Polestar 2 Rental

[MMENACE]

Hi folks. I rented a Tesla earlier this year and that sold me on EVs and, honestly, almost Teslas. But after a few months of research, I landed on a new 2023 MME CR1. It’s amazing and after two months I still look for any excuse to drive it. I’m traveling next week and have opted to rent a Polestar 2 from Hertz. I welcome any advice, guidance and warnings before I hop in and try to pretend I know what I’m doing. Thank you!

Sponsored

 

[TheBraydenKyle]

My Mach E is still in the shop for repairs. One of the three rental cars I’ve had over the last 2 months was a Polestar from Hertz so I can give you my personal opinion.

Pros: I like the way it looks and drives (though the ride is rougher than a Mach E). Has a big trunk area for stuff, but the height of the trunk area could be better. I got to like the fact the car turns on by itself when you get in.

Cons: it’s far smaller than I expected. Felt like a lifted Corolla or something. It has the worst 360 camera I’ve ever seen and the back up camera isn’t great. Blind spots like crazy. Since this was the base model, it felt super cheap in certain ways. It actually reminded me a little of my old 2006 Focus Wagon work car in a couple ways such as the materials and door handles. I also do not like front wheel drive personally. I also drive fairly conservatively and I found the Polestar was not as efficient as my Mach E. I also had charging issues that I never had with my Mach E (same chargers). Examples are not working at all, having to try a few times to initiate charge, and slower charging speeds. Also had some glitchy issues with the screens, but not a big issue.

 

[voxel]

I rented a fully loaded Polestar 2 with all the packages and loved it - even took it on Circuits of the Americas.

With that said, it has a crappy range, and everything is Android Automotive based (with CarPlay though). I recall you can sign into Google and bring in your favorites into the native Google Maps.

The Ohlins with the Performance package make it one harsh daily ride but I loved the smooth one-pedal driving - probably the best of any EV. It's also one of the loudest (least insulated) EVs I've driven.

It definitely is more sedan than crossover - even though it is a hatchack. Don't expect to have much space with it. And the center console will butt into your right leg.

Renting a CCS EV is always a risk because of the poor charging networks in various parts of the country. Plan ahead.

 

[MMENACE]

Ugh. Sorry that your MME has been in the shop for so long. That’s not encouraging at all. Now wrapping up month two with our 2023 CR1 and it’s been 95% smooth sailing.

Thanks for taking the time to reply about your Polestar 2 experience. I do like the way it looks and remain excited about the opportunity to give it a try — even with all your “cons.” LOL. I hope the charging issues aren’t any worse than what I’ve experienced with my MME and some (not all) Electrify America chargers. I’ve never had dreams of driving a 2006 Focus wagon, so we’ll see how this goes!

 

[MMENACE]

Thanks for your reply. This is encouraging, in spite of the Android Automotive. I’m an Apple guy through and through.

Good to know about the one-pedal strengths. I love that aspect of EVs, including the MME, which I don’t think measures up in that regard to the M3 I rented.

I don’t look forward to wrestling with the center console, knowing the console will prevail. I’ve seen that criticism elsewhere.

I’ll be driving in/around Dallas/Fort Worth, so I’m expecting decent charging opportunities in such a metro area, even if in Texas. (I’m a native, I can say that.) But yeah, I’ll do some planning for chargers near the hotel and on likely routes before I pick up the car.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I would have taken the opportunity to try the Polestar as well. I was recently in Iceland and tried out an EV6 for four days.

Since you won't be used to the Polestar's range, navigation, etc., plan to rely on ABRP and PlugShare to make sure you plan out your charging in advance and monitor it as you go.

 

[awp0]

My opinion is that it's the best looking EV out there (in that size class). I was torn between the P2 and the MME, and ended up with MME because it best fit my requirements. I'll admit to some "grass is always greener" momentary feeling of regret when I see a P2 on the road, but it passes when I remind myself of the reasons I decided against it (size, options, and TCAM problems). I think I remember it only has one cup holder which sounds like a minor thing but would probably aggravate me all the time. I always wasn't sold on their seat material.

 

[TheBraydenKyle]

My opinion is that it's the best looking EV out there (in that size class). I was torn between the P2 and the MME, and ended up with MME because it best fit my requirements. I'll admit to some "grass is always greener" momentary feeling of regret when I see a P2 on the road, but it passes when I remind myself of the reasons I decided against it (size, options, and TCAM problems). I think I remember it only has one cup holder which sounds like a minor thing but would probably aggravate me all the time. I always wasn't sold on their seat material.

there is a second cup holder inside the arm rest which is about the most impractical thing I’ve seen ?

Sponsored