An abarth is pretty fun to drive, just dunno how bad it will be to own though

EVs are fucking gaaaaaaay. ICE 4 life, baby!

Had one for a month - a lot of fun to drive.

Actually very reliable and the last gen interior is better built (cup holder only wiggles one inch instead of 2).

Turning radius is worse than Odyssey and 0 visibility out of driver side.

Pretty surprising list tbh

- VW brand specific sales exceed Tesla
- VW group EV sales are highest at 36k compared to Tesla at 15k
- BEV sales now 15% of market compared to 9% in US
- Low end stuff sells well (no surprise)


https://i.redd.it/79lrjuam12re1.png

I guess they don't have crazy mark ups like us? And they gave way more options. WTF is a explorer EV.

Pricing wise, VW leases are so aggressive and cheap on insurance than the Chinese EVs end up being a lot more expensive.

Product wise,

Explorer EV, Cupra Tascavan are all variants of ID4 (MEB).
ID3 and Cupra born are "Golf" sized, ID7 is a Arteon (Also MEB platform)

Kia EV3 sub-subcompact SUV.
Although it's half size smaller than iX1/2 and EQA (GLA), it can have 81kWh battery compared to usual 60kWh.

Polestar 2 FWD LR Single Motor (227hp) Review
 

Quick review of the P2 FWD I rented through East Coast Rentals (cost me $250CAD for 5 days, not bad).

https://i.ibb.co/Y4W0VZL9/image.png

In general it is a very solid and nicely built vehicle much like the recent Volvos (makes sense as the P2 shared the same chassis architecture as the XC40) with a very minimalist interior. Seats are very comfortable and ergonomic.

Interior wise the center console is a bit too wide/high and I couldn’t find a comfortable position to “manspread” my legs during extended cruising. Could use a bit more storage nooks/crannies, and a second cup holder that doesn’t require lifting the center armrest would be very welcome. 97% of the controls are driven through the center touchscreen so sometimes mildly annoying to access some menus/functions. Runs Google Automotive so has Google maps etc built in, that part was nice. Still had CarPlay/android auto which we used to run Spotify, though I think you can download that app/sign in if you owned the car? Glass roof is nice but might be very hot in the summer - offset by the fact that it’s an EV and you can pre-condition the cabin. Four adults would probably be comfy, five is a stretch for long rides. The boot area had nice cargo dividers to stop stuff from sliding around.

Exterior wise… it’s a Volvo. Essentially. I like the looks, the lifted sedan form is a bit funky but whatever. Lights are good, could use a rear wiper.

Drivetrain was nice - my other EV long trip comparison was a Model 3 LR single motor. The calibration on the P2 is smoother but it does have less power - 227hp vs 280ish on the M3LR. Decent/adequate acceleration into highway speeds and passing was not an issue, even in the tight Great Ocean Road passing lanes. EV torque is addicting. The one pedal drive in “standard” strength requires smooth release of the throttle otherwise it’s a bit abrupt; however it’s very controllable once you get used to it and during tight cornering can be almost like trail braking.

Handling was very well sorted and quite neutral. Good turn in, very natural feeling handling and the car was responsive in a good way. Suspension was on the firm side but never really got unsettled on bumpy surfaces. I did the Great Ocean Road in this and had no issues with the bumps/rough surfaces on that road. I’ve driven the Performance Pack with the Ohlins albeit in Vancouver and that upgrade is amazing vs the standard suspension in terms of body control and compliance. I was hustling this standard suspension model in the twisties pretty good and the car was up to the task. I did not go past 6-7/10ths to be responsible of course.

Vehicle was on Michelin Primacy MX4 all seasons.

Pilot Assist (Volvo adaptive cruise) was a boon during highway cruising and can follow even fairly twisty roads quite well, one of the better systems out there in my opinion. The adaptive cruise never felt abrupt when it was managing distance and was quite smooth. Better than Audi’s, Tesla’s or Honda’s for sure. Have not tried other systems for long trips.

https://i.ibb.co/27fdTPTX/image.png

Charging experience in Australia was pretty good overall. All DC fast charge stations use CCS2 connectors, and they were reasonably plentiful including smaller towns. Had to juggle a few apps depending on the providers but usually worked without a snag. DC fast charging (typically 50kw with the odd 150/200kw chargers here and there) cost between 58c-65c per kWh which is reasonable imo. Tesla Superchargers are mostly(?) open to non Teslas in Australia as they use CCS2 as well but cost more at 70-75c per kWh.

I didn’t need the crazy fast charging as when we stopped we were usually sightseeing anyway so stuck mostly to the 50kw chargers and free slower chargers when I could find them. I never had range anxiety but we had planned out our stops and didn’t push the limits of the car’s range so that’s probably quite situational. Usually we would arrive with 1-3% more charge than what the estimate would predict, so it seems the system is on the pessimistic side in that regard.

