New VW ID.4 GTX faces it's toughest challenge yet!

[@PeterHartland]

I tried all 3 myself & came to exactly the same conclusion. In the end I purchased (still awaiting delivery) the Enyaq 80X but with the heat pump.

[@craigsmithson4113]

Another brilliant, thorough review. Out of these 3 I would definitely choose the Skoda Enyaq for the reasons you have stated.👍

[@mtumasz]

I was facing these choices late last year, and having specific requirements like beige or brown interior and smart lights, HUD and premium sound all these 3 MEB cars became pretty pricey indeed. Then, all 3 disappoint in one-pedal driving dept. Then there was availability - there wasn’t a single Q4 with bright interior in the country, only the months of production waiting list. In the end, the same money went to BMW and they even delivered the iX3 one day before NYE to finish 2021 on a high note. We are loving the car

[@niptodstan]

I've got the new Enyaq 85x Sportline plus on order. Wait times are a bit too long. Ordered it 02 Jan24, delivery is July.

[@andyw6026]

Hi Brian, I was that iX3 driver that you met at the Ionity chargers! Great channel!

[@AutoEV]

Hi Andy! Great to have you stop by, and thanks for the kind comment. Hope you are still enjoying your iX3?

[@MikeWeida]

Wish we could get the Skoda in America.

[@LuciferTMJ]

Very glad I came across this video as I am looking at these 3 cars at the moment to replace my company car.

[@Joseph-jy5lz]

Great comparison vlog

[@ISuperTed]

Great review from the best UK EV channel on KZbin. I agree with the conclusion for the cars tested - if I was buying one with my own money I would get the Skoda. However as someone who is getting one on a salary sacrifice scheme the Audi is cheaper on monthly payments and BIK than the Skoda or VW and so in my case the Audi wins. Don’t ask me why a £60K car (specced up Audi) works out cheaper than a £50K car (specced up Skoda) but it is. Totally understand as a private buyer it’s the other way round and having driven both I would be happy with either. I have a Q4 40 S-Line on order so probably biased!

[@zaphodsbluecar9518]

Higher residual value on the Audi...

[@ISuperTed]

@@zaphodsbluecar9518 Seems so. However my scheme now has Tesla Model Y on it which currently has ridiculous residuals and the Tesla is 25% more monthly than a Q4 at the same MSRP. I suspect we have some sort of discount deal with Audi (as well as the high residuals).

[@mtumasz]

Have U driven the iX3? same money, better drive

[@ISuperTed]

@@mtumasz £60K+ for the base iX3 compared to the Q4 S-Line I ordered specced up to £50K. About 10% more to lease for the Beemer. Did consider it but the Audi is at the top of my price range so a little bit too expensive. Nice car though.

[@mtumasz]

@@ISuperTed all good and happy for U. Except U cannot compare base cars at any point. ‘Base’ iX3 is specced up to the near full, and the only other trim is a real full spec (largest rims, hud, 360 camera, panoramic sunroof, harman/kardon) to which you can only add trinkets like wooden inserts, towbar and drive recorder. Even paint and leather are included. Except for the ability to order in 1 minute via app, speccing the iX3 was much like getting a Tesla - U choose the trim, the paint and the wheels, all else is included. I seriously considered getting an Enyaq ID4 or Q4 and absolutely hated the option lists

[@davidrolfe9571]

Having looked at them all, I tried the VW & Skoda I went for the Skoda 80iV Sportline. In the South, I'm not missing the 4wd and with 2WD it has a tighter turning circle and feels more manoeverable in tight spaces. It may have the lowest power output of these three, but it can still beat 99 out of a 100 IC cars away from the lights. Also with less transmission losses its WLTP range is around 330 miles. Its a no brainer.

[@enyaq_gorm]

Another great video. I wonder how much longer vw can rely on badge snobbery to keep charging a premium for different badges.

[@konsen6149]

Skoda Enyad will be my pick. It is very comfortable and the pricing is affordable

[@12jarvo]

Ordered 80x, VW interior design is,, well boring and bland, didnt think i would be saying this but the Skoda interior is better than the Audi, and for a lot less money, well done Skoda.

