Volkswagen ID.3 review: should you buy one over a Tesla Model 3?

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Arguably one of the most important cars to come out in 2020 is the Volkswagen ID.3. It’s the company’s first mass-produced electric car and it’s being touted as a major car in its history. In fact, the company says it’s technically the successor to the Golf, which itself followed the Beetle.
Now the VW ID.3 is available in the UK and we’ve been behind the wheel to see what all the fuss is about. After all, it faces some stiff competition from the likes of the Tesla Model 3 and the Mini Electric.
Having 45kWh, 58kWh and 77kWh, the ID.3 boasts a range of either 205 miles, 261 miles and 342 miles respectively. While that’s down on the Model 3, the ID.3 is able to claw its way back in other areas.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:16 Design
2:09 Boot
2:47 Price and trim
3:36 Interior tech
4:51 Build quality
5:37 Storage
6:10 Rear seats
8:01 On the road
8:35 Battery specs
9:30 Driving impressions
11:38 Battery regen
12:24 Driving tech
13:47 Likes vs dislikes
14:56 Should you buy an ID.3?
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#VWID3 #VolkswagenID3 #TeslaModel3

[@johnnoble9781]

Delighted with my ID3. Absolutely superb. By far the best car that I have owned.

[@oregonmortensen]

You say, that it doesn't regenerate that much, but it does. You just control it with the break pedal. When you start braking with the break pedal, the first part is actually the motor regeneration, that breaks the car. If you step harder on the break pedal, the disk and drum brakes kicks in. The computer simply sense how much break power you need and decide if regeneration is enough. Look at the horisontal bar in the display just in front of you. It shows how much regeneration, it creates, when you step on the break pedal. Best regards

[@jamiermathlin]

Another car reviewer who does not understand the laws of physics !

[@electric5280]

Great review! I got my ID.3 today and I am excited as well.

[@grantpatterson7364]

Thinking about getting one, can you also precondition the car using your phone? Ie defrost it/warm it up etc..while it's parked up?

[@omgImGerman]

Any thoughts so far? Ours is coming in 2-3 weeks

[@TheCaincj]

@@grantpatterson7364 Yes you can pre heat or cool the car from the app however it lacks a lot of functionality of the app for the e-golf which would not only locate your parked car but also guide you back to it. Also lacks facility for checking doors locked and windows closed plus more.

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

I have seen them driving around my place and was surprised, they are good looking - I have a soft spot for hatchbacks.....and it's bigger than you think not seen one yet. It's huge inside.

[@FreedomToRoam86]

Thanks for honest criticism. In making buying decisions, need to know problems, so can decide if ok, vs being upset later

[@svlagonda7417]

Good review. Very interesting insight into this car.

[@Wofinet]

Currently own a golf. Super keen for one of these. Unfortunately vw say they won’t get to Australia until the end of 2023 at the earliest. 🥺

[@russ_edmonds]

Thank you for a great video and for reviewing the Family Edition, which is the model that I imagine most people will be going for now. Every other video I’ve watched reviews the First Edition, which you can’t get anymore!

[@Foersom_]

The season seems to change forth and back, car color changes, and sometimes driving on the right side and sometimes on left. ;-) Did YesAuto drive the Id-3 in September in DE and then again in December in GB?

[@TalentedTom91]

This car is brilliant!! Watching your review was interesting because for the first time in a car review I agree with everything! 🤣 My partner just bought one of these and the first time I drove it I was completely sold on owning an EV myself. The next day I went to MINI and bought one! (MINI S E review in the works???) 👍🏻 I know I know, the range on the MINI is a tad on the low side but i don’t drive much and in 3 years when I give it back I’ll be getting more I can imagine.

[@o00scorpion00o]

I have the BMW i3 for over 3 years now and I can assure you having the gear selector or whatever you want to call it at the steering is just brilliant and a lever like in an auto transmission in an ICE seems very retarded in an EV and a waste of space.

[@richardpiper4828]

Clearly the ID 3 has taken huge inspiration from the BMW i3, particularly with with the interior layout. Like you I have an i3 (my second) and find the gear selector very intuitive and a much easier reach than buttons, lever or switch on the centre console. Interestingly I have just viewed the KZbin video of the i3 launch event 7 years ago that was held simultaneously in New York, London and Shanghai. Making the presentation in London was Ian Robertson (BMW’s Sales and Marketing Director) was Herbert Diess who is now CEO of VW. I believed a number of BMW engineers went to VW when the last BMW CEO (Kruger who followed Reithofer) grew cold on EVs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ6kop-Hbrx5lbs BMW quality much better than VW’s but I guess that is to be expected now that VW standards are slipping (across all their popular models).

