Polestar vs Porsche reliability – which is better?

Porsche is a brand known for well-engineered, high-maintenance but solidly built and dependable automobiles. As such, Porsche places at the very top of most reliability charts because most Porsche models are both maintained correctly and reliable from the get-go.

On the other hand, Polestar is a newcomer brand with only a single true serial production model which means that Polestar still can not be assessed correctly as far as reliability is concerned. Either way, we know that Polestar is heavily backed by Volvo and they only make EVs.

All of this should in theory mean that Polestar should be an above-average reliability brand. Even so, they are likely never going to be able to match Porsche because Porsche is the very top echelon of the car industry in regards to reliability.

In order for a specific car to be as reliable as possible, it needs proper and timely maintenance, and that’s where these two brands differ substantially. Porsches are notoriously expensive to maintain while Volvo cars are not nearly as expensive.

Polestar reliability – Most likely above average

To fully understand how reliable Polestar is we need to look at how reliable Volvo cars are. According to numerous online sources, most Volvo models firmly reside in the above-average reliability segment. Given the fact that Polestar and Volvo share lots of parts between each other, it’s reasonable to predict that Polestar cars should also be above average.

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Another thing to keep in mind is that Polestar only makes EVs that are inherently more reliable than internal combustion engine cars because they offer fewer moving parts. They don’t need oil changes and the overall component wear and tear of an EV is significantly lower.

This means that Polestar cars should in theory be as reliable as Volvo cars are, but given the fact that they are also EVs, they might even offer superior reliability credentials. Polestar only makes a single serial production model at the moment of writing this article, and they are also planning to use the same powertrain for all the upcoming models.

With such a broad spectrum of parts sharing both between upcoming Polestar models and current Volvo models, it’s rather safe to safe that Polestar cars should be above average reliable.

Porsche reliability – Class-leading in most segments

Over-engineering, attention to detail, sturdy build quality, high-end materials… All of these qualities are synonymous with a true Porsche and it has been that way for decades now. Even though Porsche expanded their lineup with the addition of a full-on EV, a luxury sedan, and two SUVs, these qualities are still as relevant as ever.

The only true competitor to the Polestar 2 is the Porsche Taycan. It does cost considerably more money than the Polestar 2 and it beats the Polestar 2 in almost every regard. General reliability across Porsche as a brand is fairly linear which means that there aren’t any black sheep models which are less reliable than the rest of the Porsche range.

The Porsche Macan is the entry-level Porsche model, but it is a true Porsche model no matter how you look at it. The 911 is the most reliable Porsche model because the 911 lineage spans more than seven decades which means that Porsche has almost perfected the 911 recipe.

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All in all, Porsche holds a strong reputation when it comes to reliability for a long time. So much so that many Porsche models are class-leading in their segment as far as reliability is concerned.

Polestar vs Porsche maintenance – Porsche is way more expensive

As previously mentioned, all the Porsche qualities listed are indeed there, but in order for those qualities to even be relevant, you need to spend a decent sum of money on maintenance costs. Because Porsche makes strict luxury or even exotic cars, it’s expected for them to be high-maintenance.

Polestar is a bit more “mass-oriented” which means that they can’t ramp maintenance costs as easily as Porsche. Porsche customers are not as interested in low-maintenance cars because they value Porsche for many other reasons and that’s something Volvo/Polestar can not do.

Either way, both of these offer a 4-year long 50k mile factory warranty which can be extended to cover all of your repair costs for 2 more years. All in all, Porsches do cost more to maintain, but that comes with the territory. On the other hand, Polestar models are somewhere in the middle of the pack.

FAQ Section

Why are electric cars more reliable?

Electric cars are more reliable because they offer fewer moving parts which means that the overall wear and tear is not as consistent as is the case with an ICE car. EVs also benefit from specific-EV technology such as regenerative braking which takes the strain out of normal brake wear and places it on regen motors attached to the wheels.

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This means that an EV does not have to rely on brakes directly when it needs to decelerate. Furthermore, EVs are less complex because they don’t need oil, they don’t need fuel, they don’t need fuel pumps, catalytic converters, mufflers, or oil filters to name a few.

Are EVs reliable long-term?

Long-term EV reliability is still a bit of a mystery as there aren’t too many 10-20-year-old EVs out and about. Given the fact that batteries do become fairly useless after a while and need replacing, it’s not completely clear how reliable EVs are long-term.

Most manufacturers believe that current EVs will be severely outdated after 20 years so this should not be an issue. However, EVs cost a lot of money so there is surely going to be interest in owning a 20-year old EV if it can function properly.

 Why do people love Porsches?

Porsche is a brand usually mentioned with the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini because people deem it as the very top echelon of the automotive industry. Porsche is different than Lamborghini and Ferrari because Porsche makes better cars all around.

Porsches are usually the fastest cars on the track while also being extremely enjoyable to drive on the road. They are often considered status symbols because they look stately and offer lots of luxuries and high-quality materials.

Marko Mikulic

Why do you love writing about cars? I love writing about cars as cars are a huge personal interest of mine. I was raised in a car enthusiast community and ever since I was young, I always wanted to do car-related work.

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