[@lasses3310]

Totally agree, I had the same experiece and ended up placing an order for the 80x!

[@michaelforrester816]

My 80x ordered for May. Interior is class.

[@richardlee4637]

Great review, concur with your entire views throughout! However I’ve gone for the Audi..😃 badge snob I guess?

[@ISuperTed]

I went for the Audi too but in 4 S-Line trim. For me it actually works out cheaper than the Skoda on my company scheme so couldn’t resist an Audi for less than a Skoda. Saying that I really enjoyed test driving both cars and would go Skoda if I was buying privately, but when it’s cheaper I had to go Audi.

[@ISuperTed]

Oohhhh! As I have a Q4 on order (same colour and alloys in the review) will be interesting to hear your thoughts. I’ve test driven all 3 in single motor versions and my order was Audi 1st, Skoda 2nd and Vw 3rd (by some way - really didn’t like the VW infotainment).

[@colinrenfrew48]

Great video, and an interesting outcome. Audi needs to be worried.

[@gbw28]

I know I’m in the minority, but stying wise I like the ID4 GTX best. I don’t particularly go for the rear haunches of the Audi and I’m not fond of the Enyak from the rear. I think VW has the most cohesive design.

[@pato10111]

Great video and very informative. I have an id4 on order. It's interesting you mention the grill on the Audi. Is the grill on the Skoda not horrendous? I like the overall design of the Audi but it's too expensive. I think it's a toss up between the VW and the Skoda for most people and which design you prefer. I notice a lot more people like the Skoda but people are buying VW. Skoda have stepped up their game in the design department but I still think the finishing looks cheap inside and out on the Enyaq. The ID4 is a strange car because VW could have done a lot more with it. I think the minimalist design is what people are after who are buying electric cars, so maybe the Enyaq is more attractive to petrol heads but not so much to consumers. I've only seen one or two Enyaqs around. ID4s appear to be everywhere.

[@shanont]

I got the id4 gtx, but know several people who ordered skoda. Skoda seems to have a bigger issue with much longer delivery/production time than vw. Probably why you see more id4 than skoda still to be honest. Also the non GTX id4 had some really good bargin on the first edition. For me the small price hike vs skoda with the specs I wanted, comming from bmw i3 which felt quite similar and I didnt feel like paying extra to get less engine even tho its very minor. I do however love that olive coloured skoda interior. Just sad its so expensive:P

[@zaphodsbluecar9518]

How on earth did you manage to get all three variants at the same time? Och, ye wee canny scrote, ye're full o'surprises... If it was someone else paying for it, I'd have the Audi, if it was my own money it'd be the Skõda, if I wanted sub-par after-sales service I'd go for the VW. Personally, I'd take the VW exterior with the Skõda interior and an Audi badge... Problems solved! Another excellent video Bryan, excellent detail - well done!

[@ISuperTed]

Someone else is paying for mine so I’m having the Audi! (Have to wait until October to get it though) :(

[@zaphodsbluecar9518]

@@ISuperTed Nice work! 🙂👍

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

Do love a frount frounk good test though.

[@-Derp-]

Awesome review, well done. Skoda for me all day out of these three. An interesting match up would be the Volvo XC60 full ev vs Skoda Enyaq (preferably the top shelf coupe with all options ticked). These are on my shortlist to replace our car. I suspect the Skoda would be outclassed by the Volvo in all ways, but I may be incorrect. If there is minimal between them, there may be a significant saving on offer with the Skoda. I drove the full ev XC40 recently and I am still talking about it, which highlights how good it is. As good as it was, its just a touch small.

[@shanont]

I got the id4 gtx, but know several people who ordered skoda. Skoda seems to have a bigger issue with delivery/production time than vw. Probably why you see more id4 than skoda to be honest. a example is my work collauge who preordered skoda 80x around half a year before me if my memory is correct. while I ordered my id4 gtx 29april. I ended up getting my car 1 week after his. current waiting list for skoda 80x is summer 23 as far as ive told. while id4 is fall 22.

