2025 Volkswagen ID.4

Pros and Cons

Pros  

• As a standard, a lot of useful technology and features that help the driver are included. 
• It was a smooth ride with plenty of room inside. 
• Does what the federal tax credit says it must do.  
• It’s easy to park and make U-turns because the turn radius is so small.

Cons 

• Some controls can be hard to use.  
• Some bad plastics in the cabin make the experience less fun.  
• It’s not more fun and sporty to drive than most other EVs on the market.

How does the ID.4 move? The all-wheel-drive ID.4 has an extra electric motor that drives the front wheels. It gives the ID.4 better grip and gets it to 60 mph 2 seconds faster than when it only had a single motor and rear-wheel drive. On our test track, it took our test car about 5.7 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Even though 5.7 seconds is still too long for dual-motor EVs at this price, it is a big step forward. Even so, the ID.4 feels quick in the city because it has a lot of power, most of which is usable at lower speeds.

Even though it looks fast, the ID.4 is not the most fun EV we’ve driven. That doesn’t mean it’s careless, but Volkswagen’s engineers put comfort ahead of steering precision. The ID.4 is a letdown because it can’t be driven with just one pedal like most direct rivals. However, the brakes are reliable, with a robust, secure pedal and enough regenerative braking. The driving is precise and light, and the car can turn in a tiny circle. It’s easy to park an electric car.

How cozy does the ID.4 feel? The ID.4 rides smoothly on the highway, but when it hits bigger bumps, it may move up and down in a noticeable way. It’s just what everyone does in this class, which is sometimes a good thing. The front seats are soft, but they don’t have enough support or adjustability to be truly comfortable on longer trips.  

The touchscreen is mostly used to control the climate control system, which works very well. Volkswagen has added commands like “warm feet” and “fresh air” that change the settings automatically, in addition to the standard fan and temperature controls.

What’s the inside like? The ID.4’s interior has some of the most cutting-edge technology and driver aids in this class, along with some classic Volkswagen touches. There is a lot of head and legroom in the two rows of seats inside, and the higher ride height makes it easier to get in and out. The big windows also make it easy to see clearly in all directions.  

The most recent version of the ID.4’s climate system interface works better than older versions. It’s much easier to change settings at night with the backlit volume and temperature controls. However, the ID.4 still has annoying window controls, which is a shame. Volkswagen only comes with a driver and a switch that lets you open and close the back windows. Sometimes, that toggle doesn’t do anything at all. This is better than having four separate window switches like every other car.

What do you think about the tech? The 12.9-inch touchscreen in the middle of the ID.4 is easy to use. The integrated navigation system is one of the best choices when it comes to how easy it is to use. The voice controls work well and let you do many things, like changing the temperature and entering addresses into the navigation system. There are a lot of USB ports and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so that you can use your device. But the sound quality of the ID.4’s standard stereo could be better. 

The ID.4 comes with several standard driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic parking. During our tests, everything worked perfectly. Volkswagen doesn’t have hands-free driving like competitors like the Model Y and Mach-E.

What’s the deal with storage? Inside the ID.4, there is a lot of space for storage in both the cabin and the rear hatch. The trunk space in the back is a good 30.3 cubic feet, and it grows to 64.2 cubic feet when the seats are folded down. This is about the same as other cars in the same class and small crossovers with gas engines. The 60/40 split rear seat folds flat even with the cargo floor, even though the load floor is slightly raised. Even though the ID.4 doesn’t have a front trunk, there is still extra space under the load floor.  

The front cabin is very flexible because the center console area can be set up in many different ways with removable cup holders and walls. The door pockets are also very roomy. This is the best mainstream EV for car seats because the back seats have a lot of room, and the anchors are easy to reach. People with kids will love this EV.

How useful and far-reaching are they? The latest ID.4 can go between 206 and 291 miles on a single charge, according to the EPA. The ID.4 with a single motor and rear-wheel drive went 299 miles on a single charge in the Invoice Pricing EV Range Test. That’s 8 miles more than the EPA says it can go and 11 miles more than the last single-motor ID.4 we tested. The EPA says that all-wheel-drive models have a range of 263 miles, but we have yet to have a chance to test one. Some competitors can go over 300 miles on a single charge, but the EPA and real-world numbers are about the same as those in the class.  

The EPA also says that the ID.4’s single motor uses 30 kWh of electricity for every 100 miles it is driven. We were right on track for the single motor in our tests, which showed a 29.8 kWh/100-mile rate. A small electric SUV also acts like this.

Should you buy the ID.4? Beautiful design goes into the inside of the ID.4. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather and feels good in your hands. The seats are stylish and comfortable. On the other hand, some of the plastics feel and look weak. Not only that but ID 4 can get a full $7,500 tax credit. At the moment, many competing EVs can’t get this credit, at least when they are bought.  

Volkswagen has a bumper-to-bumper warranty that lasts four years and 50,000 miles and a powertrain warranty that lasts five years and 100,000 miles. There is nothing in this class that stands out. EVs don’t usually need much maintenance, but the ID.4 comes with free maintenance for two years or 20,000 miles and free 30-minute fast charging on the Electrify America network for three years.

There is no danger in driving the ID.4, but it won’t go as fast as the Tesla Model Y, the Kia EV6, or the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The attention it gets is also lower than that of other EVs. A lot of people who want to buy an EV will be drawn to the ID.4 because it is comfortable and useful.

Volkswagen has yet to announce the 2025 ID.4 as of this writing officially. Based on the ID.4 from last year, the Pro trim is better. If anything changes, we’ll let you know. It has a bigger battery and a 12.9-inch touchscreen.