Volkswagen ID4 Yearlong Review: Electrifying and Revolting Features in VW’s Tesla Challenger

For this first update on our 2022 Volkswagen ID4 yearlong tester, ostensibly VW's first software defined vehicle, I'd like to give some context on how I've been thinking about it and who this article is for.

First up, I love driving EVs. This is my bias I'll admit up front. I've been thinking about this a lot, but any time I get behind the wheel of a new EV, I find myself reveling in the calm absences. Little noise. Just a bit of vibration and thrumming, maybe road imperfections coming up through the tires. I get that other people hate this; they miss the sound and fury, which they equate with excitement and passion.

Me? I have enough going in my head, so the moments where I can shut it all out and think about things provide welcome respite. And while driving, the silent EV stirrings put me in a thoughtful mood, and perhaps sharpen my senses a bit.

This may be bad news for some of my intended audience for these updates, among whom are the folks at VW's CARIAD automotive software unit, because I think much of what I'm about to report next can and should be addressed via software updates. The much larger audience I hope will read this, includes anyone considering buying or leasing an ID4 (start here), because we've uncovered some issues with the ID4. [Click here for our top ranked EVs. ]

First the positives: The ID4 is legit fun to drive. The basics are all solid; no surprise from the brand that brought the world the Golf GTI. The driver has a great view of the road ahead, and rearward visibility through the middle headrest and over the parcel shelf is fine. It's not Tesla Plaid quick, but with a seamless, single-speed transmission and instant torque delivery common to EVs, our rear-wheel-drive 201-hp ID4 easily dips and dives through traffic, with light and tight steering that's devoid of slop.

It rides well, too, better than it should, given its 19-inch wheels, perhaps thanks to the Bridgestone Alenza Sport all-season tires and thoughtful damper tuning. But the ID4's single greatest party trick is a super-tight turning radius. Photographer Brian Vance, who lives in a more densely packed part of Los Angeles, pointed this out to me, but I initially pooh-poohed it. Now I know that when it's time to give back the ID4, I will miss the ability to bust a U-turn in a closet. You need about 1.5x the average residential street width to successfully complete a U-turn—31.5 feet, curb to curb, which is stunning the first time you try it. It feels like VW engineers really pushed the limits, because at full steering lock, you often get a bit of front-tire judder, as the tires struggle with the tightness of the turn. Dazzling friends aside, it's a great feature to have, as we found out during the holidays during parking lot hunting excursions. Note that protecting the halfshafts on AWD models adds 4.9 feet to that diameter.

Christmas shopping and then packing up various fall and winter decorations revealed another great feature of the ID4: its massive cargo area. Solo pictures of the ID4 may suggest it's a smallish VW GTI-sized hatchback, but in truth, it's about 50 percent larger than you might think. When you see it next to other cars on the road, it clicks. The ID4 is more Honda CRV-sized, but it looks lower slung than your average crossover. ID4 designers hid its bulk with lots of happy horizontal lines and styling tricks like a black strip of lower door trim that curves upward, reducing visual mass.

Inside, folding the rear seats forward creates a huge space. We'd give more points for a flat load floor, but even without it, the ID4 swallows tons of cargo. On a recent trip to the Loh family storage unit, we dropped off seven large (a mix of 64 and 72 quart) plastic storage bins, three smaller boxes of ornaments, and a 7-foot artificial Christmas tree (broken down into three parts), with room to spare and the front seat available.

It's not all fun and games with the ID4, however. There are several infuriating features to the vehicle, and I won't even mention the window switches in this update. We'll save those for later.

Let's start with just getting into the car. Like many modern cars, the ID4 uses a smart key system with a proximity sensor built into the key fob. The old-school way would be to just hit the key fob to unlock the doors before entering, but the fuss-free way is to just walk up to the car and get in, without having to get into a pocket and touch the key. This system is a bit customizable; the user can select which doors the car opens as you approach—either all of them, or just the ones on the side you're approaching. If you opt not to use the proximity feature, you can open the doors by simply touching the inside of the recessed door handle and then pulling the door open. In theory, that is. In practice, the system can be mildly infuriating, seeming to always leave the opposite-side rear door locked, just when you need it. Just make sure you dive into the vehicle menu system and select "all doors open" as you approach, and you should be fine.

Leaving and locking the ID4 presents other minor inconveniences; there is a sensor depression on the outside of the door handles you can touch to lock the car upon leaving, but it's only on the front two doors. It's another step after if you're pulling a kid or gear from the second row, and it would be useful if this sensor was on the hatchback, as well. The latter does appear to lock itself automatically after closing, but it's nice to have the positive affirmation. It's also possible that some of the above is incorrect (which I'm sure I'll hear about from VW PR), but here's the thing: 14 pages out of the ID4's 407-page owner's manual are devoted to the various ways you can unlock and lock the five doors. This is not very intuitive. Ideally, the smart key fob should be optional—replaced by phone as key and a slick, full-featured app.

As the driver, once you get into the car, the main infotainment screen lights up and prompts you to acknowledge that it's you, the driver, who set up a profile, or another guest. Every. Single. Time. More annoying, there doesn't seem to be much advantage to setting up a personalized account with the car. There are some customizable features, like slick ambient lighting, radio station presets, and maybe seating position (on higher-spec models; our Pro S has manual set adjustment), but for some of the sexier apps like navigation, if your go-to is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the ID4's native system will not lure you over. Especially the welcome screen; its white text on black looks stark and old, especially in the era when other software-driven devices, like your phone, the apps on it, and web browsers, can recognize and greet you with fresh familiarity and useful presets.

A huge positive in the entry sequence is being able to just go once your butt hits the seat and your foot hits the brake. This is a feature Tesla pioneered; the car silently turns on once that sequence occurs, and all you need to do is toggle the shifter into Drive or Reverse, and you're on your way. Same for when you're ready to get out. Just push park, open the door, and hop out. The moment your butt comes off the seat, the car shuts down. No key-twist or push-button start needed.

The ID4 has a voice-activated assistant that can be hailed by uttering "Hello ID" when seated inside the vehicle. I've accidentally discovered that "Hey ID" works, as well, as do a few other combinations of words, which can be quite annoying because when the system is hailed, it quiets the entertainment or navigation system and pauses a few long moments waiting for your commands.

One can also trigger the voice assistant by brushing over the small touch sensor on the right side of the steering wheel. It's a bit too sensitive for my liking and brings up the same visual and audio cue on the main infotainment screen.

The accidental triggering and seemingly long wait time to clear the unintentional query is a drag. The larger issue is that the assistant is of limited use. It can do simple things like tune to your favorite terrestrial or satellite radio station. Saying, "Hey ID, I'm cold" will raise the interior temperature by 1 degree (2 degrees if you say "…I'm really cold"). But so far, I've had limited success in using natural speech for more common and complicated EV issues—like finding the nearest charging station and or rerouting navigation to a destination. Again, if you're used to navigating via Waze, Apple Maps, or Google, you will be underwhelmed. But more on this in the next update, which covers our first long road trip.