[@-Derp-]

@@shanont Nothing wrong with ID4, its just the Enyaq is the better car of the two, and it even shows up the Audi Q4, all of which are produced using the same MEB platform. A bizarre strategy on VAG's behalf, though I dont think it was planned this way. They have accidentally shot themselves in the foot. Wait until the Enaq coupe is released in about 11 days and watch the Audi e-tron / Q4 sport back buyers flock to it. Out of curiosity, what warranty did VW provide on the battery? I am in Australia and its all over the place with different manufacturers. Some are 5 years, others 8, and on it goes. I am thinking a long battery warranty is required (10 years?) as its quite expensive to replace.

[@shanont]

@@-Derp- Yeah its bit strange. I didnt mean that there will be sold more id4 than skoda btw . Just saying that reason you dont see them on the road yet is that its a huge backlog on the production of Skoda and audi/vw seems to get bit more priority on the microchips or something. It also might be my imagination but when I went over the first configurations the id4 gtx seems a slight tad cheaper than skoda enyaq and much cheaper than the audi Q4 with the configuration I was aiming for. I had a budget of 57,000 usd including wintertires. Just tried configuring Skoda enyaq 80x again and it seems it get around 5000 usd more expensive for similarish specs. the enaq 80x seems to get free electric seats which I didnt opt for in the id4 gtx. so guess I would have to add 2000 usd for those on my id4 gtx to be a fair apple to apple comperison. so 59,000 usd (id4 gtx) vs 62000 usd(skoda 80x) with panarama roof , towing hitch, winter tires as extras(heatpumps is standard here). My first EV was the bmw i3, so for me the id4 gtx wasnt so strange, but definitivly skoda seems more popular. Atleast for those over 40 years old(and to be honest most family car buyers that buy this sort of price segment car is 40+). Im bit younger but got 2 kids so guess Im the lucky exception. I live in norway and I got 8 years warrenty(max 160,000km) on the battery and 5years on the car. The id4 gtx also got another 35 horsepower compared to the Enyaq tho they only give you 0.7 s in 0-100 so its not like its a massive gamechanger. But I didnt see the need to go down in effect and pay more atleast.

[@ianfellows725]

An absolutly superb review. The Enyaq is on my shortlist, but most likely in the 80 Sportline rather than the 80X. The Audi just feels expensive just because its an Audi and I am not prepared to pay for that. Other options are Polestar 2 (single motor), Tesla Model 3 LR and the Kia EV6, but which one?

[@AutoEV]

@Ian Fellows thank you for your kind words, and of course, thank you for taking the time to watch in the first place. Agree on the Enyaq over the Audi (and we love the Audi). You may want to watch our review about company cars for the review of the single motor Polestar. However, we we have a review coming this week that might be useful to you….. As far as the EV6 is concerned, we made it our Car of the Year in 2021. It’s a great car, but smaller than the Enyaq. It’s a sportier drive, but less practical. Take a look through our back catalogue and keep an eye open for our next review this week. Hopefully that might help. Thank you again for your comment and view. We appreciate every one we get. Bryan @ AutoEV.

[@ISuperTed]

Forgot to add my Q4 is now delayed until October - that’s nearly 12 months from original order. Maybe due to speccing a retractable Towbar but didn’t expect a whole year to get it.

[@mtumasz]

As I was saying, try the iX3, many have the towbar, and we waited 5 weeks for the car (pre face-lift)

[@pato10111]

Wait times are ridiculous for Id4 too.

[@scollyutube]

Good review as answers the variances between the 3 VAG cars and at least for the cost these cars have some room, except nothing about efficiency? Would presume Kodiaq wins there too due to lower power? Still not sure why that Enyaq is worth the extra money over a Kodiaq VRS though, which is still quicker, bigger and specced even higher, and in the real world goes twice as far without having to worry about energy. I'd never spend the difference in fuel and servicing is free first 5 years so.....

[@grahamsedgwick8420]

Super episode

[@purplehazeto]

thank you!

[@terokoivu]

In any case, my choice is still Audi Q4 - hopefully someone came S-version a little sportier model SQ4?

