Add Yours: VW ID. Buzz Owner's Registry

Goodbye, Mach E! Hello, ID.4!

8765 Views 60 Replies 20 Participants Last post by CiTY HuNTeR, Jan 14, 2022

EyeDeeFore

Discussion Starter · Oct 15, 2021 (Edited)

I had been the owner of a Mach E Premium AWD in Red, and the car was very good. It didn't quite have the build quality of the BMW or Porsche I had previous to it, but it was fast and fun. I decided to sell it because I could make a profit after 6 months and 6,000 miles, and I had just come off an epic road trip around Lake Michigan and knew it was about to sit in a garage for the better part of the next 6 months. Also, the polarizing Mustang name and styling seemed to elicit a reaction from everyone, and I got tired of the attention from the many admirers and many jerks alike. I learned that ICE Mustang owners and F150 drivers are an easily agitated bunch. Plenty of jerks owning Mach E's as well.

So now I'm on to an ID.4 Pro S AWD, which I expect to receive at the end of this month! After a test-drive of the RWD version I quickly learned this is the car for me! The styling is beautiful but a bit less ostentatious than the Mustang -- and I give up nothing in terms of the creature comforts I had been used to, while adding a few additional niceties. This is a car that will be a source of solitude on my mind-numbing tollway commute and a reliable partner on a cross-country adventure.

I cannot wait for this new chapter to begin!

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Spin

· #2 · Oct 15, 2021

Welcome to the group!! My wife and I test drove the Mach E and the ID.4 the same week and decided the VW was better for us. Good luck with the new ride!!

Reactions: 2

7S POWER

· #3 · Oct 15, 2021 (Edited)

Congrats on your new wheels! You made a very good choice.

Reactions: 1

txxthie

· #4 · Oct 15, 2021

Curious

...How did/does the $7500 Fed EV Tax Credit and State rebates factor into your EV purchases? I share your feelings regarding Mach E drivers. Congrats on your AWD ID 4, it is the version to get, RWD has just adequate power.

EyeDeeFore

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 15, 2021

txxthie said:
Curious...How did/does the $7500 Fed EV Tax Credit and State rebates factor into your EV purchases?

I don't have any State rebates, but the Fed EV Tax Credit is important. Doesn't change the car I would buy, but definitely helped convince me to take the plunge initially.

Eric Nay

· #6 · Oct 15, 2021

I hope this works well for you.

I think it supports my current working theory that we have hit the point that many of these cars are now "Good Enough". Mach-E, Ioniq, ID.4, Nissan whatever, most of these cars are now good enough that we can now go back to traditional car talk about small tweaks, owners' personalities, etc.

Reactions: 2

Dana

· #7 · Oct 15, 2021

Those are rather humorous reasons to sell a Mach E. No worries, hardly anyone notices the ID.4 - it just sort of blends in with other SUVs, which is maybe a good thing. Many folks don't realize it's an electric car even! I just got my blue carpool lane decals (SF Bay Area) so that might make a few do a double take. I seldom notice ID4s on the road, but they do congregate at EA stations. I use it mostly for commuting on freeways where the benefits of large, wide outside mirrors really show up. (Disliked the mirrors on Mach E.) 12K miles and I'm likin' it a lot. And no chrome strips or chrome ornamentation on it, not even around the windows! I'm considering taking the trim line badges off the sides though.

Reactions: 1

MurrietaID4

· #8 · Oct 15, 2021

EyeDeeFore said:
I had been the owner of a Mach E Premium AWD in Red, and the car was very good. It didn't quite have the build quality of the BMW or Porsche I had previous to it, but it was fast and fun. I decided to sell it because I could make a profit after 6 months and 6,000 miles, and I had just come off an epic road trip around Lake Michigan and knew it was about to sit in a garage for the better part of the next 6 months. Also, the polarizing Mustang name and styling seemed to elicit a reaction from everyone, and I got tired of the attention from the many admirers and many jerks alike. I learned that ICE Mustang owners and F150 drivers are an easily agitated bunch. Plenty of jerks owning Mach E's as well.