[@o00scorpion00o]

@@richardpiper4828 Yeah the gear selector or whatever you call it is great in the i3 and id.3, the way it should be in all electric cars if you ask me. Shame they removed the Rex from the 120 Ah and no larger battery option. Interior quality in the id.3 is lacking but at least it charges fast at 100 Kw and 120 Kw with the larger battery option. I guess it's hard to have it all in an EV that is sold at a decent price with the range and fast charging offered by the id.3.

[@TheCaincj]

I have a first edition, previously I had an e-golf which I loved. The ID3 is a good transition from the e-golf providing more range and power. I am disappointed however in the phone app which has nowhere near the functionality of the phone app for the e-golf.

[@rocket3man]

Well I was going to buy the Model 3, then got a 27% discount on the ID.3, so no brainer decision.

[@txtasosxt]

How did you get a discounted on the ID.3? Which version and for how much did you buy it by the way?

[@scottwills4698]

@@txtasosxt great deals on Carwow (not seen 27% though)

[@omgImGerman]

Great video, but let's not pretend you didn't use some stock footage to get some outside shots in nice weather ;)

[@YesAutoUK]

Glad you enjoyed the video! And ff course! Using b-roll is common practice and sometimes we need to use manufacturer-provided footage for our exterior shots, particularly in the winter with short windows of light. - Cam

[@pigeonpoo1823]

When reviewing ev's I'd be interested if you said 'were getting X miles/kWh'. And, what was the ride like compared to a golf (1/4ton batteries gotta affect it somehow). Nice review keep it up

[@YesAutoUK]

Thanks for watching! And good to know, something we'll definitely take into consideration for the next one. Plenty more EVs to come in 2021. And the ride feels very similar to a Golf, VW's done a great job of disguising the extra weight - Cam

[@petergrant7127]

Been an id3 family owner for nearly a month. So far in the wet and cold averaging 3 miles /kwh. Like in any EV the GOM or Guessometer responds to driving style, temp/conditions and heater use. It will go up and down accordingly, so accurate range should be calculated from miles covered against percentage of battery charge. Also got 3m/kwh on a 70mph dual carriage trip in the rain with a moderate heat setting. Ride is great, soaks up most bumps, super quiet, a very relaxing drive, especially with adaptive cruise control. Regen is intuitive, works in D also for junctions and roundabouts and in initial braking. Read inside ev report that concludes this is more range efficient than over powerful regen settings. Angled pocket is for wireless phone charging. On the whole a reasonable review though.

[@kaya051285]

1/4th ton batteries? You wish! They are actually closer to 1/2 ton

[@nadnuts]

I agree with everything you said, I have test driven one today, I like how the car drives, still had to use the break as it doesn’t offer one pedal driving, that aside, the interior quality is very poor which is rather disappointing, otherwise I would’ve purchased one today. It’s not a bad start for VW EVs!

[@RobbieFitzgerald]

So VW is looking to convert their current base instead of chasing Tesla. Thats not a bad thing.

[@Therealmiracleworker]

I have one on order, though its the Tour model. Sad bit is the waiting list is so long. VW say its about 9 months, customers though tend to be waiting nearer to a year from order. I know there is a global chip shortage, but VW really should be better with the communications to customers, many have cancelled and gone to Tesla or Hyundai, both with much shorter lead times.

[@ThePurple1968]

The touch buttons are much better, not to mention the fact that they won't break like mechanical switches. It's not a wallet holder btw, it's a phone charger .....

[@jamiermathlin]

We are thinking of getting one for our second car, however, I just wish it had quality leather seat options, as we are not all Vegans !

[@vfr800ch]

I've been on a few test drives of the ID.3, and I would agree with your conclusions that it's a very Golf like car to drive and is even more fun, is fast and technically well thought it and it's pretty well built, largely (some cheap plastics (dash/door)as in the T-Roc and some very strange trim colour offerings.. ). Where it falls down is assuming that the average "Golf" type driver is going to be in any way happy with the touch controls/touchscreen/haptic feedback system on the steering wheel and main screen infotainment system. It's one of the worst of all the electric cars i've driven recently (and yes, it did have the latest software update). I still think it's worth considering but one should also "test drive" the menu system and understand it's foibles..

