My 2025 Polestar 2 Feels Nearly Perfect After 24 Hours, Better Rounded Than the Taycan 4S, Model Y, and Lucid Air I Test Drove, But Polestar's Dealer Experience Needs Major Work

The 2025 Polestar 2 doesn’t just show up, it arrives like a Bond villain on casual Friday, quiet, calculating, and oozing intent. It’s the kind of car that doesn’t need to be loud to command a room. In fact, the lack of noise is part of its charm. 

Polestar 2 2025 Review: Understated Swedish Design Meets High-Voltage Performance

Where others scream performance with wings, scoops, and screen spam, the Polestar 2 simply stares at you with those Thor’s Hammer headlights and dares you to make the first move. It’s Swedish in design, Chinese in funding, and all business in execution, a fastback that doesn’t just want your attention, it earns it.

And here’s the thing: owners are starting to take notice, especially on Reddit: 

“Not knowing what the earlier Polestar 2s were like, this 2025 Polestar 2 (PPP + Nappa) feels nearly perfected and is such a well-rounded daily driver.

It’s beautiful. As a Volvo fan, I appreciate its understated yet balanced design both inside and out. (The front console’s awkward cup holder situation is the only downside.)

The software has been very good, easy to use and reliable, similar to our 2024 XC90 Recharge. It does everything we need well, but I assume sometimes it will need a restart to get audio back. Their tight Google integration has definitely shown dividends after years of code churn and processor upgrades. CarPlay feels great (especially after using Car Play on a Lucid).

Driving dynamics have been impeccable, amazing throttle response, loads of predictable power, excellent handling, and it never feels unmanageable. The only slight issue is the steering being a bit vague at initial turn-in, but outside of that it’s on par with the Taycans I’ve driven. This is an absolutely fun car to drive at the limit.

The hatch is great, good volume of space and there’s extra space under the floor. The headlights are also great. The backseat isn’t the most-spacious but perfect for most adults and all of my small children. It’s nice that the kids can see out the window in boosters - not something I could say for the Lucid Air or Polestar 3.

The Performance model has the larger 82kw battery in 2025 which gives it a nice bump from last year.

I wish it had the Bowers & Wilkins system in the 2025, and the option of massaging seats.

If Polestar can clean up the brutal dealer experience (a story for another time) and stop playing stupid games with the pricing, discounts and residuals, this company and the cars they make are 100% viable and better than most EVs on the market. I test drove a Taycan 4s, Tesla Y and X, Lucid Air Touring and yes there are things they each do better than the Polestar 2, but none are as well rounded.” 

Visually, the Polestar 2 is a deliberate departure from the overly animated design language dominating the EV segment. No peacocking here, just clean lines, a subtly aggressive stance, and proportions. You don’t drive it to make a statement; you drive it because you appreciate what it doesn’t shout.

2025 Polestar 2 Specs & Pricing: Range, Power, and Cargo Capacity

• For the 2025 model year, the Polestar 2 starts around $66,200 MSRP for the Long Range Dual Motor version 
• In 2024, pricing began at approximately $51,300 for the Long Range Single Motor, with higher trims reaching mid‑$50K and beyond 
• Measures roughly 181.3 in long × 73.2 in wide × 58 in tall, with a 107 in wheelbase 
• The hatchback offers about 14–16 cu ft of rear cargo plus additional under-floor storage and a 41 L front trunk .
• Dual-motor Performance versions push around 476 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque, hitting 0‑60 mph in roughly 4.2–4.5 seconds, while standard dual-motor models manage around 4.1–5.9 seconds, depending on year and setup 
• U.S. retail deliveries grew significantly, with Q1 sales jumping about 76% over last year, helped by expanding consumer awareness and new SUVs like Polestar 3 boosting the brand’s profile 

And make no mistake, when you do drive it, it delivers. There’s a richness in how it handles that reminds you of something engineered, not just assembled. That Performance Pack sharpens things with Öhlins dampers, big Brembos, and an 82 kWh battery that gives the Polestar 2 not just long legs, but strong ones too. The throttle response is crisp without being twitchy, and while the steering has a touch of vagueness on initial turn-in, it quickly firms up into confidence. It won’t bite unless you ask it to, but if you do, it obliges with grace.

Polestar 2 Performance Pack Driving Dynamics: Öhlins Dampers & Brembo Brakes

Inside, the Polestar 2 follows the less-is-more philosophy. It’s not flashy, but it is deliberate. Everything is where it should be, and nothing feels like a gimmick. Google’s infotainment backbone is quick, familiar, and rarely misbehaves, something that can’t be said for all EVs. Apple CarPlay integration, for example, feels solid and natural, especially to those who’ve tried it in a Lucid, where it often feels like a last-minute addition. 

The materials feel expensive without being fussy. And yes, the cupholder situation is a little awkward, but if that’s your biggest complaint, you’ve got a great car.

This thing is good. So good, in fact, that it changes the terms of the discussion. The old-school argument, “Yeah, but it’s an EV”, doesn’t hold water anymore. As Redditor adsantamonica succinctly put it: 

“I have owned a P2 and really liked it. Solid all around.” 

It’s not an “EV alternative.” It’s just a good car, period. It doesn’t apologize for its electric powertrain, nor does it flaunt it with gimmicks. It’s secure in its mission, and that alone separates it from much of the field.

2025 Polestar 2 Interior Tour: Minimalist Luxury with Google Infotainment

And yet, as with many promising upstarts, the fault lies not in the product, but in the pipeline. Polestar’s dealer experience, according to several owners, remains a sticking point. 

“If Polestar can clean up the brutal dealer experience… and stop playing stupid games with the pricing, discounts, and residuals,” thusenth notes, “this company and the cars they make are 100% viable and better than most EVs on the market.” 

The car is polished. The business around it, not so much. 

And for a brand trying to be taken seriously among heavyweights, that matters.

Polestar 2 Ownership Challenges: Dealer Experience & Pricing Strategies

• Despite active efforts, Polestar remains relatively unknown to many American consumers. Owners have reported needing to explain the brand weekly, indicating early-stage name recognition 
• Polestar positions itself as a direct-to-consumer, premium EV brand focusing on design, cutting-edge tech, and sustainability, leveraging strategic partnerships and experiential marketing to build credibility 
• U.S. buyers are drawn not only by eco‑credentials but also by the brand’s infotainment integration, performance, and luxury feel, attributes cited in internal research as primary purchase motivators 
• While the brand is gaining momentum, through test‑drive campaigns in 33 U.S. cities and opening more “Polestar Spaces”, it still wrestles with limited visibility, modest dealership footprint (around 25 spaces), and questions about its long‑term standalone viability

So what we have here is a beautifully sculpted, seriously engineered electric car that isn’t just good “for an EV”, it’s good by any metric. It’s for the driver who once fawned over Alfa Romeos and M cars but now has kids in booster seats and a job that frowns on burnout videos. 

Polestar Brand in the U.S.: Awareness, Direct-to-Consumer Model & Retail Footprint

It’s for the person who wants something quiet, competent, and brutally stylish, without surrendering to either the tech-bro aesthetic or the vanilla anonymity of crossovers. It's Swedish restraint, Chinese might, and European poise rolled into one very compelling package.

The Polestar 2 isn’t loud. It isn’t trying to be your buddy. It’s not going to beg for attention or convince your neighbor’s teenager that it’s cool. Instead, it sits in your driveway, silent and composed, until you ask it to play. And when you do, it answers like a Scandinavian symphony laced with high-voltage adrenaline. Fix the retail end, and Polestar may not just be a contender, it might just be the blueprint.

Image Sources: Polestar Newsroom

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.