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ID.4 First Impressions

8K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  GMat 
#1 ·
Hey everyone! We took our new ID.4 out for a covid-compliant grand tour of the local area today, totaling 144 miles (mostly motorway, but a decent amount of city, village, and country lane too). My main takeaway is: this is an incredibly comfortable family car with a lot of nice tech and a lot of space, which is absolutely ideal for family trips either to the local shops and/or the Yorkshire Dales.


Driving comfort:

- The ID.4 is a big car, but it doesn't feel big. There were times I noticed its width (narrow city streets), but it maneuvers so easily thanks to its turning radius and parking camera/sensors.
- It drives very smoothly - easily the most comfortable car I've ever driven. I am a bigger guy, and I tend to start shifting around in the seat after an hour or two. But we spent a good 4 hours in the ID.4 today, and I was 100% comfortable the entire time.


Driver assist:

- I've never had anything like adaptive cruise control before, but I must say I was incredibly impressed. The follow-distance was great, the responsiveness was great, lane assist made me feel like the car was driving itself at times.
- Sign recognition was spot on - we drove through quite a bit of motorway construction today, and the ID.4 had no issues spotting speed limit changes. I will say that the speed changes due to construction signs can be rather abrupt – both decelerating and accelerating – but they happened every time.
- The cruise control adjusts to upcoming speed limit changes very smoothly, and even took me through roundabouts at a perfect speed without me needing to touch the pedals at all. I was honestly flabbergasted at how easy the car made driving.


Efficiency:
- We averaged exactly 3.0 miles/kWh on this trip. While that would be quite low for our Zoe, I am honestly impressed. It was a chilly day (9-10 degrees), most of the driving was motorway (cruise control at 70 mph), aircon was on for me and my wife had the seat heater on the whole time. For how heavy this car is (over 2.5 tonnes!), 3 mpkWh is frankly amazing on the motorway.
- The “B” mode takes some getting used to, but gives a very pleasing amount of regen. I do wish there was a way to leave it in B mode all the time, though it remains to be seen if my wife prefers D or B.


Charging:
- Not much to say on this yet – we charged it up to 100% off our 3-pin before today’s trip, which was very easy. It is nice having the option to reduce incoming AC current (on a 3-pin it drops the current from 10a to 8a in case you need to charge off a dodgy plug or an extension lead), but with that off we were steadily pulling 2.4-2.5 kW. Not sure when we’ll get the chance to try rapid charging, but we’re looking forward to 125 kW goodness!
- We haven’t found an option to schedule charging yet – that might be in the app which we haven’t been able to connect. You can tell the car to only charge to a certain percentage though, which is helpful.


What needs improvement:

- I had a devil of a time connecting my phone via android auto. It worked about half the time, and it is possible one of the other FOUR usb-c ports would be better for this, but it was a source of frustration today.
- You would think four usb-c ports would be enough, but without the standard 12v power socket I'm used to in a car (the ID.4 has one...in the boot....) those four usb-c ports get taken up quickly (dashcam, alexa auto, driver phone, and charging a kid's tablet).
- We are having issues connecting our car to the WeConnect app (though this will hopefully be solved with an over-the-air update)
- Personal preference, but I wish all-leather seats was an option. We have kids, and kids are gross, so we are pretty terrified of what they are going to do to the velour...
- This has been touched on by multiple reviews, but the glossy plastic bits really do show fingerprints quite quickly. You can tell VW knows this, as they give a large microfiber wiping cloth with the car, but for someone who hates seeing fingerprints on surfaces, it is noticeable.


Conclusion:
- We were a little worried when we bought the ID.4. Losing the plug-in grant almost killed the idea for us, and not being able to test-drive it beforehand was nerve-wracking. But we could not be happier with our purchase. Minor issues aside, we only wish it had been available sooner! We fully expect to see thousands of these on the roads soon.
 
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#5 ·
3 miles/kWh at proper motorway speeds in chilly weather is very good for a car of that size. Sounds like a real contender.
 