[@bat33.12]

The infotainment screen and steering wheel haptic controls are mostly just lifted from the Golf Mk8 and have caused some upset amongst Golf fans along with a fair few complaints that the Mk7.5 had a better quality interior and controls than the latest mk8. Running two expensive production lines for ICE and EV cars along with huge DieselGate fines clearly having to be paid for and cost cutting had to come along somewhere.

Is this the stone washed colour?

[@Chappers.Gaming]

VW didnt bother swapping the light switch to right hand side drive.... left it as it would be for left hand

[@FutureReverberations]

I am ordering one tomorrow. I do drive a lot of country lanes and the lane assist thing is the only issue I have with it but I am willing to bet I get used to turning it on and off. Another though seeing as lane assist isn't a required piece of equipment in all new cars I see no reason for VW not to put in a setting to allow you to just default it to off.

[@bat33.12]

Euro NCAP is why you can't default it to off - from 2022 it will be a mandatory fit so VW have included it on all new cars so they are ready to comply without making production changes. It's also required to take more than a single button press to disable it under the ncap rules. I own a 2020 Hyundai i30N and I can select in the menu system which parts of driver assist I want active, the lane assist has a button for on/off which you can default to off but I suspect the face lifted version may have changed this. It's not put me off ordering an iD.3 for my daily though.

[@MichaelPanzer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmPNg5SNe9mesJI Have a look at this. Might help you with the lane assist deactivation in start...

[@sjcsystems]

Do any of them have arm rests? Perhaps because I’m left handed I like to use the rests.

[@irekfilms]

Transmission tunnel is only for rear wheel drive or 4 wheel drive so most of the cars does not have one either ?!?

[@mravecsk1]

Bjorn Nyland just tested it in -25C :)

[@nunolp9067]

ID3 is much better than the Model 3 (quality, assistance, reliability, design: anti-froggy looks)

[@jsouto77]

I've got a remaped golf 7 R and the Mrs has a tesla model 3 sr+ . Ill take the tesla out at every opportunity instead of the golf. Ive seen the id3 last time I went to service the golf and was very disappointed at the interior in regards to the gold or anything tbh. The seats look they came off a mk3 1.2 fiesta. The golf by the way is a reallly nice car so im not dicing it here.

[@CyAn-S]

This guy also says the interior quality is better than a MK8 Golf. No way in hell that is true. I have sat in both the Mk8 Golf and the ID.3, and the Golf feels almost like a luxury car compared to the ID.3 Honestly the quality if the ID.3 is on par with a Polo, not a Golf.

[@Christopher.s]

As someone in the US, we will not get this car here. What is the price difference between this and the model 3? Thanks

[@CyAn-S]

@@Christopher.s standard range plus starts from 47000 euro, base ID.3 38000 euro, base is with the avg battery pack. A cheaper one will come will less range, estimated at 30 grand hopefully.

[@brownpartnership11]

I am on my 3rd mk 7 Golf R, they are great petrol cars, look nice, go quite well, fairly economical and have nice interiors....but I have just placed an order for a Model 3 LR, it just feels very special and is a real joy to drive! The best ID3 is the tour, this is just over £40K to buy, that is the same as a Model SR+, the Tesla is faster, has better tech that actually works, is more spacious etc, etc, but it isn't as pretty. I ordered the Model 3 LR on the basis it is just £10K more than the best ID3 and is far superior in every way (apart from looks), and the build quality now seems great, almost as good as VW dare I say! Plus the M3 LR is quicker than a Golf R and with a simple £1500 software update, 0-60 improves from the already brilliant 4.2 secs to 3.7 secs!!!!

[@harleyjager8829]

I'm coming it a tad late on this review, but I, too, thought this review was first rate. My frustration lies with the fact that both VW AG and VW of America have decided not to import the ID-3 to the U.S. or to manufacture it here (in addition to the ID-4). That just so damn frustrating. It's the right size -- i.e. VW Golf size-- and it looks really good to my eyes . (Thank goodness no attempt was made to yell "Hey, look at me; I'm weird looking so I must be an EV.") Moreover, with regard to the capacity of the 201-hp version, while it would be great to have a GTI version with 100 more horsepower, this car's ability to accelerate to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds is smack dab in the middle of a host of SUVs sold here in the States. I really wish we had a crack at this one. Lucky you!

