I rent a Polestar 2 for 24 hours - the car I *nearly* got instead of a Tesla.

Back in 2022 I decided it was time to buy an EV. I really liked my previous Volvo S90, so the Polestar 2 was top of my list.
But when I looked into the choices in detail and couldn't decide, my brain kept shouting at me - "Just Get A Tesla". And a KZbin channel was born!
I rent a Polestar 2 for 24 hours and take it on a business trip. I do a full review inside and outside, see how efficient it is, how easy it is to charge, and then compare it to a Tesla Model 3.
Welcome to Just Get a Tesla, where I do a series of tests and challenges to help show people that instead of shopping around for EVs they should just get a Tesla...
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[@mondotv4216]

When I was choosing between the Model 3 and the Polestar 2 (the original version) the thing that struck me the most was the lack of interior space in the Polestar and the tiny back doors. I didn't love the way it drove but I did like the hatchback. I wouldn't be complaining about the wheels too much - it's hard to find a Tesla without damaged rims. All comes down to low profile tyres rather than the type of wheel. In the end I went for the Model 3 and the major sticking point was how hard it would be to get kids in and out of car seats in the back and we had two young grandchildren. But the other thing was cost - the Model 3 RWD came with everything included except for paint (and premium white interior which I didn't opt for), while the Polestar started slightly cheaper but had 3 "option packs" (2 of which would have been required) that added a lot of cost to the vehicle.

[@johnthorpe459]

Another interesting Video Ian after looking at your video on starlink what about an update video please ?

[@podge5555]

I never have to press the button to open the boot in my polestar, the handsfree tailgate works every time

[@johnfranklin6394]

My previous car (BMW 128ti) had diamond cut alloys. I kerbed 3 out of 4 of them badly. Luckily, my lease company didn’t charge me when I handed it back in June. An oversight on their part, as the damage was outside the BVLA fair wear and tear guidance. My new Model 3 is now sporting AliExpress wheel covers that even cover the alloy wheel rims that were exposed by the Tesla original covers. I am storing the pristine Tesla covers in my garage and will refit them when I hand the Tesla back in just over 3.5 years at the end of its lease. I really don’t give a damn about shiny alloys, and feel so much more relaxed not worrying about kerbing the stupid things.

[@gap9992]

I have done exactly the same! Plus my Uber turbine mimics look much better than the stock Tesla covers

[@dadys31]

One solution for you, alloygator

[@johnfranklin6394]

@@dadys31 I considered those but heard stories of them flying off while driving. So, I just went with replacement covers that protect the rims. I’m happy with how they look, and they don’t appear to have reduced efficiency compared to the original covers. Cost me about £65 for four covers I think. Only draw back was one month delivery time, during which I was paranoid about scuffing my wheels 😂

[@l1devil]

I rented one from hertz last year for a week. Drove from Heathrow to Sandwich and back. Not a patch even on my slow RWD MY. It was sluggish, spun the front wheels on roundabouts, was cramped inside, had awful reversing cameras and was quite thirsty. One thing which was good - the ACC. The rest is meh.

[@lanehogger1532]

I agree with your comments on the build quality of the interior. The VW ID range has terrible interior quality too.

[@sargfowler9603]

You can get a year old Polestar 2 for £28, which isn't too bad. As for charging, the Tesla network is great if you can find a charger. The south is littered with chargers, but go away from the Home Counties and you'll struggle. The LIDL charger is a perfect case of why people haven't adopted EVs. It's just too much hassle. Hopefully the government will hold their promise and support many, many more chargers across the whole of the UK.

[@FoxInClogs]

Any chance of you making Just Get An Ioniq 5? I'm interested to see your review. I've got an IO5 Lounge RWD LR, but it was very nearly Model Y LR.

[@horoh1]

The reason why the rim is so close to the tyre is to improve its aerodynamics kerbing is virtually unavoidable unless you park well away from the kerb

[@dorsetandy3873]

Ian, hope you enjoyed your short visit to Dorset, I recognise the failed Lidel charger at Tricketts Cross. You were only a couple of miles from Bournemouth Tesla, but as yet no superchargers there. There are V4 superchargers at Tesla Winchester, which is only a mile off the M3, and long charging leads! £37.00 for a EV hire seems very reasonable imo, even if this EV wasn’t brilliant.

[@paddylogan13]

I had a C40 which is built on the same platform. The interior was much better although the infotainment wasn't quite as nice. Range and charging were fine and overall it was very easy to live with.

