Easier to Cruise, More Fun to Hustle: 2025 Polaris Slingshot R Review

Most people’s experience with the Polaris Slingshot comes secondhand. You see these attention-grabbing, three-wheeled spaceships on the road from time to time. But it’s rare to meet someone who’s actually driven one, let alone owned a Slingshot themselves.

After spending a month behind the wheel, one thing’s for sure: Some people love the Polaris Slingshot, some people absolutely hate it. But damn near everyone wants to know what they’re like to drive.

Here’s my take after a few hundred miles of testing the latest 2025 Polaris Slingshot R.

In short: The 2025 Polaris Slingshot R works well as an entertaining sunny-day cruiser or a donut-whipping drift missile. It’s good fun, hilariously impractical, and a great platform for customization. But if you’re expecting it to be a substitute for a car or a motorcycle, you’ve got the wrong idea.

2025 Polaris Slingshot R Review

So what is this strange, triangular, don’t-call-it-a-car like to drive? In short, it’s legitimately thrilling, always engaging, and hilariously fun. 

You can probably predict much of this review from a few basic specs. The 2025 Polaris Slingshot R I drove has a manual transmission, makes 204 horsepower, and weighs just 1,749 pounds. It attempts to route 150 pound-feet of torque through a single 305/30R20 rear tire.

For reference, that’s about 1,000 pounds less than a Mazda Miata with the same torque, 20 extra horsepower, and half the tire contact patch. Are you getting the picture?

Aside from that, all you really need to know about the Slingshot is that it’s got a loud stereo, taut suspension, Brembo brakes, and an interior that cleans up with a garden hose.

In short, it’s not a car, it’s not a motorcycle, and it’s not something between the two either. The Polaris Slingshot is a weatherproof toy that delivers thrills in its own way, for better or worse.

What’s New for 2025?

The last time I drove a Slingshot was in 2022, behind the wheel of that year’s “SLR” trim. Truthfully, the experience was almost entirely unchanged, but Polaris did make a few real improvements for the latest model.

The most noteworthy is that Polaris reworked the engine for a more enjoyable driving experience. Peak output has only increased by a single horsepower. However, the motor now makes much more torque in the low to mid-range. This is typically where drivers will be most of the time.

Polaris also modified the suspension with a focus on sporty handling and feel to make the notoriously hard-edged ride a bit more confidence-inspiring. The front end is now an inch higher to “improve drivability.” This should also help the Slingshot clear more driveways and speed bumps without any cringeworthy scraping sounds.

Because this wouldn’t be a Slingshot without the “bling” factor, the 2025 model got a considerable facelift. It looks even angrier and more aggressive than before. Polaris added molded “hood vents” above the front wheels, further compounding the machine’s attention-grabbing aesthetic.

Last but not least, the Slingshot’s Rockford Fosgate sound system received an upgrade as well. Polaris installed larger 8-inch speakers in the doors that somehow manage to be louder than the last. Both manual and paddle-shift versions are still available, the latter of which has more intuitive and user-friendly shift points.

Driving the 2025 Polaris Slingshot R

While the above-mentioned updates do make a noticeable difference, the driving experience remains pure Slingshot. If you’ve been behind the wheel of one of these things since 2020, the latest and greatest version will feel familiar.

Driving the 2025 Polaris Slingshot R is a masterclass in managing traction. While the rear tire is massive, its available grip was always the limiting factor, whether accelerating straight-line or holding a steady line in the corners.

That’s a fancy way of saying the Slingshot always wanted to spin its rear tire anytime I put my foot in it. That’ll be a bug for some and a feature for others. But personally, I found it to be the Slingshot’s single most enjoyable attribute.

As such, my first stop with the Slingshot R was a big, empty parking lot. Here, I confirmed it still drifted around light poles and whipped big, smoky burnouts with the best in the business. I’d go as far as to say the Slingshot might be the most donut-friendly vehicle on the planet.

Just bump the traction control off with the dash-mounted toggle switch, and get ready to make some noise. Any time I put the pedal to the floor (or gave the clutch a quick kick) in first or second gear, the Slingshot stepped out and stayed out for as long as I wanted it to.

It was damn good fun; just make sure you’re gone before the blue lights show up.

As for “real world” driving, I found the Slingshot has two very distinct personalities. There’s the sporty little sunny-day cruiser, and then there’s the twitchy, tire-screeching, adrenaline-seeking three-wheeler.

