2022 Polestar 2 v Tesla Model Y comparison

11/07/2022 16:43

One is from a company with Volvo’s history and engineering might behind it, while the other is the most talked-about car in years. But which is better, the Polestar 2 or Tesla Model Y? Overview Not all EVs are created equal, nor in fact are all EV owners.  It would be unfair to call all Tesla owners fanatics, but it is fair to say that some Tesla owners are fanatical about their brand. One skim through the comments section of any Electric Vehicle article we’re written at Drive.com.au will convince you of that.  These Muskian evangelists may be the minority, but they are a vocal – and committed – minority that trumpets Tesla’s merits with unwavering and impenetrable passion.  But does that make them right? And does it follow, therefore, that Tesla vehicles are better than all other EVs on the market?  That’s what this comparison is going to investigate.  The Tesla Model Y is a sales sensation, particularly in America, outselling all other Tesla models combined. On first glance it may not look all that different to the Model 3 sedan, but it has the measurements to be considered an SUV, and as we know, SUVs are popular. Polestar is a brand on the rise. From humble beginnings as sports car sub-brand to an EV-only offshoot of Volvo, the Swedish carmarker is quickly building a reputation for likeable and somewhat affordable EVs.  Polestar calls its Polestar 2 a crossover, which means its body and functionality are a blend of passenger car and SUV; a hybrid of the two if you will.  But there’s nothing hybrid about the Polestar 2’s powertrain. Just like the Tesla Model Y, it is all electric all of the time.  So these characteristics, and its price, make the Polestar the closest EV rival to the Tesla Model Y, and this is why we’re putting these two head-to-head to see how they compare.  Let’s get started. Introduction Is the Polestar 2 a good car? Polaris, also known as the Pole Star, is approximately 433 light-years from Earth, about the same distance as the Polestar of today is from the brand it was at its inception in 1996. Then, Polestar was the privately owned racing division of Swedish carmaker Volvo, fielding entries in touring car racing around the world, including, between 2014–16, our own petrol-guzzlin’ V8 Supercar series. Today, Polestar, now wholly owned by Volvo, which in turn is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely, is a manufacturer exclusively of electric cars. Light-years. Quick life hack for current and future Polestar owners when asked at parties, ‘Polestar? What’s that?’. Answer: ‘An electric Volvo’. Knowing nods follow. The 2022 Polestar 2 is the second car, then, from the Sino-Swedish brand, and the first all-electric, following on from the Polestar 1, a gorgeous, limited production, plug-in hybrid grand touring coupe that did not make it to Australia. No such fate for the Polestar 2, which has arrived in Australia as part of the brand’s global electric vehicle onslaught. It will be followed by the Polestar 3, a large SUV, in early 2023, while Polestar 4 and Polestar 5 (are you sensing a pattern) are still to be confirmed for Australia. For now, it’s the Polestar 2, a medium sedan that joins the onslaught of electric vehicles from mainstream manufacturers. Australians are buying electric cars in every larger numbers, and with an increasing array of choices available to them, the fight is on to stand out from the crowd and make an impact. The Polestar 2 certainly does that in terms of its styling, which is at once modern and sleek. Pleasingly, it’s classified as a medium sedan, despite the presence of cladding around the wheel arches, flourishes often deemed enough to ensure a car is deemed an SUV. The Polestar 2 range encompasses three variants. The range starts with the $59,900 and clumsily named Standard Range Single Motor, moves into the $64,900 Long Range Single Motor, and tops out with the $69,900 Long Range Dual Motor. It should be noted those prices are for 2022 models, with the price set to rise for the 2023 model year. You can read more about that here. The car we have here sits in the middle of the ladder – the Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor. It’s powered by a, as the name suggests, single 170kW/330Nm electric motor sending drive to the front wheels. Feeding the motor is a 78kWh (75kWh usable) battery pack that offers a claimed driving range of 540km. For context, the Standard Range offers a claimed 470km of range. Standard equipment highlights include a 11.15-inch infotainment touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument display, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, keyless entry, a hands-free powered tailgate, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and a smattering of advanced safety features like autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. Our test car came fitted with some options bumping the price up to $81,900 plus on-road costs. The $6000 Plus Pack adds a host of comfort items like fully electric front seats with memory function, heated rear seats and heated steering wheel, vegan interior trims, a panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, 13-speaker premium Harman Kardon sound system, and a heat pump that uses ambient/battery heat to power the climate-control system, reducing the load on the Polestar’s battery thereby maximising driving range. Our test car also wore the $5000 Pilot Pack that adds features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree camera, and as fitted to our test car, pixel LED headlights with bending function. However, that last feature is no longer available due to the global semi-conductor shortage. That means Polestar has dropped the price for the Pilot Pack to $3400 and renamed it Pilot Lite. Inside, Polestar equipped our test car with $6000 nappa leather seats that also add ventilation (cooling) to the already in place heating function. Logical rivals for the Polestar include the standard bearer of electric cars, the Tesla Model 3 ($60,900–$84,900), as well as the Korean twins, Hyundai Ioniq 5 ($71,900–$75,900) and Kia EV6 ($67,990–$82,990). So, how does the oh-so-chic Swede stack up against the competition? Let’s find out. Is the Tesla Model Y a good car? The 2022 Tesla Model Y is one of the most hotly anticipated electric cars in Australia. It’s the first electric medium SUV from the US-based brand, and is similar to its Tesla Model 3 sedan. In fact, the front half of the car is so similar it is easy to mistake the two, with mainly the roof line, tens of millimetres across its key dimensions, and elements of the interior that actually differ. Although it sounds like marketing fluff, what’s evident is the brand’s packaging improvements with the Model Y, and that it looks to solve some of the woes found with the Model 3. For the record, Tesla’s sedan is an absolutely fantastic thing, and was a bargain back when the previous government subsidised them for private buyers for less than $60,000 drive-away about 12 months ago, or in July 2021. For the launch of the 2022 Tesla Model Y, the brand provided us with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive example to sample – the cheapest of two Model Y variants currently offered in Australia. It was initially priced from $68,900 before on-road costs and order/delivery fees upon release on June 10 – before a price rise a week later pushed it to $72,300 – with our car’s Deep Blue Metallic paintwork adding another $1500 to its basic list price. According to Tesla’s price configurator, the Model Y tested here costs $79,456 drive-away in New South Wales, but with an EV stamp duty rebate applied, drops back to $76,576. A pearl white one costs less as its the only colour offered without an additional premium paint carge. The two other physical options available at this trim level are fancy 20-inch Induction alloy wheels for $2900 (19-inch wheels are standard), and a ‘black and white’ interior – that really means white faux-leather seats – for another $1500. Our press car has neither option. Although not ‘official’, the brand has submitted data to the Government stating the 2022 Tesla Model Y features 220kW of power. But what’s for sure is a 62.3kWh-sized battery pack with lithium-ion cells, a 0–100km/h time of 6.9 seconds, and a WLTP-certified driving range of 455km. The only other model in the range is the 2022 Tesla Model Y Performance, which is a dual-motor and all-wheel-drive powerhouse. It costs around $109,000 drive-away and offers a greater driving range of 514km, 393kW, and a feisty 0–100km/h time of 3.7 seconds. It also costs almost double, so both versions of Tesla Model Y are unlikely to squabble with each other. In reality, who will squabble is us – the punters – who are actively between it, a cheaper 2022 Tesla Model 3, or something else entirely perhaps. Let’s see if the entry-level 2022 Tesla Model Y cuts the mustard. Key details2022 Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor2022 Tesla Model YPrice (MSRP)$64,900 plus on-road costs$72,300 plus on-road costsColour of test carVoid (Solid Black)Deep Blue MetallicOptionsVentilated nappa leather – $6000Plus Pack – $6000 – Electric front seats with memory, extendable cushions, and heating – Heated rear seats and steering wheel – Heated windscreen washer nozzles – WeaveTech (vegan) upholstery – Panoramic glass roof – Wireless smartphone charging – 13-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio – Heat pump – and morePilot Pack – $5000 – Pilot Assist (semi-autonomous driving at up to 130km/h) – Adaptive cruise control – Blind-spot monitoring (with steering/braking support) – Rear cross-traffic