[Gus]

I live in the Northeast tri state (NY/CT/NJ) region. I have a 1st reservation. How do you all think this will do in the snow? I have been researching, and so far feel that while not as competent as AWD, should be adequate. Considering rear motor over rear wheel drive axel, and low center of gravity, with battery centered under car.
Appreciate your comments.

 

[NBCGLX]

I live in Pennsylvania and have had several RWD cars and not had an issue except in the deepest snow or icy conditions. In my experience I’ve found that the proper winter tires matter more than AWD. That being said, I pre-ordered the AWD Pro S because I wanted the AWD and the extra power.

 

[SFiercex4]

I considered this as well when I made my decision on the FE. I don't think it will ultimately matter. For what it's worth, the few reviews I have seen so far tested in wetter or mild snow conditions did not reveal an uneven drive.

 

[ixlr08]

Good snow tires and proper driving techniques and you should be all set. AWD would be better, but not necessary with today's snow tires and the way towns keep the roads up. If you were routinely slogging thru 6"+ of snow, that might be a different story.

 

[M.B]

My other car is a Subaru, so I will use that in the snow. Michelin has a tire called CrossClimate2 which is an amazing all-weather tire that has snow certification.

 

[MCheiron]

I considered the same. But for me it was the front wind shield heating that is added to the AWD version that makes a difference. Since we scrape many days in the winter that might be an added bonus (also we have an icy incline from parking to street and I hope AWD helps).

 

[Perfesser]

Having driven in Chicago snow for years, I agree with those who say that winter tires are more important than AWD. But now I live in Oregon.

Q: How can you tell it's springtime in Oregon? A: The rain feels warmer.

And that, folks, is my problem. Cold winter rain fogs the windshield of any driver who breathes. I'd love to have a heated windshield (which I assume will draw less current than the defroster), but I don't need the AWD. It doesn't snow on the coast and I don't want to spend AWD money just for a heated windshield.

 

[NBCGLX]

Having driven in Chicago snow for years, I agree with those who say that winter tires are more important than AWD. But now I live in Oregon.

Q: How can you tell it's springtime in Oregon? A: The rain feels warmer.

And that, folks, is my problem. Cold winter rain fogs the windshield of any driver who breathes. I'd love to have a heated windshield (which I assume will draw less current than the defroster), but I don't need the AWD. It doesn't snow on the coast and I don't want to spend AWD money just for a heated windshield.

The heated windshield has resistive wires embedded in the glass, so I imagine it does draw quite a bit of energy to utilize it. However, if it's anything like other heated windshields I've experienced, it will clear the glass very quickly, much faster than blowing dehumidified warm air on it can. I imagine running the A/C to dehumidify the cabin air should help keep the windshield clear in the circumstance you describe. I didn't have any issues accomplishing this with my BMW i3.

I'm excited about the heated windshield in the ID.4 to help keep the windshield clear when it's snowing and icy because otherwise a lot of heat is generally required to do the same, and no doubt the heated windshield consumes less energy than the heater running at full blast. I have a feeling VW included the heated windshield in AWD models because they are more likely to be driven in climates that have ice and snow, and the heated windshield helps to reduce some energy consumption in those climates and conditions...and I'm sure it's easier to absorb the cost of the heated windshield in the more expensive AWD model.

 

[medmonds1]

I am completely torn on this decision, as I keep hearing reviewers comment on the great snow-performance on the RWD ID4. Not to sound high and mighty, but snow in Colorado is not the same as snow in the midwest where I'm originally from. Every winter we get storms delivering 12" to 24" (or more some years) in Denver, and unfortunately, residential and some city streets don't always get plowed quickly.
I've owned 2 VW's and 3 Subaru's.
Not once, with any tire, have i been unable to get through snow and ice in my AWD Subarus, yet on multiple occasions in my VW's (FWD Passat and Jetta) I was stopped in traffic on an uphill incline during my commute, and was unable to get enough traction to get going again without sliding sideways with my tires spinning out. Traction control obviously wasn't able to handle the ice with only two wheels the way the Subaru's do it with four.
Really hoping there are some comparison videos demonstrating the ID4 AWD improvements over the RWD, or even compared to other cars, like the outback and crosstrek.

 

[NBCGLX]

I don’t know that I’d listen to any reviews of the ID.4’s performance in snow, given the ID.4 first started hitting customer driveways in the spring. I think there’s a lot of speculation that it’ll be good in the snow, and some accounts of driving the ID.4 in light snow in the early spring.

 

[donpablopereira]

I live in the Northeast tri state (NY/CT/NJ) region. I have a 1st reservation. How do you all think this will do in the snow? I have been researching, and so far feel that while not as competent as AWD, should be adequate. Considering rear motor over rear wheel drive axel, and low center of gravity, with battery centered under car.
Appreciate your comments.

Rear-wheel-drive ID.4s use one rear-mounted motor and an 82-kWh lithium-ion battery pack centered in the vehicle’s underbody—keeping its center of gravity low with even 50:50 weight distribution. Rear-wheel drive vehicles with their engines aft of the passenger cabin can often be harder to control in wet weather because of how much weight is sitting on the rear wheels and the forces of the car’s motion. But the rear-drive ID.4 is a stable machine and the AWD even more so. Neither will be confused with a sports car, but that’s not what compact crossovers are generally about.