The 2025 Polestar 3 Breaks Some Traditional EV Rules, And Creates Magic With Every Drive
The 2025 Polestar 3 is an SUV that breaks the rules of its own segment and feels right in all the best ways. I was sad to see it go.
The Polestar 3 had me feeling like Goldilocks. It was just right in so many ways. I appreciated all the luxury wrapped up in a package that wasn’t ostentatious, the sharp and tech-forward styling, and the interior layout. It was modern-looking, much like I might have thought cars would look in the future when I was a kid.
The brand is still fairly new, and I can say—especially after reviewing the Polestar 2—that it feels like the company is most certainly starting on the right foot. If you haven’t driven one yet, you’re missing out.
The Polestar 3 starts at $67,000, but the one I tested was a Dual Motor version with Polestar’s Pilot, Plus, and Performance packages. So the final price, including a destination charge, was $93,100. It’s no wonder the Polestar 3 was practically perfect.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Let’s Talk About the First Thing That Caught My Eye: The Styling
To begin with, the exterior was everything you’d want in an EV. It’s got some crisp edges and isn’t overly bubbly. My favorite details are the front and rear spoilers. The front spoiler is integrated into the hood and is so subtle. It helps with the aerodynamics, sure, but I like that it makes me feel a bit more like a superhero than Goldilocks. But again, it’s just right in terms of its look. It’s not so extreme to look goofy.
The rear spoiler hangs over the liftgate and adds a nice lift to the back of the car, like an upward flick of liner on the outer corner of your eye. There were additional ducts in the front that looked race-inspired, enough black gloss and brushed silver accents to make the Polestar 3 gleam. My test car came with the Performance pack that included gold Brembo brakes, and they looked amazing. And I especially loved the turn signals located on the front quarter panel.
Polestar’s badging is also unusual and kind of camouflaged. The logo on the hood is the same color as the body, so it doesn’t really stand out very aggressively. The model type and details are labeled on the body on the lower corner of the front door, and on the front and rear in the form of decals that look like tags. It’s so unusual and clever.
…Though I Could Do Without the Door Handles
The door handles recess when the Polestar 3 is locked, and pop out as you approach or as you touch the fob or key-card to the handle. This is my one pain point about the Polestar 3. I sometimes had no issue with the handles when I reached out to open them. Other times, they wouldn’t pop out, and I had to use the key card.
It was an exercise in patience as I had to move the card around to find the sweet spot to unlock the car, and it wasn’t always in the same place when it would unlock. This could be just a tech hiccup, but it was a bit maddening. Polestar also includes a fob, and it was just as dubious to use.
The battery was probably low, and I learned I could place it on the wireless charger, but I questioned the reliability of using it after that, and kept the fob on the charger just in case. The keycard can also be reset. I just didn’t love having to check the website to learn how to unlock the door.
The Interior More Than Made Up For It, Though
Anyway, once inside the Polestar 3, all was well. Incredible, in fact. I felt like I was driving in heaven. The seats were so comfortable, thanks to the 100% traced leather upholstery (which means it’s ethically sourced and tracked, and this leather is part of a $5,500 package), and the heating, ventilation, and massage features on both the driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat.
Polestar programmed the system so the massage feature could be adjusted; it was not too aggressive or distracting. I would never turn it off. The leather also had these cool chevron designs perforated into it, and the design also faded from the top of the seat to the bottom of it.
I loved that Polestar went the extra mile with the pattern, but it wasn’t over the top. It was just right. The light color of the upholstery was set off by the dark dash and floor, and also by the bright yellow seat belts, courtesy of the Performance pack.
Driving the Polestar 3 With the Performance Package Was Game Changing
The Performance pack also adds those gleaming gold Brembo brake calipers, valve caps, 22-inch black and silver machined wheels with performance tires, a specially-tuned chassis, and an amped up dual motor setup. The base dual motor arrangement produces 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque.
This is a nice start, but the performance pack’s setup gives you 517 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque. Polestar also says the 0-60 time is 4.5 seconds. So I drove like a banshee a lot of the time, and the SUV handled the power beautifully. I appreciated the ability to dial in the performance and the efficiency. The Polestar 3 allows you to choose how aggressively you want the car to perform, but also allows you to choose how aggressively you want to set the regenerative braking.
To be clear, driving with the performance amped all the way up, and the regenerative braking amped all the way up, creates a herky-jerky experience. And to be fair, those two extremes are very much at odds with each other, so I don’t think most people would choose those settings. But if you’re driving the Polestar 3 and everything seems very touchy, check those settings.
Performance Equals A Loss in Range, Though
Because we can’t have two good things at once, all that horsepower and all-wheel drive mean less range; the dual-motor setup with the performance pack will get up to 279 miles of range. If you’re more concerned with efficiency than performance, the single-motor long-range setup will get you up to 350 miles of range. I charged the Polestar 3 at home on a Level 2 charger, and it was ready to go each morning after charging overnight.