alert (with braking) – Rear autonomous emergency braking – 360-degree camera – Pixel LED headlights with active bending – LED front fog lights with cornering (bending) functionMetallic paint – $1500Price as tested$81,900 plus on-road costs$79,456 drive-away (Sydney) Inside What is the Polestar 2 like inside? The first thing that strikes you when you sit inside the Polestar 2 is just how chic the cabin is, like leafing through the pages of a Scandinavian magazine focused on interior design. There’s a surfeit of quality materials – from the satin-finish timber accents to the textured fabric claimed to be vegan, and the sumptuous nappa leather seats, everything looks and feels like a minimalist million bucks. There’s none of the overwrought busy-ness so many modern cabins aspire to. Instead, everything looks clean and uncluttered with only the presence of a smattering of piano black accents – a material that attracts fingerprint and dust as fast as children can leave them – a minor gripe. Everything is within easy reach – including the tablet-sized portrait-orientated touchscreen – making for an easy and intuitive time in the cabin. The steering wheel looks like it’s come from the Volvo side of the factory, no bad thing as we’ve long admired Volvo’s tillers for their hefty feel and clean design. Storage incudes a central bin with padded lid, a pair of cupholders up front and bottle holders in the doors, although these aren’t huge and will likely only comfortably hold smaller bottles. The second row is decent enough, and certainly behind my 173cm driving position offered good space in all key areas. I know my taller colleague Trent Nikolic struggled a little for comfort back there, but behind my own driving position that wasn’t an issue. The glass roof (optional) does eat into available head space, but it also lifts cabin ambience, making for a light and airy environment. Amenities back there include air vents and a fold-down armrest with cupholders, while the door pockets also feature bottle holders. Back seat riders also score a pair of USB-C plugs to help keep their phones juiced up. The back seats themselves are comfortable and in our test car, heated, as part of the $6000 Plus Pack. They fold away too, almost flat, to free up cargo space. With the second row in play, there’s 405L available. That expands to 1095L with the second folded away. There’s also a front storage compartment that can swallow 41L of stuff. Don’t look for a spare tyre and wheel, the Polestar 2 equipped only with a puncture repair kit. What is the Tesla Model Y like inside? It’s true everything is different with a Tesla, as opening one involves the act simply known as ‘pay-passing’. That’s waving a credit card over something plastic until it beeps. It’s literally what you do to open a 2022 Tesla Model Y, as you wave its cool credit-card-looking car key over the B-pillar in between its side windows. Of course, the card is really more of a back-up. Owners can set up their compatible phone to function as the vehicle’s key, with no need to remove it from your pocket or bag on approach. It continues to work well in a wallet jammed full of NFC-laden bank cards, so neither interference from those nor a thick barrier of Australia’s finest kangaroo leather gets in the way of how it functions. Excellent. While you’re there, you’ll also notice the clever placement of a camera in the same plastic trim, unlike any other car brand currently on sale. It’s a smart place to put a camera, but also sets the high-tech scene for the interior that’s to come inside. Which is artful, minimal, and quite beautiful. Other than some ergonomic faux-pas, like a lack of traditional speedo or instrument cluster, it’s pretty special for the money. There’s a smart upward-facing wireless charging station for two phones that works first time, every time (like a Model 3), a large central storage area with two USB ports, and beautiful timber cladding to its dashboard. If it looks similar to your friend’s 2022 Tesla Model 3, that’s because it is. From this vantage point, there’s no real difference between the pair, other than a wider array of speakers, which only the keenest trainspotter will notice. The standard-fit premium audio system – with 13 speakers, one subwoofer, and two amplifiers – is a nice get over the standard system found in the cheaper entry-level 2022 Tesla Model 3, but we’ll talk about its sound system later in the infotainment section. The only other thing you may notice is that you sit slightly higher. Aside from the seat bases being mounted higher, the roof has been lifted, too, which means headroom with the epic and standard-fit panoramic glass roof is improved over the Model 3. My biggest and most genuine gripe with the interior are those flatter-than-usual A-pillars that can make visibility trivial at certain intersections. I’m