Volkswagen ID.4: Best Car To Buy 2022 nominee
The Volkswagen ID.4 ushers in the ID era of electric vehicles at the world’s second-largest automaker. A compact crossover with a spacious interior, the ID.4 combines a 260-mile range and a starting price of $41,120, making it nearly $3,000 cheaper than similarly equipped competitors such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, and Ford Mustang Mach-E, which was the first electric vehicle to win our Best Car To Buy award. The 2021 ID.4’s excellent packaging, good ride, and overall value could make an EV a winner two years in a row.
While the single-motor ID.4 was released in the first half of 2021, it’s the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant that arrived later in the year that boosted its appeal on multiple levels. With a motor at each axle, the ID.4 AWD makes 295 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque total, versus 201 hp and 229 lb-ft in the single-motor RWD model. Range drops to 249 miles, and the 0-60 mph time drops two seconds with two motors, down to about 5.5 seconds and giving the ID.4 the quickness off the line characteristic of rival EVs. The Mach-E and Model Y move quicker, but the ID.4’s wide and low proportions, with a squat greenhouse topped by a fixed glass roof, provide solid handling with a ride damped neither too soft or too firm, unlike its aforementioned rivals.
It’s meant more for comfort, at which it excels. A fixed glass roof oversees an airy cabin with clever storage spaces throughout. It lacks a frunk, which is unusual. Comfy front seats, roomy back seats, plenty of leg and head room, broad sight lines for good outward vision and a huge hatch that expands from 30.3 to 64.4 cubic feet of space with the 60/40-split rear seats folded down.
Standard features on the ID.4 Pro include cloth seats, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, heated mirrors, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, and a 10-inch center touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The home button and climate portion require some getting used to, but the lagginess that plagued earlier iterations has been improved with over-the-air updates. And there’s a 4-year/50,000-mile vehicle warranty
Three years of free Electrify America fast charging help charge the ID.4’s 82-kwh battery pack to 80% in less than 40 minutes. A full charge amounts to an EPA range of up to 260 miles.
The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 earned a high TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10 based on its overall appeal. Will it be enough to appeal to the masses?
Follow along as we crown The Car Connection Best Car To Buy 2022 on Jan. 3, and reveal the best vehicles in 15 categories to help you choose the best cars, trucks, and SUVs. Vote for our annual Driver’s Choice awards and tell us what you think is best in every category. We’ll also announce the winners from our sister sites, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.