Volkswagen ID.3 used buyer’s guide & review - Bargain buy or one to avoid? / Electrifying

Click the link to read an in-depth review of the Volkswagen ID.3 on Electrifying.com:
www.electrifying.com/reviews/...
Volkswagen has thrown pretty much everything apart from the kitchen sink at its new ID. range of electric cars. The ID.3 was the first to launch and appeared in 2020 and it has given VW a very credible offering in the electric hatchback market.
But what if you want to avoid the initial depreciation when buying new and want to go for a used one? Nicki Shields tells you what you should be looking out for in this used buyer's guide.
If you like the VW ID.3 then we think you should also check out:
Hyundai Kona Electric review: www.electrifying.com/reviews/...
Kia e-Niro review: www.electrifying.com/kia/enir...
Nissan Leaf review: www.electrifying.com/reviews/...
Thanks for joining us on our journey to 'Clear the Air' around hybrid and electric cars, we have new videos arriving every week (a mix of studio explainers and road tests) so please subscribe to the channel to find out more!
And please let us know what you'd like to see us film or talk about, we'd love to hear from you.
If you like the videos check out Electrifying.com where you'll find the latest reviews, our EV Dictionary and the latest news about Formula E from Nicki Shields.
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[@rocket3man]

I've had min since December last year, bought with a 28% discount, it came with the software gremlins but in March 2021 these were fixed with the 2.1 software update. I traded in a C class Merc and I would never dream of going back, it is really simple, quiet, spacious and comfortable car, it came with the upgraded alloys and heat pump - 180 miles winter, 230 miles summer.

[@raedjibrail5565]

Lucky you 🙂

[@StephenJeal]

How did you get the discount? Was it from a main dealer, car supermarket, etc? The discount sparked my interest. Thanks in advance.

[@rocket3man]

It was carwow, I managed the same percentage discount with them 3 years earlier on a MBC200. There was only one VW dealer offering this level of discount, but they sold 60 id.3's in 10 days before January which was their target.

[@johnwang9914]

Just remember to have all the paperwork actually transferred so the warranty applies to you when you buy used. Remember each auto manufacturer has their own paperwork requirements and do not advertise them to limit their liabilities. Used EV's are the way to go given how the decline in battery capacity guarantees a steep value drop off even though the individual failing cells can be replaced by third parties, however keep in mind that DC fast charging is really a relatively new feature and though the older vehicles may have had the socket blank outs for them, they often do not have the fast charging option as such recharge sites were simply not available in the past but remember fast charging are only needed for long trips and since you can always rent a conventional car, fast charging is really not needed.

[@commuterbranchline8132]

At last, a positive ownership story. The range seems a little limited for 2021…..

[@LiiMuRi]

I got my ID3 a couple of months ago and have been very happy with it. It came with the latest update, but it still occasionally has some bugs. Nothing serious, just a glitch or two every month. The range I get in city/country road driving (up to 80 km/h) is above 400 km in the summer, and maybe around 250 km at highway speeds (I don't usually charge above 80 %, so just estimating). I find the interior quality, lack of buttons etc. that people gripe about all to be acceptable, although I do get it that for the price of the car you might expect a bit more. And it was a pretty expensive car for me. If you can find one used, I'd definitely recommend taking a look.

[@mikehallett9638]

Well we now have a sample of VW haters and their prejudices. I guess most of these folks have not seen an ID.3 in the metal and even less driven one. Our car has been faultless, It has proved to return excellent consumption figures (somewhat better than my old Leaf 2). I’ve owned 9 Golfs in 36 years and know just a little about what VW quality, fit and finish are about - yes there are some hard plastics but located in areas where one is unlikely to touch - I wonder if the haters sit in their vehicles and gently massage their cushioned plastics for hours on end getting a thrill from doing so? Meanwhile we are enjoying silent, environmentally friendly, reliable and comfortable daily transport.

[@andkosification]

"" I wonder if the haters sit in their vehicles and gently massage their cushioned plastics for hours on end getting a thrill from doing so? "" This was exactly what I was thinking, when VW, Daimler, BMW Fanboys criticized Tesla for the cheap interior. Hahahaha.

[@johnadams4571]

Well said. These ridiculous criticisms come from the so called “expert” car reviewers that obsess about hard plastic and how big a bottle can be stored in the door pockets. Golf Mk1s had hard plastic that still look new 40 years on so what’s the problem? VWs are built to last a very long time.

