As a car person having a manual adjustable dampen setting on a consumer product is wild. I would expect stuff like this on a more performance enthusiast product. Seems a little odd in this sort market.

I like Alex reviewing cars because he knows all the numbers and manufacturer talking points. BUT he also get appropriately annoyed at things like a cupholder or arm rest situation. I've test driven lots of cars, and the deal breaker is usually something like the mirror position, or passenger seat adjustment. The little annoyances are super important when thinking about a spot you'll be sitting in every day, and these reviews seem to call out all of those details.

I watched countless videos on the polestar before I bought one and you’re the only one that mentioned the weird ass ergonomics of the cabin, comfort wise and getting in and out of the damn thing, didn’t notice on the test drive (too giddy I guess) but these are very noticeable. So thank you for pointing them out for anyone else in the future

I've had mine since Oct 2020. Apart from the left arm rest issue mostly everything is spot on. The centre issue is easily solved, I left my wife so we don't have to fight over the 2nd cup holder. Back to the arm left rest - I've done 18k miles in and not a had a problem, but if you did then definitely one for people to try out before buying one. Doesn't seem one size fits all. Best feature is Google maps.

Having been a passenger in one of these during a serious crash that involved the whole right wheel and suspension being ripped off. I can confirm they are very safe cars. Got out without a scratch.

In Ireland and UK we dont really use the door arm rest because we're sitting on the other side, we mainly use the centre arm rest for left arm while the right hand is on the wheel. Youre just driving on the wrong side of the road 😂

One test that would be good for you guys to test in these EV reviews is whether the brackelights function properly in one pedal mode. i.e whether they turn on under a partial lift off. Some don't!

The fat center console is because the polestar 2 is based on a gas power platform, the same as the Volvo xc40, so you have a transmission tunnel there

Aging Wheels did great coverage of the car, one of the biggest issues is that not all volvo dealerships can work on the car, it can only be worked on at official Polestar support dealerships, which are pretty rare

I'm sure you guys already know this, but you should probably either repair or replace the sensor on the camera that was used here. There is a dead pixel in the lower left corner. Great auto review BTW. Loving it.

I get questions about my Polestar 2 all the time. People have stopped next to me in traffic jams just to ask what car it is. I can't do a border crossing without at least one border guard asking what brand it is. It's honestly the least anonymous car i've ever driven, i'm surprised LMG had a different experience!

You don't need to "press" the handle first to unlock, just put your hand in the handle and wait for like 0,2s before opening and it will unlock. The only time you need to use the touch button is when locking. ;)

I rented one for a month, it’s great. I drag raced so many people at stoplights. I drove it from Virginia to Kansas and back, I ripped it through the West Virginia backroads and it felt so planted with the wide tires and weight on the floor.

It's worth knowing the Polestar 2 was based on the Volvo 40.2 concept which debuted next to the 40.1 concept that would go on to be the XC40. While the production version of the 40.2 concept (the S40) was cancelled, it was then picked up by Polestar. Hence the smaller size

He should have driven one with the ventilated leather, the interior is extremely comfortable so you don't have the scratch arm wrest issue

One of the best looking EVs out there to me personally. Very excited for the other cars Polestar has planned.

2:47 Red pixel stuck in the video not on your monitor, spooked me for a min

I rented a baseline spec polestar two, maybe a little bit higher than that, and I found it to be a very pleasant rental car. For the android automotive system, I actually found that the voice controls worked very well. I was very confused by moving around the touchscreen system. However, it seemed like it was difficult to find things and you kept going around in a circle to get back to stuff, a little weird. My biggest issue with the car was how it decides that it’s ready to start or stop. Instead of using the key fob or a regular key, which I know nobody wants to use regular keys anymore. Whatever, the seat is the button. So if you have the fob in your pocket or it’s in the car, and then you sit in the front seat, then the car is available to you to start listen the radio, whatever. That was confusing at first, but I got used to it pretty easily. What was more confusing was getting out of the car and hoping that it would Turn off. It did, but it wasn’t confidence inspiring that the car would actually shut off and lock when you left it. Several times I had to wait to make sure that the vehicle actually was locked and power down. I don’t recall having the comfort problems that were noted in this review. I’m pretty sensitive to uncomfortable elbow issues. I did feel like the car was very Enveloping. Like everything seemed higher up than in other cars I’m used to. I didn’t use cupholders in there like that, so that may all be true. But the one thing that this car absolutely excelled in, and it was not the top spec, Was in acceleration. Especially on the freeway. Going from 40 or 50 mph to 70 or 80 mph was ridiculously powerful. It was very confidence building to make passes. I never felt like I was waiting for anything, the surge of power was just really intoxicating. It worked really really well. I also didn’t have the sunroof, which I appreciated, I’m not a big fan of the current crop of glass roofs that seems to be the trend. I don’t really want the sun on my head all the time. Nobody sat in the back, so I don’t have any impressions of that, but I did have a passenger and they had no complaints either. Charging worked reasonably well, no problems that occurred had anything to do with a pole star, there were some issues with charging stations that didn’t seem to initiate or whatever, but they didn’t have any to the pole star. But, the feature that told you were charging stations that were compatible Could be found work very well. I never felt like I wouldn’t be able to get to where I needed to go, even when they were problems with finding a charging station that was fully functional. And using the built-in, GPS navigation meant that I could say where I was going, and the system will give me several options for how to make sure I had enough charge to get there. I rented this for a trip from Los Angeles to San Diego and back, with one or two stops along the way each way. I never felt like I was going to be without charging, although I did end up at one mall where the mall itself closed while I was charging, and that caused me to have to walk all the way around the mall in a very strange way. But that wasn’t the fault of the car.

