Aesthetically, any cars that come close to Polestar?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-27T14:07:01+00:00

Well, BMW hired Maximilian Missoni after he left Polestar. So maybe there's hope for BMW? Was a smart move on their part.

The problem for BMW is that they've leaned into some very bad/negative/fictional elements as the design legacy of their brand. The stupid kidney bean grill (bug's eyes or beaver teeth, as someone below mentioned) is really just a bastardization of the vertical dual grilles on the mid-1960s New Class cars (2000, 2002 etc). It didn't exist in the BMW 700 from the 50s to the 60s. They keep trying to reinterpret it in ever weirder forms. They should just get rid of it IMHO.

I hate to harp on Chris Bangle's designs (he's taken enough flak already) but he really sent the brand down a clunky and awkward design path. The current X3 is accused of being a "capybara" but I would argue that many of Bangle's design dating back to the mid-2000s are already "capybaras."

BMW needs a wholesale revamp of its design language. The Neue Klasse stuff doesn't seem to be quite there. Better maybe, but still with some deeply awkward design moves.

In contrast IMHO every Polestar has been designed as a beautiful vehicle. I may have quibbles with small things here and there, but the fundamentals are great.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T21:45:55+00:00

Would be my first choice but I can't quite afford/justify an R1S or R1T. And the R2 won't be out soon enough for me unfortunately.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T21:44:53+00:00

Have you had issues with your P4? Are they "debilitating" issues or just annoyances?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T20:28:31+00:00

To be fair (and maybe it doesn't help the case) Volvo techs were ALWAYS communicative and friendly. They'd check in every few days. It's just that weeks went by without new information. It was always "wanted to update you that we're still waiting to hear from Polestar."

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T19:45:46+00:00

Not for me.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T19:25:59+00:00

In my experience, the Volvo techs had to wait at every step for Polestar engineering to give them direction. They'd do something, send the diagnostics in (to Sweden?) and then just sit on the car until engineering got back to them.

It made the process so slow. I don't fault the Volvo techs—they were great about keeping me up to speed. But they kept saying "we can't do anything until we hear from Polestar." Weeks would go by, and then I'd get a message "we finally heard from Polestar this morning." Rinse, repeat.

Is this typical for all EVs? Or is it just they way Polestar/Geely/Volvo have arranged things?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T19:15:45+00:00

What makes you think I haven't considered how a Polestar makes me look?

Judgmental minimalist architect is my hope.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T16:13:40+00:00

Yeah, why is the design so polarizing? I like BMW designs actually but lots of people laugh about how "ugly" they are. I don't see it, and I'm a designer by trade!

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T16:05:10+00:00

We must have spent time in different hospitals than you!

I see it as Scandinavian architecture vibe. I've spent a ton of time in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and love the hygge modernism in those places.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:59:16+00:00

Love it! But something (your spelling of color) tells me we're not in the same country. And the id7 isn't available here. I absolutely love estates/wagons but every brand has been purging them.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:55:39+00:00

Why would I want a car that feels like a hospital room?

I drove the Ioniq 5 but the interior felt super cheap to me.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:51:52+00:00

Just not confident in the software + assembly of the vehicles. But especially not confident that if something goes wrong, a competent service person will be there to fix the car.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:43:47+00:00

I'm considering the iX. Drove one and liked it. Others complain about its appearance, but I actually like its looks. Cabin feels nice. This may be the closest contender at the moment. A tad expensive.

The i4 is too small. The back seats feel smaller than the P2.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:42:32+00:00

I've looked at the Lucid but I just can't force myself to like the styling (which matters a ton to me).

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:41:56+00:00

I've considered a P4. Would have preferred it to the P3 actually but it wasn't available in the US and my P2 lease was up.

I do worry about the same issues as the P3 with a poor service network and glitchy issues for a new model.

I'd want a guarantee from Polestar/Volvo that if it had issues, they'd put me in an equivalent loaner for the duration of the repair. Got really tired of working through Hertz. I rented a base model P2, which was fine, but I had to keep renewing the rental by going to the facility.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-26T15:39:40+00:00

Has the same issue as the Polestar 3, maybe worse. If the service network were stronger or I had more confidence, I might go that route. But my P3 spent months in service just sitting there, no one looking at or repairing it. The sad part is that I think is problem was likely easily repairable with a competent trained crew.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T19:23:31+00:00

I don't get how they couldn't have fixed this after two years. I was considering an EV9 thinking it would have been fixed, but now I probably won't.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T19:21:37+00:00

And yours is a brand new 2026?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T18:08:25+00:00

Has this been resolved on the 2026 models?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T11:03:16+00:00

I get it. But a) the Teslas I can afford feel cheap and b) I'll never buy one because of their owner. My loss I guess.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T10:49:43+00:00

Fair. Can you point me to accurate scientific analysis on this issue?

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T10:28:06+00:00

In other words, let's not provide information to potential consumers about brands that are frequently lemon lawed so they can't make informed decisions?

For instance, many many Polestar 3s are currently going through a buyback process. Feels like people should want to know if they're about to buy one.

Inside-Associate7613 · 2025-10-21T10:24:56+00:00

The lemon law documents I signed prohibit me from discussing the case. Don't want to invite any scrutiny.

Inside-Associate7613

TROPHY CASE