Our total for 1180km of driving was 87.31CAD

https://i.ibb.co/gM1K0X2g/image.png

Conclusion: it’s a smooth daily driver that rides nicely and worked for our stop and go sightseeing road trip.

Likes: smooth power, nice interior touches like the cargo divider in the trunk to keep stuff from sliding around, comfortable front seats, good adaptive cruise.

Dislikes: touch centric controls, intrusive center console eating leg space.

I remember sitting in one at the auto show and the front console design was weird and took up a lot of space. Back seats were kinda small, flat? I don't recall the seats being particularly comfortable. How do you access the car? With a fob? I doubt it's worth the hassle to download an app or will they even give you access since it's a rental. How would you precondition without an app?

Yeah the front console took up a lot of space. Annoying since it doesn't even provide that much storage. I couldn't manspread so legs had to be straight out in front even when on Pilot Assist.

Front seats were comfortable, Volvo seats so ergos are good. Only 2 of us so we didn't use the back but I remember it being fine for me behind another guy. 4 is max IMO. 5 would be tight for long drives.

Regular key fob (Volvo fob essentially). No app of course but you can set a pre-condition timer in the climate menu (30 mins or 1 hour or something, forget) and set a schedule.

Would you buy one?

If I was looking for an EV daily, it would be a contender, especially the dual-motor AWD version with the Ohlins suspension. That thing is a blast and a half.

The center console would be a big knock against it though, as is the price - it is quite expensive in Canada. There are a lot more contenders in the space, with newer tech, and the Ioniq 5 N is just a little bit more for a lot more performance...

That sounds expensive because Electrify America is 48c/kWh with Pass+.
Tesla in Vancouver are about 25c/kWh, BCHydro are 35c/kWh

I don't drive EVs unless I know I'll have extra cheap charging.
M340i is 28mpg highway, $3.8/gal = 13c/mi
EV6 RWD gets 2.9 mi / kWh at 130km so .48c/kWh at Electrify America = 16c/mi

did you try the volvo app?

the GM and hyundai/kia ones really blow compared to ford/tesla/rivian/lucid

That's AUD so knock about 10% to go to CAD, or 40% to go to USD. So 58c AUD = 0.36 USD. There was cheaper charging (5-10%) if you did the subscription/post-paid account but I didn't bother.

Gas would've cost me double that for 1200KM - prices there are on par with Vancouver, about 1.75AUD per liter of regular. I estimate that a similar sized car (Camry, etc) would've been 150CAD or so.

Remember my 1200km of driving costed 87CAD, and that's with topping up to return the car.

I did, but needed both keys or something in the car and I didn't want to get in trouble with the rental place for fucking up the user account eetc.

Lightly used P2s have very discounted prices over new - it almost doesn't make sense to get new unless it's a lease. Dealershift's been moving quite a few of them lately - here's one they have right now:
https://www.dealershift.ca/listing/2...-motor-plus-3/
https://www.dealershift.ca/wp-conten...AxNzVlNg.q.jpg

As an appliance, most trims were terribly equipped - no adaptive cruise, no heated wheel.
As an EV, the charging speed, range, and heat pump all blow.
As a space, it’s cramped up front, tighter in the back, and the trunk’s a joke for a liftback.

Mach-E GT Performance Pack is infinitely better to drive and a better car.
Magneride means u get great damping, electric steering has real feel, and it pulls the same lateral G on figure 8 with better skidpad grip.

Do you get blovers and vilkens :troll::joy:

Seeing as DealerShift is moving a few of these Polestars, I'm curious why the local market is dumping them, and moving to what?

Seeing that all the Dealershift versions at 2024s, i'm wondering if they're ex-demo fleet or ex-rentals (Hertz?)

edit: looks like these are 12 month lease returns - https://forums.redflagdeals.com/pole...yment-2688239/
and there's currently a 15k conquest offer for Tesla owners - https://www.polestar.com/en-ca/offer...2025-conquest/

Hyundai are fixing their software, nice

They have a magnetic, detachable button bar that I think I've seen from Xiaomi too

when will they add a better battery protection plate tho Kappa :troll: :badpokerface:

Hahaha the battery is only $4k in the states!
Idk why the Canadian price is 48k

Lucid Gravity looking like a charging beast.
Not quite Taycan good but it gets from 10-80% in just over 20 minutes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gn9UDTBb...jpg&name=large

Political times might have saved Lucid ... weren't they bordering on creditor protection, bankruptcy but now with the decline of Tesla ... some consumers have to be going to Lucid.