Really enjoying the car videos alongside all the other content!

with so many electric cars being so tech forward i really like these reviews. stuff is pointed out that an enthusiast like myself wouldn't consider or car youtubers might not consider. i drove a polestar 2 and although the armrest wasn't an issue for me, i never considered the cupholders! still one of my preferred electric cars though

We bought one earlier this year. It’s way better looking than a Tesla in my opinion, and the performance pack really rocks. Sure, it’s had some software hiccups, but it’s a new product, so I don’t really mind because it works so well.

All I've learned from this video is that I will never ride with Alex because he tries to keep both hands off the wheel.

Put me down as a happy owner of a 2021 (launch edition) Polestar 2 without the Performance Pack. Mine has the ventilated leather seat and I don't have any dampers to adjust. I also applied the Performance Software Upgrade so mine has the extra 68hp and is now even faster. I'm on the shorter side of drivers and for me, the seats and seating position (including armrests and knee position) are completely comfortable. While there are a few small things that Polestar didn't get 100% right, I still find it a much more enjoyable overall package than its main competition (Tesla Model 3). No complaints and it still puts a huge grin on my face even for short drives to the grocery 🙂

I've had mine for two years and I never experienced any problems sitting in the driver seat (on the door side), It can get a bit uncomfortable on the other side when using the front cup holder (I'm 190cm / ~6'2"). It probably depends a lot on driving style etc.

I do own one, with the excellent Napa leather interior, performance pack, etc. Your review is pretty much spot on. A real drivers car, but finding that comfortable position can be a challenge, especially for taller drivers where your knee scuffs against the very high center console and the accelerator pedal is too far to the right, no room to rest your foot when using cruise. Yes, damper adjustment really should be electronic. Rears are not as bad as you demonstrate, you don't need to remove the liner as there is a velcro like section You just separate. Appearance inside and out is much nicer than the Tesla. I am glad I bought mine, but also understand why many buyers might prefer the Tesla.

Tall ppl tend to be pround of being taller than most, then get confused that everything isnt made to their specifications. If ur in the top 95 percentile maybe ur not a priority for mass market products, swings n roundabouts tho- i am average n can hardly reach top shelf in new fridge freezers

Agree, cant beat auto dimming mirrors. And yet what is stupid is how simple they are, a reactive tint with an electric wire and a switch (a sensor). Swedish cars have had them for decades and honestly I have always been surprised they were not more mainstream.

I’ll be honest - I LOVE the amount of car reviews you guys are putting out. They are really well done, and showcase tons of EVs I would never have heard of otherwise. Please keep it up!

I got super scared about that red dot, thought my monitor gave up a pixel 😱

I have been in this car for multipe roadtrips across Europe that took 24-48 hours each and i was mostly sitting in the back and it was absolutely fine for me.

The things like interior position and materials are the things that make you love or hate a car over the long run. Excellent review of why I won’t be buying this car - and I personally LOVE the looks and came looking considering to buy, but I’ve passed on others cars in the past (Audi TTRS looking at you!) for things like unusable arm rests - no matter how good the car is to drive, if you can’t get comfortable it’s junk.

There's a random red pixel in the video (confirmed not my monitor). At 3:33 you can see it on the car's shadow on the left.

Perfect timing, I might have to go car shopping soon considering my job requires quite the drive.

I hope they review the Volvo EX30. At $34k USD it’s the first time I’m actually considering buying an EV.

