Wanted to post my experience with a week long rental of the Polestar 1. As most know, there are a few Hertz locations in the country (SFO/LAX) that have the Polestar 1 available to rent. At incredible terms in my opinion too, considering the rarity and prestige of the car, daily rates were extremely competitive and unlimited miles is a tremendous deal.
* Planned my 4th of July family vacation specifically so I could rent the car for a week, and was not disappointed in the experience. Still amazed you can rent this car from a big name rental company. 1500 cars worldwide, and you can rent it at an airport Hertz.
Pro’s
- Absolutely beautiful car !!- Looks even better in person than any media shots online
- Much better appreciation of the body lines as you walk around the car and the light hits it differently
- Extremely understated styling
- Most people don’t know what it is, and it doesn’t turn heads nearly as much as I thought it would – Big plus in my mind
- You know its special, but given the smooth styling it doesn’t draw a lot of attention
- Had more conversations with complete strangers about the car than any vehicle I’ve ever owned
- Doesn’t turn heads, but does provoke curiosity (Gas station, neighbors, etc…)
- Acceleration/Performance is very linear, and incredible
- Will definitely put you back in your seat, and power delivery is very linear
- Hybrid system just works – You never really know what power source the car is pulling from outside of what is on the gauge, and it didn’t matter to me
- No auto start/stop was the best, just electric and gas – so much smoother than my SPA cars
- Instant torque whenever you want it!! – By far the best thing about the car
- Interior feels very prestigious, materials, design, glass roof, all of it gives a rewarding driving experience
- White front seats, polestar yellow/gold seat belts, leather headliner and dash, carbon fiber accents, etc…
- B&W sound system is the best I’ve heard in any car – and I currently own two SPA cars with the B&W system in both
- Sounds sooo much better in the Polestar 1, I think because of the tighter interior compartment
- Handles like its on rails – Feels much lighter than the ~5200lbs.
- Suspension was firm but still comfortable
- Could push the car twice as fast into corners than I normally would
- Can fit 4 people (2 adult, 2 kids) – but only short trips
- Amazing fuel efficiency (averaged 35mpg with aggressive driving and 7k+ of elevation climbing)
Con’s
- It’s really a 2 seater with back seats on paper
- Several warnings to not have any person taller than 4’9″ in the back seats
- Not comfortable for even kids longer than 30 mins
- Driver seat would not adjust low enough
- Passenger seat can sit lower in the car than the Drivers
- I’m 6′ and was constantly wanting another 1-2″ lower to sit in the car
- Rear trunk space is smaller than you imagine
- I had room for a carry on suitcase and backpack
- Electrical connections are kinda gimmicky and take up useable storage space
- Interior gets hot when out in the sun
- AC worked great so it quickly cooled once the car was on, but the glass roof and untinted windows means its gets hot quickly when parked outside
I used this as an opportunity for an extended test drive to determine if it made sense to take the leap on buying one. Pricing has become very competitive. Unfortunately with two kids the lack of practicality probably prevents me from going forward. I’ve found myself the past week really wishing that I had the car again though to drive as a weekend cruiser, but doesn’t make sense at this stage of life.
Extremely happy with the rental experience and the chance to drive the car for a week though.
Few pictures: