Just test drove a Polestar 2 - initial impressions

[joebruin77]

I have a 2018 Tesla P3D and love it. My wife and I are presently shopping for a new EV for her. Today we test drove a new Polestar 2.0.

Overall, I was very impressed with this car. The exterior styling is awesome, and the car felt very solid. The fit and finish were excellent. The Google OS for the center display works extremely well. Other than the display being smaller than the one in my Tesla, this is the first EV that I felt had driving tech on par with Tesla. While it was not quite as quick as my P3D, it was close enough and had plenty of "umph". I loved the Harmon Kardon stereo and the frameless side mirrors. I felt like they offered better visibility than the Tesla side mirrors. And I liked the blind spot warning light built into the mirrors, which my Tesla does not have.

The only true negative of the Polestar for me was the design of the center console. The center console was rather large. The area was very pretty and pleasing to the eye. I like the look of the gear selector and the radio volume knob. But the center console, which scores high on design and looks, scores low on practicality. There is very limited storage. There are two very poorly placed cup holders. In order to access the second cup holder, you have to flip up the center armrest. So I guess if you and your passenger each have a drink, you have to drive without an armrest. And because the center console was so large, the cabin felt a bit cramped, especially compared to the open feel of my Tesla.

A new Model 3 Long Range is still on our short list. But we plan on test driving the Ford Mach E GT and the Volvo XC-40 Recharge before making our final decision.

Anyone else test drive a Polestar 2 recently? I'm curious to know your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[ChadS]

There's a thread in the 3 forums HERE.

Did your test car have the Performance pack? (It includes gold calipers and seat belts, so easy to tell). What did you think of the handling/steering feel compared to your P3D? I haven't driven both, but it sounds like it makes a big difference.

 

[joebruin77]

There's a thread in the 3 forums HERE.

Did your test car have the Performance pack? (It includes gold calipers and seat belts, so easy to tell). What did you think of the handling/steering feel compared to your P3D? I haven't driven both, but it sounds like it makes a big difference.

Thanks for the link to the other thread. I will check it out.

Our tester did not have the Performance pack. I found out from the Polestar rep that, when scheduling the test drive, you can specify that you would like a Polestar 2 with the Performance pack. She also said we could schedule a second test drive, this time for one with the Performance pack. I do give Polestar the highest marks for customer service. They brought the car to our home and arrived right on time. And their willing to do a second test drive.

The performance pack does add the Brembo brakes, the adjustable Ohlins dampers, and of course the gold seat belts. If my wife and I can get past the poorly designed center console, we may request a second test drive, this time with the performance pack.