#6 ·
Agreed, I was surprised to get 3 mpkWh when doing "real" motorway driving (aircon/heat on, 70 mph cruise control). I used to keep my Zoe between 60-65 just because the efficiency crashed so hard after 65, but the added range of the ID.4 really makes that feel unneccesary (plus the rapid charging makes pits stops a non-issue too!)
 
#9 ·
The useable battery is 77 kWh, yes. 82 kWh actual capacity, which gives a healthy buffer of 5 kWh. We only have the one trip to go off of, but we were on track to hit 238 miles full-empty. It was a chilly day though, and the majority of our driving was on the motorway at 70 mph (with seat heaters on). I have no doubt it'll reach 300 miles easily in summer. :)
 
#8 ·
Nice colour. I’m not a fan of VAG due to bad past experiences on their ICE’s, but open to changing my mind, so keep us posted in the years ahead.

The posted efficiency is good for the weight, but to make it a good car it needs to prove to be reliable because no amount of efficiency can recoup expensive repair bills.
 
#10 ·
I'm so torn on the ID.4. I went and sat in a Kona Ultimate last weekend and it was far smaller than I was expecting. The ID is much bigger, but the things the first edition is missing compared to the US version (Pano roof, wireless charging, automatic seat adjustment, lumbar, his) really tick me off. If I wait to the non-first editions to be available, they're going to be considerably more expensive, pushing it into unaffordable monthly territory for me.
My Toyota Auris Hybrid ( :sick: ) goes back on July 1st so I'm stuck in a spot for time.
 
#11 ·
I do wish there was a way to leave it in B mode all the time, though it remains to be seen if my wife prefers D or B.
Surely it's just a case of flicking the mode select twice when you get in?

That said, coming from a Leaf I only ever use B mode to help regulate my speed when going down steep hills. I used the e-pedal mode a handful of times before noticing that the brake lights would come on with even the slightest lift, but it was mostly a gimmick. My wife hates any extra regen as she feels like the car is "doing an emergency stop" whenever she lifts.

Good writeup though. Looking forward to getting mine on Wednesday!
 
#13 ·
....
- We haven’t found an option to schedule charging yet – that might be in the app which we haven’t been able to connect....
...
You will need to add a charging location via the in car infotainment system under the "Vehicle" menu, and then you can schedule charging that is specific to that location. It is the map pin marker icon (second option) just below the main charging menu. Multiple locations can be added and the vehicle use gps positioning to know which location it is at, thus applying the correct charging schedule rules.
 
#14 ·
Asking for a friend, honest .....

Now a few are around, practicality as a family car, 3 kids (one quite tall) coming from a Volvo XC60 ? I'd read the turning circle is the same as the ID.3, is that noticeable (presume many people are coming from a similar size car) ? Rear space ?

I think he should look at the Skoda but his wife isn't keen on the badge
 
#15 ·
Asking for a friend, honest .....

Now a few are around, practicality as a family car, 3 kids (one quite tall) coming from a Volvo XC60 ? I'd read the turning circle is the same as the ID.3, is that noticeable (presume many people are coming from a similar size car) ? Rear space ?

I think he should look at the Skoda but his wife isn't keen on the badge
To Help your friend ...

I've had my ID.4 for 2 weeks, but seriously considered the Enyaq, coming from a Golf Estate Mk7. To answer the specific questions from your friend ;-) ... As you probably know the Enyaq and ID.4 are built on the same MEB Battery platform and are effectively the same size as one another, both have huge boot space (comparable to the Golf Estate - The ID.4 is 2" shorter boot than the Golf (I re-used the load-liner so know this aspect, exactly the same width), but about 6" higher/taller inside). The ID.4 is very generous in space for back seat passengers (far more leg room than the Golf had) and accommodates three 3 average width/slim adults. Turning circle for the ID.4 is good (apparently 12m!).

