Michael SatterfieldWe have all seen them: three wheels, garish styling, and generally running in packs, the Polaris Slingshot, described by some as “a poor man’s Lamborghini.” The Slingshot, much like a Lamborghini, is polarizing and draws attention; some love it, some hate it, and nearly everyone has an opinion about what kind of man plops down his hard-earned money to own one.
I have to admit, when Polaris reached out to me to see if I would be interested in a long-term test with a Polaris Slingshot Roush edition, I hadn’t given much thought to how much the three-wheel motorcycle costs. I have tested three-wheelers before, the CanAm Ryker, and a few different versions of the Vanderhall, but I assumed that the Polaris was a relatively inexpensive toy since they were so ubiquitous here in my home state of Texas. Even here in our small college town, we have Aggieland Slingshot Rentals, and on gameday weekends, you can see tourists zipping around town in them. But I had no idea that the Roush edition they were dropping off was more expensive than many incredibly used sports cars, but even more shocking, it was more costly than some brand-new ones.
Day One Of Driving A Polaris Slingshot
Let’s start with the basics: what was dropped off was a 2023 Polaris Slingshot Roush edition, the most expensive version of the two-seat roadster. The model, the S with a manual transmission, starts at $21,999, but this Roush edition will set you back $40,299 before you add on any accessories. To put that in perspective, a 2024 Mazda MX-5 Roadster starts at just $28,985, and it has things like air conditioning, a top, and four wheels. But if your heart is set on three-wheel shenanigans, could you really make a Polaris Slingshot your daily driver?
Now, to be clear, I had other press cars rotating in for reviews, but I did log nearly 3,500 miles over 8 months in the Slingshot, with some fairly long road trips and a lot of daily driving around town, here is what I learned.
The Polaris Slingshot is wildly impractical. It is 100% designed as a recreational vehicle, and if you attempt to use it as your main mode of transportation, you will immediately have some pretty big struggles. While there is storage, it is just enough for two small backpacks or helmets. So for daily driving, you will use the passenger footwell to move anything that won’t fit in the cubbies behind the seats. I did haul some fairly large boxes, groceries, and even some Christmas decorations, just remember you don’t have any doors and stuff might slide out if you take too sharp a turn.
With the lack of storage, the Polaris Slingshot is not ideal for long road trips with a friend unless you buy additional luggage racks and saddle bags. If you don’t have a passenger, the footwell was able to hold my Zero Halliburton carry-on bag comfortably. The only downside is that your luggage is not secure when you leave to grab a bite to eat or use the restroom at a gas station, so I would recommend getting a bike lock for your bag. But I will give it points for being a lot of fun to drive on country back roads. I took the Polaris on several long road trips; it was comfortable, fun to drive, and for sure attracted attention.
Attention is not always good. While I have driven just about every kind of vehicle with two, three, or four wheels and even tank tracks, this is the first vehicle in which multiple people have screamed slurs at me. While the vast majority of the interactions were positive, the negative ones do tend to stand out, as they were particularly egregious. This might be why Slingshots tend to run in packs.
Like the motorcycle, the Polaris Slingshot is open to the elements, and the optional heated seats would have been great to have in the test vehicle. I drove the Roush in cold, rain, ice, dust storms, and just about every other form of weather, while it wasn’t ideal it is doable if you have the right gear. I will say that the weather made some trips feel extra long. Unlike in an MX-5, you can’t just pull the top up and flip on the heater, so you have to plan and use your limited storage space wisely. I recommend at minimum having a good fleece pullover, a rain suit, and a full-face helmet. While not all states require you to wear a helmet, wearing one is a good call, simply due to rocks, bugs, and other debris that can quickly redecorate your face.
The lack of practicality extends well beyond the lack of storage or exposure to the elements, the Slingshot offers all of the disadvantages of a motorcycle and car with zero of the advantages. You still have to have a full-size parking space, you can’t avoid some potholes or roadkill because of the layout of three wheels, and unlike a car in many states, you do have to wear a helmet at all times, or face a ticket.
On the positive side, the Polaris Slingshot community is really active and full of lovely people. You can join a local club, go on group road trips, and organize local parades. You will be welcomed with open arms, as it is a community for those who have bought into the lifestyle, so they automatically accept that you must be cut from the same cloth. Just be warned, every group has at least one guy who dresses like Batman and has fashioned his Polaris Slingshot into a makeshift Batmobile.
So, should you buy a Polaris Slingshot as your daily driver? Probably not. Should you buy one because you really want it and you want an attention-getting toy to drive on the weekend? Yes, it is a fun toy for those with disposable income. No one needs a Slingshot, but if you want one, you will for sure have fun with it.