[@iridemountainbikes]

I think some of the design issues internally are due to the restraints of the ice platform it’s built on (xc40). I love the Polestar 2 design externally, kind of has an American muscle car look to it, but would like to see a proper refreshed version built on a dedicated EV platform with the same exterior dimensions and similar exterior looks. Hopefully now they have the 3 and 4 on the way they will revisit it and give it the proper EV treatment it deserves.

[@Jarptchow85]

in the middle the lower regions of the back passanger who sits in the middle back seat will be super cold :D

[@LooseWheelNutPod]

I’m booked in for a test drive of the Polestar next weekend. But I’m itching towards a Model 3 so the Polestar has to be very impressive to change my mind.

[@KirbyHegner]

When we first saw pictures of this car it was presented as "the new Volvo S40" and it wasn't supposed to be an EV, that's why it has the transmission tunnel.

[@trevorbromley-palmer]

I had always like the look of the Polestar 2, so rented one for a week when I went to Tromsø in Norway. Short answer is I hated it. Inside felt extremely cramped with tiny windows. The cruise control was the worst as it couldn’t hold a speed. Set it to 50km/h then when driving up a hill and it slowed to 40km/h then going down the other side of the hill and it sped up to 60km/h, my Tesla MY holds speeds perfectly and never slows down or speeds due to hills. The Polestar 2 was not for me and so glad I have a MY.

[@Travel_Day_Dreams]

The comparison which would be most interesting to see would be the Ionic 5 (as a direct competitor to your MY), or the Ionic 6. Both should prove to be an improvement over the Polestar, although to be fair Polestars decision to run with an Android operating system was a smart move.

[@casperhansen826]

Your charging experience is the reason why I prefer to use Tesla Superchargers my Model Y

[@Andy-zi1wj]

The polestar 2 you have there is a pre facelift fwd. The facelift has different grill. The new model 3 has a better ride and quieter

[@rayjones9231]

Interesting to see that you were only down the road from from us. There is a InstaVolt charger nearby to both Lidls. We are patiently waiting for Tesla Superchargers to be installed at our local Tesla showroom.

[@BSJWright]

Yes, I have a Leaf now (don’t ask, Tesla is coming in a few years, sooner if I can do it), but I also have that horrible transmission hub in the back. No idea why, I don’t think it shares a chassis with an ICE car

[@ashmcbride4126]

Was great to meet you at that charger, Ian! Loved the video :)

[@justgetatesla]

It’s always funny when someone says “aren’t you that guy off KZbin 😂😁😁

[@Loving-life]

Can you compare other cars. I.e go for test drives. I’m not saying turn into a car review channel and I know it’s just get a Tesla, but in reality when buying a car people look at more than 1 option, as you probably did yourself. A good start to compare to a model Y would be Skoda Enyaq iv and MG4, both of which are highly rated suv`s, along with the model Y. You would probably be interested in the comparison yourself.

[@andrewgrant5435]

Why use Apple CarPlay when the Google mapping is excellent and on par with Tesla

[@justgetatesla]

I did use Google maps later. And was better. Apple car play was a test for a product review I am considering…

[@andrewgrant5435]

👍

[@casperhansen826]

26:43 The Polestar probably didn't preheat the battery, that is why you only get 125 kW

[@edwyncorteen1527]

I rejected the polestar when I watched the original reveal, it is an update of an ICE car hence the transmission tunnel that they filled up with batteries and this also ensured the cramped interior!

[@richo4447]

Loved the polestar when I had it for a couple of weeks, but only as a driver's car. It wasn't practical as a family car, I found it a bit too cramped. I actually prefer the software to Tesla too.

[@iambenmitchell]

You came to bournemouth and didn't say hi?? That halfords/McDonalds is right next to my house, could have given you a free charge on octopus agile haha

[@cokyrobes]

As a long term Tesla fan I thought I would be much more impressed with the PS2 than I was. I had one as a company car for about 5 months and did 5k miles in it. Overall: Less comfortable Less range Less efficient Worse interior quality Slower Worse blended regen braking Worse ‘autopilot’ Generally nice to drive but no where near Tesla levels in most ways for me

[@sampsalol]

I accept all your other arguments except worse interior quality, how can you say that when the Tesla interiors are just simply trash and so cheap?

[@ianowens3762]

What did you think of the Hilton Bournemouth?….. I quite like it.

