[Jupiter]

The "cheap" Equinox EV really balloons in price if you try to match the VW standard Travel Assist by adding Supercruise - whole slew of other packages must be added to the tune of $14,755 just to get Supercruise on any Equinox LT (at least in my region if Chevy does the weird Toyota thing of regional option packaging). 319 mile EPA for Equinox FWD vs 291 for ID.4 RWD (~9.7% better range with a battery that is ~14% larger) - the ID.4 RWD spanks the Equinox in power/speed, has better DCFC charging performance and slightly better efficiency. I was excited about the Equinox EV but after watching multiple reviews it kinda feels like it should have come out around the time the 2021 ID.4 came out as it would have been competitive with the "old" ID.4.

Of course your priorities might be different but after experiencing Travel Assist and really enjoying it for cruising I don't believe I could live without it. That puts me into a $50k FWD Equinox that charges slower, is slower in general and has lower efficiency than ID.4.

We skipped the super cruise because my dad definitely didn’t want it, but he walked out the door with a fully loaded 3LT for 32k after incentives… I think super cruise was a 3K option. And the three LT has everything that Volkswagen can put in the Pro S Plus, with the exception of a premium audio system.

 

[Egg]

We have nothing Chicago area - Not Indiana nor Michigan or lower Wisconsin either

 

[waldo22]

A few things I noticed from the 2025 buyer's guide:
-12.9" screen with backlit sliders is now standard on ALL trims!
-Active ventilated front seats are now standard on ALL trims (!!!)
Both definitely positive things!

The only real benefits to the Pro S Plus are:
folding mirrors
360 deg. overhead area view cameras
heated outboard rear seats
3-zone climate control
premium HK audio with sub and amp
21" wheels (negative, not a benefit IMHO)
silver roof rails and accents (also negative IMHO)

Maybe it's worth paying an extra $3k over the Pro S for all of those things, but if you don't need AWD then it's an extra $7k. No Thanks.

WTF do only AWD models come with heated windshields?

 

[ericy]

A few things I noticed:
-12.9" screen with backlit sliders is not standard on ALL trims
-Active ventilated front seats are now standard on ALL trims (!!!)
Both definitely positive things!

The only real benefits to the Pro S Plus are:
folding mirrors
360 deg. overhead area view cameras
heated outboard rear seats
3-zone climate control
premium HK audio with sub and amp
21" wheels (negative, not a benefit IMHO)
silver roof rails and accents (also negative IMHO)

Maybe it's worth paying an extra $3k over the Pro S for all of those things, but if you don't need AWD then it's an extra $7k. No Thanks.

WTF do only AWD models come with heated windshields?

The HK audio is a minus to me. I detest subwoofer, and i would turn it off or disconnect it.

I like the folding mirrors. But that alone isn't worth the awd "upgrayedd".

 

[knash]

There's 8k dollars off and zero percent financing on the VW Canada website. I wonder what the dealerships are giving now. The 5k dollar gov't rebate has gone away... I really wonder what the sales are like. Seems like EV sales need a rebate here or they fall off a cliff. Boy, the Tesla dealer at the mall was completely empty this weekend.

 

[Enzeder]

A few things I noticed:
-12.9" screen with backlit sliders is not standard on ALL trims
-Active ventilated front seats are now standard on ALL trims (!!!)
Both definitely positive things!

The only real benefits to the Pro S Plus are:
folding mirrors
360 deg. overhead area view cameras
heated outboard rear seats
3-zone climate control
premium HK audio with sub and amp
21" wheels (negative, not a benefit IMHO)
silver roof rails and accents (also negative IMHO)

Maybe it's worth paying an extra $3k over the Pro S for all of those things, but if you don't need AWD then it's an extra $7k. No Thanks.

WTF do only AWD models come with heated windshields?

I'm assuming the 2nd line about the backlit sliders is a typo?

Yeah, the Plus package is a mixed bag for me. Especially with 21" wheels. Wait!! I just went to look at the Plus package again, and it was not available in the ID.4 builder on vw.com. I wonder if they are getting ready to flip over to 2025?
I thought the 360° camera would be gimmicky, but grew to love it in my old Bolt. I guess as safety standards have improved, car beltlines have risen making maneuvering visibility worse.
I have two kids and it would be nice to have heated rear seats so I don't need to use the cabin heater as much.
A better sound system would be nice and some of the other bells and whistles too, but nothing that would sway my decision.