I saw one of these in person the other day. I really like the look of it! Reminds me of the Scion tC, just stretched out a little. Which works pretty well!

My neighbour has one, and loves it. It definitely looks nice than the Tesla. They do however use the frunk, its something you get used to opening once you've done it a couple of times. Really interested to see what the EX30 is like.

Have a PS2. Great car. Nitpicks are spot on. I live in the SF Bay Area and Tesla’s are everywhere, so it’s nice having a different premium EV. It’s a fun car and perfect for our needs.

I got mine in December and it's been great. All Alex's criticisms are accurate and warranted, but not dealbreakers for me.

I own one, I love it, and this review is spot on with many of the nitpicks and grievances. I would buy one again but for anyone considering, it's definitely worth a test drive as they can be polarising. Plenty of opportunity for them to touch up some areas, and excited to see them re-make the whole thing on a bespoke EV platform at some stage.

I've spent a lot of time in a Polestar 2 hire car recently, my main concern was charging, which was terrible (didn't work with a lot of chargers in the UK). I think a software update may have resolved these issues because the charging support I spoke to said they didn't have many problems with Polestar usually. The second downside for me is that the windscreen is very low - compared to the Model 3, it's almost like you're sitting in a cave, especially combined with the dark interior. Also the non-haptic play and hazard light buttons are annoying and I accidentally hit both several times. Although the Model 3 and Polestar 2 are pretty similar on paper, I highly recommend trying both if you're considering a purchase. The m3 interior is minimalist and airy, the p2 is dark, like a cockpit, with surprisingly little headroom (non sunscreen version).

This is a great review. Very thorough. Hopefully car manufacturers see this for future models.

The Polestar 2 looks great! Test drove one a week ago, just wish there was a smaller cheaper version - not 74k aud.

As usual, great review! But that dead pixel on the camera sensor at the lower left area drove me mental throughout the video haha!

Oh my god I have a 2007 Volvo and my biggest gripe is the driver armrest situation. Same as in this, the door armrest is way too small and has exactly zero padding, and the right "armrest" is just the center console which is extremely far back. It sounds impossible but I have in fact gotten used to it, but any time I drive a car besides mine and go back to it it takes a few trips to get back into "no armrest" mode mentally. Volvo is a company that does most things very well but some really random things very not well and those random things have been strikingly consistent over the years.

Spot on review Alex! I had one of these for a long road trip around Norway. I agree with everything you mention but I must add that the center console is a real deal breaker for me. It's so frickin huge! My right knee was scuffed after the long road trip... Really weird designchoice. Probably batteries in there or something.

Polestar 2 owner here as well. Definitely can agree with most of the points in the video (and I did offer them mine almost a year ago!). The biggest pain point is definitely the cup holder, but that was covered. Something that isn't shown here, probably due to filming, is that the car is getting access to Waze, KZfaq, and other big hitters that other brands have sat on for a while. Also looking forward to a nice update when the P*3 drops.

I am maybe the only one, but i actually love the volumeknop position :) Just rest my hand ontop of the gearshifter and turn :) Love it

Im not sure but Alex just might be Canadian

It's a performance sports sedan with a timeless design. It's a sensible car and when you need some power and fun, it has it. I wonder if Polestar will come to my country though

I got myself a Polestar 2 LRDM performance, Midnight colour... Named the car "Threat Level Midnight". 🙈 Fun as heck to drive (on smooth roads preferably!) Can confirm, would buy again.

I would love to see more car based videos. Like cool tech stuff to go in and like mods you can do. Like a mix of donut media and ltt. Like cheap wish stuff or just legit cool things

Incredible car, but the only things I didn't like about it was that the A-Pillar limits the vision to the front sides a little to much and that apple car play only worked with a cable (at least the version I drove (2021/22 model))

3:15 - dead pixel on camera around alex forearm

I really like these car reviews. Alex is great at them!

As someone who does the school run where teachers open the door for students, regular door handles are a must, or risk paint damage caused by their rings as they flaff around figuring how to operate the door!!

Really loving the car videos! Please keep them coming

The best review of this car no other videos i watched had all those small things shown like adjusting suspension or sucky cupholders or the door hand rest.

Why is there a red pixel broken at 3:55 on the arm-thingy?

3:53 red dot at the seats interior, weird?

The dead pixel at 8 'o' clock on the in-car shots drives me nuts! Haha!

I actually own a Polestar 2 but the single motor version with less hp. still a really nice driving car. Totally agree with Alex tough on all the complaints, espacially th armrest. Took me 10k kilometers to ge use to them. Would still buy one again but with more power 10/10 :D

Waiting for my polestar 2 to be delivered currently.