So now I'm on to an ID.4 Pro S AWD, which I expect to receive at the end of this month! After a test-drive of the RWD version I quickly learned this is the car for me! The styling is beautiful but a bit less ostentatious than the Mustang -- and I give up nothing in terms of the creature comforts I had been used to, while adding a few additional niceties. This is a car that will be a source of solitude on my mind-numbing tollway commute and a reliable partner on a cross-country adventure.

I cannot wait for this new chapter to begin!

congrats!

Reactions: 1

Nai3t

· #9 · Oct 15, 2021

Dana said:
...hardly anyone notices the ID.4 - it just sort of blends in with other SUVs...

Lol, I can't believe we live near each other. Totally opposite experience here.

My wife just today was picking up something off of a neighborhood Craigslist and the guy she met up with wouldn't shut up about the ID.4. He mentioned something related to my wife's field that caught her interest and she tried to ask him a question about it, but he redirected right back to the ID.4.

A woman in line behind me early morning at Peet's was fawning over the lights and how cool they looked ("at first I thought it was a Tesla but then...") to the point that the cashier and I got distracted and I accidentally bought two pounds of coffee.

A bunch of firefighters accosted my wife at the EA station at the grocery store not to learn where the emergency battery disconnects are located, but to see the extra hidden trunk space and sunroof in person.

I've had something short of a dozen neighborhood dog walkers stop while I'm out washing the car or doing something in the front yard, with questions as basic as "how is it" all the way to full-blown discussions about range, reliability, and rear wheel drive driving dynamics.

My across the street neighbor apologized to me for geeking out "chasing" (his words) my wife down the street in the local shopping area when he first saw it back in April, not realizing it was her, and he's a big VW nerd.

...and here I am with my lowly little i3 for the past two years and I've had one, maybe two people acknowledge / comment on it out on the street, and nobody walking by. Like it or not (style-wise), that's a car that stands out from the crowd!

I get that the Mach-e gets attention -- it has a very signature look that beckons eyeballs. But the ID.4, as "plain Jane" as it tries to be, has a following and doesn't go unnoticed.

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Reactions: 5

Spin

· #10 · Oct 15, 2021

Nai3t said:
Lol, I can't believe we live near each other. Totally opposite experience here.

My wife just today was picking up something off of a neighborhood Craigslist and the guy she met up with wouldn't shut up about the ID.4. He mentioned something related to my wife's field that caught her interest and she tried to ask him a question about it, but he redirected right back to the ID.4.

A woman in line behind me early morning at Peet's was fawning over the lights and how cool they looked ("at first I thought it was a Tesla but then...") to the point that the cashier and I got distracted and I accidentally bought two pounds of coffee.

A bunch of firefighters accosted my wife at the EA station at the grocery store not to learn where the emergency battery disconnects are located, but to see the extra hidden trunk space and sunroof in person.

I've had something short of a dozen neighborhood dog walkers stop while I'm out washing the car or doing something in the front yard, with questions as basic as "how is it" all the way to full-blown discussions about range, reliability, and rear wheel drive driving dynamics.

My across the street neighbor apologized to me for geeking out "chasing" (his words) my wife down the street in the local shopping area when he first saw it back in April, not realizing it was her, and he's a big VW nerd.

...and here I am with my lowly little i3 for the past two years and I've had one, maybe two people acknowledge / comment on it out on the street, and nobody walking by. Like it or not (style-wise), that's a car that stands out from the crowd!

I get that the Mach-e gets attention -- it has a very signature look that beckons eyeballs. But the ID.4, as "plain Jane" as it tries to be, has a following and doesn't go unnoticed.

How different the left coast is from LI. In the 7 months we have had the car only one guy said "cool car" after we parked at a local mall, that is other than other EV owners we speak to when charging. None of my neighbors even knew it was an EV until I told them.

