Funny that you mention the i3, because my husband and I both drove the ID.4 during the local Roadshow stop, and we both commented that the ID.4 felt like a bigger version of our i3. That's a good thing. The stereo certainly didn't blow me away, but we thought it was acceptable. I don't think the Beats stereo in our Jetta sounds any better (though it has a ton of bass if you want it), to be honest. The h/k in our MINI definitely sounds better, and the base "hi-fi" stereo in our BMW (not the i3) is probably on par or just a bit better. I won't lie, I'm bummed about the lack of a premium stereo option, particularly on the rather expensive Pro S trim (especially with the AWD, as we've ordered). But from what I heard during the Roadshow it's not a dealbreaker for us.
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Add Yours: VW ID. Buzz Owner's Registry
Finally test drove the ID.4, loved it overall but...
Let's start with the things I did like, and most of the comparisons I'm making are in relation to my current VW, a 2018 Mk7.5 GTI w/DCC and the DSG which I already love and having a hard time parting with 🤪.
I'm not in a particular hurry to trade in my GTI yet anyways, as I've mentioned earlier I do love my little hot hatch. It's paid off, still has that long warranty VW offered back in 2018, and hasn't caused me any major problems. Another caveat is, I'm not entirely sold on the whole SUV craze, and if by some miracle VWoA decides to announce the ID.3 coming to the US I'd probably buy that instead the ID.4.
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- I lovedthe instant EV torque. Even though on paper the ID.4 is slower than my GTI, it didn't feel like it to me.
- The torque delivery is not as whiplash inducing as like what I've experienced in a LR Model 3, but also smoother than the peaky 2.0 I4 Turbo in my current car.
- Highway passing from 55-75 wasn't difficult at all either. The ID.4 actually kind of reminds me of the fun nature of the BMW i3, but more mature and better composed on the road.
- The RWD handling characteristics was also proper fun. It was nice to power out of a corner and not feel like the car is going to under-steer. The steering itself was also pretty direct, but a little "softer" than I'd like even in it's sport mode. However, no where near as dull as the Tiguan loaner I've had before.
- The ID.4 also doesn't have that floaty body roll laden ride I was expecting a SUV to have. However, while I'd still give the lead in handling to the GTI, the ID.4 did leave me impressed and it tackled corners competently.
- The actual drive is so quiet. I've gotten used to all the road noise I hear in my GTI, and driving the ID.4 today was so serene. I do enjoy road trips in my GTI, but man the ID.4s cabin feels like it would be an excellent highway cruiser to just eat up the miles in...quietly with 0 emissions!
- Build quality was excellent as well, as I would've expected from Volkswagen. Not a single rattle, creak, or squeak during my entire test drive...and Houston doesn't have the most forgiving roads either. I didn't see a single door, headlight, taillight, or panel that was misaligned either, unlike some of the competitors. The actual doors themselves also had a much more solid "thunk" to them than the ones in my GTI do.
- Figuring out the one pedal driving wasn't too hard either, drove most of the test drive in B mode and I quickly figured out how to feather the accelerator to not have jerky deccelerations.
- I also do love that VW is offering 3 years free of Electrify America DCFC! To me, that is like buying a new GTI/R today and being told we're giving you free & unlimited 93 octane gas. That is a huge incentive!
- I loved the Blue Color too, and I wish VW had more variety and fun colors to the ID.4's color palate. Hell, even Cornflower Blue may look great on the ID.4 too!
- The sound system.
- I'd say with the songs I tried, the base system in the ID.4 is just marginally better than the base stereo in the Mk7-7.5 Golfs. The ID.4's is probably good enough for most people, but for me having a good sound system is a hard stop requirement.
- The songs I tried included songs from Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cage the Elephant, Silverstein, and some live albums that I know sound amazing on the Fender system that left me disappointed in the ID.4 system.
- The ID.4's system while clear sounding, it doesn't separate out the instruments as well as the Fender system does, nor does the ID.4's system have that deep punch from the drums and bass guitar notes the Fender system reproduces so well.
- Ultimately, while I loved the ID.4 overall, a good sound system is one of the things I can not live without in a car as one of the reasons I ended up picking the GTI over it's competitors was because of how much more I liked the Fender system over the harman/kardon and Sony from the WRX and FoST, respectively. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but I even prefer the Fender system in the GTI to the Bose system in my friend's Porsche.
- Also, no, I don't want to do anything aftermarket with the sound system.
I'm not in a particular hurry to trade in my GTI yet anyways, as I've mentioned earlier I do love my little hot hatch. It's paid off, still has that long warranty VW offered back in 2018, and hasn't caused me any major problems. Another caveat is, I'm not entirely sold on the whole SUV craze, and if by some miracle VWoA decides to announce the ID.3 coming to the US I'd probably buy that instead the ID.4.
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Definitely would love to give that one a go! Although, I wish I was bathing in Audi level of money for a new car budget
.It is supposed to start below $45k but I’m sure the Sonos won’t be on that base level.Definitely would love to give that one a go! Although, I wish I was bathing in Audi level of money for a new car budget
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