Let’s get this out of the way upfront, the Polaris Slingshot is not a car, and it’s certainly not a motorcycle. It’s an autocycle: a class of vehicle with three wheels. In 45 US states, autocycles require the driver to wear a helmet and a handful even mandate a motorcycle license. Even though the Slingshot has an official classification, you still don’t know what to make of it right away. Despite whether you’ve ridden a motorcycle and driven a car before, your brain is still trying to figure out what’s about to happen. Then you get in, and it starts to make more sense. The Slingshot is purely for entertainment, to put a smile on your face.
It is the most fun on three wheels you will have. But be prepared for the constant barrage of comments such as, “Whoa look at that car! Is it a car? What is it?”
When Polaris built the Slingshot and put close to no weight whatsoever over the rear tire, they knew what they were doing. If you love burnouts (and who doesn’t?) the Slingshot will keep you occupied for days, or at least until you smoke your way down to the canvas and need a new rear tire. Fortunately for me living in Utah, there are mountains with curvy canyons so when you throw turns into the equation, the Slingshot is just as happy to break loose; you just have to be ready for it. Pro tip, there is a traction control feature, try leaving it on.
The Polaris Slingshot is as advertised. It is for the driver who wants to have fun. This is no BMW or Lexus to drive leisurely up the mountainside to your loft in the hills, it’s meant to race up the hill. The Slingshot brings the adrenaline to the wheel.
The trim package of the Slingshot is nearly identical to the brand’s side by side off-roaders such as the RZR and Ranger. In an open-air vehicle the rubber-and-weatherproof-everything makes perfect sense. Still, this isn’t an off-road four-wheeler or on a quad, going down the highway in a $30,000 vehicle it all seems out of place.
If there’s only one option you spring for, make sure it’s the upgraded performance brakes. The model I tested had the standard discs front and rear and not only were they uncommunicative, but it also took a startling amount of time to scrub off the proper amount of speed before going into a turn. In a vehicle this light that’s surprising, and it caught me off guard once or twice. Something that changes the direction this quick and accelerates like a small sports car should have the stopping power to match.
Polaris quotes the Slingshot’s top speed in the low triple-digit range, but on the highway, the bodywork and the window visor, started to flutter. The balance of the machine is placed towards the front, which means you’ll feel confident going into turns because all the weight is pushing the front wheels into the ground, creating incredible stability. But, and this is a big ‘but,’ if you push it too hard into a corner, the front end is quickly gets sideways will and start to push wide. The smartest, safest and most fun way to drive the Slingshot is nowhere near its actual limit, but still at a brisk enough pace to get your pulse going.
The biggest drawback was that it only had one seat. When you drive the Slingshot, you undoubtedly will have a line of people waiting to go for a ride. Thankfully, more and more people don’t know how to drive a manual, so you will never be a passenger.
In summary, the Slingshot is built for smiles. You have to know what the Slingshot is before you get in it. It’s not a grand touring machine, a grocery getter or a racing thoroughbred. The Slingshot is a corner carver and main street cruiser. It’s pure entertainment. There’s not a doubt in my mind it’ll put a smile on your face within the first hundred feet. However, you also get the added bonus of putting smiles on the faces of the people around in the same, short distance.
Key Specs: SLINGSHOT SL as tested
- GM 2.4-liter inline-four cylinder
- Five Speed Manual Transmission
- 173 HP @ 6,200 RPM, 166 lb-ft @ 4,700 RPM
- Single Rear Wheel
- Slingshot® Ride Command® 7”
- Multi-touch display
- 100-watt Rockford Fosgate® Audio
- Back-up Camera
- Clear Wind Deflector
- 18” Front & 20” Rear
- Machined-Cast Aluminum Wheels
- Premium Paint with Hood Graphics