As for the heated windshield in AWD - they are all heated - it's just a matter of how <tongue firmly in cheek>. I mean, who buys a RWD if there is that much snow and ice around that the heated windshield matters!!!

To be honest, I only got the AWD because I wanted to tow. And I got the S package because I like toys. Now I'm kinda glad I did because now that I have the 3.5 software installed I'm going to call NPG back and enable those magic eyeballs!!!

 

[waldo22]

I like the folding mirrors. But that alone isn't worth the awd "upgrayedd".

Yes! With 2 D's, for a "double dose" of their plus-pricing!

 

[waldo22]

I'm assuming the 2nd line about the backlit sliders is a typo?

Yes, sorry! I meant to say it is now available instead of NOT available.

Wait!! I just went to look at the Plus package again, and it was not available in the ID.4 builder on vw.com. I wonder if they are getting ready to flip over to 2025?

The Plus package hasn't been available for the ID.4 for most of 2024, if it ever was available for '24 models.

As for the heated windshield in AWD - they are all heated - it's just a matter of how <tongue firmly in cheek>. I mean, who buys a RWD if there is that much snow and ice around that the heated windshield matters!!!

Lol, smartass Most people don't really need AWD; they need snow tires. I'm in NC, so I don't need either really, but it is definitely frustrating that only AWD comes with the tow package. You can't even retrofit it without serious wiring work (which I am doing; stay tuned).

Now I'm kinda glad I did because now that I have the 3.5 software installed I'm going to call NPG back and enable those magic eyeballs!!!

Do you have the ability to post a scan of your car parameters/coding before and after they enable the eyeballs? We're working with a vendor right now to enable that and they are having trouble doing it. So far I have completely broken my headlights. High beams don't work at all, and low beams are pointed at the ground 3 ft. in front of the car 😱

 

[waldo22]

Considering the efficiency gained with 19" vs. 20" wheels, I am surprised they don't offer a 17" wheel to really grab the range title back.

17" wheels won't fit; they don't clear the brake rotor and caliper on the front wheels. I tried

 

[Jupiter]

17" wheels won't fit; they don't clear the brake rotor and caliper on the front wheels. I tried

I also don’t think the wheels make that much difference… they tend to lighten them as they get bigger. To get a noticeable range boost they’d need a ln aerodynamic redesign or a bigger battery.

 

[waldo22]

Supposedly it makes a substantial difference. It's older at this point, but according to the numbers that Tesla submitted to the EPA in 2022 or 2023 (?) moving from 20" to 18" wheels adds 50 miles to the Model 3 range at 65mph, and moving from 19" to 18" makes a 25 mile difference.
Here's a thread here discussing it:

https://www.vwidtalk.com/threads/18-wheels-tires-for-ride-comfort.12315/?u=3032

I'd wager that the difference is smaller with the ID.4 due to it being a larger car with a higher drag coefficient, but still substantial.

More recent posts are saying that the Highland Model 3 LR has a 341 mi. range with 18" wheels and 305 with 19" wheels, but I think the 19" wheels may come with Summer tires vs. LRR tires on the 18"??? I'm not sure. Maybe wheels size only accounts for half that difference, but it's still substantial at 18 - 20 miles.

At speeds over 70 mph, wind resistance starts to make much more of a difference than wheels size or rolling resistance.

Of course your mileage may vary

 

[Buran]

I’ve briefly tested the ventilated seats in the Buzz and I could feel them working but of course it’s not warm enough to need them yet. I’ll see what I think in a few months.

The upgraded audio system does have a control slider for the subwoofer (there are more sliders in the equaliser overall. I can get a photo once the new shark fin is on). I did end up turning it down.

I am hard of hearing and even I think the Harmon Kardon system is better than the stock one. I’m happy with it so far.

Will probably do the matrix lights this spring or summer.

 

[TSA_Colorado]

Yuck. This just affirms my decision to keep my German-made '21 RWD Pro-S.

 

[Jupiter]

Supposedly it makes a substantial difference. It's older at this point, but according to the numbers that Tesla submitted to the EPA in 2022 or 2023 (?) moving from 20" to 18" wheels adds 50 miles to the Model 3 range at 65mph, and moving from 19" to 18" makes a 25 mile difference.
Here's a thread here discussing it:

https://www.vwidtalk.com/threads/18-wheels-tires-for-ride-comfort.12315/?u=3032

I'd wager that the difference is smaller with the ID.4 due to it being a larger car with a higher drag coefficient, but still substantial.

