I've had a chance now to drive both the Model Y and ID 4 and Mach-E in the past few weeks. I'm sticking with the ID 4 and mine will hopefully be delivered this week.
I found the VW the best driving of the three by far. I was actually very unhappy with the road feel and handling of the Ford. It was fine at highway speeds but that long front end was annoying in tight spaces and I found the cornering at higher speeds to be poor. It didn't hold it's line. The Model Y was better than the Ford but the ride was harsh on bumpy roads. It was more sporty than the VW but that's not what I'm looking for. The ID 4 felt great in both slower city driving but on some winding roads it really felt great and predictable. It was extremely well balanced between comfort and fun. Obviously, the ID 4 had the slowest acceleration of the three but I don't need to fly off the line and it felt smooth and got up to speed faster than I'll need in most cases and passed well and jumped into a gap in traffic easily. Of the three, the VW and Tesla were close with the VW being better for my preference for comfort over sport and the Ford I actively disliked which surprised me. It was the one car I did not want to drive again.
Regen set up on the VW was perfect for me (and this is my 4th EV or PHEV). Tesla removed the option to have a lower regen setting and its current set up is too aggressive. It's hard to modulate easily which is especially unpleasant for passengers. The Ford has either full regen turned on or no regen. The B mode in the VW felt very smooth. The car decelerated without having a harsh reaction to lifting off the pedal. It felt great to me and is exact where I like it. Again, comfort over sport.
I really like that the VW is six inches shorter than the Tesla but has similar interior space and more rear cargo space thanks to the squared off rear end. The super tight turning on the ID 4 was great and will be very handy parking the car. It felt and hauled big and drove small which exactly what I want.
I found the front and rear seats on the Ford to be uncomfortable. The driver seat base doesn't tilt so there's no thigh support at all and the back seat base felt smallish and too firm. The Tesla seats were the best. A great balance between soft and supportive and my 14 y/o daughter said the rear seats were like pillows. The ID 4 front seats are highly adjustable and the massage function is great. I liked them a lot but not as much as the Tesla.
As for the screens and computers I actually like the VW more. It will take some learning of course but I think it will be more intuitive and easy to use than the other two. I had no idea what to expect from the haptic steering wheel controls and was surprised how good they felt. I really felt a click and think it will take no time to use the systems with ease. I didn't see any lag on the screen in the ID 4 but I also didn't fully test it. I'm buying a car not a laptop and the ability to do updates makes more comfortable with where it's at. I think the Tesla would be harder to learn (and especially for my wife who isn't good with that stuff) and I don't need "fart mode" or games. I liked the Ford's tech systems a lot more than Tesla. The sound system in the VW was the worst of the three but that's not an issue for me and if it were I'd still go with the VW and do an aftermarket upgrade.
The Ford was very beautiful to look at while the Tesla I find ugly (especially the rear of the car). The VW is the least ostentatious which is exactly what I want. I not only don't want a flashy car I would be embarrassed to drive one. And while I don't like Elon and his lunacy I would have gone with a Model Y if I liked the driving feel more than the VW but the ID 4 really nailed it for me. The handling and overall driving experience was brilliant. It's the one car I'm looking forward to driving more and will be the easiest and most comfortable and still be fun when that's called for. The lack of rear seat heating in the ID 4 is probably my biggest complaint but my kid can suck it up
Oh, and I'm less worried about the white steering wheel on the 1st Ed. after seeing it in person. It's not super bright white and has a slight grey tint so I think it will hold up well with some regular cleaning and maybe a leather protectant.
Overall, I think the ID 4 is a great car and trust VW will continue to make improvements. As EVs become more popular I'm betting the VW will hold it's value well so I'm probably going to buy and not lease. But before I sign the papers I want to drive it again for at least 30 miles on a common route for me and spend more time w/ the screens. My biggest question is if might want to wait until 7-9 months for the AWD.
Here's the demo model we drove. My 1st Edition is blue
I found the VW the best driving of the three by far. I was actually very unhappy with the road feel and handling of the Ford. It was fine at highway speeds but that long front end was annoying in tight spaces and I found the cornering at higher speeds to be poor. It didn't hold it's line. The Model Y was better than the Ford but the ride was harsh on bumpy roads. It was more sporty than the VW but that's not what I'm looking for. The ID 4 felt great in both slower city driving but on some winding roads it really felt great and predictable. It was extremely well balanced between comfort and fun. Obviously, the ID 4 had the slowest acceleration of the three but I don't need to fly off the line and it felt smooth and got up to speed faster than I'll need in most cases and passed well and jumped into a gap in traffic easily. Of the three, the VW and Tesla were close with the VW being better for my preference for comfort over sport and the Ford I actively disliked which surprised me. It was the one car I did not want to drive again.
Regen set up on the VW was perfect for me (and this is my 4th EV or PHEV). Tesla removed the option to have a lower regen setting and its current set up is too aggressive. It's hard to modulate easily which is especially unpleasant for passengers. The Ford has either full regen turned on or no regen. The B mode in the VW felt very smooth. The car decelerated without having a harsh reaction to lifting off the pedal. It felt great to me and is exact where I like it. Again, comfort over sport.
I really like that the VW is six inches shorter than the Tesla but has similar interior space and more rear cargo space thanks to the squared off rear end. The super tight turning on the ID 4 was great and will be very handy parking the car. It felt and hauled big and drove small which exactly what I want.
I found the front and rear seats on the Ford to be uncomfortable. The driver seat base doesn't tilt so there's no thigh support at all and the back seat base felt smallish and too firm. The Tesla seats were the best. A great balance between soft and supportive and my 14 y/o daughter said the rear seats were like pillows. The ID 4 front seats are highly adjustable and the massage function is great. I liked them a lot but not as much as the Tesla.
As for the screens and computers I actually like the VW more. It will take some learning of course but I think it will be more intuitive and easy to use than the other two. I had no idea what to expect from the haptic steering wheel controls and was surprised how good they felt. I really felt a click and think it will take no time to use the systems with ease. I didn't see any lag on the screen in the ID 4 but I also didn't fully test it. I'm buying a car not a laptop and the ability to do updates makes more comfortable with where it's at. I think the Tesla would be harder to learn (and especially for my wife who isn't good with that stuff) and I don't need "fart mode" or games. I liked the Ford's tech systems a lot more than Tesla. The sound system in the VW was the worst of the three but that's not an issue for me and if it were I'd still go with the VW and do an aftermarket upgrade.
The Ford was very beautiful to look at while the Tesla I find ugly (especially the rear of the car). The VW is the least ostentatious which is exactly what I want. I not only don't want a flashy car I would be embarrassed to drive one. And while I don't like Elon and his lunacy I would have gone with a Model Y if I liked the driving feel more than the VW but the ID 4 really nailed it for me. The handling and overall driving experience was brilliant. It's the one car I'm looking forward to driving more and will be the easiest and most comfortable and still be fun when that's called for. The lack of rear seat heating in the ID 4 is probably my biggest complaint but my kid can suck it up
Oh, and I'm less worried about the white steering wheel on the 1st Ed. after seeing it in person. It's not super bright white and has a slight grey tint so I think it will hold up well with some regular cleaning and maybe a leather protectant.
Overall, I think the ID 4 is a great car and trust VW will continue to make improvements. As EVs become more popular I'm betting the VW will hold it's value well so I'm probably going to buy and not lease. But before I sign the papers I want to drive it again for at least 30 miles on a common route for me and spend more time w/ the screens. My biggest question is if might want to wait until 7-9 months for the AWD.
Here's the demo model we drove. My 1st Edition is blue