Polestar has gained traction in the competitive electric vehicle market for its luxury models, but the company has found itself at the bottom of a recent list of luxury electric cars. The Polestar 2 ranked at the bottom of a list from U.S. News, but this does not mean that the electric sedan is a bad car.

In fact, U.S. News still gave the Polestar 2 a mostly positive review. 

The worst luxury electric car still earned a positive review

U.S. News ranked nine luxury electric cars based on the cars’ review scores. The highest-rated EV on the list was the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which scored a 9.2 out of 10. This was closely followed by the Lucid Air, which barely missed the top spot with a 9.1. At the very bottom of the list were two vehicles that tied with the same score, and one of them was the 2023 Polestar 2. 

However, it would be an exaggeration to call the Polestar 2 the worst luxury electric car, U.S. News still gave the sedan a great score. The Polestar 2 earned an 8.3 out of 10, less than a point behind the top-ranked Mercedes-Benz EQS. 

In addition to this high review score, the Polestar 2 also stands out for being the second-most affordable luxury electric car on the U.S. News list. It has a base MSRP of $48,400, which is only slightly beaten out as the most affordable EV on the list by the Tesla Model 3. This Tesla has a starting price of $46,990.

Pros and cons of the 2023 Polestar 2

As stated above, the Polestar 2 earned an overall highly positive review, and there is a lot to love about this sedan. U.S. News states that the Polestar 2 particularly stands out because of its interior. It has a luxurious feeling to it, and it is also particularly spacious. Passengers can be comfortable, and there is also plenty of space for luggage on longer trips.

Another highlight of the Polestar 2 is its acceleration. With the dual-motor option, the Polestar 2 can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 4.5 seconds. 

U.S. News does indicate that the Polestar 2 does have cons, though. Arguably the most important downside to the Polestar 2 is its range. The base single-motor Polestar 2 has a range of 270 miles.

This is not necessarily a bad number and is quite average compared to some other EVs, but it might disappoint buyers interested in a luxury EV. The Polestar 2 is often compared to the Tesla Model 3, and the Model 3 has a higher range than the Polestar.

Another electric car tied with the Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 was not the only EV to earn an 8.3 review score, as it tied for the spot of the worst luxury electric car with the Porsche Taycan. Just like with the Polestar 2, though, being at the bottom of the U.S. News list does not mean that the Porsche Taycan is a bad car. 

U.S. News states that Porsche Taycan models start with 321 horsepower, and high-end models feature up to 616 horsepower. This power results in acceleration worthy of the Porsche name, and the electric Porsche is also highly regarded for its impressive handling. Additionally, the Taycan maintains many of the signature style elements found in Porsche vehicles.

However, the Porsche Taycan is considerably more expensive than the Polestar 2, with a starting price of $82,700. Even though the Porsche Taycan and Polestar 2 earned the same review score, they are very different EVs, and there is no clear answer for which is the better luxury electric car.