2025 Polestar 3 Road Test and Review

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Folks buying an electric car today have a choice. They can go with an established automaker’s take on an electric vehicle – getting proven experience at building a car, but also perhaps some “set in their ways” mentalities. Or they can buy from an EV-focused startup for something fresher and built from the ground up by a company dedicated to electric cars. 

The 2025 Polestar 3 occupies the middle ground. Polestar sells only electric vehicles, but it’s linked to the 97-year-old Swedish carmaker Volvo. This electric luxury crossover SUV promises to sprinkle some startup magic on Volvo’s fundamental engineering excellence. To see how that all came together, we just spent a week testing the all-new Polestar 3. Keep reading to learn more about this new EV offering and see if it’s the right choice for you. 

So, What Is a Polestar 3 Anyway?

Shortly before this car arrived for our test, we were watching TV with our family when an ad appeared for the Polestar 3. The family's consensus reaction: “What’s a Polestar, anyway?” 

Polestar doesn’t make name recognition easy. Before becoming an EV automaker, Polestar was a performance-focused trim level of Volvo models, then a Volvo sub-brand. Now, it stands alongside Volvo as its own Swedish automaker that’s also a subsidiary of the Chinese auto giant Geely. And the Polestar 3 is built in South Carolina. Polestar doesn’t help matters by delivering its cars without a nameplate except for a small label on the front doors. If you buy one, expect some questions. 

The car will earn curiosity. It’s a looker. It’s longer, lower, and wider than the best-selling Tesla Model Y, making it look like a ground-hugging cruise missile more than a bubbly transportation pod. The upright front end has a passing family resemblance to a Volvo, but unlike some EVs, the Polestar 3 doesn’t pretend to have a front grille except for some creases in the plastic fascia. 

Again, this is a luxury SUV. Prices start at $67,500. But as we’ll explain, Polestar has some notable advantages versus similarly priced high-end electric vehicles. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Up to 350 Miles per Charge

Polestar starts things off with big range numbers. In EPA testing, rear-wheel-drive models can travel 333 to 350 miles per charge (depending on the wheel size). And more powerful all-wheel-drive models can go 279 to 315 miles per charge (again depending on the wheel size and other options). That’s farther than most competitors, including the Tesla. 

Our test vehicle (rated to travel 350 miles) didn’t quite meet the EPA’s expectations. During our week with the vehicle, we started out with a 92% charge and 310 miles of estimated range. That would have come to 336 miles of range. After driving 209 miles in mixed conditions, we ended with a 21% charge and 55 miles of estimated range remaining. That comes to a total well below 300 miles, which still covers a lot of ground between charges – but less than we'd hoped. 

Polestar expects you to need just 30 minutes to recharge the battery from 10% to 80% at a DC fast-charging station. You can also fully recharge an empty battery in 11 hours on a 240-volt charging station. As with other EVs, expect ultra-low fuel costs if you’re able to recharge at home, but you’ll pay similar rates to gasoline at a public fast-charging station. The EPA estimates that rear-drive Polestar 3s get the energy equivalent of 91 to 95 miles per gallon, while AWD models average 77 to 88 MPGe. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Up to 510 Horsepower and Great Driving Manners

As with many of its rivals, the Polestar’s efficiency is particularly impressive when you consider its performance. Rear-drive Polestar 3 models, like our test vehicle, have a single motor in the rear. It makes 299 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque. Polestar says it will reach 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The single-motor Polestar 3 is smooth and refined, and it’s quick enough to meet most people’s driving needs. But it’s not quite entertaining. 

AWD adds a second motor for the front wheels, which boosts output to 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque. The 60-mph sprint drops to a wilder 4.8 seconds. That's not a class leader among high-end EVs, but it's enough to boost your heart rate. The optional Performance Pack unlocks 517 hp and 671 lb-ft, cutting the 0-60 run to 4.5 seconds.

Where the Polestar 3 stands out is its ride and handling. Its suspension is smooth and steady, ironing out bumps and cruising confidently down a smooth road. Yet it’s also agile and responsive. If we were nitpicking, we’d say the steering feels a little artificial. But this is an SUV that you can hustle along a winding road. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Eco-Friendly Interior That Tries Hard to Be Different

Polestar is proud of how this car’s interior uses recycled materials. And our test car’s seat upholstery is called “animal welfare wool.” Everything feels solidly built and appropriate for the price except for a roughly finished edge on the column-mounted gear selector. 

On paper, the Polestar 3's infotainment and controls are much like many other modern premium vehicles. The speedometer lives on a 9-inch digital display behind the steering wheel, while a 14.5-inch touchscreen runs vertically down the center of the dash. The system runs on a Google platform, and unlike on a Tesla or an electric Cadillac, you can also sync it with your phone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. 

We just wish Polestar had followed even more conventions. It took many opportunities to reinvent simple controls, not always to great effect. The few physical buttons are multifunction affairs – a knob on the center console, unlabeled steering-wheel controls, and even the seat adjusters and power window switches. The turn signal stalk returns to its center position rather than locking in place, and because it responds slowly to inputs, you won’t instantly know whether it’s following your command. The retractable exterior door handles didn’t always pop out when they should, and some owners have even reported them closing on their fingers. 

