I’m thinking that the Polestar – especially the Polestar 1 that they sadly no longer make, and the Polestar 5 which is coming shortly – might actually be cars worth buying to replace my existing “family” car (a 2024.5 Ford Focus ST Estate) or maybe in time even my 2016 Abarth 124 Spider.
So I’ve set up this blog Just In Case, like I do with other cars and motorcycles I own, or am considering owing.
So we’ve had the ST for a little over 8 months now, in which time it’s carried us 5,500 miles.
Part of that has been to travel down to the myriads of kids and grandkids in the South West as originally intended and as the 11 grandkids (so far) are all of that sort of age, it’s meant loading it to the gunwales with presents at Christmas, for instance:
Cram Packed!
We’ve also bought a Ford load space carpet mat to protect the OEM carpeting in the estate area as I do shove the Brompton into back when I pick up the youngest stepper from work sometimes, and we also want something for when we start putting full-sized MTBs or similar in/on it.
That will be the next move: fitting some roof rails and bike brackets to the roof.
So what have we learned to date?
Well it’s fairly economical but that’s only to be expected when it demands to be driven quickly, and it is fast and it is quick as well.
It’s spacious.
There are some nice design touches, like a separate loadspace below the main flat boot area with its own waterproof tray to stow wet shoes and boots away from coats and clothes; and like the retractable carrier bag holders and bungee bag areas behind the wheels. And of course the remote handles to fold down the 60/40 split rear seats.
Other features we love? Well there’s the dual zone heating/cooling, the heated seats and best of all the heated steering wheel. The displays are very clear and quick to react, and I can just put my iPhone in the bay and it charges and connects wirelessly, although as it’s pretty much black I forget it’s in there when I get out…
Features we loathe? Obviously as the car is later than July 2024, it comes with the nagging, but fortunately we can turn that off with one long press of the limiter button on the steering wheel. So our normal routine is get in, throw iPhone into storage area, press the ST button, and press and hold the limiter button.
One problem we’ve had so far is that when the temperature drops below zero, the hand sensors in the door handles to lock and unlock the doors don’t work. And another is that the iPhone can overheat when it’s providing navigation and it’s on the wireless charger, so it turns itself off to prevent overheating. Not good if you’re relying on it for navigation. Fortunately the built-in navigation seems to work OK.
After a comfy limo dash in the morning we were soon enjoying champagne and plant-based curries before our flight in the British Airways B gate lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Cheers!
A short while later, we were on the plane and just as I’d got everything in its place (and a place for everything), Alison demanded we swop seats. Citizen’s Divorce already enacted. And I wondered where all my demons should go…
Demons!
Cheers (again)!
Once we landed at San Francisco it was off to collect our pre-booked car from Hertz. An absolute nightmare it was too with Hertz, ?who didn’t have our car when we arrived. After an hour’s arguing with them, they palmed a Florida-registered 5.0L V8 Mustang convertible off on us instead of the Camaro SS Convertible we’d ordered and indeed emailed about earlier that week.
Once we eventually got to the Riu Plaza Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, it was time for a gin and kebab as it was 5am UK time.
Gin and Kebab
So the new Ford B-Max with the adverts featuring the high-diver diving through the wide opening doors as there’s no central pillar.
It’s been described as “innovative”.
How long was the RX-8 in production? Oh yes. From 2003…
So, who or what is 2000RM?
Well, for now it’s a 1999 Ford Mondeo ST200 five door hatchback and not a bad car at all. I bought it at very short notice from my local Ford dealer when my well-thrashed Ford Scorpio 24VCosworth finally gave up the ghost (engine was fine, but the auto box was knackered and with 120,000 very hard miles down, I’m not surprised it went).
I’d just about bought a Volvo C70-T5 Coupe until my wife spotted that it was only two doors and had a beige interior: not good with two kids… This was after she’d ruled out a Jaguar XJR on the grounds that it was a “look at me” car.
My Scorpio was in the workshop with the dodgy box and the dealer lent me their ST200 – “it’s only a Mundane-oh”, I said – for a couple of days just to see how I got on. No complaints from my first wife, Amy was unruffled although she liked the colour and Jack was chuffed as it sounded like the baddies’ car from “Bullitt”.
So I bought it, slapped on the vanity plate and here we are.
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