sure you’ll learn to drive around it in time, but there’s no denying other similar-sized vehicles have better visibility. It’s honestly clutching at straws, though. The simple touch-to-open interior door action, singular air vent on the dash that both looks invisible and flows decently, and overall quality of its build, are top-shelf for the money. Before we get to the back row, it’s worth noting that all 2022 Tesla Model Ys feature a HEPA air filter, or as the brand likes to attempt to market, “Bioweapon Defense Mode”. I guess that means my old, now nearly 20-year-old 2004 Nissan Cube with HEPA filter and air ioniser would’ve done the same thing. In the second row, space is decent for the type of vehicle. I’m 183cm tall and with a rather lanky frame – meaning I sit quite far back in the driver’s seat – found that sitting behind my own seating position in the back yielded good results. My knees were 3–4cm from the seat backs, feet able to kick out a little in front, shoulders well supported by the upper section of the seat base, and felt genuinely comfortable in the back. The smart design of the front centre console means the middle passenger not only has a flat floor to indulge in, but can almost stretch their legs out further than the two people in the outbound seats. Speaking of which, they’re decently bolstered and supportive under your thighs, and the higher hip point will suit those with frail joints, or those who simply prefer better ergonomics. I also fitted a Britax Graphene convertible child seat, and found it easy to load children into given the height of the seat base. The space offered by the Model Y’s cabin is also good for kids in both forward-facing and rearward-facing child support seats. In either position, both front occupants need not worry about adjusting their seat to allow room for bub’s seat – given there’s now an abundance of space in the back. I also fitted an Infasecure Rally 2 booster seat – one that has caught out other SUVs with its taller-than-average headrest – finding it fit with ease, meaning slightly older kids are equally well catered for in the back of a 2022 Tesla Model Y. Three adults can fit across the back seat, but it’ll be a bit squashy if they’re average-sized. Other niceties in the back include rear air vents, two more USB-C ports, large flocked bottle holders in the doors, a fold-down armrest with two cupholders, and that massive glass roof to gaze out of. Officially, and measuring the whole space including the underfloor storage, the 2022 Tesla Model Y’s boot space is a claimed 854L. Although far greater than other brands on paper, those other brands only measure to the parcel shelf and with proper foam blocks (VDA), so factor that into your comparison. Either way, it’s large and wide, with a precisely one-metre-wide load aperture enabling an easy fitment of a mid-sized Redsbaby stroller alongside groceries and a handbag. Alternatively, you could easily leave a compact stroller inside the boot permanently, as you’ll never fill the thing alongside it on the day-to-day. Or you can put it in the underfloor storage, as the most foldable of foldable strollers would fit down there I reckon. If I were to take a guess, I’d say there’s about 550L of storage above the boot floor, and around 300L in the storage tubs underneath the boot floor. It does make the space feel genuinely massive, and the boot floor partition is a handy thing to have. Another improvement versus older Tesla vehicles is how the seats now fold completely flat, making it handy for moving bulky objects. Tesla claims 2158L in total with the second-row folded, which is plenty of space for whatever flat-pack thingo you want from the furniture store famous for its meatballs. A final note is that you can fold the seats remotely from the boot, and there’s sadly no spare wheel under the boot floor. 2022 Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor2022 Tesla Model YSeatsFiveFiveBoot volume405L seats up1095L seats folded117L under bonnet854L seats up2158L seats foldedLength4606mm4571mmWidth1891mm2129mmHeight1477mm1624mmWheelbase2735mm2890mm Infotainment and Connectivity How big is the screen in the Polestar 2? Central to the Polestar 2’s cabin is the 11.15-inch portrait-style touchscreen. It’s about the size of a tablet with crisp resolution and an easy functionality. It runs Google’s Android Automotive operating system and that means the Polestar is not equipped with Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, for now. A software update is expected later this year to add CarPlay. Android Auto is, naturally, available. The satellite navigation is straight out of Google Maps’ playbook and that’s no bad thing, with an easy-to-use interface that feels familiar to most. The touchscreen also acts as the car’s nerve centre, allowing for a raft of configurability and settings – everything from steering feel to regenerative braking, can be set up via the screen. So too the car’s climate control, and while usually we decry the lack of physical buttons and dials for temperature settings, they are permanently visible at the bottom of the screen and within easy reach while driving. On the entertainment side of the equation, there’s the usual array of radio bandwidths including DAB+, while thanks to Google’s app-based interface, Spotify comes preloaded. It even features a carefully curated Polestar playlist which, I have to admit, was pretty good. There’s even a retro-style arcade game to while away the time while the Polestar is charging or you’re waiting for a mate; a novelty act, yes, but it’s cute nonetheless. The digital driver display similarly is customisable to suit tastes and provides a wealth of information – from a simple digital speedometer and charge meter to a more information-rich screen with navigation, battery levels, driving data and, of course, a digital speed read-out. Keeping things fresh is the Polestar 2’s inbuilt sim card that provides regular over-the-air updates to the software, while also allowing those who are so inclined to set up their smartphone to allow for remote control of some of the car’s functions. Neat. How big is the screen in the Tesla Model Y? Like others in its range, the 2022 Tesla Model Y has one single 15.0-inch display in the centre of the car. No gauge cluster, no head-up display, nothing, this screen does everything from making the blinkers play farting noises to telling you how fast you’re going, and even where you are going. It’s powered by solid hardware, and the touchscreen ‘swipe-y’ tactility and general user-friendliness are up there with the likes of Apple. I love the simple things, like touching the blinker arrow when it’s on to reveal vision of where you’re going. There are no prompts to do such a thing, but you feel compelled, or at least I did, to tap the blinking icon and see. Another is a simple tap of the battery percentage to turn it into range instead. That same trick works when you’re buried anywhere in the submenu, too, meaning if you have the range or consumption chart open, the data in there will also adjust as you flick from battery percentage to range remaining. It’s properly intuitive and clearly had hours of scrutiny to get to this point. Although overwhelming at the start, you learn the simple commands and tricks to make navigation easy enough. Another reason to opt for the 2022 Tesla Model Y could be its sound system, as it receives the 14-speaker, single subwoofer and dual-amplifier premium system that’s unavailable in the entry-level Model 3. It’s pretty fantastic, with a soundbar-style array of speakers across its dash providing a big and bright soundstage. Classics like Faith No More’s Album Of The Year sounded huge, with The Last Cup Of Sorrow being intense, bright, and all-in-your-face like it should be. Canadian Jazz act BadBadNotGood’s album III came across twinkly, ambient, and with clear space between each of the three members in the band. The drum licks are pretty sensational, and are characterised fully and accurately through the cabin as they roll along the dash with clarity and verve. It has a pretty good EQ to play with natively, too, in the Spotify app, so bonus points there. Speaking of which, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but everything you want on your phone works natively here, so there’s genuinely no need for it. Safety and Technology Is the Polestar 2 a safe car? Australia’s safety body, ANCAP, awarded the Polestar 2 range a five-star safety rating in 2021. It scored impressively across all four major criteria – adult occupant protection (92 per cent), child occupant (87 per cent), vulnerable road user (80 per cent) and safety assist (82 per cent). Standard safety equipment across the Polestar 2 range includes eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, run-off-road mitigation, driver attention monitoring, rear collision warning, tyre pressure monitoring, and traffic sign recognition. But, missing in action, and available only as part of the optional $5000 Pilot Pack, are commonplace technologies like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control. It’s technology that should be standard, even more so from a brand that can trace its lineage to Volvo, the brand that built its reputation on safety. Is the Tesla Model Y a safe car? The 2022 Tesla Model Y does not have an official ANCAP five-star rating. However, the closely related Tesla Model 3 has a five-star rating from 2019. Standard safety systems include blind-spot warning, automatic braking, semi-autonomous lane-keeping assist (it is semi-autonomous), adaptive cruise, and speed sign recognition as just the beginning. Enhanced Autopilot is available as a $5100 