[@GGxfireKeyz]

Have you gotten used to not having physical buttons for the heating and volume controls? That's the one thing making me hesitant to consider an ID.3

[@leonelbustosb]

I bought mine one month ago, I love it. Used to have a golf and a C3 and now I am not moving away from electric cars. I appreciate the effort of VW on going all in with this EV. I have been owning and driving for 20 years and I cannot see myself going back into a combustion car

[@anwenshahim741]

Driving my ID3 6 months now and love it ... a joy to drive and no glitches with software.

[@benholroyd5221]

Call me crazy but cars shouldn't be having software glitches. Are you thinking of anything in particular or is this a, possibly irrational, fear of the car crashing whilst on the motorway.

[@benholroyd5221]

@@cmpc724 it was mentioned in the video. I'd made the comment by then though.

[@AlanTov]

I’ve had an ID3 1st Edition for 6 months. Following the software update in March it’s been a joy to drive. The interior is minimalist but good quality and I really don’t see the fuss around it.

[@norwegianzound]

What fuss?

[@thomasespas3990]

@@norwegianzound that it appears cheap and simple

[@Antody]

Why did you sell it so fast?

[@cjchaworth]

Mine was supposed to be delivered in May ‘21 but they found the exact same problem with the 12V battery as described in this video. That’s now been fixed and it’s due to arrive tomorrow. Very informative video.

[@anydaynow01]

Good review, we need more on used EV and PHEV models as their prices fall to increase awareness of how affordable they can be and how they're still great and reliable cars.

[@johnwang9914]

Their value falls due to public perception on the rapid decline of capacity with lithium ion batteries though the EV's use more conservative formulations than cell phones which trade reliability for energy density and individual failing cells can be replaced in a battery though dealers and manufacturers would prefer to just sell new vehicles instead. You have to find a third party to recondition the battery and doing so often invalidates manufacturers warranties.

[@markthomasson5077]

One of the best looking electric cars.

[@Hiltsuk1]

Really good review thanks for sharing the software version 😁

[@richardshiggins704]

Very good review . Thanks .

[@garywright4233]

Cant wait for my test drive on Thursday.

[@OverlordActual]

I think this is the first time I am seeing the ID.3 In black. Looks really really nice.

[@jamesmccormack3229]

Love the ID3 I know it has a few down sides but I can't help it, just love it! Great review of a pretty good all round everyday non SUV EV. Always really enjoy watching your reviews, appreciate the honesty and the way yous put things across educating us as we watch. Keep up the good work guys

[@intruder313]

It’s not an SUV it’s a small hatchback

[@jamesmccormack3229]

@@intruder313 I said that, I wrote all round everyday non SUV mate, cause it's nice to see a decent new ev that's not an SUV.

[@sambam007]

Great review. Showing the software version really useful. 👍

[@scottvessey915]

The 0792 software rollout started in March 2021, not January. Black is actually a dark grey, officially Manganese Grey. The 12V battery is maintained by the car automatically if the 0792 software is installed. The Style spec name was used for a short period on 58kWh cars, so a Style won’t always be a 45kWh car.

[@TKevinBlanc]

Really wish they brought this to my side of the pond.

[@Arc_Logic]

This is why it's so upsetting for this car to never have launched in the US. Compared to our current used EV market, this blows everything out of the water.

[@synvodkona]

ID.3 58kWh / 107kW engine owner here - driving quality is not amazing, it is one of the worst I've driven, very twitchy, jumpy. Steering is oversensitive, especially on the motorway. Same goes for ACC, even on closest range it maintains double the range I would like. Interior is cheap, seats are uncomfortable for long journeys, but the car is very roomy and practical for the size. Can't complain there. Turning circle is excellent! Range is somewhere between 150 km in winter on motorway and 300 km in late spring with some slow city driving and no aircon. Same goes for charging speed. You rarely see over 60 kWh in winter, most likely less (30 kWh is no exception when battery is half full) summer is a bit better and realistically you charge somewhere around 80kWh. There is a special place in hell for whoever decided to put capacitive buttons on the steering wheel. They detect pressure with mind of its own and add +-1 km/h or +-10 km/h on the cruise control with one second delay. Guess how much it adds when you try to add just 1 km/h in a radar controlled zone. Infotainment is slow, version < 3.0 is outright terrible, later revisions are bearable and they improve fuel economy by 5 - 10%, however you need to drive the car to your dealer for an upgrade (took them 5 days in my case). Even then wireless Android Auto / Apple CarPlay is unreliable and the whole infotainment sometimes restarts on its own. If the car doesn't go for 10 000 GBP, run away, not worth it!