Reactions: 3

EyeDeeFore

Discussion Starter · #11 · Oct 15, 2021

Dana said:
Those are rather humorous reasons to sell a Mach E.

Not sure I find the experience of other Mustang and F-150 drivers yelling vulgarities at me when driving my children around to be particularly humorous, but maybe we have different tastes in comedy.

Reactions: 1

txxthie

· #12 · Oct 15, 2021

2

Dana said:
Those are rather humorous reasons to sell a Mach E. No worries, hardly anyone notices the ID.4 - it just sort of blends in with other SUVs, which is maybe a good thing. Many folks don't realize it's an electric car even! I just got my blue carpool lane decals (SF Bay Area) so that might make a few do a double take. I seldom notice ID4s on the road, but they do congregate at EA stations. I use it mostly for commuting on freeways where the benefits of large, wide outside mirrors really show up. (Disliked the mirrors on Mach E.) 12K miles and I'm likin' it a lot. And no chrome strips or chrome ornamentation on it, not even around the windows! I'm considering taking the trim line badges off the sides though.

Any badges, etc stuck on I always remove with my vehicles.

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Car Wheel Land vehicle Vehicle Tire

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Dana

· #13 · Oct 16, 2021

Nice job! To me it looks better without the useless badges! Did you take them off yourself or have a window tint or body shop do it? The badge on the drivers side on my Pro is loose at the back edge, so I'm thinking of putting some Goo Gone there for awhile and then trying to pop it off. Hopefully that won't damage the paint? Or do they use a hair dryer or something? Wow, you took the ID.4 badge off the back too. I might leave that one there as the badge is same color as my car - white.

Dana

· #14 · Oct 16, 2021

EyeDeeFore, I stand corrected, I wouldn't want that either. That's absurd that someone could attach so much value to "Mustang" - it's just a name.

Reactions: 1

VW TECHNICIAN

· #15 · Oct 16, 2021

Stay safe and be patient...there are some gremlins with ID4 that are getting fixed with next update.

Reactions: 3

DaveTC

· #16 · Oct 16, 2021

I am still waiting for the AWD Pro and that won't arrive until at least sometime next year. I have considered going the opposite direction and switching to the Mach E. I sat in the Mach E and found the seats comfortable. For looks, I think both cars look fine. Part of what has scared me off from the Mach E is exactly what you said. A YouTube reviewer mentioned that the Mach E was getting a lot of reactions and I would rather just have a car that is a little more anonymous. You have confirmed my fears.

A friend is waiting for his ID.4 to be fixed and that will influence my decision. He is a member on here and I will let him update everyone one on here whenever it does or does not get resolved. If it doesn't, I will probably get an non-EV and have been pricing different options. In the meantime, I am just starting to run conduit out to the detached garage for charging, so I will be ready for any option.

Reactions: 3

txxthie

· #17 · Oct 16, 2021 (Edited)

Dana said:
Nice job! To me it looks better without the useless badges! Did you take them off yourself or have a window tint or body shop do it? The badge on the drivers side on my Pro is loose at the back edge, so I'm thinking of putting some Goo Gone there for awhile and then trying to pop it off. Hopefully that won't damage the paint? Or do they use a hair dryer or something? Wow, you took the ID.4 badge off the back too. I might leave that one there as the badge is same color as my car - white.

Thanks, I understand its a matter of taste and not for everyone. I have always liked a clean and minimalist look. Ironically, people don't notice the badges missing because they assume they they are there, they just say car looks very good

It makes for interesting conversations when they find out what's missing. I took off the badges myself with a magic eraser I bought from Amazon. IMHO it is the best and easiest way to remove the adhesive behind the badges without getting any scratches. Just watch some videos on Youtube for the technique, wash the car giving special attention to the badges, park the car in sun, use a hairdryer and floss to get the badge off, then let the eraser wheel do its "Magic" on the adhesive, remove any residual with goo gone, and then wash and wax. This was the first time I used a Magic Wheel Eraser due to the amount of adhesive left with the side badges. Boy I am glad I did, it was soo easy using the wheel and I will use it always going forward. It was a little unnerving at first, but I used a super slow speed, and took my time.
I was going back in forth between this cheaper wheel and the more expensive 3M wheel. This $12.99 wheel worked perfectly and I was very pleased with its performance.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018WG2XYE/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QYFQTP74B0JRSTRHT0Q8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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txxthie