With the revision to the PICG £35k threshold, if I was buying now - I would probably go the Enyaq (it was a pretty close decision). But if second hand value matter to you - the ID.4 may be a preferred buy, just because of the perceived better brand value of the VW over Skoda.
 
#19 ·
Same boat as Tigga and Spock. Spent a lot of time looking at the Enyaq as we had an Octavia before the Leaf and my wife loved that car. But while the spec and pricing was on the website there was no word of when it'd actually launch, and by the time I'd specced the features I wanted it ended up more expensive than the ID4.

The Enyaq has a lot going for it though. The boot is slightly bigger, some will undoubtedly prefer the styling (I like the aggressive look but not the silly fake grille), it's got a more "standard" layout of controls, and there's something to be said for real, physical buttons!

Other than physical differences though, it's likely to be largely identical to the ID4 in terms of performance and handling etc due to being built on the same platform with the same motor and battery tech.

All a long winded way of saying yes, it's very roomy with ample boot space, and the Enyaq will be no different. I wouldn't want to use the centre seat for more than the occasional extra passenger though.
 
#20 ·
Im curious about the enyaq infotainment system... i cant see it being different to the core of the ID firmware; only a few differences in the UI but functionally identical; it would be insane for the company to invest in developing from the ground up when they are sister company.

So it really will be a little about styling and about price. Im actually thinking about the peugeot 107, citroen c1, toyota aygo which were the same car but different styling as an example.
 
#21 ·
FIRST DAYTRIP UPDATE:

Today we took Siggy (ID.4 = "Id" = Sigmund Freud = "Siggy" naturally...) on our first reasonable daytrip, now that such things are allowed. As before with ym Zoe range tests, the trip was to Telford and back (almost exactly 200 miles round-trip). Some thoughts:

  • This car is incredibly comfortable for motorway driving
  • The Adaptive Cruise Control makes driving so easy....most of the time...
    • When we were traveling in the left lane, occasionally the car would "read" a 60 mph sign on a slip road next to us, and we would drop speed for a second before the car corrected itself back to 70. This was annoying.
    • Once the car "read" a phantom 40 mph sign (which definitely wasn't there) and tried to immediately slow us, while in 70 mph motorway traffic... This was very annoying. I quickly corrected the speed, but the ACC thought the speed limit was 40 for a good 10-12 miles...
  • Lane assist was iffy - I don't tend to drift across lanes anyway, but I tested it a few times and it didn't steer for me every time. There was also a point where lane assist was getting very angry at me for being too close to the line for an extended period, when I was in the exact middle of a wide motorway lane... I am hoping the lane assist/ACC issues will be solved with a future software update?
  • Real-world efficiency took a hit this trip... We averaged 2.7 mpkWh for the first 3/4ths of the trip, so while we should have been fine (total distance was 202 miles), it would have been pretty close... Much closer than I expected, to be honest. 2.7 mpkWh * 77 kWh battery = ~208 miles. I know it is shilly, but it isn't thatcold (6-7 C most of the time today), and there was almost no wind. Didn't even use the seat heaters this trip. The drive was pretty much entirely motorway, and we had the cruise control at 70 for the majority of the trip.
    • We decided to stop at Corley services on the way back (8 instavolt chargers!) and plug in while we ran in to grab some lunch. We stayed there for about half an hour total, during which time the battery went from 29% to 76% - not bad at all! In fact, for the first time since buying our first EV, I think we charged too quickly - I was wanting to only get to 60% or so and do the rest at home... 😂
    • For the rest of the way (~55 miles) as a test I put the car on Eco and the cruise control at 65. We averaged 3.0-3.1 mpkWh under those conditions, so it definitely makes a difference.
Conclusion: still absolutely loving the car, though there are some annoyances regarding ACC/lane assist, and the "motorway" efficiency is a bit lower than we expected.

Bonus pic of the lovely Corley Services Instavolt station:
142929


(By the way, I was once again dazzled by the ease of charging on Instavolt - we pulled in, and were charging before the kids even got themselves out of the car. When it was time to leave, the car was unplugged and ready to go even before the kids were buckled!)
 