[@colinatkinson4622]

Got one….love it!

[@Bigstory68]

You are correct with the range 180 on a run I wouldn’t risk anything further than that before stopping to charge . I do london to Sheffield 160 miles every week and it uses 60 to 70 % each way driving at 65mph . I have to say that the car is great but I’m not impressed with the mileage

[@markgaudie80]

I own a 58kWh Family Spec. We got ours brand new back in December for a tad over £28k. Which is much cheaper than the list price. My only gripe with the car is the software as you pointed out. It works fine 90% of the time but now and then it freezes or just throws up some random fault. We are still yet to get the latest software update so I’m sure it will be fine once this is uploaded to the car. As for the AC working via the touchscreen. I do wish this was physical buttons or at least have them visible on the screen at all times across the bottom.

[@doughayes9811]

"Hello ID," voice control, can be your friend, for that. I reckon its the easiest way to adjust air con temperature / turn heated seats on and off. Seems to respond best to simple statements like "I'm hot / cold," to get a 1 degree change in aircon setting, or "my seat is too hot / cold," to adjust the heated seats.It works out whether to adjust the driver or passenger side settings according to who speaks.

[@seanfallon4580]

Thank you for the very informative and very interesting review

[@johndesmond1987]

You are lucky to have the option to buy a used ID3. Here in Canada, it won't be available until 2023 at the earliest. The overly large and slow ID4 should make its first appearance here in the second half of 2021.

[@HelloMyFriend_]

Am I mistaken that the 45 kwh version only can charge with maximum 50kw?

[@AleksanderKrawczyk]

It depends: you can order it with upgraded 100kw option.

[@mikaelnielsen8148]

Hi Nicki, how tall are you? The car looks pretty big but will it be big enough for 6´5? :-)

[@chadbailey7038]

Great review! And reviewer!

[@simonreeves2017]

I have a good friend, and her son in law who bought one each of the First Addition. One has been completely reliable from new, one has been back to VW five times for issues - it's never broken down as such, but throws up error messages and has refused to charge on occasions. This is such a shame, because the ID.3 has a lot going for it, and VW desperately need something positive after diesel-gate.

[@wilkoone9155]

Diesel gate! I think a real ongoing scandal is #hybridgate!

[@paulhillman400]

​@@wilkoone9155Of their own making.

[@hans-martinadorf3834]

Lovely presentation in lovely British English. Thanks..

[@johnadams4571]

This is English English at its finest, Home Counties to be precise. British English comes in so many dialects, many of them incomprehensible to other native English folk :)

[@markoneill2819]

Test drove an ID3 yesterday. The demo was a year old 1st edition and I was very disappointed with the cabin. The materials were not up to scratch for a £40k car. The Golf GTE in the showroom felt much smarter.

[@AleksanderKrawczyk]

Smarter? Does it maths better?

[@chrishyde1216]

The money goes on the batteries, so it's a choice between running on electricity with lower emissions and running cost or a smart cabin.

[@chrishyde1216]

The money goes on the batteries, so it's a choice between running on electricity with lower emissions and running cost or a smart cabin.

[@RAHellemans]

Reseason for so many ID3'son the market is all to do with EU penalties for the not achieving the required efficiency improvement averaged over VW sales in 2020. You might remember that towards the end of 2020 ID3s had been stockpiling high waiting for the software fix which was finally released Q1 2021. How to get the ID3s sold to count towards the EU fleet pollution reduction target? Instruct your dealers all over Europe to buy them, register them and sell them when the fix is available as a second hand car. Hence the glut of this good product..

[@marcquireyns8139]

I drove the ID3 for 1 day but find that the E-Golf is much more comfortable to drive, the only thing I like better about the ID3 is that it is much faster

[@kurtbonner3163]

Heat pump ? Is it too early to know whether due to UK winters the battery drop off will be significant enough to require the £1000 upgrade?

[@Electrifyingcom]

A heat pump will add between 10-20% to the range in cold weather. You'll have to do the sums on whether the extra efficiency and convenience works for you.

[@joe8572]

I still miss the feelings of full control in e-Golf's gear-shift for changing re-gen level.