[@paddylogan13]

You have highlighted the fact that charging on the South Coast is rubbish. However, gou will have driven past a Tesla charger and a Porsche showroom at Portsmouth, and a Gridserve (expensive but easy to use and v fast) on the M27. I dont have a Tesla and if I ended up trying to plug in at Lidl, something would have gone very badly wrong.

[@justgetatesla]

When did I say charging on the south coast is rubbish?

[@paddylogan13]

@@justgetatesla You didn't, I did. If it was any good you wouldn't have needed to go to a Lidl! As a non-Tesla EV driver, travelling to Portsmouth requires very careful planning.

[@justgetatesla]

That I can believe!

[@callumcorbin1525]

Looks like it was a pre facelift/engineering revision so it would be the older front wheel drive version

[@podge5555]

Yes I noticed that too

[@justgetatesla]

Ok, didn’t feel FWD and I span up what sounded / felt like the rears up, but either way it wasn’t great

[@podge5555]

@@justgetatesla how did you find the performance?

[@justgetatesla]

What performance? 😂

[@mondotv4216]

@@justgetateslaIf it's getting good efficiency I'd say it has to be the new RWD version.

[@PabloTBrave]

They put wheels like that and black gloss interior because it looks good .... For 20 minutes .

[@Altalus]

I did think about the Polestar 2, but if I had not chosen to get my Model 3, I would've check the Ionic 5 instead I think.

[@dadys31]

I wonder how the Polestar4 presents itself...please drive one soon

[@christopherstubbs8130]

Why on earth did Volvo go to all the effort of creating the Polestar brand only to import so many platform sharing elements? I cant decide if the transmission tunnel or the bonnet was the bigger crime.

[@Garrison169]

They did it to save money, which begs the question about what else they did on the cheap.

[@FFVoyager]

They chose the Polestar name to be the 'EV' brand. Obviously short term thinking!

[@justgetatesla]

I get the use of an existing platform - it’s a compromise but understandable. What I don’t get is why Geely create an EV brand called Polestar - with all the same Volvo design language like Thors Hammer headlights - and then compete against Volvo?

[@FFVoyager]

@@justgetatesla Polestar used to be a Volvo designation for performance variants.

[@neilfennell6833]

But it has indicator stalks.

[@justgetatesla]

So?

[@simplygregsterev]

I rented one at LHR last weekend. 2024 220kw RWD with 4000miles . I have a love hate relationship with the Polestar 2 but the updated model has really grown on me. I love the fact it has a liftgate (held 5 suitcases) and the software is much improved. I did a full review one one last year I don’t like the seats they still feel cheap, getting peak charge rate (205kw) or anything near it needs to be done on a perfectly conditioned battery which has to be set as destination in navigation (I wish manufacturers would allow manual) As for a hire car though they are excellent for the price and you know what you are getting. We did a UK road trip with a Jeep Avenger EV and although I did like it.. i kept thermal locking the battery I miss the Tesla fleet at Hertz but Ill be honest unless it was new each Tesla Ive rented has had something broken on it. Usually b pillar trim panel, worn steering wheel or broken boot lid. That being said Model 3/Y LR were fabulous and put a giant smile on my face. Something the Polestar 2 never seems to do

[@prjackson7802]

Great video

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

25:36. Bjorn.. 😂

[@dragonfilth13]

You should really test the Dual Motor Long Range version with the Pilot, Plus and Performance packs :D

[@richardhughes3026]

Great review Ian, Polestar is a nice looking car but so-so otherwise

[@chrishanslip6443]

No we had coal then, it’s coming , I’m ready, got my diesel heater on standby x

[@paulcarruthers1314]

Cost and pfaff of charging is why EV’s are not selling

[@justgetatesla]

Well, except that they are selling in greater numbers…

[@Mrrrrayvon77]

Had a polestar 2 for a year first. I loved it. I have a Y now. Plus and minus for both, tech wins on tesla build quality on the p* wins on quietness & looks for me.Everyone asks me what do you prefer and I'm still sat on the fence love both. It also seems you are picking all the faults of the p*but not explaining any of the tesla.its not a Y compare that to a p3 or 4. They can use tesla chargers and charge at the same rate,very biased review in my opion

[@justgetatesla]

I compared a P2 to a Model 3. I don’t mention a Y once. It’s not “biased”, it’s subjective when it is opinion. But charging at the same speed as Tesla? Not when I tested it - using the car navigation to navigate to the supercharger. Disappointingly slow. May be a one off! But it isn’t “biased” - I’m filming what happened as it happened

[@tonyngai8568]

How does it drive? You never said

[@justgetatesla]

It was fine. I literally drove it on major roads and bit of town. Wasn’t really a driving test

[@stephengowler5360]

Hi Ian. Just checked your referral code and it states limit reached, that’s only an hour after you posted?