Did you guys have the wheel well mic’d up? Or is the road noise seriously that bad while driving?

I normally like your reviews but some research helps - Polestar doesn't need android auto as its native system IS android (and google) (Android Automotive) - all android phones connect seamlessly with Polestar (And new Volvos) including your google account, and the contacts, play store...it's navigation IS google maps and also syncs with your google maps....

The problem with the armrest on the door is because you're sitting as far back as a gangster with fully extended arms...

Google (and Apple) really needs to start pushing for automakers to use their digital key (with UWB) so that someone other than BMW has that. The car basically runs on Android and they can't get them to use this feature. Also I've read that Polestar's own digital key stuff is not great.

Theres a red pixel that appears starting at around 4:00 near Alex's right shoulder sleeve on the driver's seat in between the stitching. It might be camera or editing, but I though I had a dead pixel on my monitor.

Oh I feel the pain with armrest on the door. I drive a Ford Focus and I'm a pretty tall guy at 6'3 and I either have to sit in a very awkward position or leave my arm on the armrest and my arm and especially my elbow is completely sore from the no padding whatsoever. A bonus is that my armrest is also made of squeaky plastic, yay

Polestar 2 is actually really popular in europe

Complaining so hard about the armrest is wild to me bc I've never used a cardoor armrest in my life. In fact I just learned that's meant to be an armrest.

Just had one as a rental car. Drove amazing. But the lack of cup holders, center arm rest, and width for my legs with the center waste of space was rough.

I remember Polestars advertising campaign for the "frameless" mirrors. Every comment on their Facebook and Instagram was people pointing out the frame around the mirror.

I did buy a fully-loaded Polestar 2. Way prefer it over the competitors.

I didn't realize that people used the rest on the door. I just assumed everyone drove with their left hand and rested their right on the center console.

There are quite a lot of these around here in Belgium, and a lot of ads for the 3 too so i kinda assumed it was coming out soon

You have a dead pixel on the lower left in the in-car ( 4:43 ). I thought my TV broke😂

Ah yes, the car you said would be getting a review _”soon”_ in the Volvo XC 40 review 2 years ago. Nice.

Ah yes we only waited a full year for the review 😂

0:37 Those are pretty nasty grooves on the rotors!

So on the polestar, you can change your ride stiffness only on left turn on ramps to a freeway and by an experienced passenger.

They're too expensive new, but right now they're a fantastic deal used (in the US). Planning on getting one in September after a vacation where we're renting one for a "test drive". I'm so stoked!

Am really surprised how the car industry hasn't thought things out about what makes a great car a great car. So many cars come out with so many weird mistakes that seem like they could've been avoided easily had they thought things through.

Volume up on the steering wheel, I actually love my P2

Some very unique criticisms. Never heard anyone complain about most of the things you did.

The polestar’s comfort is definitely a duality. As someone who’s 5’2” it’s the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven as I find I don’t have to stretch out weird like in most cars

Finally he tries the Polestar 2 ! I almost bought one too, I didn't not because of anything in the car, just that it was so bad to deal with Polestar Vancouver that I bought an other car

You talked me out of it with true arm rest stuff and comfort. Need it

Cornflower Blue Mk7 GTI! You have great taste!

I wonder, who actually uses cupholders outside of the US? I've never really seen anyone use one in real life to store anything other than some coins or some mints

Can't believe VALVe made their own car

Those front cup holders are one of the reasons we wrote this one off after sitting in a Polestar 2 last year. I didn't even know there was a second one hidden away!

Man I thought my monitor just developed a dead pixel. Easy to see the red dot around 3:17

So fun to see how different American and European expectations are for cars.

Doesn’t a model 3 performance (or even the boosted long range) blow the doors off this in a 0-60? How can the tesla feel weaker when being objectively more forceful and moving faster?

These things explain why I've 3d printed cup holders for a couple of friends who own Polestars.

I wish this channel went over more technical details in suspension architecture and drivetrain design.

I really hope LMG pays Alex well. He has such expensive taste in... everything.

This is my favorite car. Had a model 3 and model y. NO COMPARISON. Fit and finish is excellent. So much better And although it is a personal thing, so much more beautiful. I also enjoy the fact there are not 20 of them on my block.

the red stuck pixel in the bottom left is killing me

I really loved drinving the Polestar 2, but my wife absolutely hated the arm rests. They were deal breaker bad. We got an XC40 Recharge instead which has all of the good bits from the Polestar plus tons more storage which is super useful since it's our only car. Anyway, that arm rest, it's so bad it really makes me wonder how they even made it to production