[@AutoEV]

The Q4 is an excellent car, and we’re it not for the price, it runs the Skoda a very close second. It’s a much better car in our opinion than the larger e-tron.

[@dombaker1924]

Spot on about to Audi, too expensive for what it is. The Skoda comes in 2nd but for me the ID4 GTX is the pick. At current prices the Skoda is £4K more than the GTX for the equivalent Skoda with a pan sunroof. Yes the interior is superior but not £4K superior in my view. Also, personal opinion, the Skoda is the least attractive of the three.

[@ElmoBHD]

Currently I drive an Audi A5 coupe quattro so i have a quality benchmark. I found the Audi too harsh and filled with road noise. To me the Skoda felt enormous, and was like looking down a tunnel in the rear view mirror. The Audi was full of nasty shiny black plastic. The Skoda felt quite posh and great quality. But for me the VW ID4 GTX was what was best value, smooth and quiet and a lower interest rate and squeaked in for the Irish Gov 5k grant!

[@ElmoBHD]

and BTW the infotainment is now much better "a finished product".

[@oceanfroggie]

Great review as ever. Apologies but the blunt fake front grill end of the Enyaq is ugly as sin compared to the classy front end of the ID4 and Q4. Fake grills that serve no function other than to mimic and ICE car. Enyaq has better physical driver interface and better upholstery options, but sadly could not look at that front end parked outside. ID4s main weakness is haptic steering wheel controls and lack of interior upholstery options.

[@AutoEV]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@cityblue0202]

If you just charge your ev with the granny lead would that work or would the car battery or lead melt ? I had a quote of £1850 to get an ev charger fitted but if the ev comes with a granny lead then ( at 2.2 kph I believe ) it should be sufficient.

[@AutoEV]

You can charge it with that, but be warned, it will take an awfully long time to do so. And I mean in excess of 24 hours (if it’s delivering just over 2kW of energy to a battery that takes around 73kW in capacity, you can do the maths). Also, I wouldn’t use an extension cord with that as most manufacturers advise against it. You’d also be best to have an electrician check the socket to ensure all was well there. I’m sure you’d be able to get a cheaper charger install. You could also just use fast public chargers and top up with the granny charger.

[@cityblue0202]

@@AutoEV I have ordered an Id4 the 52kw version at the bargain price of £31000 🤫

[@bneyarb5037]

The whole review you said the Audi was more refined than the VW, but at the end you say ‘it’s not as refined as the other two’. I’m actually shopping these cars. Can you clarify?

[@AutoEV]

Yes, I wasn't very clear on that, was I? Ok, at low speed, the Audi is very quiet and when I first starting driving it, I felt it was a bit better than the VW. Then I did quite a long drive on the M4 motorway and it soon became clear that the Audi generated a bit more wind noise and road noise than I had first experienced. Overall, the Skoda is bar far the most refined, followed by the ID.4 then the Q4. It may, in defence of the Audi, depend on alloy wheel choice, so perhaps a bigger profile tyre might be quieter than the ones we had fitted on our test car. But you are correct, I didn't make that known in the video, and I apologise for the confusion. The Enyaq is the quietest in all scenarios.

[@ISuperTed]

Interestingly I test drove all 3 and the Audi was the more refined for me. I was driving a 40 S-Line though against an Enyaq 80 Suite and they both have bigger profile tyres than those on the test. I do suspect the 50 S-Line tyres make the difference here. On the lower spec versions I thought they were both lovely cars to drive but the Audi was a little bit quieter to be in with a nicer cabin (I like old school buttons!).

[@brandygonzalez7846]

I don't know which software version gives the id4 but my info center works much faster . You're also one of those journalists who doesn't even bother to understand how it works.

[@NedNew]

Brandy, sorry but I'm going to blame you for the mess that's currently in my underpants.

[@AzizIzgin]

how is the enyaq compared with the ioniq 5? Except for the charing speed. I am interested in the road noise , the room space inside.

