Welcoming the VW ID.4 to Our Long-Term Fleet

written by Carrie Kim^{Creative Services Project Manager
Carrie Kim has been writing about cars for well over a decade. No matter if she's cruising with the family or chasing down her next breakfast burrito, she's (not so) silently judging car infotainment systems, interior color palettes, and dashboard finishes all along the way. She's a big fan of massaging seats, adaptive cruise control and wireless CarPlay. Over the years, she's particularly enjoyed helping parents find their own unique family wagons.}
3/30/2022
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Volkswagen's first electric-only SUV for the U.S.
Modern and spacious, at an affordable price
Stick to the basics with the base Pro trim level

As Edmunds strives to maintain our goal of being the leading source of EV news and real-world testing, we're adding more electric vehicles to our fleet. We've owned plenty of Teslas, but now it's time to diversify. We've just purchased a Mustang Mach-E to join the Model 3 and Model Y in our current EV fleet. We've also got a Rivian R1T and Lucid Air on order.

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Am I Ready for an EV?

EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work ^{This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.}
If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station ^{With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.}
Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more ^{If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.}

But our new 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro is different — it comes with an attainable price tag, even before federal and state tax credits. Our Model 3 may be the closest comparison to the ID.4 when it comes to MSRP, but Teslas can really balloon in price when it comes to options. The ID.4 also comes from a mainstream automaker, making it even more accessible to the masses. We knew it was necessary to get our own ID.4 for a more grounded EV ownership experience.

All-new, only electric

Don't mistake the all-new ID.4 for the e-Golf! Not only is it bigger than an e-Golf, but its range is also much more impressive. Volkswagen made the ID.4, its first electric-only vehicle for the U.S. market, with high EPA estimates in mind. Its EPA-estimated range of 240-260 miles per charge is good, but we've already pushed it to 288 miles during our real-world EV range test. You can bet that we're expecting equally great things from our new ID.4 Pro RWD.

Small silhouette, spacious interior

The ID.4 may appear smaller than the Tiguan, Volkswagen's compact SUV, but it's almost equal in interior space. The two-row, five-seater is family- and utility-friendly, with a roomy cabin. It's modern, but there's a lot of plastic. We'll see how it holds up over the next year.

Easy on the budget

In our review of the ID.4, we recommend the base Pro trim level. So we put our money where our mouth is, and specced out the same for our long-termer. A base ID.4 Pro has an MSRP of $39,995, and our car, a 2021 ID.4 Pro RWD, was $41,190. (Don't forget — this price is before state and federal tax credits, which can vary from state to state.)

Volkswagen is very generous with the standard features, so it's easy to stick with the base ID.4 Pro trim. VW's robust safety technology suite is standard and includes adaptive cruise control with stop & go, lane keeping assist, and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring. You also get VW's Digital Cockpit, a slick screen display that houses all gauges and driver information, in addition to the separate 10-inch touchscreen display. Wireless smartphone integration, wireless charging, dual-zone climate controls, and advanced keyless access to the front doors and liftgate are also included.

Edmunds says

With many mainstream automakers launching electric vehicles this year, expect us to compare our ID.4 heavily to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and upcoming Nissan Ariya and Toyota bZ4X. Be sure to follow us along our journey as we discover what life is like with the Volkswagen ID.4.

by Carrie Kim

Carrie Kim has been writing about cars for well over a decade. No matter if she's cruising with the family or chasing down her next breakfast burrito, she's (not so) silently judging car infotainment systems, interior color palettes, and dashboard finishes all along the way. She's a big fan of massaging seats, adaptive cruise control and wireless CarPlay. Over the years, she's particularly enjoyed helping parents find their own unique family wagons.

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Welcoming the Volkswagen ID.4 to Our Long-Term Fleet

We've got our hands on VW’s EV for the masses

Am I Ready for an EV?

All-new, only electric

Small silhouette, spacious interior

Easy on the budget

Edmunds says

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