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Which of your previous cars led you to an ID3?

2K views 18 replies 18 participants last post by  Gigi495 
#1 ·
Ok it’s basically an excuse for you to talk about your old cars!
But looking back has there been any logic in your car ownership that has led you to a VW ID3?

For me:
My first car was actually a varimatic Daf 33- basically a rubber band on a cone automatic, air cooled. Not a bad start.
After 3 Audi 80’s, my (tiny) wife managed to go through 3 clutches in a Saab 900 we had for 7 years.
So we then went the automatic route. A Golf 1.4 Tsi and an Astra 1.4T.
Before looking at hybrids and concluding why bother let’s go fully electric.
VW were a solid brand and the ID3 a compact car that gives me the range I want.
 
#2 ·
Ok it’s basically an excuse for you to talk about your old cars!
But looking back has there been any logic in your car ownership that has led you to a VW ID3?

For me:
My first car was actually a varimatic Daf 33- basically a rubber band on a cone automatic, air cooled. Not a bad start.
After 3 Audi 80’s, my (tiny) wife managed to go through 3 clutches in a Saab 900 we had for 7 years.
So we then went the automatic route. A Golf 1.4 Tsi and an Astra 1.4T.
Before looking at hybrids and concluding why bother let’s go fully electric.
VW were a solid brand and the ID3 a compact car that gives me the range I want.
I don’t think there was any logic for me, I was happy in my e-Golf (which followed a GTE and an i3), but the finance contribution, dealer discount and PICG made buying an ID.3 a ‘no-brainer’ really.

I wanted a longer range EV, the finance aspects made it an opportunity not to miss.

I’m pleased it’s a VW though.
 
#3 ·
We went from a Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic plus Polo to the iD3. After we purchased the iD3 I tracked our car use over 3 months. iD3 (3,500 KM), spent about €35 on "fuel"), Velar - drove 220kk, due to heavy snow and spent about €27 on fuel).

Result - Velar is up for sale, polo is sold and we'll rent for any massively long journeys (typically would be Barcelona to Bristol as daughters are at Uni there)

Why did we move? We are early adopters and we (I) like cool gadgets - the EV side of things fascinates me as an engineer and my wife loves VWs generally. We'd never buy another non-EV vehicle.
 
#4 ·
Ok it’s basically an excuse for you to talk about your old cars!
But looking back has there been any logic in your car ownership that has led you to a VW ID3?

For me:
My first car was actually a varimatic Daf 33- basically a rubber band on a cone automatic, air cooled. Not a bad start.
After 3 Audi 80’s, my (tiny) wife managed to go through 3 clutches in a Saab 900 we had for 7 years.
So we then went the automatic route. A Golf 1.4 Tsi and an Astra 1.4T.
Before looking at hybrids and concluding why bother let’s go fully electric.
VW were a solid brand and the ID3 a compact car that gives me the range I want.
Previous cars included Landrover, BMW, Volvo -my last car was a Mini Countryman Hybrid, not a big electric range, but it covered over 90% of my driving - it was a great car.

I always planned on full EV for my next car, but was thinking 2 years time.

The ID3 came about by accident when looking at a Polo for my 82 year old father. I was surprised at the price of a pre registered First Edition (18 miles on clock) and explored / researched etc. After further haggling, picked it up for £29,300, I couldn’t really say no
 
#5 ·
I've had numerous VAG cars over the years: Golf GTI (x2), Audi A4, Audi TT, VW Passat, Seat Leon Cupra

My most recent car before the ID.3 was a Mercedes C350 CDi, I decided about 18 months ago that my next car would be a BEV, I didn't want an SUV (which ruled out things like the Kona and eNiro) so the ID.3 caught my attention and I followed the development as it got closer to release.

I was also considering a Tesla M3, but drove an ID.3 and had placed my order within 24 hours of that.
 
#6 ·
I'd had an e-Golf for two years. It had enough range for my visits to the office. It was a hatchback with helps with my band gear or bicycles etc. The ID.3 was an evolution from that with my personal requirements: more range, still needs to be a hatchback, better efficiency, and had the transport hitch. The fact it is a solely designed to be a BEV was also a key factor. The amount of unused space under the bonnet of the e-Golf was huge. Yes I have the transport hitch, enjoy the greater range, more internal space without any significant difference in dimensions from the e-Golf. The additional pluses are: heated seats, steering wheel, wireless CarPlay, faster DC Rapid charging, reversing camera, active matrix headlights. There are some minuses from the e-Golf though: the We Connect ID app has less functionality than the CarNet app the e-Golf had, no handy place to store my sunglasses.
 
#7 ·
My first car was a red Escort Mark VI the spoiler had gone a shade of pink and the less said about its reliability the better, had fun overtaking a granny once on the A1079 when the car just suddenly idled, it wouldn't respond to me furiously mashing the throttle so I had to test the brakes before I got wiped out by an artic!

Next came a green Laguna as I wanted a more reliable car 🤦‍♂️

After I learned the never buy french lesson I went Japanese with a dirty diesel Yaris which worked flawlessly until I let some crud go through the injectors whilst playing the how low can it go game with the fuel gauge. That car is still going strong though last time I checked it had done 160k!

Once I left work in York we traded in my Yaris and my wifes Civic (also still going) to get a Mark 2 Focus Estate we had that for a long time and it only ever broke down once which was pretty impressive.

Last car was a Skoda Rapid, great car but just a stop gap until we could find an EV that would work for us, I had looked at the Leaf but the missus said no.

