ByEric Brandt
3006
Car enthusiasts in our time seem to value the unusual. It’s not so much about which car is the fastest or which car has the best-looking design (although those things are still important). It’s more about what stands out from the crowd. Something different. Something you just don’t see every day.
It’s for this reason that I think car enthusiasts should give some more love to the wildly quirky Polaris Slingshot. It’s a three-wheeler that I’ve always been a big fan of for many reasons. For starters, just look at it. Its sheer weirdness and head-turning factor alone make the Slingshot lovable. It’s so weird that state governments aren’t even sure how to classify it (it’s an “autocycle” in most states). Add in the fact that it’s as fun to drive as it looks and you’ve got a roadster that’s hard to resist.
The Slingshot gets some changes for 2021 that make a good three-wheeler even better.
What’s New for 2021?
The Slingshot gets a pretty wide range of updates that change the aesthetics, technology, and performance of the three-wheeler. The biggest updates that we’ll really dig into are to the optional AutoDrive automatic transmission. It’s been re-tuned and paddle shifters have become an option. Before we dig into that, here’s a list of other upgrades to the Slingshot for 2021:
- The return of the S model starting at $19,999
- The addition of a new R Limited Edition trim at the top of the model range
- More color accent options
- Customizable LED interior lighting
- Available Rockford Fosgate premium audio
- Updated RideCommand infotainment system, now with Apple CarPlay
- Standard Hill Hold
Didn’t They Just Update the Slingshot?
They did! Although Polaris stopped short of calling the 2020 Slingshot “all-new,” they claim it contained 70% new content. That new content included a new front end, a heavily revised interior, and an all-new Polaris-built engine replacing the GM EcoTec engine that powered the Slingshot previously.
The biggest news for the 2020 Slingshot is that it was available with an automatic transmission called AutoDrive. This brought down the barrier of entry to the previously manual-only Slingshot. The automatic Slingshot has been a huge hit so far. A Polaris representative told me that the take rate for the automatic Slingshot has been around 80 percent. That means about 4 out of every 5 new Slingshots sold are automatic.
However, as popular as AutoDrive has been so far, it wasn’t that great of an automatic transmission. I griped in my review of the 2020 Slingshot that the transmission was quite jerky, especially at lower speeds. It wasn’t what I’d call a performance-tuned transmission. The manual was still the way to go for enthusiasts looking for a fun, open-air, three-wheel roadster.
AutoDrive is Much Improved
Polaris heard those gripes and re-worked AutoDrive already for 2021 less than one calendar year later. The AutoDrive is dialed-in much better this time with smoother shifts at low speeds. It shifts more like a car now. On top of that, paddle shifters are a new option for 2021. If you won’t want to commit to the stick, but like the idea of shifting your own gears sometimes, then the paddle shifters give you the convenience of an automatic transmission while getting the privilege of selecting your own gears if the mood should strike you.
The re-tuned AutoDrive and addition of paddle shifters make a huge difference in the automatic Slingshot. The smoother AutoDrive is nice for highway cruising while the paddle shifters come in handy for canyon-carving duty.
AutoDrive is an upgrade that costs between $1,700 and $2,000 depending on the trim. Paddle shifters are standard on AutoDrive-equipped R models and a $399.99 upgrade on the lower trims.
You’ll Probably Still Want the Stick
All of that said, you Oversteer readers are probably still going to want the old fashioned manual transmission. The manual was good in 2020 and it’s still good now. The manual is also more widely available than it was in 2020. The Slingshot has a more diverse lineup with the return of the affordable S model and the stick is available on all trims. In 2020, the manual could only be had with the pricey (but excellent) R model.
The Slingshot got big changes for 2020, but the model range seemed incomplete with only two trims (SL and R) and a high cost of entry if you wanted a manual transmission. For 2021, the Slingshot gets smaller changes that make a big difference. The model range is more diverse catering to a wider range of budgets. There’s the base S, the mid-range SL, the high-performance R, and the fully loaded R Limited Edition. All four trims can be had with either transmission. There are finally more storage options. And perhaps most importantly, the automatic is good now, especially with paddle shifters. Find a Polaris Slingshot for sale