It uses the CCS charge port. You can charge at a DC fast-charging station as well, Polestar says it will go from 10%-80% in 30 minutes. The Polestar 3 also has a heat pump to prevent loss of range in cold temperatures, and also to keep the battery warm to receive a charge faster in cold weather.
Luxury Was Part of the Package, Too
But friends, as much as I loved the performance, I loved the luxury in the Polestar 3. I mentioned the seats, and the rest of the cabin is gorgeous. So many small details abound. Like on the dashboard’s ends, the brushed metal trim is capped off with a shiny chrome cap, like a beautiful zipper-pull. The contrast of shiny and matte materials, wood with metal and leather, made me feel like I was in a beautiful Scandinavian hotel.
The air vent toggles were ergonomically shaped and pinched in the center. What made the Polestar 3 so nice, too, was the fact that rear passengers get a lot of the goodies, too. They get 3-zone climate control, two USB-C charger ports, airy space thanks to the panoramic roof, and an armrest with cupholders. There are two sets of lower tether anchors and three sets of top tether anchors. You’ll want to check your child safety seats; there is good leg and headroom for most passengers, but safety seats might be tight. The rear seats split 60/40 and have a ski hatch in the center, behind the console.
The Plus pack adds heated seats, a high-end stereo system, soft-close doors, a head-up display, an advanced air cabin filter system, and acoustic glass. The stereo system also includes active noise-cancelling, and explains why the Polestar 3 is one of the quietest driving experiences I’ve ever had.
But when I wanted to rock out, the stereo sounded crisp and clear. There are even speakers in the headrests. And the rest of the tech was crisp and clear, too. The 14.5-inch center display had a gorgeous, organized user interface. It took a little getting used to, but it was so pretty and cool, I didn’t mind spending time with it to get used to it. I flipped back and forth between that and Apple CarPlay at the beginning, but found myself using the native system predominantly at the end of my test. The Polestar 3 also allows for Android Auto connectivity.
It’s a Thoroughbred You Can Drive Every Day
In the driver’s seat, the 9-inch information display was gorgeous. I love that Polestar curated all the colors and menus to jive with the center display. The integrated, holistic integration of the design and tech in the Polestar had me swooning. I loved the Bowers & Wilkins speaker in the center of the dash. I had a head-up display that I really liked, but I didn’t actually think the driver’s display kept my eyes that far from the road.
In the cantilevered center console, there are two cupholders covered by a sliding door. There is a stereo control knob there, and also an armrest with a console underneath it. It’s deep enough to house my large Hydroflask bottle. Underneath the cantilever is an open space great for a purse. In front of the open space are the two USB-C chargers and a clever flap in which to place your devices that are charging, so they don’t rattle around.
Most Will Enjoy the Usable Cargo Space and Clever Storage Spaces
In the cantilevered center console, there are two cupholders covered by a sliding door. There is a stereo control knob there, and also an armrest with a console underneath it. It’s deep enough to house my large Hydroflask bottle. Underneath the cantilever is an open space great for a purse. In front of the open space are the two USB-C chargers and a clever flap in which to place your devices that are charging, so they don’t rattle around.
Speaking of space, the cargo area is pretty flexible for an EV. There is the main cargo space that can handle several pieces of luggage or plenty of groceries. There is also under-floor storage in the back that is pretty deep for a couple of backpacks or boxes. There is also a button for the air suspension, so you can raise or lower the car a little for ease of putting things in and out. That air suspension also kicks in when you’re driving, so you get the most aerodynamic stance possible.
It Should Shock No One That It’s a Very Safe Car
Look, no Polestar review would be complete without talking about some of the Polestar 3’s safety features and advanced driver safety features. Polestar is an offshoot of Volvo, so it employs the same safety features seen in Volvos.
The Polestar 3 has forward collision warning, lane-keep aid, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and mitigation, run-off-road mitigation, advanced cross-traffic collision avoidance, blind spot information system, rear collision warning and mitigation system, and a rear-view camera.
The Pilot pack adds pilot assist, lane change assist, and a 360-degree camera with a 3D view. Pilot Assist uses adaptive cruise control, steering assist, lane-change assist, and curve speed assist so you can ease up on your stress of driving in highway traffic.
The Polestar 3 Wears Multiple Hats—Flawlessly
I felt so pampered and taken care of in the Polestar 3, but without any performance sacrifices. I loved indulging my inner speed demon and my not-so-inner spa-loving self. The Polestar 3 is breaking some conventions of EV design in that it doesn’t skimp on anything.
Not in the name of range, not in the name of price. Because of that, not only did the Polestar 3 feel just right, it felt like the whole was greater than the sum of the parts, which is some special magic.
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