More recent posts are saying that the Highland Model 3 LR has a 341 mi. range with 18" wheels and 305 with 19" wheels, but I think the 19" wheels may come with Summer tires vs. LRR tires on the 18"??? I'm not sure. Maybe wheels size only accounts for half that difference, but it's still substantial at 18 - 20 miles.

At speeds over 70 mph, wind resistance starts to make much more of a difference than wheels size or rolling resistance.

Of course your mileage may vary

I wouldn’t trust any numbers from Tesla! I have friends that have them and they can never come close to their numbers…

Also, I suspect tires make a much bigger difference than wheels.

 

[Jupiter]

I’ve briefly tested the ventilated seats in the Buzz and I could feel them working but of course it’s not warm enough to need them yet. I’ll see what I think in a few months.

The upgraded audio system does have a control slider for the subwoofer (there are more sliders in the equaliser overall. I can get a photo once the new shark fin is on). I did end up turning it down.

I am hard of hearing and even I think the Harmon Kardon system is better than the stock one. I’m happy with it so far.

Will probably do the matrix lights this spring or summer.

Three critical features my Polestar has that I am now addicted to… 360 cameras, ventilated seats, and premium audio If we ever got another ID.4, it would have to be a Plus… but our 21 is great, no issues, and hopefully we’ll keep it a long time. Also, our leather steering wheel doesn’t peel, and it does have power folding mirrors which means it fits in our old garage.

 

[Nai3t]

I like to refer back to this (now 15 year old) article from Car & Driver where they performed about as methodical test of the effect of different wheel sizes as could be expected, except that they did it on a lightweight Golf and stopped at 19". 10% drop in fuel economy / range across four steps up in wheel size isn't catastrophic, but it's also significant enough to measure and it's unambiguous. Averaged out, that's about 2% difference per inch increase of wheel size, or five miles of range on the ID.4 if the data carries over.

Effects of Upsized Wheels and Tires Tested

Plus-Size Models: Testing the performance effects of upsizing wheels and tires.

www.caranddriver.com

This Green Car Reports article from 2020 also looked at tire width (independent of wheel diameter) and mentions a similar but smaller effect.

Here's how tire and wheel choice affects electric vehicle range

In addition to the usual advice about tire rolling resistance and width, calculations show the impact wheel diameter itself can have on EV range.

www.greencarreports.com

 

[Enzeder]

I wouldn’t trust any numbers from Tesla! I have friends that have them and they can never come close to their numbers…

Also, I suspect tires make a much bigger difference than wheels.

Tesla apparently use an alternate, but EPA approved, testing procedure. Thus the generally optimistic range numbers.
Point is, I might not have a lot of faith in the absolute range numbers, but I sense there is value in the relative numbers.
As someone else pointed out though, Tesla's are more slippery through the air than the ID.4 so wheels and tires might have more of an impact on their range.

 

[Jupiter]

I like to refer back to this (now 15 year old) article from Car & Driver where they performed about as methodical test of the effect of different wheel sizes as could be expected, except that they did it on a lightweight Golf and stopped at 19". 10% drop in fuel economy / range across four steps up in wheel size isn't catastrophic, but it's also significant enough to measure and it's unambiguous. Averaged out, that's about 2% difference per inch increase of wheel size, or five miles of range on the ID.4 if the data carries over.

Effects of Upsized Wheels and Tires Tested

Plus-Size Models: Testing the performance effects of upsizing wheels and tires.

www.caranddriver.com

View attachment 37676

This Green Car Reports article from 2020 also looked at tire width (independent of wheel diameter) and mentions a similar but smaller effect.

Here's how tire and wheel choice affects electric vehicle range

In addition to the usual advice about tire rolling resistance and width, calculations show the impact wheel diameter itself can have on EV range.

www.greencarreports.com

I believe those numbers. My Polestar would have gone from 320 to 307 I had optioned the 20” wheels, a 4% drop, but they came with higher performance tires.

 

[cbroncos]

So if you want S+, you are forced to take AWD as well.

With many other EV's cutting prices why go for a VW ID.4.

 

[Jupiter]

With many other EV's cutting prices why go for a VW ID.4.

And some are adding features… Ford Mach E now has a heat pump standard! And their Premium trim (like our S trim) comes with ventilated front seats. MSRP on a Premium AWD with the big battery is $51,885, with the optional glass roof. (I like that they make it optional, btw). I don’t think they improved the batteries though, so it still is a slower charging car than an ID.4.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/attachments/2025-mach-e-order-guide-pdf.141510/