[@rogersmith7525]

I think you can import it yourself but it's gonna cost more if possible.

[@CyAn-S]

Quality better than a MK 8 Golf? what? There are way more hard plastics in the ID.3 and it feels less solid as well. Especially the seats. The seats in the new Mk.8 golf are almost a grade above the segment. The ID.3 has a quality feel on par with a Polo. which is not a compliment at this price.

[@HelloMyFriend_]

I completely agree. Skoda Enyaq looks better interior wise.

[@welshjim22]

Not convinced by the looks, interior is ok, but why is a low centre console good? Dash cluster is too small. No resl reason to have it so small. Two big screens with proper Virtual Cockpit come face-lift time please.

[@repCanada]

I'd like some more physical buttons please

[@mravecsk1]

No need for them if infotaiment system is designed well... Not the case for now but they will get there eventualy. Still there is no way back to physical buttons the same like with phones.

[@officedotie]

whats with all the reviewers going mad for more pockets no body uses all the pockets

[@grampanda]

I checked out the website and was surprised that it is a lease only vehicle. Is VW concerned about the life of the battery? It turned me off.

[@vfr800ch]

Err, it's not, what do you mean?

[@Moqqot]

In my country the Teslas are 20000 pounds more . So in my opinion the id3 is the winner with a budget

[@Lili1980]

Is this color stonewashed blue?

[@YesAutoUK]

It certainly is! - Cam

[@shockthemonkey7046]

Really don’t like the slab of black plastic in front of the windscreen, I hope the cheesy decal on rear pillar is optional and the hatchback can be colour coded. I am a mk 7 golf owner and have been holding off on going for a tesla in the hope the id3 would go for a more understated uniform approach to the styling so sorry vw - looks like a tesla for me.

[@brownpartnership11]

I was waiting for the Cupra Born to replace my Golf R, as it looks far better than the ID3, but have just ordered the M3 LR after taking a 1 hour test drive, it feels pretty special to drive and goes like sh*t. I will buy the acceleration boost for £1500 and then my 0-60 will be 3.7 secs......😜, then next on the list, tint the rear windows and maybe a dark metallic satin grey wrap 😎

[@Dralonet]

40 liters less than model 3?? Its mutch more difference than that! Tesla doesnt say this number so some imbicill measured and got it wrong. There is an underfloor compartement and a space in the front. You get so much more in the m3 than an id3 its not even compareable. The real number is not 425 but 542 liters for model 3.

[@sergefog]

It's a great review. Would I buy an electric VW? No, I'd get a diesel Passat - that's the car VW are great at, or a golf. If I wanted to buy a new electric car - it'd be a Tesla because I'd rather try something new in that category. VW are great cars but I like heir family estates too much. Ah and if I needed a city car - BMW i3 is my all time favourite!

[@jonpetter8921]

VW ID 3 is a better choice but that s your opinion.

[@sergefog]

@@jonpetter8921 my surf board won't fit in the ID3. You also can't camp in that car. So your concept of a "better choice" looks very strange to me.

[@jonpetter8921]

@@sergefog Well it depends because i don t think a surf board will fit in a Model 3 neither. And it depends where do you live because if your are from Europe the VW ID 3 is a better choice because of the practicality (better turning radius, shorter lenght, roomier interior), price wise also a lot cheaper than Tesla cheapest car while offering decent range, and then you have great feature addition like the LED Matrix light, HUD Display and cool interior mood light.

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

@@sergefog the surf board should fit into the ID4 - but if the beach is like - 500km away? 700? not very practical to drive an EV, stay with the Diesel for a while! EV´s are not made for frequent long distance trips

[@lonkow]

The tiny screens only mimic tesla proper tablet. Looks plastic and cheap inside

[@skirrah6936]

I got an ID.3, first edition. VW didn't mention the software issues before purchase. Really poor customer service. I wouldn't recommend.

[@julianguffogg]

Nope is the answer.

[@Kavafy]

Stop saying "Tezzla"

[@abraxastulammo9940]

7:00 Vegan leather I assume?

[@teslar1]

One of the most poorly researched videos out there. This guy missed many features or didn’t understand them properly

[@shaneenticott6490]

I think I'd describe this guy as ... a knob

[@spsmith45]

Grow up?