Volkswagen ID 4: Owner Review AFTER 10,000 miles

0:00 Introduction
0:34 What Comes with First Edition VW ID4?
1:09 Volkswagen ID4 Exterior Features
1:58 Does ID4 Come With Blind Spot Monitoring?
2:21 ID4 Roofline is a Standout Feature
3:00 How I Charge the ID4
3:51 ID4 Cargo Room
4:06 Is the ID4 Loud?
4:55 Does the ID4 Come with a Panoramic Roof?
5:22 ID4 First Edition Interior Review
5:45 Does VW ID4 Come with Leather Seats?
6:25 The ID4 Steering Wheel & Haptic Touch Buttons
6:58 ID4 Instrument Cluster
7:20 The ID4's Infotainment Screen is Bad
7:54 Is the ID4 Hard to Clean?
8:18 Rear Passenger Head & Legroom Comfort
8:33 Why Buy the VW ID4?
9:46 ID4 vs the Competition
10:25 Does the ID4 have One Pedal Driving?
10:54 Two More Cons: App & Software Updates
11:25 Wrap Up

Volkswagen ID 4 (RWD) review after 10,000 miles of ownership. My thoughts on the ID 4 6 months after I purchased it. Would I recommend the VW ID4 over the Tesla Model Y? Stick around and find out!

In this video I discuss the high-level interior and exterior features of the VW ID 4, talk about why you should buy this electric SUV over some of the competition and tell you why the ID 4 was a good purchase for our family.

Some notes about my VW ID 4:
My ID4 is a 2021 model year and it a First Edition trim which means that it is rear wheel drive, and has similar features to that of a Pro S (Statement) package, along with the gradient package. Basically, all the interior and exterior features Volkswagen offers on this EV.

The MSRP of my First Edition Volkswagen ID4 was $43,995 and it is rated for an EPA estimated 250 miles of range on these 20inch wheels. Though this trim of the ID4 can't be bought new, nearly all its features are available on other VW ID4 trims, except for the white interior accents and the white steering wheel.

Overall - the Volkswagen ID 4 is a great electric SUV and if you are interested in knowing more about it, please leave a comment down below!

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[michaels.]

Nice review. I have both an ID.4 and a Model 3; yes, the Tesla is more advanced, but there are some things I like more about the VW. Also, the price difference is huge. Cheapest Model Y is currently $57, 990 plus destination, whereas ID.4 starts at $39, 990 plus destination, minus the $7, 500 tax credit. It's $25, 500 less!

[factslogic]

I have a ID4 for 5 months and love it very much. It offers advantages over model y: much cheaper price, SUV shape, short turning radius, higher ground clearance, better ride, much better build quality, free charging, option to drive like normal car, 2 screens, 2 keys, shades, installed hitch, roof rails, etc. The point: know what you care the most out of a car, buy it and enjoy. That is what I did and am satisfied.

[brandtdon]

My wife and I totally love the ID 4. We have had it for about 6 months and have traveled nearly 8k miles. I have found YouTube videos very helpful in learning about the ID 4. In almost every video I pick up info I never knew i.e, you can clean the rear camera the same way as the front and rear window. Yes, there are some things I would changed, but there are no show stoppers. Anytime you create something from scratch, it is a learning curve. Like everybody says, the infotainment system could be more user friendly. That being said, five moments later, I am learning some short cuts that are very valuable. For me YouTube videos about the ID 4 are a MUST to learn about the car. “There is more about this car, that meets the eye!”

I did not purchase the car because I knew the car would be quickly changed as technology advances. For us, the VW ID 4 was a great choice for our first EV. The cost of the car compared with others, was a no-brained for us. We felt it provided good value.