[@justgetatesla]

Really? Astonishing! Video posted an hour ago but uploaded a week and a half ago. EDIT - I have now edited the description in my videos with the code to remove it for the rest of 2024. thanks so much to everyone for their support

[@Jaw0lf]

Shunty shunty, worky worky!! But easier to Just get a Tesla....

[@jandmath]

Sorry, but the interior here was almost depressing

[@AndyWoodger]

@justgetatesla In fairness to Polestar I wonder if they were thinking that people might like to have a car that looks "normal" rather than a revolutionary different electric car. The Polestar is a good looking car, practical and with Volvos input should be well built....but I'm glad I bought a Tesla.

[@justgetatesla]

The current Volvo / Polestar design language is absolutely beautiful

[@MrOliG5000]

Ian…..just get a Tesla!!!

[@shanedavis9166]

Out of curiosity I clicked your referral link Ian, and it states your limit has been reached and is no longer valid. I wasn't going to use it though as I'm #justdreamingofatesla lol

[@justgetatesla]

Yep - have just found out that my referral code has suddenly maxed out. Have deleted it from the description to the last few videos

[@Garrison169]

That "knurly little knob" is so retro. I guess it must work for those who need something to grab onto, but the days of needing a mechanical gear change lever are over.

[@TheSolitere]

Well Consumer Reports rated Tesla's overall reliability as 27th worst out of 28 car brands. So don't get a Tesla?

[@iAMChrisCC]

There is just no way I'd ever get a Tesla. Aside from the dull design and terrible interior, you have the issues associated with the owner. Thankfully proper car companies are making EVs with interesting design now

[@NeonNow-ib4sh]

Whole thing just seems awful but I shrug.

[@simonrichardson3167]

We have a 2023 Volvo C40 Dual Motor , which I assume is a very similar car to Polestar. We also had the XC40 front wheel drive EV single motor, I thought the front end grip was suspect setting off from a standstill. Theyre good, but I think my Tesla is a better car, a slicker product, better range, better handling, better tech.

[@PierreDybman]

The Polestar drives much better than the Volvo…

[@dadys31]

Cheap and expensive, and this is why they don't sell well

[@chrishanslip6443]

It's all to complicated and faffing, just get a normal diesel car, get in and drive away, then enjoy 600/700/800+ miles of hassle free motoring in the knowledge your helping the planet by improving the CO2 content of the atmosphere, lovely green plants ect ect, I just can't wait for the black outs this winter, all those EVs parked up going nowhere lol can't wait x

[@justgetatesla]

I do love moron comments - always leave them up for a giggle. Black outs? It’s not the 1970s

[@jim9685769]

How disappointed the diesel guys will be when they pull up to gas station when the power is out and are reminded that gas stations need power to pump fuel. LOL

[@MrPindie]

Painful!!

[@rayjones9231]

A second hand Tesla or a second hand Polestar. The Tesla every time.

[@redjohn20001]

Polestar for me.

[@MrGayle_]

@rayjones9231 agree, for me nothing comes close to Tesla. Can't see me ever using another car now, love my M3

[@FFVoyager]

@@rayjones9231 my wife has just gone from a 2018 S90 to a 2021 Model 3. She tried a Polestar 2 but it didn't have 'enough space' inside.

[@PierreDybman]

After testing a 3 and a Y, and renting a Polestar 2 for one day, the latter is clearly a better car. And my next purchase. Note for the haters, I did write that the Polestar is a better car, not a better EV. But I’m buying a car that happens to be electric, not the other way around.

[@PierreDybman]

@@FFVoyagerThe boot in the 3 doesn’t open enough to constantly load our amp/subwoofer, so Polestar’s hatchback is a win.

[@acousticrecordingservice6991]

First !

[@brendanpells912]

At least when you step out of a Polestar no-one will assume you're a neo-fascist.

[@justgetatesla]

People can pick at anything- especially when built in China… 😏

[@Jeroenneman]

Meh, the Polestar is owned by the CCP. Idiot rambling on Twitter vs regime that actually builds Uyghur "rehabilitation" camps...

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

@@justgetatesla especially when replying using their Chinese built phone

[@mikepalmer7687]

Polestar looks cheap and nasty, just get a Tesla