[@svlagonda7417]

This presenter is pretty good. Would like to hear a bit more info about tech, different models etc though.

[@ram64man]

I’ll wait for the 77kwh to drop on the second hand hopefully in the3 year delay vw will fix the biggest complaints

[@wilkoone9155]

Honestly you don't need the 77kw battery, yes on the ID3 but not on the ID3. The big game changer is rapid charging with CCS, I've had mine since September and hardly ever use public chargers. Most of my driving is long journeys non motorway. Last week I had to attend a meeting & collect someone from another city and leave him back afterwards, I didn't even bring a charging cable with me!

[@wilkoone9155]

That should have read ID4.

[@ram64man]

@@wilkoone9155 I drive 260-300 miles a day in the UK due to the job. And don't have any time to charge in the day hench why I want the biggest battery

[@StarLuna973]

It might be worth noting that the bigger battery on the ‘Tour’ version is only a four seat vehicle!

[@dennisreilly6012]

Wonderful review, but alas I will never get to buy one as it isn't slated for the USA. Bummer, as I prefer the size of the ID3 over the ID4.

[@raedjibrail5565]

One thing you didn’t mention is price?! What’s the depreciation from new. What should l be looking to pay depending on battery size?

[@wilkoone9155]

I think EVs have a much slower depreciation than ICE cars. My s/h Zoe 40 went up by 10% in the 18 months I owned it, I'm now on my 4th EV. 2 of my children have recently bought EVs an ID4 & an Enyaq.

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

The ID3 looks great on the road but I don’t understand why they can build an exemplar for a quality interior like the Golf and then do this to their first true EV platform car. On the videos it doesn’t look good.

[@kristijangrgic9841]

They paid a lots of fines for Dieselgate, gotta to earn that money back

[@smoothmicra]

If you want one there are plenty out there, as long as you have a spare £30K to burn. In the world of EVs that seems to be cheap for something that can be used as a family car, and at least it isn't a big old SUV, it's an electric Golf so it fits our roads and will always be easy to park. Not for me at this point in my life, doing too many miles commuting to make it really practical, but I suspect my first EV will be something like this. It retains the understated "classless" Golf image, and even the base models will be an entertaining drive with the EV torque.

[@LittleJoshVarela]

Most likely my next car 😉

[@tomattime]

Another carefully or, car fully, crafted review. Both the ID. 3 & ID. 4 look even better in the metal.

[@hubby00n6]

So pretty! Smart is beautifull!

[@benmoorhouse88]

My big concern with a used ID.3 is that so many of them were left outside at unknown levels of charge for months on end. No chance I'd buy a 2020 model if I was planning to keep longer term.

[@norwegianzound]

I cannot believe they have complicated things adding a brake pedal, an accelerator and a steering wheel. What were they thinking?

[@Senna-xi1gr]

I’ve had 15 vws over the years but this Id is not for me👎🏽. Always great to see Niki though.

[@goldieandblackie]

That white steering looks nice but will get dirty very quickly.

[@totwiedisco]

The internet, interestingly, shows that this is not the case. A German owner issued a video on this.

[@hammmodjabeer7278]

Amazing car

[@johnnyonline]

We wont be seeing these in Australia for another year and you're already talking about purchasing them 2nd hand! We're so far behind!

[@toninocars]

Good review, thanks 🙏 The car is ok but been a vw makes me worried about reliability, they used to make one of the best and most reliable cars back in 80’s and 90’s but turned into the worst car maker in recent years , since 2005 to be more precise. Happy to give them a second chance but will skip any product from them for now. Hyundai or kia should be on your list as alternative, having so many id3 used and only been a year old car also is a worrying fact that rings the bell.

[@johnadams4571]

How to announce publicly that you know nothing about cars…

[@ThePsychoticWombat]

Electric cars are heavier, but due to the battery they get a much lower center of gravity, which make them drive better :)

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

Damn who doesn't hate that annoying exhaust pipe tunnel???

[@supersonic79]

Haha 😆

[@lusilk7954]

Top marks

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Is she really short or is that car huge ?

[@Scuba72Chris]

There are only 2 things I dislike about the ID3. The weird plastic panel that covers the wipers, and the whole of the interior. ;)

[@UnipornFrumm]

If it was designed as an ev from the start.... Where is the fronk??

