Both Polestar and Audi are focused on designing and making luxury cars but the difference here is that Polestar is only starting their luxury car venture while Audi has been in the game for more than 100 years. Indeed, Polestar is heavily backed by Volvo and we will have to focus on that connection if we want to compare these two.
This means that Polestar modes are constructed from the Volvo parts bin which means that they should carry similar reliability results with specific differences as far as mostly powertrain is concerned. However, it is not yet possible to fully compare these two manufacturers.
That being said, Audi seems to be average at best as far as reliability is concerned which is the same with all the premium German brands besides Porsche. This is both because Audi cars are extremely complex and have lots of features and because Audi does not necessarily prioritize reliability.
Polestar on the other hand is a newcomer brand so we can’t confidently say how well it fares as far as reliability is concerned, but considering that Volvo does best Audi in the reliability department it’s safe to suggest that Polestar models will also.
Audi reliability – Mediocre at best
The German premium executive segment consists out of BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, all three of these are similarly reliable both because they are complex and because these brands don’t prioritize reliability like Toyota for example.
That’s because these brands are focused on innovation and offering futuristic-looking and performing cars packed with all sorts of never-seen-before technology. Because most Audi’s are bought under warranty, new car sales are not affected all that much by reliability because no one usually has to pay for any repairs from the get-go.
The most comparable brand Audi makes to Polestar is the Audi e-Tron compact SUV which is directly rivaling the upcoming Polestar 3. The e-Tron seems to be a fairly reliable EV, so much so that it could potentially easily be on the same level as the Polestar 3, but we should wait for the Polestar 3 to know for certain.
Finally, new Audi models come with a 4-year long or 50k mile factory warranty which can be extended up to 10 years and 120k miles which is better than BMWs extended warranty.
Polestar reliability – Most likely better than Audi’s
As previously mentioned, Polestar is a fairly new brand and that means that we can not fully gauge how reliable Polestar models are. The only current model on the market is the Polestar 1 which is not exactly an ordinary car because it costs $150k, offers 600hp from three different motors, and is limited in production.
However, the Polestar 2 is slowly coming to the market and it seems to have been included in a recall already which is not necessarily a good sign. However, the issues have been resolved swiftly which means that the Polestar 2 is set to perform without many issues.
Because most Polestar models share lots of their parts with modern-day Volvo models we can predict that Polestar models should be more reliable than Audi’s. However, this is only a reasonable estimate and can not be considered as the true state of events.
Either way, Polestar models come with a 4-year long or 50k mile warranty which can also be extended as is the case with most premium cars out there.
Maintenance – Essential aspect of reliability
Even though a specific brand or model can carry superior predicted reliability results, these are as the word might suggest – only predictions. This means that they don’t always reflect all owners because countless factors influence reliability and these can not be considered in most reliability charts.
Contrary to popular belief, Audi models are less expensive when it comes to maintenance when compared to Volvo models. That’s because Audi shares lots of its parts with the rest of the VAG while Volvo tends to use the most complex engine configurations on the market.
This is also true of the Polestar one which uses a 4-cylinder engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged while also being boosted by two electric models. Such complexity requires complex maintenance and that’s why we can easily say that Polestar models should also be more expensive to maintain than Audi EVs.
FAQ Section
Is Audi more luxurious than Polestar?
If you crave sophistication and luxury you are better of with an Audi because Audi offers a lot more options as far as luxury is concerned. Even though both the Polestar 1 and the Polestar 2 are indeed luxury cars, they can’t compare with most Audi’s as far as comfort, luxury, and technology is concerned.
The most luxurious car Audi offers is the A8 which is a full-size luxury sedan that simply bests everything Volvo/Polestar does as far as luxury is concerned.
Is Audi more desirable than Polestar?
The Audi e-Tron GT is one of the most desirable and best-looking EVs money can buy these days so it’s safe to say that the e-Tron GT shares a similar market philosophy with the Polestar 1. The top-of-the-line GT RS model costs similar money to the Polestar 1 and it offers similar power and driving experience.
However, comparing these two as far as desirability is concerned it’s easy to say that the e-Tron GT RS is the more desirable model between the two. If we take into account the rest of the current Audi line-up, we can easily say that Audi currently makes more desirable cars than Polestar.
Is Polestar going to release more models soon?
By 2025 Polestar is planning to release 5 new models in general including the Polestar 2. The next Polestar to come out is the Polestar 3 compact sporty SUV which should rival the Audi e-Tron and is likely going to be revealed at some point in 2022.
Besides these two Polestar is also planning to release an electric sedan to directly rival the e-Tron GT as well. A larger SUV should follow and probably a smaller EV as well.