option, adding automatic lane changes on freeways, hands-free automatic parking, the Summon feature (which lets the car manoeuvre itself around car parks in certain scenarios), and Navigate on Autopilot, billed as “automatic driving from highway on-ramp to off-ramp”. Tesla’s Full Self Driving can also be added ($10,100), which brings the function of Enhanced Autopilot along with the traffic signal control and the promise of autosteer on city streets coming in a future update. At a glance2022 Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor2022 Tesla Model YANCAP rating & year testedFive stars (tested 2021)UntestedSafety reportANCAP reportN/A Value for Money How much is the Polestar 2 in Australia? On price alone, the Polestar 2 competes nicely with its main rivals. Buyers who have around $60–$80K to spend on an electric car are increasingly well-served, with a growing palette of vehicles entering the market. The Polestar’s pricing and equipment list sees it remain in competitive in that company. Adding some sweetness to the mix, Polestar offers five years of complimentary servicing along with roadside assistance for the same period. And there’s the surety of the manufacturer’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for the car, while the battery enjoys an eight-year/160,000km warranty. Polestar claims energy consumption of 17.1 to 18.6kWh per 100km from the Long Range’s 78kWh battery pack. That translates to a driving range of up to 540km, according to Polestar and based on the WLTP test cycle. From the outset, that number seems a touch ambitious, although WLTP testing criteria and real-world usage don’t always align. In the real world, we saw around 460km of range, spread over urban commuting and higher-speed motorway running. Freeways, of course, aren’t an electric car’s best friend, the higher speeds consuming more energy with less opportunity for regeneration through coasting and braking. And running ancillaries like climate control can also affect range, as can the ambient temperature. The good news is, we matched Polestar’s energy consumption claim, our week in the Long Range Single Motor returning an indicated 17.6kWh/100km. Polestar says using a DC fast charger should replenish the Polestar’s batteries from 10–80 per cent in just 35 minutes, while an AC 11kW wallbox, such as those found in shopping centres or available to install at home, will fully recharge the battery from 0–100 per cent in around eight hours. How much is the Tesla Model Y in Australia? As a refresher, our 2022 Tesla Model Y costs $76,576 drive-away in New South Wales, with its electric vehicle stamp duty rebate applied. The most obvious contender is the 2022 Tesla Model 3 costing about $7000 less, or around $70,500 in your driveway. Given you receive the better and fantastic sound system, more space in the back and boot, HEPA air filtration system, and improved ergonomics, it feels fairly priced. The other contenders are likely the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 2022 Kia EV6. The former costs around $77,000 drive-away, and the latter from around $73,000 drive-away. However, both of those vehicles are pretty much unavailable in Australia, and have wait times that blow out close to two years in Australia. Availability may be a sticking point, and it’s looking like the 2022 Tesla Model Y will be more readily available than the rest. At a glance2022 Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor2022 Tesla Model YWarrantyFive years, unlimited km (vehicle)Eight years / 160,000km (battery and drive unit)Four years / 80,000km (vehicle)Eight years / 160,000km (battery and drive unit)Service intervals12 monthsCondition-based (up to two years)Servicing costsComplimentary (5 years / 100,000km)Not providedEnergy cons. (claimed)17.1–18.6kWh/100km13.7kWh/100kmEnergy cons. (on test)17.6kWh/100km14.2kWh/100kmBattery size78kWh – 540km WLTP range62.3kWh – 455km WLTP range Driving What is the Polestar 2 like to drive? Dispel any notions of the Polestar 2 being a headline-grabbing drag racer, certainly in this Long Range Single Motor spec. This is no 0–100km/h record breaker, and nor does it need to be. Leave that party trick to others. Instead, it is a refined and comfortable car with excellent driving characteristics. And it just happens to be electric. Power comes from a single motor at the front wheels. It makes 170kW and 330Nm, which is more than enough oomph for a premium sedan. Polestar claims a 0–100km/h sprint time of 7.4 seconds, and while that’s not particularly fast on paper, the nature of electric vehicles means it feels a lot quicker. Power delivery is instant, and that means moving away from standstill is as rapid as it is smooth. And noiseless. Yes, there is an electric hum from the motor, but it’s light background noise. And yes, you’re more aware of tyre and road