[@ISuperTed]

I test drove both when choosing my next company car and my thoughts are the Ionic 5 was quieter and more refined to drive and has a huge interior. The Skoda however wins on practicality (the boot is way bigger and better shaped_. I went for the Audi though in the end as cheaper for me on my company scheme but if I was buying with my own money I would get the Skoda for a family car and the Ionic 5 for looks/feel. All of them are great cars though.

[@AzizIzgin]

@@ISuperTed ended up buying a second hand “temporary “ car yesterday, ionic electric 28kwh 😂 I will have it until the market stabilizes a bit and I can buy the i5 or the iv80. The ionic classic is very noisy inside the cabin unfortunately other than that it feels good. One bad thing is that I can’t really find where to set the charging limit for the battery… Don’t want to charge to 100% all the time.. Have been searching but no answers… the answers I’ve found is for the newer cars is the app blue link but it seems that my version 2018 doesn’t support this unfortunately, others say that in different countries the settings are different

[@wayfaringcookie8142]

I have the Q4 but do like that Skoda. VW is just boring.

[@nielshunniche1]

Hi Good Video. Its not Volkswagen, its a (F)olkswagen from (F)W group

[@davefroman4700]

The battle for second place is a bunch of has beens that are doomed to obsolescence. The old business model of taking five years to push a design review will never keep up with technology in the digital era. Five years is the difference between relevance and obsolescence today.

[@Petelmrg]

Audi was always the subtle choice when BMW and Mercedes were too vulgar; not now.

[@deadfool3344]

Audi has the nicest front and interior, Volkswagen has the nicest back. Skoda...is well a skoda no thanks.

[@davewatts7444]

Skoda by a mile

[@newbeginnings8566]

At 2000kg plus these vehicles can never be 'sporty' and never be fun in the original GTI format.. They are all very heavy nee far too heavy.... Heavy SUV, battery laden vehicles... Surely we can expect better for less? We need lighter cars.. We need hydrogen ICE vehicles.. Non polluting, much lighter, and eventually they would be cheaper... Fast fill up, no range/winter battery issues.. No dependance on the Chinese battery production is another big plus .. Let's ditch heavy, limiting, super expensive EVs and develop hydrogen ICE vehicles..

[@Petelmrg]

Hydrogen ice research is being dropped all over the world - it ain't gonna happen.

[@ISuperTed]

Hydrogen won’t happen but I suspect EV’s will evolve to become lighter over time. Remember we’re only at the very start of production level EV’s and there’s a lot more development to be done on battery size/weight which is the major component currently. Let’s see where we are with this is 10 years - I suspect car’s will be 500Kg lighter by then with longer lasting batteries and more powerful motors which will bring the power to weight ratio down a lot.

[@ionorreastragicomicchannel]

Personally, I would prefer a hydrogen plug-in hybrid with a 30kW battery for everyday driving to work and shop on cheap combined with the fast refueling of hydrogen. Positive impacts on the battery requirements cannot be overstated if we want to switch to cleaner transport anytime soon as with hydrogen plug-in hybrids you can basically double the EV production, while improved performance in cold climates like Russia or Canada where due low population density is building charger infrastructure rather expensive together with worryless towing experience may be rather important for people lugging boats and caravans during holidays. Also, converting gas stations to hydrogen will not only help trucks but save few jobs in the process, while keeping refueling stations in place allow refuel with physical money instead of debit card which government can block at any time apart of making all your car travel easily trackable. Fact that neither of the 3 presented cars are very good at towing family sized caravans over 1,2t (AWD models) unless you buy a caravan with its own batteries and motor, yet these EVs cost twice as much as ICE family SUV with higher towing capacity beyond offered by these cars is rather questionable design choice on VW part when considering that Model Y can tow nearly twice as much and predicting that majority of the buyers of these cars will be higher middle class in late 30 early 40 and so more likely looking for a boat or family caravan options to improve their summer holiday experience after recent pandemic showed unreliability of holiday plans made with jet travel in mind.

[@mr.wizeguy8995]

What is point to use loads of electricity to make hydrogen, then haul it to all stations, fill car and car turns it back to electric load of wasted energy in all process.