Compare the2022 Ford GTVS 2021 Polestar 1

The Ford GT has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the GT and the Polestar 1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, driver knee airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and available rearview cameras.

The GT comes with a full 3-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 1’s 50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

There are over 150 times as many Ford dealers as there are Polestar dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GT’s warranty.

The GT has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

The GT’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 28 more horsepower (647 vs. 619) than the Polestar 1’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford GT is faster than the Polestar 1:

The GT offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The GT has standard heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The GT has standard air brakes, which adjust the rear spoiler automatically during high-speed braking in order to shorten stopping distances. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer air brakes.

The GT stops much shorter than the Polestar 1:

For better traction and acceleration, the GT has larger rear tires than the Polestar 1 (325/30R20 vs. 295/30R21).

The GT has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GT is 1.9 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than on the Polestar 1.

The GT handles at 1.11 G’s, while the Polestar 1 pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Polestar 1 (22.7 seconds @ .97 average G’s vs. 24.5 seconds @ .83 average G’s).

The Ford GT may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1850 pounds less than the Polestar 1.

The GT is 9.5 inches shorter in height than the Polestar 1, making the GT much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The GT (except Competition Series) uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Polestar 1 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The engine in the GT is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Polestar 1. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The GT’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Polestar 1 has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

The GT was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2018. The Polestar 1 has never been an “All Star.”