For me, the former meant dropping the Slingshot into “comfort mode,” the milder of the vehicle’s two settings. In this configuration, both the steering and throttle response were much more relaxed. This allowed me to sit back and enjoy the Slingshot like any other open-air roadster. It still had good get-up-and-go when I put the pedal to the floor, but it was much easier to drive and control.

I hooked up the Apple CarPlay, put the Mrs. in the passenger seat, and then just got lost. It was all sunshine, wind on my face, and a great-sounding stereo. In other words, when you relax, the Slingshot relaxes. The aggressive-looking three-wheeler became a truly pleasant little thing to putt around in.

And then there’s the other side of the Slingshot. The one that wants to eat your driver’s license.

I dropped the vehicle into “Slingshot mode,” and pretty much everything changed. Small inputs on the wheel had direct consequences, and the same went for the gas pedal. The vehicle felt focused and edgy and demanded all my attention and a firm hold on the reins at all times.

This is the mode for connecting apexes on a twisty mountain road, which the Slingshot also did surprisingly well. While it took considerable care to keep the rear wheel tracking, Polaris claims the Slingshot is capable of 1.02 g of lateral grip. I believe them.

Steering was tight and precise, and between the low center of gravity and firm suspension, I got into a nice groove. I carved my way through corners and hammered down straightaways.

The R model I drove also has upgraded Brembo four-piston brakes up front. These shed speed exceptionally well and had more than enough power to rein in the lightweight Slingshot.

I’ll also note that this is where the improved torque curve of the 2025 model really shone. There was no longer a need to keep the engine on boil to get solid performance. The re-tuned motor makes respectable grunt from as low as 3,000 rpm now. The old one really didn’t start building steam until 5,000 rpm, so there was a lot less shifting required to have a good time.

Downsides of the 2025 Polaris Slingshot R

Most of the Slingshot’s glaring flaws are subjective. Half the people reading this (Slingshot fans in particular) will likely see them as positives. I totally support that, and I’m not here to harsh anyone’s mellow.

With that being said, my biggest complaint is that I felt a little silly driving around in the Slingshot. People stared, pointed, and waved everywhere I went in this thing, and to be fair, Polaris will be the first to tell you that’s the intended effect.

Would I mind all the attention if I were sitting in a ‘67 fastback or on a pristine Ducati 996? Absolutely not, because those vehicles are in universally good taste.

The Slingshot is more of a middle finger on three wheels, something I’d compare to driving around in a Cybertruck or a straight-piped Hellcat. Some people (yourself included) probably think you’re doing something cool, but just as many (if not more) are probably cringing on your behalf.

I suppose the other major shortcoming of the Slingshot R is traction, although again, drifting and sliding the Polaris around was at least half of the fun for me. That loose rear end was great when I wanted it, but when I was in the middle of a sandy corner or trying to get from 0 to 60 as fast as possible, the Slingshot R reminded me that four wheels are often better than three.

Believe it or not, the last complaint I have worth registering is actually the Rockford Fosgate stereo system. While the stereo sounds great around town, out on the interstate, I struggled to hear anything more detailed than the backbeat, thanks to wind and engine noise.

That gives you two options: either take your helmet off (which would be illegal in my home state of Georgia) or turn the volume up to full blast and force everyone in a 2-mile radius to listen to your music.

Most Slingshot owners seem to opt for the latter, which I personally can’t stand. Some people have no qualms about disturbing the peace. But personally, I’d recommend just throwing a Cardo on your helmet if you want music at speed.

Conclusions

The 2025 Polaris Slingshot R isn’t a car or a motorcycle. If you compare it to either experience, you’re missing the point. This is a loud and impractical toy in the purest sense of the word. If you climb into the driver’s seat expecting anything else, it will be a disappointment.

With that being said, the 2025 Polaris Slingshot R is great at what it does, and it’s great fun to boot. I never failed to have a good time every time I pulled the Slingshot out of the driveway. This is more than I can say for most three- or four-wheeled vehicles anywhere near its price range.

The Slingshot earns its keep by turning as many heads as an Italian exotic while retailing for a fraction of the price. If you want to pull the same amount of attention as a millionaire playboy without dropping six figures on a Lamborghini, this is your ticket to ride, for better or worse.

Sure, these three-wheelers have a fair share of haters, but they also have an ace in the hole that most vehicles don’t: they come with a community of like-minded owners and enthusiasts as standard equipment.

Every major city has its own group organizing car shows, group rides, and meet-ups specifically for three-wheeled vehicles, and Slingshots are the belle of the ball in these circles. If you like what you see, buy one, customize it, and go enjoy it with your Slingshot friends. As the old adage goes, haters gonna hate.