Many EVs have tried to either bolster their “no ordinary car” credentials or simply cut costs by putting in fewer physical buttons and knobs. We think the Polestar 3 would be a lot more successful if it leveraged Volvo’s carmaking experience for simple ease of use. (Volvo has made similar unforced errors on its own latest EVs, though.)

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Supportive Seats

Once you manage to get the seats adjusted (and lock your preference into the car’s memory settings), you’ll appreciate their Volvo-grade support. Thick, well-bolstered chairs are firm without being rock-hard. In addition to our test vehicle's fabric upholstery, leatherette and genuine Nappa leather are also available. Heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel are standard, while ventilated front seats with a massage function are available. 

The Polestar 3 doesn’t have a towering SUV-height seating position or a big surplus of head space, and the small windows limit its outward visibility. Still, you sit up higher than in a sedan. And the rear seat has lots of legroom to stretch out.  

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Long, Low Cargo Hold

The Polestar 3’s low roof cuts into its cargo capacity. It has 21.1 cubic feet of space (including 3.2 feet of hidden space under the floor) behind the rear seat, which you can fold down to get 49.8 cubic feet in total. That’s more like what you’d usually see from a subcompact SUV than a mid-size one. 

Still, except when you’re stacking things to the ceiling or carrying something tall and bulky, the Polestar 3 does OK. It’s long enough that you can spread out your stuff on a large floor area. There’s also a wee 1.1-cubic-foot front trunk (“frunk”) under the hood. 

The rear-drive Polestar 3 can tow up to 2,000 pounds, while the dual-motor AWD model can tow up to 3,500 pounds. That’s not amazing for a mid-size SUV, and towing cuts into electric range. But some EVs can’t tow at all. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Priced From $67,500

As we mentioned, the 2025 Polestar 3 starts at $67,500. That’s less than a BMW iX or Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, but Polestar doesn’t otherwise set itself apart from the crowd for value. Popular competitors like the Tesla Model Y, Cadillac Lyriq, and Lexus RZ cost much less, at least based on sticker prices. We’ve seen huge discounts available on the Polestar, but also on the competition; shop carefully without relying on sticker prices. 

Like many rivals, the Polestar 3 is currently available for a $7,500 federal tax credit if you lease the vehicle but not if you buy it outright. (The Tesla and Cadillac qualify either way, as does the Acura ZDX.) Federal tax credits on plug-in vehicles expire on September 30, 2025. 

The Polestar 3’s base price is for the single-motor rear-drive model. AWD starts at $73,400, bringing more power as well as greater all-weather traction. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Competitors to Consider

The Polestar 3 lives in a crowded field of electric luxury crossovers, including the models we mentioned above. 

If you’re interested in the Polestar 3’s sporty and sophisticated ride and handling, we’d shop it first against two fellow Europeans – the Audi Q6 e-tron and the BMW iX – plus the Acura ZDX and Genesis Electrified GV70. We found the Polestar more fun to drive than all but the BMW, but at least based on sticker prices, it also costs more than all but the BMW. The Audi and Acura interiors aren’t quite as richly finished as the Polestar’s, either, but all of them have simpler controls along with more cargo room. The Audi and Genesis also have more conservative styling than the others. 

Next, the Ford Mustang Mach-E isn’t technically a luxury car like the Polestar, but it’s another EV that delivers high-end performance with sophisticated driving manners plus a sleek body. Don’t expect quite the Polestar’s interior finishes, though, or its exclusivity. 

If you’re interested in style and luxury without focusing on speed and sharp handling, we’d also consider the value-priced and comfortable Lexus RZ and Cadillac Lyriq (of the two, the Cadillac costs more but has more range). 

And if you’re willing to accept a bumpier ride, less natural-feeling steering, and less of a road-hugging body shape than the Polestar 3, the Tesla Model Y is a best-seller for a reason. It delivers incredible speed, impressive range, slick technology, and tons of interior space at reasonable prices. Just keep in mind that except for the soon-to-expire federal tax credits, Tesla budges less from sticker prices than most other brands when you’re purchasing. And everyone's lease prices can be totally disconnected from the MSRP. 

Finally, Polestar just introduced another crossover called the Polestar 4 that’s a little smaller and less expensive than the Polestar 3 but has many of the same advantages. 

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Polestar 3 is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, its ride and handling are poised and polished; the seats are thickly supportive; and the cabin is meticulously finished but not flashy. That speaks to the sort of extreme competence that you’d find in a popular Hyundai Ioniq 5, only at a higher level to justify the Polestar's luxury price point. 

On the other hand, other aspects of the Polestar 3 are the opposite of quiet competence. Both its sporty shape (at the expense of cargo room) and its reinvent-the-wheel controls send the vibe in another direction entirely. 

In another contrast, Polestar makes much of the interior’s eco-friendly materials, but then its engineers focused on sporty performance. 

If the Polestar wins you in for its styling, driving manners, or overall uniqueness, it has the range and speed to keep up with fellow high-end EVs. Just be aware of its quirks before you commit. 

2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor ・ Photo by Brady Holt