Video: 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Review: Still Good, But Touch-Based Controls Thwart Greatness

So we're back in a 2023 version. We wanna go see how it drives to compare to those and also revisit some of the interior usability elements of it to see how those stack up now. When the ID.4 debuted, VW introduced new ways to control the vehicle and some of them work pretty well and some of them not so much. And they moved the console gear selector you might normally expect to find down here, up right to the side of the instrument panel. And it's in a good spot, it's not too far to reach if your hands are on the steering wheel just for using it and you just twist it forward or backward for drive or reverse. So it's pretty easy to use in that regard and it also frees up a lot of space on the center console for some additional storage and the cup holders. All models of the ID.4 now have a 12-inch center touchscreen and it's got good graphics, a nice clean look to it. It's pretty easy to navigate through the different features, whether it's the radio, navigation, or smartphone connectivity. One of the nice features and models with navigation is that it incorporates a trip-planning feature, which you're not gonna find in all EVs, and that lets you plan for longer trips where you're gonna need to charge along the way. It'll incorporate those charging stops into your route. The screen in front of the driver is a little bit smaller, it's just over five inches, but it gives you the information you need without overloading you with information. There's a few different views for both route guidance and some safety features, so you can switch between those as needed depending on what you wanna call up. One thing though where usability takes a hit, and this is something we also commented on when the ID.4 first came out, is that there are too many touch-sensitive controls and they're in some places where they're definitely not needed. There are touch sliders for temperature control, for audio volume, there's touch controls on the steering wheel that have haptic feedback, and there are also touch controls on the door for things like locks and selecting the rear windows, because there are only two window switches here, you have to switch between front windows and the rear windows when using them. So really there are some features that work okay with touch controls, like if you have a screen you're looking at that makes good sense there, but all these other ones, there are easier ways to control things with traditional controls, like the volume knob for instance, instead of the volume slider. So it'd be good if VW kind of backed off a little bit in that regard, went back to some traditional buttons. also on the steering wheel, I think it would improve the overall ease of use of the ID.4. The ID.4 is pretty space sufficient considering its compact exterior size. Taller adults can sit in both the front and the back seat at the same time and be comfortable. I'm around six feet tall. I have good leg room with the knee space to spare. The other thing I like about the rear seating positions, there's good headroom and also the seat is up high, it's not too low to the ground. Sometimes you get in the backseat and you kind of have a knees-raised seating position. This is much more like the Tesla Model Y by comparison, where you have good thigh support and a comfortable seating position overall. So we are in the all-wheel drive Pro S version of the ID.4. Has a dual-motor drivetrain and it's rated 295 horsepower. VW says zero-to-60 time for this vehicle is a little less than six seconds, but it's not the quickest EV out there in that regard but at the same time you still have, you know, that on-demand power that's really great about EVs. So there's no trouble both getting up to highway speeds, merging, and definitely enough power in around-town driving. When you're on the highway, wind noise and noises in general are pretty well controlled. You can get a little bit of wind noise at highway speeds, a little bit of tire noise too, but it's not so loud that it's gonna disrupt a conversation with someone in the car or audio you might be listening to. And that's not always easy to do because you don't have the normal noise of a traditional gas engine. Our model has 20-inch alloy wheels and tires, and sometimes that's a recipe for not-great ride comfort. There are times when it gets a little bumpy in the ID.4, but mostly it's pretty livable, pretty comfortable. It's not a ride quality or setup that's gonna feel harsh or punishing, like you can sometimes get if you're driving in a Ford Mustang Mach-E, for instance. May not be quite as comfortable as a Hyundai IONIQ 5, I kind of found that one had a really nice tuning that was even a bit more comfortable, but this is pretty good. So one aspect of the driving experience that's not as good is the brake pedal feel. It has a numb kind of sponginess when you press on the brake and when you're in drive, it pretty much coasts like a traditional gas-powered car if you let your foot off the gas. If you want more of that regenerative braking feel, you can switch over to B mode just by twisting the gear selector, and then it operates more like a one-pedal driving system, but it's not fully a one-pedal driving system. So you can either accelerate, you let off the accelerator, you get that braking feel, and it'll bring you nearly to a stop, but unlike in, like, the IONIQ 5 or in the Kia EV6, it won't stop you completely. Like, once you're kind of creeping along, you'll still keep creeping along at that low speed unless you put your foot on the brake. And I like the one-pedal driving feature and I wish they had that here in the ID.4. Visibility though is, you know, not always a given with EVs being good. We've seen some kind of limited visibility in models like the EV6 and the Model Y, but in the ID.4, you know, it's good. There's, like, these thin front pillars that offer good forward views, really wide side mirrors to give you a good view of when vehicles are coming up alongside you, along with blind spot warning that this model has. The one thing that could be better is the B-pillar, like, right next to your head, is pretty sizable. So if you're looking over your shoulder to check a blind spot, you know, it's pretty big and can kind of block your view a bit. This model also does not have a 360-degree camera system. You have to step up a little bit higher to get that overhead view, but that's a nice feature too that can kind of aid visibility. VW is selling a new lower-price version of the ID.4 for 2023 that starts at around $40,000. It has a smaller battery pack and a little bit more than 200 miles of driving range, but this version we have here, the as-tested price is a little more than $54,000. Now, both vehicles are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Now, overall the ID.4 is a good-driving SUV, but there are still those interior concerns that we had before that really affect usability. If you'd like to read my full review of the ID.4, you can find it on cars.com. (upbeat music)