Tesla Model 3 Owner Trashes the Polestar 2 After Driving It as a Company Car for a Month

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Photo: Polestar, @superfly_mr via X

Polestar is a Volvo spin-off that specializes in producing electric vehicles after starting with the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1. Initially, Polestar was a racing team and later a tuner of Volvo sports cars, which was later acquired by the Swedish carmaker. Polestar became Volvo’s performance division, responsible for designing monsters rivaling Mercedes AMGs and BMW Ms. In 2017, Volvo’s new parent company, Geely, announced that Polestar would become a standalone brand focusing on electric cars.

Polestar 2 was the company’s first electric vehicle, and it was appreciated for its original design. Polestar launched its American career with an original Superbowl commercial in 2022 and has become a public’s favorite ever since. However, not everything was cool about the Polestar 2, and one of the most criticized features was that the single motor variant was front-wheel drive. With the 2024 model year, Polestar changed this and moved the single motor on the rear axle.

This is clearly not the only complaint Polestar 2 owners have, as proven by one German who got one as a company car. After spending about a month with the Swedish electric vehicle, he shared his two cents on X, Elon Musk’s social media network. In this case, the Polestar 2 was at a disadvantage because the reviewer also owned a Tesla Model 3 Performance since 2021. However, although an important issue, it wasn’t only the performance that disappointed mr.superfly (@superfly_mr).

The bad experience starts right before entering the car, with the keyless system acting up. If you don’t carry the physical key with you, expect to be unable to put the car in Drive or Reverse, although you were able to unlock it earlier. Mister Superfly also warns that the Pilot Assistant cannot be trusted, as it behaves unpredictably, sometimes leaving the lane without notice.

Although the FWD Polestar 2 has only 230 horsepower, and the acceleration is disappointing (coming from an M3P owner, of course), this is not the worst thing about it. Every time you press the accelerator harder, the front wheels start spinning, which is much more annoying. Another problem, which is only in Germany, is the maximum speed, which is limited to 161 kph (100 mph). With this speed, you’re crippled on the Autobahns (Germany’s no-speed-limit highways), where almost everyone drives much faster than that.

Lackluster performance on the Autobahn is one thing, but this also continues when charging. Although the Polestar 2 is theoretically capable of charging at 150 kW, Mr. Superfly has never seen a charging session above 100 kW. Finally, the efficiency in cold weather is also appalling, with an energy consumption of about 25-30 kWh per 100 km (40-48 kWh per 100 miles). Since the battery has 78 kWh, this means less than 200 miles of range, which is weird for a 230-hp EV with a relatively big battery.

Don’t buy a polestar. Just don’t. I really dig the look. But this car comes not even close to a Tesla.

Where to start. I am driving it now for 1 month. This is not a full report, just the points that i found most annoying compared to a Tesla.
1. Don’t do the mistake and rely… pic.twitter.com/E6JojjpIYK

— mr.superfly (@superfly_mr) December 27, 2023