Five years is a long time for an EV, long enough for the software to feel dated and the novelty to wear off. The Polestar 2 in this Mr. EV review is that test case: an older long-range single-motor car, front-wheel drive on this earlier build, where newer ones switched to rear-wheel drive. After a month with it, the reviewer's verdict leans positive, and the reason is mostly what happens on the screen. The car runs Google's software natively, and the review argues that is what keeps it feeling current. The hardware around it, a 78 kWh battery and a 170 kW motor by the video's figures, is competent rather than remarkable. As a used buy in 2026, it is a case study in software aging better than trim.
The Polestar 2 was one of the first mainstream EVs to ship with Google's Android Automotive built in, meaning Google Maps, the Play Store, and Assistant run as the car's operating system rather than as a phone mirror. The review leans on this hard: Maps knows the battery state, plots charging stops, and predicts your arrival percentage, which the host says has proven conservative and reliable on long trips. That matters more on a used car than a new one. A five-year-old EV competes on price against newer rivals with fresher infotainment, so a system that still gets updates and still feels modern is a genuine edge. The one thing this review does not dwell on, and any used-EV buyer should, is battery health. Degradation varies with how a specific car was charged and used, so a capacity check matters more than any figure on the window sticker. The video does note the car recommends a 90 percent charge limit to preserve the pack.
On the details, the review is even-handed. It praises the frameless mirrors, the clean saloon shape, and one-pedal driving, which offers a lighter regen mode and a stronger standard mode. Charging, per the video, runs at up to 11 kW AC or 149 kW DC, with a 10 to 80 percent top-up in about 31 minutes when the car preheats the battery on the way to a charger. The host quotes a 335-mile WLTP figure but says the realistic number is closer to the 260 miles that EV Database lists, and clocks 0 to 62 mph at 7.4 seconds. The review also flags practical touches: a frunk that swallows both charging cables, a 1,500 kg towing rating, and a charge port on the same side as a Tesla's, handy at superchargers. The gripes are familiar Polestar ones: piano-black trim that scratches and shows fingerprints, and a raised center console the review describes as a battery hump that makes the middle rear seat awkward and rules out three adults in back. This trim also lacks a heated steering wheel and wireless charging. The Google Maps routing goes deep, the host adds: it lists charging stops with live availability and nearby amenities, predicts your battery percentage on arrival, and the companion app doubles as a digital key so you can leave the fob at home.
Bottom line: Buy this one for the software, not the seats. A used Polestar 2 gets you an EV that still feels modern because Google, not a bespoke infotainment team, runs the screen, and that ages far better than most five-year-old cabins. Just go in clear-eyed: the rear middle seat is compromised, the piano black will already be scratched, and the real range sits well short of the WLTP sticker. Most important, insist on a battery health check before you sign. Get that right and this is a smart, quietly premium used pick.
Commentary on a third-party video. Figures and claims are as presented in the source and have not been independently verified. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.