Put down a deposit for a ZS and then the MG5 but finally ended up with the ID3 after the famous MG5 "roof rails" debacle and the fantastic offers from VW at the end of last year, if it wasn't for that I'd probably be waiting for the smaller battery ID3 to come out.
 
#8 ·
My most recent run of cars have all been new VAG cars. 2005 Fabia vRS diesel, 2011 Octavia vRS diesel (sales carefully timed to avoid any maintenance costs other than tyres & brakes), 2019 e-Golf & now the ID.3. I've not had a single issue with any car since 2005 so seemed a logical choice to stick with VW and the ID.3 discounts came around at the right time. Had some software issues with the ID.3 initially, but hoping they are behind me now...
 
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#9 ·
My first car was a 1973 Beetle a little later I had a 1979 Mk1 Golf so the ID.3 sort of completes the set for me. The 3 Generations of the peoples car.
 
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#10 ·
Putting my budding eco credentials aside ... My favourite 3 cars were actually:
daf33 - air cooled so had to stop every 50 miles as it overheated. And the weedy wipers actually caught each other and flailed in the middle. Tbh people used to laugh in the street when they saw it coming.
Renault 4 - with 3 gear ‘plunger’ gear change, where you pulled it back a foot for reverse. Bought it in the dark and asked the guy if it was blue.
Fiat 220 - known as the ‘fumemobile’ for obvious reasons. Had to drive it with 2 pairs of trousers and the windows down mid winter.
Fond memories!
 
#12 ·
Quite simple for me really:

Had a couple of Golf 7.5s as hire cars, really liked them. Had the money to buy one and tried the Golf 8, liked it and almost placed an order. I knew about the ID3 and thought 'maybe I'll go electric next time'. Then a friend sent me a video about it, that started me down a rabbit hole researching EVs. Ended up collecting my ID3 Tour today. Great first impressions!
 
#13 ·
Had a number of Golfs and Golf Plus since MK4.

I Got a MK7 GTE a few years ago for the wife and and loved it especially in electric mode so much so that I got rid of my BMW 435d and got an e-golf.

Had the e-golf for 2 years and loved it but needed a longer range on occasion and nothing available on the market on fulll electric that I really liked without paying stupid money.

I was tempted to head towards an I-pace for period but the id3 came in at the right time.
Was tempted to go for a 1st but was disappointed with the UK spec so held on for a the series models.
Then is was a choice TECH/MAX /TOUR - The MAX won through in the end.- No regrets!
 
#15 · (Edited)
I've always been a bit of a VAG fan. My first car was a 1965 Beetle. I did drive some other brand cars, as company cars, but my own cars included a split screen camper, another beetle, a Mk1 Golf, a Mk2 Golf and then four Passats.

My first Passat, a brand new Diesel Estate, was my idea of the perfect car at the time. A financial reversal forced me to sell it after a year. My second Passat was a saloon, and petrol, so I swapped it as soon as I could for another Diesel Estate, bought five years old and kept ten years. Sold it reluctantly with 225k on the clock. My fourth was the only Passat I wasn't happy with. It was a money pit, it ate CV joints and tyres. The last couple of years I had it, it was expensive to get it through its MOT so when its next MOT test was approaching I explored other options. Approaching retirement, I decided I no longer need an Estate, but I still wanted a spacious cabin and plenty of luggage space.

I had been interested in EVs for about three years, following developments and particularly the ID3 since it was announced about two years before it was eventually released. I wouldn't normally afford a brand new car but the amazing deal I was offered in November last year made it a no-brainer. I'm very pleased with my ID.3 and would never go back to an ICE car now.
 
#16 ·
I never expected to buy a vw, I thought I was going to end up with a Zoe or an e208. Wasn’t until I saw the cheap lease deals popping up at the start of the year that I even entertained it, just assumed it would cost to much. But it’s bigger and quicker and it goes farther, seemed a no brainer.
My last car was a Clio 200, if I’m honest I miss that car a lot as the handling and feedback were super sharp. I don’t regret the id3 95% of the time as I’m more comfortable and rolling guilt free 😆 (or at least guilt reduced) in a perfect world I would have been able to have both but I had a big bill on the Clio last year, that bill plus tax and petrol is enough to lease an id3!
143311
 
#17 ·
I’ll be honest and say I would probably never have considered an EV without the massive tax incentives from the government. I bought it outright through my company. That saved me almost £6000 in corporation tax right away. 0% benefit in kind tax initially, 1% currently (£7 per month!). Zero VED and less than 2p per mile when Octopus finally get me on the Go tariff was the icing on the cake.

I didn’t know about all of these offers from last year, but I think I must have benefitted from them. My car is a Family with metallic paint, a pre-reg from last December, and was trailered to me with 7 miles on the clock and (luxury) mats fitted for £30,300.
 
#18 ·
DPF regens and a good rate of discount available were what pushed me.

I bought a 10 month old A4 190ps TDI Quattro Avant last June to give the kids a bit more legroom in the Polo GTI+ when I'm driving (I have the seat lesd than 2 inches from the end of the rails) and give our Labrador a huge boot.

I work from home 4 days a week and even sometimes 9 days a fortnight (not a Covid arrangement), and it's a 62 mile round trip. The car was getting about 90 miles a week put on it, and the mpg was averaging under 40 and spending almost 1/3 of the time under active regen.

My wife wouldn't drive the A4, decided it was too big, so I was looking to be in something the size of a Golf and the ID3 offers seemed to be getting better with actual dealership discounts.

In my mind, I'm getting an electric Golf GTD equivalent with an up interior, for Golf GTD money and I'm happy enough with that.
 
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