[@6chhelipilot]

It's in the boot. ID.3 has very short bonnet = more passenger space.

[@UnipornFrumm]

@@6chhelipilot i dont buy it bro,tesla has the motor low,vw has the motor up instead of having storage space

[@TimT0m461]

@@UnipornFrumm Where do you think the motor is? LOL

[@UnipornFrumm]

@@TimT0m461 between the wheels,you never disassembled a rc car?

[@TimT0m461]

​@@UnipornFrumm I know,but do you know ID.3 are a RWD? Since you comments fronk. 🤣

[@nealm1814]

Nice interior..........for a delivery van

[@marklola12]

I'd never fully buy a car again, much prefer lease, cheaper monthly payments and I can change to a new car after 2 years

[@Antody]

It's not cheaper by any means, and you never own the car. You're just renting/subscribing for far more than you'd pay with cash.

[@award4508]

been looking at them for a while , have driven , but second hand is a joke , might as well buy new as some second hand one are dearer than new as there is 5 month waiting list ...

[@johnknight9150]

Love the car, but am I the only IT guy who doesn't like the idea of an operating system running my car?

[@FFVoyager]

It's the future (and the past - Tesla have been doing it for 8 years)

[@johnknight9150]

@@FFVoyager And?

[@gavkenny]

No you're not. Its a beautiful car and loved the ID3 to drive but the Infotainment system and the fly by touchy feely controls drove me spare.

[@ST-ur7oh]

Plastic wheel trims - rear drum brakes - steel wheels - halogen headlights - hard dash plastic …. Is this a 1986 Polo ?

[@benholroyd5221]

The bread van? Cool. I want one slightly more now.

[@morafiq1218]

The rear drum brakes are not your typical 1986 drum brakes. They’re drum brakes because it houses a lot of electronics for the regenerative braking system and on B setting the front brakes aren’t used as you’ll notice the rear doing all the work.

[@ST-ur7oh]

@@morafiq1218 nonsense. The weight of a car and basic physics means the front of a car takes a load when braking. Rear drums are down to cost, just like a Polo or an UP!

[@morafiq1218]

@@ST-ur7oh Do a little research topgear-autoguide.com/category/tech-future/vw-electric-car-why-the-id3-drum-brake-makes-sense1607847651

[@ST-ur7oh]

@@morafiq1218 the article confirms 1. Used due to cheaper costs 2. Less performance than discs ie fade. An interesting article but predicated on cost factor. Confirms my position really.

[@smallmj2886]

The worst thing about the ID.3? Volkswagen didn't bring it to Canada.

[@verbimaarten]

Here in Belgium; over 140 second hand id3’s available (starting at €29.990). Versus 24 Tesla model 3’s. Guess consumers aren’t too impressed with the vw.

[@kevinodonovan1593]

Test drove one today, didn't like the steering wheel controls, not buttons but touch pads with vibration response or something, thought it was loose at the start, felt a bit closed in driving it, horrible thin armrest, all felt a bit cheap. Already drive an electric car, didn't like this one

[@jackhetherington6457]

No buttons. Hate it

[@ObiePaddles]

I wish they had carried on with proper names. We cold cope with names like Golf, Scirocco etc. ID + number is boring and the same as soooo many other makes.

[@fjalics]

The downfall of that car is it doesn't have a frunk or a froot, and they should have brought it out in 2017 like Tesla with the Model 3. Then nobody would have been complaining about the bugs in 2020. 😁

[@anthonycollingridge970]

Have been thinking about an ID3 or a Cupra Borne. The ID3 interior feel like the design team was axed mid way through the design, and VW bought in a 5 year old to finish it off.... It just fells like a cheap & miserable place to be.

[@dronedad5784]

this car came out ages ago and has been already reviewed.. whys it taking so long for this channel to get on it?

[@davidholden2658]

They reviewed it eight months ago kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6Gpnnimq8SZnqc

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

read the title

[@adrianbyron-parker5797]

Why couldn't they get the wipers to wipe in the correct sequence for right hand drive. Lazy in a car of this price!!

[@Electrifyingcom]

We agree Adrian. It's mentioned in a couple of our other ID.3 reviews.

[@johnadams4571]

Wipers make no difference whatsoever, another internet myth.

[@mamadouaziza2536]

Wow, over 300 used iD3'? That is a lot for a car less than a year old on the market. The lease agreements aren't even up yet..