· #18 · Oct 16, 2021 (Edited)

DaveTC said:
I am still waiting for the AWD Pro and that won't arrive until at least sometime next year. I have considered going the opposite direction and switching to the Mach E. I sat in the Mach E and found the seats comfortable. For looks, I think both cars look fine. Part of what has scared me off from the Mach E is exactly what you said. A YouTube reviewer mentioned that the Mach E was getting a lot of reactions and I would rather just have a car that is a little more anonymous. You have confirmed my fears.

A friend is waiting for his ID.4 to be fixed and that will influence my decision. He is a member on here and I will let him update everyone one on here whenever it does or does not get resolved. If it doesn't, I will probably get an non-EV and have been pricing different options. In the meantime, I am just starting to run conduit out to the detached garage for charging, so I will be ready for any option.

Keep running that conduit 😉, BEVs are the future. I personally will not buy any vehicle if it is not a BEV. EV’s can have issues, but they are generally free of maintenance and much more reliable than ICE. My ID 4 has 6K miles on it with no major issues. I just smile every time I plug it in, especially at free EA chargers. Gas where I am is $3.50 gal for regular. If you want the easiest transition to EV buy a Tesla. If you don’t mind working thru some challenges due to charging, software, etc. buy the ID 4 or Mach E. Ford took a big risk with the Mustang branding, but I think they pulled it off. What a great looking car especially from behind.😎 If the value was near ID 4 levels, I would have purchased it due to the performance, looks, frunk, etc.

Disruption is happening, be on the right side of change.

Great Book on Disruption
Amazon.com: The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change): 9781633691780: Christensen, Clayton M.: Books

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Reactions: 3

EyeDeeFore

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 16, 2021

Dana said:
EyeDeeFore, I stand corrected, I wouldn't want that either. That's absurd that someone could attach so much value to "Mustang" - it's just a name.

It was absurd. I have had “head-turning” cars before, which were no big deal, but the Mach E was so polarizing. Mostly good, for sure, but enough bad that it became a nuisance. On top of the other items, it helped tip the scales.

Another way to look at it: I doubt many people on this forum would disagree that a brand new, loaded ID.4 AWD Pro S + $13k is a compelling alternative to an Mach E AWD Premium Extended Range with 6,000 miles.

Now onto other topics! Like why do all these cars seem to have sentence-length names now?

Reactions: 2

EyeDeeFore

Discussion Starter · #20 · Oct 16, 2021

DaveTC said:
I am still waiting for the AWD Pro and that won't arrive until at least sometime next year. I have considered going the opposite direction and switching to the Mach E. I sat in the Mach E and found the seats comfortable. For looks, I think both cars look fine. Part of what has scared me off from the Mach E is exactly what you said. A YouTube reviewer mentioned that the Mach E was getting a lot of reactions and I would rather just have a car that is a little more anonymous. You have confirmed my fears.

A friend is waiting for his ID.4 to be fixed and that will influence my decision. He is a member on here and I will let him update everyone one on here whenever it does or does not get resolved. If it doesn't, I will probably get an non-EV and have been pricing different options. In the meantime, I am just starting to run conduit out to the detached garage for charging, so I will be ready for any option.

I should note that I live in the Chicago suburbs, and in 6 months and 6,000 miles I saw only two other Mach E’s. As the deliveries pick up, and the midwest catches up to the coasts with electric vehicles, it’ll be no big deal again.

Roll back a few years and consider the thought that Teslas would be everywhere and a Mustang of all things would be getting the attention — you’d think it insane.

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