Nearly every automaker now builds an electric car, but the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 may be the ideal way to transition to electric driving.
It’s an easy-to-live-with family car that happens to be electric. Its price is fair, and, built in the United States, it’s eligible for federal electric vehicle (EV) tax credits that bring the price down lower than many rivals can go. And a handful of user-friendly, quirky technologies make it practical and fun.
Our expert test driver called it “one of the most practical and value-conscious choices” among the new crop of EVs.
Volkswagen builds the ID.4 in eight configurations. But most buyers choose the comfortable mid-point of the lineup, the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S rear-wheel drive (RWD).
It’s the Goldilocks choice, combining the longest-available range (275 miles) with a starting price below $50,000, even before rebates. Depending on income, most buyers can qualify for a $7,500 federal income tax rebate on the ID.4, bringing that price lower than what many competitors can match.
Let’s see what it has to offer.
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S RWD: $48,995
201-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels
82 kWh battery for EPA-certified 275-mile range
20-inch 5-spoke 2-tone alloy wheels with all-season tires
Automatic, LED headlights with adaptive front lighting system (AFS); LED daytime running lights (DRL); LED taillights
Hands-free, easy open & easy close remote power rear liftgate
Heated, foldable, power-adjustable side mirrors
Panoramic fixed glass roof
Rain-sensing, variable intermittent front wipers
Advanced keyless access with proximity unlocking
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Front seats: heated, 12-way power (including 4-way lumbar support) with massage, position memory
Multi-function heated steering wheel
V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces
12-inch touchscreen navigation & FM/HD Radio
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Adaptive cruise control
Blind-spot monitor with rear traffic alert
Front Assist (forward collision warning & autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian & cyclist monitoring)
Light Assist (high beam control for headlights)
Park Assist Plus with Memory Parking
Travel Assist, Lane Assist, and Emergency Assist
Voice control and ID.Light
myVW app with connected vehicle services from Car-Net
It’s a long list of features. Rivals like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 can offer similar lists but fail to qualify for federal tax credits. So, you’ll pay more for equivalent equipment on many competitors.
What else is there to like about the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S RWD? Let’s explore some of our favorite features.
Clever ID.Light Bar
Today’s cars can overwhelm you with information. Multiple screens. Flashing warnings of cars in your blind spot. Beeps everywhere. Verbal prompts.
That’s why we love Volkswagen’s ID.Light bar. It’s an unobtrusive way to communicate information in the driver’s peripheral vision. A thin bar of multicolored LEDs at the base of the windshield, it can strobe from side to side to communicate turn-by-turn directions, show the state of the battery’s charge, and even pulse a cute greeting to tell you the car has started.
If the driver or passenger starts a voice command, it flashes on their side as if looking at the person who’s speaking. The thing has personality.
In a loud electronic world, it’s discreet. It feels like driving support, not driving instruction. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder why it took so long for someone to come up with this.
Sit-to-Start
To start the ID.4, you don’t turn a key. You don’t push a button. You get in. That’s it.
When you unlock the door and sit in the driver’s seat, as long as you have the key with you, it starts.
Is that necessary? Of course not.
Is it cool? You’ll feel like you’re in your starship.
Ace Safety Scores
The federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the ID.4 its highest possible safety score — five stars.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a reputation as a tougher grader. A safety lab funded by a consortium of car insurance companies, it conducts its own spate of tests that many automotive engineers consider more difficult. It gave the ID.4 its highest award — the Top Safety Pick+ designation.
More Volkswagen ID.4
Want to learn more about the ID.4 and how it compares to the competition? Read our full Volkswagen ID.4 review or find Volkswagen ID.4 models for sale near you.
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