[@matthewburroughs9597]

White interior is , well - unpleasant.

[@markfitzpatrick6692]

All the Tesla people think they need a white interior. The I’d 4 can be gotten without a white steering wheel only the 1st edition has it

[@carlarrowsmith]

No seatbelt adjustment on these and peddles are offset to the right. B pillar is to far forward, those taller than the reviewer will rub against it on entry/exit. Wipers still set for left hand drive. Efficiency for short journeys is currently vastly worse than competition. Interior is fine as is latest software. It's the points above that are missed on every single review.

[@carlarrowsmith]

@@mattgrant9479 Yes Matt I have driven one and they do have the issues I've outlined. How many Kwh per mile are you getting in Cambridge on short journeys? Some of the online testers are getting figures in the low 2's in not so cold conditions.

[@athollmcnicoll256]

So Nicki is not adverse to playing one of my favourite games when it is raining "Splash the Puddles" on tight bendy roads. but mind you if there are sheep or cattle about in fields, they can get a real good soaking so maybe if your an animal lover, this is not such a great idea.

[@4waydiablopb]

Model: ID.3 Trim/Spec: City - Life - Style - Family - Business - Tech - Max - Tour Battery: Pure (45kw) Pro (58kw) Pro s (77kw) Motor: Performance (204ps) no performance badge (150/145ps) So for example a ID.3 Style Pro performance is 58kw, 204ps Life Pro (58kw/145ps)

[@ColinGoldfinch]

Didn't VW have thousands sitting around for months before being sold due to software issues? I'd avoid an early one like covid-19

[@esm7708]

Yes they did but now they have the software update they're fine.

[@ColinGoldfinch]

@@esm7708 but they've still been sat around for months which can't have done then much good.

[@esm7708]

@@ColinGoldfinch true. I've been sat around for 18 months and I'm commenting on the merits of buying a second hand id3. It's definitely not done me any good.

[@eveningstar3230]

most impressive peice of kit, car looks good too .....

[@mikebrueton6716]

Kia e Soul is a far better choice 👍

[@_TrueDesire_]

I'm just curious what do you prefer with the Soul over ID 3? :)

[@mikebrueton6716]

TrueDesire존 key points for me. 7 year warranty, better spec , range the South Koreans have really nailed this.

[@charlibarzano]

if there is plenty its for a raison honey

[@casperhansen826]

It is quite suspicious that there are a lot of ID3s for sale on the second hand market less than a year after it has been released. Could it be because the car is so bad that people want to rid of it asap?

[@SeriouslyJaded]

There are lots of EV options now. Many people want to move on pretty quickly. There were some early software issues with the ID.3 but the first update fixed all the major ones. Perhaps some people were jaded with those. Also, the early ID.3 in the UK had little in the way of trim options - no HUD or electric seats or pano roof for instance, so people are perhaps upgrading to cars with higher trim options that are now available. My ID.3 Max is an awesome car. I do not regret buying it in the slightest.

[@matpat2636]

I suspect it's because many ID3's were dealer pre-registration cars that VW flogged to get their average fleet C02 emissions down to avoid a large EU fine. Cheaper for them to flood the market and take a big hit on the sale price, than pay the fines. Good for consumers, as long as you didn't buy one new at full list price.

[@Tom55data]

Munro rather slammed it after a teardown. It is a good car to drive, quiet and comfortable with a bit of a downer on efficiency and the quality of interior is not up to VW ICE cars - but technically/electronically it is a bit of a shitshow.

[@SeriouslyJaded]

@@Tom55data lol @ Munro. Yeah, I saw his "reviews".

[@nirhawk]

5:00 lol

[@robertday8619]

An orange box has more about it than the cheap, basic, plastics that the vw interior has had thrown in it, not a place I'd like to spend long sitting in for sure. Plenty of other, better ev's for your Money.

[@philmorbey1827]

Maybe it is just me but I find the interior plain ugly? Especially compared to other similarly priced options

[@robsmith1a]

I am not a fan of the outside either. At least it is adding to the choice.

[@HelloMyFriend_]

Yeah, interior is bad. Seat is coming out with a e-car very soon - depending on price, I'll go for that one. My heart is set on the Ioniq 5 though. It's beautiful.

[@kyliefan7]

Yes! I agree! The white plastic looks awful! Also I hate that stupid sticker on the rear pillar!

[@jonpetter8921]

I like it. It s simple and unique. Some plastics here and there but that applies to most car in that price range...