noise, but thanks to some excellent sound deadening, intrusion into the cabin is minimal. Around town, the Polestar glides near silently through traffic, and with ease. Traffic, too, is the Polestar 2’s friend thanks to the regenerative braking feature that harvests energy, which is then fed back into the battery. You can opt out, of course (via the touchscreen … where else?), but our tip is to leave it on and let the act of braking work for you. Out on the highway, the Polestar 2’s acceleration comes to the fore. With no lag between pressing the accelerator and power delivery, the Polestar surges ahead more quickly than any conventionally powered car could dream of. That makes overtaking and getting out of tight situations a bit of an electrified doddle. The ride, too, despite erring on the side of firm, and having to hold up nearly two tonnes of car (those batteries aren’t light) was a pleasant surprise. Our test car sat on 19-inch alloys and yet, despite the presence of slimline rubber, the Polestar 2 felt comfortable and refined, dignified even. The steering felt light and twirly, although it can be adjusted to offer more ‘feel’, if that’s your thing. It’s no sports car, but then it doesn’t pretend to be either. Rather, think of the Polestar 2 as a comfortable and refined premium driving experience, and you won’t be disappointed. From the serenity of that quiet cabin, to the ample acceleration on offer, even if the stopwatch looks mundane, the Polestar 2 feels like the prestige electric car that it is. What is the Tesla Model Y like to drive? Like the pay-pass methodology to open the 2022 Tesla Model Y, it’s the same way to start one. Wave your wallet – equipped with a Tesla credit card key – in front of the armrest, wait for the ‘bong’, then throw it in the centre console. It’s a simple affair and one you get used to really quickly. A quick tap of the column-mounted ‘gearshifter’ is the last thing you do before setting off and quickly noticing that the one-pedal drive system is actually rather intuitive. That’s an accelerator pedal that brakes the car and captures energy when you lift off, meaning you can effectively drive the car without using the brake pedal next to it. Every other electric car has this form of energy recovery, with most able to change the amount of braking effort applied as you lift. However, Tesla’s e-pedal is easily the most intuitive I’ve experienced so far, and its single and only setting gets it spot on. After all, Tesla’s had the time now to get it right. You wouldn’t want to drive it any other way after a few minutes behind the wheel, especially as it harvests energy pretty well too. The performance from the 220kW single rear electric motor is gutsy, too, with throttle stomps met with strong pulls of acceleration. However, it’s the sustainment of the performance that gives it the edge over its competitors. Other EVs – like the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 – do not deliver their power in the same way. They first appear quick, with the performance fizzling as the car’s speed increases. It’s that sustainment behind the 2022 Tesla Model Y that makes it feel far pokier than the figures suggest, as even the entry-level can accelerate in a relentless fashion and spook your passenger. Not that it matters, but it hopefully gives you an idea of its performance. Ride and handling are great, too, like the Model 3, which is simple and honest. It’ll tuck into corners nicely, never really feel ‘rear-driven’ or as if it’s going to spit you into the weeds, and the sheer silence of it all means you can focus on how much (or little) work the tyres are doing. Over a quick jaunt up and down my favourite roads it felt great, if not a little top heavy at times. Around town it’s pleasant, too, but the weight of the thing does mean it needs some firmness to remain controlled. Over rippled sections of road it’ll get a little busy and bumpy inside, but that’s genuinely as bad as it gets. Another colleague of mine commented on how they liked this “controlled” feeling and didn’t find its stiffness as much of an issue as I did. We both agreed that taking the 20-inch wheel option would probably push it over the edge for both of us; however, we’ll conduct testing in due time to see whether that’s legitimate or not. Aside from some firmness over road joins and the odd imperfection, the cabin is a really nice place to soak up miles in. The cabin is well insulated, the funky map display does a good job of keeping you aware of your surroundings, and the steering okay to use. If anything, the steering is slightly too hyperactive, and is very short lock-to-lock. Coupled with its turning circle of 12.1m, it means tight carparks require some adjustment, but you’ll overcome this in due time. In terms of efficiency, the car hovered around 20.0kWh/100km during performance