mattbostonmache

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My local VW dealer got their demo ID.4 in this past week and I swung by for a test drive.

Honestly, it was only the RWD version and the acceleration was sufficient. I remember taking the Mach E for a test drive and being disappointed after having recently driven the MY. All three are faster than most gas cars. The MY has the push you back in your seat like you're on an amusement park ride feel. The Mach E is still fun, but not quite at the MY level. And the ID4 tails the pack, but it's not too shabby.

I wanted to share a few observations...

Better on the ID4:
  • electronically retractable shade for the glass roof
  • every "button" is a haptic button. They weren't as bad as I feared, but I just want real buttons. I'm very happy with the Mach E implementation.
  • I liked the climate control screen where you can push a button with a goal action -- warm my feet, etc.

Better on the Mach E:
  • The ID4 screen felt dated
  • The ID4 screen froze up on my drive. I couldn't get back to the home screen, none of the on screen or haptic buttons below the screen worked, and voice assistant stopped working.
  • It has this terrible design with only two window up/down buttons. They are either in front mode or in back mode. This is the dummest thing on the car.
  • The ID4 has no 1PD. B is a poor substitute and won't bring the car to a stop.
  • There is no hold, so you can't take your foot off the pedals at a stop.
  • The car will actually roll back if you're on even a slight hill. If it had hold, this wouldn't be a problem. I expect this when I'm driving a clutch, but it shouldn't be happening in a. $40-50k BEV.
  • In the ID4 cruise control, setting the following distance uses a very confusing graphic. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem after day 1.
  • No frunk on the ID4.
  • It was only 65ºF and the sun felt hot through the windshield. Looking forward to the metallic heat block layer on the ME windshield.
Good on both:
  • They're both very quiet. Quieter than the MY.

When you floor the go pedal, there's some sort of switch. I'm not sure what's up with that. Is that so you know you hit max acceleration?

The demo car was a first edition with the white steering wheel. That just seems dumb. The dealer had a plastic cover to keep it clean (a la a hotel's disposable plastic shower cap).

Who else has tested the ID4? What were your thoughts? What lessons could Ford learn?
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SteelMach

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I LOVE the ID.4's window switches. Probably one of the best auto innovations in recent memory.

The 1-PD and Auto Hold is a bit weird. I get why they didn't do 1-PD (because they're trying to make it feel ICE-esque) but the European cars have Auto Hold if I recall, so it's stupid the US ones wouldn't.

I love the ID.4's driver display, better than Mach-E's because it's mounted to the steering column and therefore can't ever be rim blocked. I think this is probably my bias that my screen buzzes, so the silence of the ID.4's screens were paradise. I also like the all-black background on the ID.4's screens, very high contrast, super easy to read. And it has a power meter! Like every non-Mach-E EV on the market!

I also much prefer the ID.4's shifter design and location to the absolute trash that is the rotary dial on our cars. Whoever thought they could put a shifter that has no detent to stop it from spinning into park needs to be fired. I have no doubt that this car will not make it through my ownership with that park pawl intact the number of times "D to R" became "D to P" and I was reminded very aggressively that the vehicle does, in fact, have a park pawl as I rocked back and forth off it.

Otherwise yeah, it's a value product. Looks cheaper, feels cheaper inside, but *is* cheaper.

Rides better though. That's frustrating to me.
 
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mattbostonmache

mattbostonmache

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I LOVE the ID.4's window switches. Probably one of the best auto innovations in recent memory.

The 1-PD and Auto Hold is a bit weird. I get why they didn't do 1-PD (because they're trying to make it feel ICE-esque) but the European cars have Auto Hold if I recall, so it's stupid the US ones wouldn't.

I love the ID.4's driver display, better than Mach-E's because it's mounted to the steering column and therefore can't ever be rim blocked. I think this is probably my bias that my screen buzzes, so the silence of the ID.4's screens were paradise. I also like the all-black background on the ID.4's screens, very high contrast, super easy to read. And it has a power meter! Like every non-Mach-E EV on the market!

I also much prefer the ID.4's shifter design and location to the absolute trash that is the rotary dial on our cars. Whoever thought they could put a shifter that has no detent to stop it from spinning into park needs to be fired. I have no doubt that this car will not make it through my ownership with that park pawl intact the number of times "D to R" became "D to P" and I was reminded very aggressively that the vehicle does, in fact, have a park pawl as I rocked back and forth off it.

Otherwise yeah, it's a value product. Looks cheaper, feels cheaper inside, but *is* cheaper.

Rides better though. That's frustrating to me.
@SteelMach Absolutely agree 100% that the shifter is much better. You push it forward to go forward; you pull it back to go backwards. I wish this would become the standard across the auto industry.

Where was the power meter? I didn't pay too much attention to the screen while driving.

I did really like that the screen was attached to the steering wheel so it's never blocked.
 
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mattbostonmache

mattbostonmache

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I just noticed the VW website configurator says the AWD version has. heated windshield. I wonder if that's just a heated wiper area or if it's a full heated windshield like the Mach E in Europe (Ford Quickclear). Being in New England, that would be awesome! I was really bummed to find out the Europeans get Quickclear, but it's not even offered in the US (I don't think Canada gets it either).
 