[@AleksanderKrawczyk]

It’s you. We find the interior clean, modern and minimalistic. Cool.

[@Eric-lx8hp]

Wont buy a 1st generation car

[@marklola12]

Oh dear the Alexa style voice commands is piss poor lol it still sounds like the voice commands on my 2007 civic. Nearly every video I have seen of this car has failed when the person has tried to show this off lol

[@josephgittos3787]

I could of gone to a library and found a joke book faster then it responded lol

[@jonathantaylor1998]

A lovely review, but I'd agree with the other comments on here about how you've missed out the biggest elephant-in-the-room issue, which is the utterly unacceptable build quality in what is by no means an inexpensive car...! I know VW had to save money following 'diesel-gate', but to penalise their loyal buyers with shoddy plastics is unforgiveable. And, it's such a huge shame because, otherwise, the iD3 has SO much going for it - especially being a rear-wheel-drive platform...! I guess I'll just have to wait for the Audi version... ;-)

[@anydaynow01]

This has always been a hallmark of VW's base brand products though, they need a reason to up sell their Audis and Porsches.

[@TheLittleRedCali]

Agree and the other leading brands are doing the same. The last generation Audi A3 was the benchmark when it came to interior quality. The new one just doesn’t cut it.

[@scottvessey915]

There’s nothing wrong with the build quality. The cabin materials aren’t to everyone’s taste, but the plastic that every other reviewer seems obliged to mention are bits you don’t touch anyway.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

try looking at the plastic in the rear doors of a golf R, scratchy AF

[@AlanTov]

The interior is minimalist but a good quality. Lots of fuss about nothing.

[@yup.4901]

I didn't like the look of it from video reviews but I thought I'd give it a chance and view one in the metal. I still don't like it. And the ID4 is even worse. Pity really, I like VW's.

[@fredrikdahlinwinscher8881]

lots of people missuse the word "quality" here, the "feel" of a material isnt really a "quality" issiue. Thats a "sense" issiue. if the panels will rattle/breake/fall of THATS a "quality" issiue. But these panels in the id3 is rock solid. They are a bit of the hard plastic side yes, but they are not floppy plastics that you would think will fall off or breake any second. they actuall feel that you can tow a can in them, but soft, no.

[@GaryGiffin49]

won't be sold in North America

[@pega1245]

I wonder if she would buy this car on her own money...

[@diwe9984]

I like the iD.3, but to this day its software quirks are terrible and the bugs are very annoying.

[@kevinlcd1]

its the frist gen of id3 i am gonna get the 5 gen. XD

[@Peter-vn8ue]

Avoid.

[@TheLittleRedCali]

No mention of the interior quality. It’s shocking. Hard plastics everywhere.

[@Brian-om2hh]

I've seen it mentioned in road tests I've seen on here. A quite basic minimalist style interior won't cut it with too many people, especially at the price.

[@scottvessey915]

Yep, all those hard plastics that you don’t ever touch.

[@AlanTov]

The interior is actually pretty good. Lots of fuss about nothing.

[@josephgittos3787]

@@scottvessey915 Aren't the door panels hard plastic? I for one rest my hand on top so yes you will feel them, the seats look ultra trash something to of the 80s look about them, the arm rests also look thin and cheap, no heat pump as standard and the main infotainment screen looks like fisher price designed it

[@scottvessey915]

@@josephgittos3787 My arm rests on the arm rest in the door - there's a clue in the name...

[@stefan2796]

Avoid at all times! The amount of depreciation is scary. Just watch.

[@johnjames7332]

Lol I know. I just got a 21 plate for £13k. New buyers are probably in tears but 2nd hand cheapos like me are smiling all the way

[@MrSnicol]

The user interface on the ID cars is terrible and hard to use when driving. I also find the interior quality is below par, similar to my 10 yr old Citroen Berlingo van. Agree, the ride quality is quite nice.

[@anydaynow01]

Well it is the VW "store brand" budget version, there is always their Cupra version and the Sportback (a sedan, kind of) which are quite nice!

[@miami3863]

I absolutely love VW/AUDI build and interiors. But VWs are god awful at tech.

[@bikeman123]

Shes gushes about its ease to drive like shes never driven an automatic car.

[@gzcwnk]

What a terrible advert. if there are lots for sale that signifies potential issues and to be checked, yet not mentioned.