testing, later coming down to 14kWh/100km in traffic, then finally culminating at 14.2kWh/100km after some more recuperation and inner-city driving. You couldn’t write this if you tried, but if we work out 14.2kWh(usage per 100km)/62.3kWh(battery size)*100( for total mileage), you’ll find the number to be 438.7km, give or take 11.3km off the official claim. For the money it’s hard to fault, but the lack of a speedo in the driver’s line of sight (even a head-up one!) is baffling, as they nailed everything else. Key details2022 Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor2022 Tesla Model YEngineSingle permanent-magnet synchronous motorSingle permanent-magnet synchronous motorPower170kW220kWTorque330Nm430Nm (estimated)Drive typeFront-wheel driveRear-wheel driveTransmissionSingle-speed automaticSingle-speed automaticPower to weight ratio85kW/t115kW/tWeight (tare)2008kg1909kgTow rating1500kg braked, 750kg unbraked1600kg braked, 750kg unbrakedTurning circle11.5m12.1m Conclusion The $64,900 Polestar 2 has the cheaper retail price than the $72,300 Tesla, but as you can see from our test car, Polestar’s options can quickly escalate that up to and beyond the Tesla. Buyers will need to decide for themselves if those options are worthwhile – for the record, we think they are, especially as they bring worthwhile safety systems and interior enhancements.  The Pilot Pack helps the Polestar leapfrog the Tesla for active safety systems, making it the safer choice. Now, some may think that taking an options pack into consideration is an unfair advantage. But even with the $6K Pilot Pack and $6K Plus Pack, the Polestar is still cheaper than the $80K drive-away Tesla (excluding the $6K nappa leather option fitted to our Polestar 2 test car). In terms of crash safety, the Polestar was given a five-star rating by ANCAP in late-2021, whereas the Model Y has not been tested. The mechanically similar Model 3 has been tested and was awarded five stars in 2019. We are not brave enough to assume the Model Y would score the same in 2022 because ANCAP has toughened its testing protocol since then. But it’s a fair bet to score at least four stars, if not the full five. Still, speculation is not fact, so until the Model Y is tested, the Polestar is the safer bet. The Tesla claws back some ground with its electric powertrain. It has more power, a better power-to-weight ratio, and more frugal real-world electricity consumption. This means that while it has a smaller battery pack, the range deficit is not as great because you get more mileage for every kilowatt of electrical charge. Plus you get better everyday performance. But the Polestar is not done yet. Servicing costs for the Swedish EV brand amount to a nice round zero over five years, which is very easy on the hip pocket. This may be an ‘introductory’ offer as the brand establishes itself in Australia, or it may be permanent, only time will tell. But right now it is a point worth considering. It means the only things you’ll pay for with the Polestar for the first five years are registration, insurance, tyres and recharging. With the Tesla, however, you will pay for regular servicing, but Tesla doesn’t disclose how much or how often. Unlike petrol- and diesel-powered cars, many EVs (not just Tesla) come with what’s called ‘condition based’ servicing schedules. In other words, the car’s computers monitor its many systems and tell the driver when servicing is required.  Independent and thorough research by EVCentral.com.au established the cost of servicing a Tesla Model 3 at $1400 over five years. Given the Model Y is mechanically identical, we can safely assume it should cost the same.   The Polestar also has the longer warranty, five years, matched by five years’ roadside assist. Tesla offers only four years in both regards. Moving onto the interiors, and while we can be definitive with interior space – the Tesla has more useable space – we can’t call a winner for dashboard layout and useability. That’s because these two vehicles offer two different approaches. The Tesla goes for an omnipotent central touchscreen that houses everything bar the window switches, and the Polestar walks a slightly more conventional interior path to ease the transition from liquid-fuelled cars. There’s no right or wrong, just different. So, which EV is the better value? If safety, warranty and running costs are your top priorities, then the Polestar with Pilot Pack is the one for you. But if real-world performance, efficiency and interior space are your priorities, the Tesla Model Y is the better choice.  Just be careful not to gush too much about your new Tesla at dinner parties, because while everyone likes a fan, only other fanatics can abide the fanatical. I should know, I’m a Collingwood supporter. The post 2022 Polestar 2 v Tesla Model Y comparison appeared first on Drive.