[AnalogueKid]

Thank you for preaching the Gospel of Level 1 charging! I too use a regular wall outlet for my EV and it works just fine for my needs. So many people get scared thinking they’ll spend big money to buy a new EV only to have to spend thousands more to upgrade their home wiring. Not the case for an average American driver

[NO_OPEC_NO_PROBLEM]

Tesla owner here, in my opinion the EA charge network is as useful as Tesla’s across the USA. I’ve driven both and the ID.4 is fantastic. Yes the software needs improvement, but the ID.4 drives awesome. Recently VW announced plug & charge and auto-hold are coming. If implemented properly, Plug & Charge will save you a ton of time at Electrify America stations, as the charge experience should rival Tesla. Let’s see if it works. For the price & 3ys of free charging, the ID.4 is a solid option.

[rlb]

Very well done. Very succinct! Just the way I like it. No drama whatsoever. No hands moving in all directions. No loud talk. No advertising. Very credible when you state both the pros and the cons. Excellent job. Thank you!

[suvari]

After driving Model Y SR for 13000 miles, I am going to pickup ID4 Pro S next week.

I think as a car ID4 is really good. On the other hand, Tesla got lots of “toy” features and the best software.

I would like to make some comments on my ID4 test drive after driving Model Y for over 13000 miles:

- Turning radius. Model Y has one of the worst turning radius I have ever experienced. I think Tesla tried to maximize the interior space and they sacrifice a lot about front wheel travel for turning. I do drive into Boston a lot which has one of the narrowest streets and parking lots in the US and you can really feel the limitation if luck of maneuverability if you will. It is not just in Boston also. You feel this every time when you head on park on grocery stores. I always backup to the parking spot with my Model Y, because otherwise you cannot get a straight park.

- Tire and suspension comfort. Model Y has harsh suspension setup and really wide tires 255mm. The car is a flying carpet on a good pavement, but it has really bad ride quality one you stepped on a back road with various sizes of pat-holes. My wife was 8 months pregnant and I had to stop on every speed bumps otherwise she was having pain inside the car.

The wide tires doesn’t help to the operational cost, but it also put load/stress to the front setup of the car, especially when you maneuver, I had clanks coming from the steering rods. The weight of the vehicle and the wide tires really stress those structures I feel like.

- Lack of blind spot monitoring. Yes Tesla shows surrounding cars, but it lacks a blind spot monitoring indicator on the side mirrors. To me, it is the lack of an massively important safety system. (Until Teslas drive themselves)

- sloping roof and visibility is worse than ID4. Sloping roof really eats up cabin space on the back. And because of that the rear visibility is very bad. But you have cameras all around instead.

- Battery life and range. I had Model Y SR and Tesla claims 244 miles of range versus Id4’s 260miles of range. But it is almost impossible to get 244 miles out of the Tesla. It has 55kwh battery and it is good for 150-180 miles with highway consumptions. On the other hand, VW underpromises the range, I haven’t experienced it yet, but I strongly think I can get 250 miles of range with highway consumptions, since the battery pack has 77kwh usable out of 82kwh. This is more or less the same with Model Y LR which sells for 56k$ right now.

Dont get me wrong Model Y is really amazing car. But really few people talks about its short comings. I would like to point them out, and I want to emphasize that ID4 doesn’t have those issues as far as I can see. But of course ID4 has other shortcomings as video told here

[Rick]

Well that was very interesting coming from an owner, nice job.
I'd do a little checking on regenerative braking as it now seems to be available.
Your opinion of the info screen is what I've read but newer reviews seem to like its response. Turning off the map seems to improve response.
I went with the Model 3 LR primarily because of the charging network. I've been very pleased with the whole experience. They delivered a perfect car to my door with no issues whatsoever! I was kinda shocked as it being an end of year sale, I was mentally prepared for some quality issues.
NONE!!!

[jscottfree]

Interesting about your comments on the seats vs Model Y. I had the exact opposite opinion. I test drove a Model Y performance (it was awesome) and I didn’t like the harsh ride or the seats. When I drove the ID4 the ride and seat comfort sold me - that plus the much lower cost. I know others wish for one pedal driving but we have it on our 2022 Bolt and neither one of us ever uses it. I agree about the infotainment system being slow but I use it mostly with CarPlay and it works very well. Also agree that Car-net is terrible. All in all I am very happy with my 1st Edition and would buy it again.

