systems are solid and worth the price, but it’s not much better than what you can get in Honda’s and Hyundai’s these days - which are very impressive systems. At the $50K price point, I’d just expect even better systems.

Infotainment and Sound System

The 11.2” center media screen paired with the digital dashboard and Google Assistant were very impressive. The media screen is touch-operated and responded very well without glitches during my drive. I absolutely loved the digital dash, which is preset to show you a Google Map. This is especially helpful when you are actively navigating somewhere - you can keep your eyes on the road and not on the center screen and see exactly where you’re going. There are not a million customization options for the dashboard screen, it’s basically just a map but I think that works very well.

The Google Assistant was also cool and faster than a similar system I tested in the Mercedes GLA recently (i.e. “Hey Mercedes!”). All you say is “Hey Google” and ask it just about anything. Certain aspects are connected to the car, so you can ask it to change the temperature or turn on your seat heater, for instance. I do look forward to the car having Apple integration. I like the Google systems, but some aspects were weird - like I didn’t have album art for the songs I was playing via Bluetooth and I couldn’t see the song playing at the same time as the map view. Just a little clunky and having integrated CarPlay or Android Auto would make it more cohesive.

My car had the Harmon Kardon sound system upgrade and I was surprisingly underwhelmed. The system is good, but at high volumes, there was a loss in clarity. I played with all of the settings to adjust this but the issue was consistent. I’d be curious to hear the base sound system on the car - if it’s pretty good then the upgrade probably isn’t worth it. I usually like Harmon Kardon systems, so I’m not sure what was different here. Again, most people will think it’s very good. I’m just picky on these more expensive cars.

Maintenance, Warranty and EV Charging

Both Polestar models can charge from 10-80% in 35 minutes at a public fast charger and in 8 hours on a Level 2 home charger. Those Level 2 chargers at home require professional installation of a charging port in your garage, which is a cost to consider. The cost shouldn’t be astronomical - I’d say $1K or so with the hardware and electrician depending on the set-up and electricity source in your garage. And once you do it, you can of course charge all of your future electric cars, so it’s an investment in the future and not just one car. For reference, if you plugged the Polestar into a regular household outlet, it would take 46 hours to fully charge. So that’s not realistic for someone using the car every day.

Maintenance on the Polestar - similar to all EVs - is expected to be minimal. And that’s one cost saver on EVs (in addition to gas) that some people aren’t aware of. I will note that using public fast chargers can be expensive (and similar to gas costs if not more in some instances) so you don’t necessarily want to rely on them. Public Level 2 chargers will be cheaper and charging at home should also be cheaper than gas. This is one area where I kind of prefer Tesla and its Supercharger network - Tesla makes supercharging cheaper for their cars than the non-Tesla public fas tchargers. As far as other costs, EVs have no oil changes and no engine parts to repair. Basically just filters, tires, brakes, etc. - and the brakes are supposed to last a long time due to regenerative braking on EVs.

Polestars come with a 4-year, 50K mile warranty for the vehicle and a separate 8-year warranty on the battery.

Three Reasons To Buy or Skip

Wrapping up with three reasons for/against the Polestar 2. Three reasons to buy: (1) it generally feels like it’s a higher quality car and better assembled than a Tesla; (2) the Polestar’s minimal design and relative rareness give it an alternative “cool factor” in a Tesla world (frankly, I am just bored with Tesla designs and seeing them everywhere); and (3) the Dual Motor kind of feels like you’re driving a sports car in an unassuming crossover body. Three reasons to skip: (1) you need to pay extra to get some of the driver assistance upgrades, which is crazy when even the Honda Civic comes with similar technology on a base model; (2) I am nervous about the vegan materials and longevity/staining; (3) lack of a dedicated charging network - available public fast chargers are still hard to come by, even in LA and Level 2 chargers (though plentiful in LA) might not be enough to charge as fast as you need.

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