The Volkswagen ID.4 is still a very new SUV that so happens to be fully electric. After debuting to the world in 2020, the ID.4 has not had enough time to really land its mark on where it sits in today's society and car culture. Luckily, Volkswagen has the reputation of being the "People's Car" so it's expected to make an impact somehow. Up against some heavy contenders in its class, does the ID.4 have what it takes to be a reasonable SUV to purchase, regardless of its powerplant? Well, I had the keys to this model for a week and have been able to determine where it should fall in the ranks of today's choices for an SUV.
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S Review: Semi-Decent With Unjustifiable Flaws
- Make: Array
- Model: 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S Review: Semi-Decent With Unjustifiable Flaws
- Engine/Motor: Electric
- Transmission: Single-Speed
Exterior Styling
The exterior styling of the ID.4 is one of dullness. From the front fascia to the rear of the ID.4, it is not what I would call art. There is only one line that can be considered "art" on the exterior of the ID.4. This line is the only one that runs over the door handles and back to the taillights. In my opinion, the ID.4 is not aesthetically pleasing compared to other vehicles. It would never cause me to do a double-take if it were to pass by on the street. Every time I parked it, I never once thought to look back and admire it.
My one main issue though is that of the door handles. Instead of a mechanical handle, the ID.4 has the same electronic latch typically found on tailgates. with a button under the lip of the handle. This feature is usually found on luxury cars such as a Lexus NX 450h that I have driven. As for its size, the ID.4 is 181 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 65 inches tall. The ID.4 rides on a 108.9-inch wheelbase. The 20-inch wheels with all-season tires, roof rails, black roof, and silver accents come as part of the “Gradient Package” for an extra $1,500. As for the paint of choice, the color "King's Red Metallic" is an extra $395.
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 exterior dimensions
Length |
181 inches |
---|---|
Width |
73 inches |
Height |
65 inches |
Wheelbase |
108.9 inches |
Interior Design
The interior design of the ID.4 is a big step up from what the exterior looks like with the plastic, metal, and leather trim blending together to make it all feel luxurious. As for me, I am not a fan of the color choice of the brown accents with the black interior. At night time when the ambient lighting comes on, it adds a little more flair and character to the vehicle. But there are a few things missing. Buttons and dials are what is missing within the ID.4. Every little thing - minus the turn signals, wipers, some controls on the steering wheel, and window switches - are controlled by sensors. Even starting the ID.4 only requires sitting in the driver's seat and pressing the brake pedal. To turn it off, just exit and lock the ID.4. How fancy? Also, the shifter knob has been turned into a sort of dial that is placed in front of the steering wheel and attached to the instrument cluster panel.
Speaking of which, the instrument cluster panel is just a small and spartan screen that only reads the speed and battery range/charge shared with the cruise control and its features. The seats offer plenty of comfort and support. As for cabin space, I could fit 4 full-sized adults comfortably in the ID.4. The rear leg room offers almost 38 inches. The LATCH system for car seats is easily accessible. The trunk is spacious enough for a weekend getaway with space for a few suitcases and room for souvenirs. That means the trunk has a cargo capacity of 30.3 cubic-feet of space. You can more than double that once you put the seats down, raising cargo capacity to 64.2 cubic-feet.
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 cargo room
Seats up |
30.3 cubic feet |
---|---|
Seats down |
64.2 cubic feet |
Pricing, Warranties, And Competition
How much does this ID.4 AWD Pro S cost? After adding everything up from the base manufacturer's price of $48,175, the total price comes to a whopping $51,265. This includes the $1,195 destination charge. The other prices are the only options on the ID.4 and they are the "King's Red Metallic" paint ($395) and the "Gradient Package" ($1,500) mentioned earlier. This final price is over $10,000 more than the base model ID.4 ($41,230). This ID.4 AWD Pro S is also almost $6,000 more than what the ID.4 Pro S ($45,730) starts at. Both models come with rear-wheel drive and less power but have a bit extra driving range.
Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S |
$48,175 |
---|---|
Volkswagen ID.4 RWD |
$41,230 |
Volkswagen ID.4 RWD Pro S |
$45,730 |
The competition that the Volkswagen ID.4 has to face is the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Honda CR-V, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at $43,895. While the Honda CR-V starts at a cheaply and reasonably priced $26,800. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, being in the middle of the competition, starts at $39,950. To say the least, I am not a big fan of the price gap with the CR-V, but the Honda is in the ID.4's class.
Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S |
$48,175 |
---|---|
Ford Mustang Mach-E |
$43,895 |
Honda CR-V |
$26,800 |
Hyundai Ioniq 5 |
$39,950 |
The warranties that this ID.4 comes with are outrageous. For the new vehicle warranty, the ID.4 comes with a mere 4-year/50,000-mile warranty. The high-voltage system warranty matches the new vehicle warranty. Except for the high voltage battery, which has an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty. The corrosion perforation warranty is only good for 7 years/100,000 miles.
Safety Features That Stand Out
- Advanced airbag protection system with 6 airbags
- Anti-Slip regulation and electro-mechanical brake booster
- Electronic Brake-pressure distribution and brake assist system
- Electronic Stability Control and Electronic Differential Lock
- Intelligent Crash Response System with an automatic post-collision braking system
- Park Distance Control in both front and rear
- IQ.Drive featuring semi-automated driving assistance, adaptive cruise control (Stop and Go), lane assist and keeping system, semi-automated vehicle assistance in a medical emergency, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring, and active blind-spot monitoring with rear traffic alert.
Comfort and Convenience Features That Stand Out
- SiriusXM (3-month trial), AM/FM radio
- Wireless Charging
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Heated and powered (memory) front seats that massage
- Heated tilt and telescoping steering wheel
- Panoramic fixed-glass roof with electric sunshade
- 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and voice control
- Climatronic Touch dual-zone automatic climate control with 2nd-row air vents
- Multi-color adjustable ambient lighting
Performance
The dual-electric motors inside the ID.4 create a mere 295 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque that is sent to all four wheels. With my driving habits, I was on track to getting the charge range first given at 230 miles (it was delivered at that range) with almost 135 miles on the trip odometer and a range of just over 100 miles on the range meter. Upon putting my "pedal-to-the-metal" to see how fast the ID.4 is off the line, it performs like almost every EV you can drive. It accelerates very fast and can take corners very well.
As far as ride comfort is concerned, the ID.4 manages the roads very well. The independent suspension doesn't allow for any drama when going over bumps and uneven roads. Steering is light and precise but there is no feedback from the tires. Braking is stupendously bitey and can stop the ID.4 easily. As far as charging the ID.4 goes, expect to wait up to 38 minutes to charge the ID.4 from 0 percent to 80 percent with a compatible Level 3 charger. Sadly, they are scarce in my area outside of Philadelphia since it is not a Tesla. Forget about having to charge at a Level 2 charger because you would have to wait to fully charge the ID.4, depending on its charge before plugging it in, between 7.5 (11 kW) to 11.5 hours (7.2 kW). A Level 1 charger (what the charger is that comes with the ID.4) is a joke by plugging it into a typical outlet (120-volt outlet) at a laughable 50 hours from 0-100%. At a full charge, this ID.4 has a range of 250 miles.
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 specifications
Model |
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD |
---|---|
Engine Type |
Dual permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor |
Drive Type |
AWD |
Transmission |
1-speed direct drive |
Power |
295 hp |
Torque |
339 lb-ft |
0-60 (mph) |
5.4 seconds |
Quarter-mile |
14.1 seconds |
Top Speed |
112 mph |
Braking Distance (70-0 mph) |
171 ft |
Key Issues With The ID.4
I have driven a lot of vehicles to review and have reported their flaws. In my experience, not a single car is flawless. It is my job to find those flaws and name them. And the ID.4 is just on a different level of complicated. The ID.4 is plagued not only with input problems from just about everything that uses sensors but is very user-unfriendly. For example, when I have to roll the window down, I have to press my finger on the "REAR" control sensor of the driver's door and hope it registers. If it does, I am able to adjust the window height of the back windows with only 2 switches the ID.4 gives me. It's oversimplified. The A/C control, navigation, ambient lighting adjustments, and even media/entertainment have to be accessed through the infotainment system. As nice as this all is, the interface is faulty by not registering input or being slow to react to said input. It is like using an obsolete smartphone that needs a few years' worth of updates.
Conclusion
Is the ID.4 AWD Pro S a reasonable enough SUV to buy? In short, no it is not. Not by a long shot. Why? The ID.4 is not cut out to be a very good SUV for anyone in the market to buy it. All of the faults and flaws that I have mentioned, mainly with the interface, can't be justified by a model this new. The issues I experienced with the ID.4, especially at this price point, aren't acceptable, but after the kinks are worked out, it has the potential to be a prime offering on the market.