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@SteelMach Absolutely agree 100% that the shifter is much better. You push it forward to go forward; you pull it back to go backwards. I wish this would become the standard across the auto industry.

Where was the power meter? I didn't pay too much attention to the screen while driving.

I did really like that the screen was attached to the steering wheel so it's never blocked.
Ford Mustang Mach-E I test drove a ID.4 today (my comparison vs Mach-E) 1616382037726


Green for regen, blue for acceleration.

The kick-down in the accelerator pedal is (I believe, someone on YouTube said this) that in "Eco" it dampens the throttle to the point where pushing it to the kick-down still isn't 100% wide-open throttle, pushing it past the kickdown overrides Eco (for emergencies, etc.) and reclaims full power.
 


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The demo car was a first edition with the white steering wheel. That just seems dumb. The dealer had a plastic cover to keep it clean (a la a hotel's disposable plastic shower cap).
You wonder who had final say on this car.

What seems smart on paper won’t always translate well to the real world.

I expect the VW team responsible for the window A/B switch design won’t be getting the bonus they hoped for. Now that the car is in production VW would trade the economies made, if any, moving from the traditional four switch design to this three switch debacle to not hear every review point out how it falls short & irritates everyone who encounters it.
 

rfrommd

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You wonder who had final say on this car.

What seems smart on paper won’t always translate well to the real world.

I expect the VW team responsible for the window A/B switch design won’t be getting the bonus they hoped for. Now that the car is in production VW would trade the economies made, if any, moving from the traditional four switch design to this three switch debacle to not hear every review point out how it falls short & irritates everyone who encounters it.
Heh. When I showed the ID.4 window switches to my wife she said, "it's clear that none of the designers have ever had to deal with small children in a car!"
 

Scarpia

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After reading about the window switches, I initially thought it sounded pretty dumb.

But, after thinking about it and reading a few opinions, I'm not so sure.

When I go to "roll down" one of the windows on my current car, at least half the time, I roll down the wrong one, i.e. want to roll down the driver's window, but the rear left goes down instead.
I think after having the ID.4 for a pretty short time, I'd get used to the process and proactively/instinctively choose the one I want. It can't take more than a split second and would eliminate errors.

Point being, before condemning something, perhaps we might try living with it to see if it might actually be better. Just because it's not what we're used to doesn't mean it's worse.
 

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Ford Mustang Mach-E I test drove a ID.4 today (my comparison vs Mach-E) 1616382037726


Green for regen, blue for acceleration.

The kick-down in the accelerator ... pushing it past the kickdown overrides Eco (for emergencies, etc.) and reclaims full power.
This is an incredibly important feature that all EVs should have. I have a very powerful Zero SR/F electric motorcycle that in ECO mode is a pussycat. In a sudden traffic situation the other day while in ECO I needed full power and didn't have it. Didn't crash but that was only thinks to an unusually alert driver in another lane.
 

PrimeFuture

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This is an incredibly important feature that all EVs should have. I have a very powerful Zero SR/F electric motorcycle that in ECO mode is a pussycat. In a sudden traffic situation the other day while in ECO I needed full power and didn't have it. Didn't crash but that was only thinks to an unusually alert driver in another lane.
I would love if the Mach-E had a simple toggle on the steering wheel, or an auto mechanism like the ID4, to pop into Unbridled mode when I suddenly need max power.
 

88 KILOWATTS PER HOUR

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I've driven both the Mach-E and the ID4.

The Mach-E has:
1) better acceleration (at least until the AWD ID4 comes out).
2) more power (see above)
3) a much better infotainment screen
4) sexier styling
5) better window controls
6) a frunk
7) the fun factor

The ID4 has:
1) a much better lease deal (including a full $7,500 MSRP reduction)
2) 3 years of free charging at Electrify America
3) that beautiful Dusk Blue color!
4) big, fat, tires (improves handling, according to Alex on Autos)
5) massage feature built into the driver's seat
6) better gear selector
7) driver's display that moves with the steering column

Both vehicles have their pros and cons.
 

jlauro

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I would love if the Mach-E had a simple toggle on the steering wheel, or an auto mechanism like the ID4, to pop into Unbridled mode when I suddenly need max power.
That's easy, you just floor it. In all the 3 modes, flooring the pedal gives max power.
 

SteelMach

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That's easy, you just floor it. In all the 3 modes, flooring the pedal gives max power.
Admittedly I haven't tried it since I only drive in Unbridled, but I liked VW's kick down in the pedal because I'm reminded of an experience I had in a Ford PHEV - I was in EV Now which literally means EV ONLY (and EV ONLY = less power than if the engine was helping) - pedal to the floor and the engine did not start, but the screen popped up "Press OK to Enable Engine" as its equivalent of "Your foot is all the way down, maybe you wanna override your own eco setting?" but it required you to press "OK" to do it, VW's is a bit more logical in that in a true emergency you'll instinctively stomp to the floor past a kick down before you'll read a warning on the screen and acknowledge it.
 

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I would love if the Mach-E had a simple toggle on the steering wheel, or an auto mechanism like the ID4, to pop into Unbridled mode when I suddenly need max power.
From the Ford webex meetings many months ago, they said the Mach-e has max power in all modes. If you floor it, it's the same in all. Its just not as responsive.

I don't have a car yet to verify.
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