#22 ·
[*]Real-world efficiency took a hit this trip... We averaged 2.7 mpkWh for the first 3/4ths of the trip, so while we should have been fine (total distance was 202 miles), it would have been pretty close... Much closer than I expected, to be honest. 2.7 mpkWh * 77 kWh battery = ~208 miles.
I'm not surprised by any of your comments, coming from driving an ID3.
I have a 90 mile regular work trip that is all dual carriageway and if I have the acc set at 72-75 then I only just manage to average 3mi/kWh. When it was cold it was 2.5 or under. I'm getting 3-3.2 when it's warmer and higher if I drive slower, unsurprisingly!

I find the speed limit recognition is good but not perfect and I don't like the car jumping on the 'brakes' when the speed limit changes so have left the auto speed adjustment switched off. It's more accurate than Google maps most of the time but can still pick up wrong signs etc. and I'd rather be in control myself.

Lane assist is only there to warn you when getting near the white lines. I often turn that off too as I don't like the beeps and pop ups when I'm not driving exactly as it thinks I should.

Great car to drive though and the ID4 looks better, especially from the front, but I don't need the space as its mostly just me in the car.
 
#23 ·
@Ambassador Spock
First of all Congratulations on your purchase. [emoji106] Nice car. Although I have not seen one in a flash yet but watched countless videos on YouTube, including Bjorn's and I really like the car.

I have a question(s) for you:
Have you opted for the heatpump?
If yes, was it worth the extra £1250?
If not, why not and do you think you should have done it?

Please let me know

Thank you in advance


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
@Ambassador Spock
First of all Congratulations on your purchase. [emoji106] Nice car. Although I have not seen one in a flash yet but watched countless videos on YouTube, including Bjorn's and I really like the car.

I have a question(s) for you:
Have you opted for the heatpump?
If yes, was it worth the extra £1250?
If not, why not and do you think you should have done it?

Please let me know

Thank you in advance


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We did not go for the heatpump, mostly because none of the ID.4s in the UK right now actually have the heatpump... However, I don't think we would have gone for it even if it was an option, because I don't think it would actually save £1,250 worth of electricity over the 4 years we plan to have the car. The "basic" heating has had 0 issues keeping us warm, so I don't miss it. :)
 
#24 ·
Interesting write up, thanks. I'm super curious about taking ours in its first road trip to my parents' which is pretty much bang on 200 miles from us, albeit with a couple of very steep hills both up and down. We had the Leaf journey down tap, staying between 50-60 all the way to eke out 135 miles before charging.

Our ID right now has 65% charge and it's convinced that means 202 miles of range. I don't buy that for a second! Still, if we can go that full 200 miles to my parents on a single max charge I'll be happy, and the closer we can get to 70 on the motorway while doing it the better.
 
#28 ·
I took the family out yesterday for a 200 mile trip to Richmond North Yorkshire from North Derbyshire as I wanted to try the range with 4 seats occupied as well as the dog on board. Started at 100 % charge which indicated 289 miles available, the roads covered where mainly motorway and dual carriageway. Cruise control was set at 65 -70 over the entire journey I managed to get 3.2 kWh and arrived home with 15% charge left in the battery (45 miles). Heating was in use on the North bound journey and then when the sun came out air con on the way home.
I will be interested to see what kWh I get when we go away in a weeks time ( When next lockdown measures are released) I have a 200 mile trip to Northumberland to do and I will likely be using my roof box.
I have found the ID.4 to be a very relaxing car to drive and so far so good with no software issues ( shouldn't speak too soon)
 
#29 ·
I am hoping to have a test drive of an ID4 next week. Currently have a Kona and am disappointed by the poor efficiency figures mentioned above. I get 4.5mpkWh without trying and easily get 300 mile range when it is not winter. With the larger battery in the ID 4 I was expecting to at least achieve 300 mile range.
 
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