[nickhancock]

Weirdly, I like the pedestrian noise the ID4 makes..! Great video by the way with interesting content. Just ordered a ID4 life so still get the UK tax discount and upgraded the wheels to the silver 18 inch.

[CyAn-S]

Strange that you haven't had any updates yet. In Europe they are already 2 updates (ID OS 2.0 and 2.3) in and a 3rd one (ID OS 3.0)is on the way soon once the ID.5 launches. Basically new features, no more freezing menus, bug fixes and a new look (last one since 2.3). 3.0 will also adds stuff like built-in Spotify/Apple Music, permanent battery % in gauge cluster, some navigation functionality and last but not least, a separate EV/charging menu instead of needing to go into vehicle menu.

Also here in The Netherlands they have openend Super Charging for non-Teslas as a public test. So that SC argument for buying a Tesla might not be that important in the future.

[marius]

Love the whine sound it makes, Sounds futuristic

[christophercattie]

I personally don't like regenerative breaking unless it is on a decline. Coasting is more efficient than regen breaking. Maybe in a city with stop and go, the 1 pedal breaking does work out better, but I'm in a rural setting where coasting is much more efficient.

[swedesam]

A big plus for this ID4 is that it looks much better than the Tesla by miles.

[MrAlexrowlands]

Everybody calls the steering buttons 'haptic feedback' they are NOT. They are physical buttons, with a solid cover. Haptic feedback is a screen feature that can detect your pressure on a phone or tablet screen. I have them on my Q4 and they are not an issue if you hold the wheel properly.

[laneboyd]

Thank you for your in-depth review. I've had my Pro S AWD with the Gradient Package in Moonstone Gray and Black/Brown interior for about three weeks. I definitely love the car, but your comment about the infotainment system is very on point. I use Android Auto and it's pretty easy though. I really wish the regen baking were stronger as well. I always use it and wish it would be about 50% more powerful and be able to bring the car to a stop.

[augiemattheiss]

Good practical review, thanks for taking the time to post your video recording, what about the contrast in build quality, i.e., VW vs. Tesla ? Germans usually make excellent car bodies. So much is written about Tesla build quality and service problems. I would hope VW could restructure their user input interrupt processing and improve the user interface of the infotainment system. Poor user interface responsiveness would be a major problem for me, probably for many people now spoiled by modern well designed devices. There is a good chance this is a software issue that could be fixed, perhaps by one really sharp person analyzing what is happening at a detailed level.

[jessicaal]

“The car app is useless.” For me it’s been a saving grace really. I didn’t start using it because ppl said exactly what you said in the vid. I bought my ProS last august been stopping at EA to charge until 2 weeks ago. My husband finally installed the Level 2 in the garage. We also have the home solar system and where I’m at, peak hour use is 5-8 M-F, where our electricity rates can quadruple during those hours so we don’t run the pool pump, nor do we use the clothes washer/dryer and dish washer during those times. So when I get home from work at around 6 I can plug in my car to the charger and with the app, the charge will not have to start until 8:01 pm and into the night. I spend 3 hours minimum on the road when I work onsite so charging when I get home is essential but not during our “peak hours”. I am yet to use the climate control/preset on the app. I imagine would be sweet as it has started getting cold out, even here in CA.

[sandywlaschin]

I just received an email that my ID 4 that I ordered in July 2021 will now not be here until 2022, but I will get the improved version!! I can’t wait! This helped ease my concerns.

[hectorrivera]

Nice review! I’ve always been a VW fan but I’m not ready to go Electric yet… although I realize that’s inevitable. It’s true that VW is a newcomer in the electric arena where Tesla has been around for years now, but given the vast experience and resources available to VW around the world and it’s long reputation for building solid vehicles that are fun to drive and affordable, I think they’ll be able to catch up pretty quickly.