Volkswagen ID3 Review & Prices

The Volkswagen ID3 is an all-electric hatchback and is the zero-emission alternative to the iconic Golf. With an update to the model arriving in 2023, the ID3 aims to keep up with fellow EV hatchbacks like the MG4, Renault Megane E-Tech and Citroen e-C4.

It’s like when Apple updated the iPhone X to the XS – not a huge overhaul, but enough tweaks and alterations to make it a good upgrade.

The design of the ID3 was refreshed in 2023, so it gets a sleeker face with a new front bumper, fins either side to direct airflow and a new bonnet.

At the side, you don’t get the silly decals on the rear pillar anymore and you can get the ID3 with either 18-, 19- or 20-inch wheels. The sleek roofline stays the same, while you get a roof-lip spoiler at the rear with sleek taillights.

In the cabin, Volkswagen has refined the materials on show, with a spongey covering on the dashboard and cloth as standard on the seats.

Volkswagen ID3: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 261-347 miles
Efficiency: 4.1-4.3 miles per kWh
Battery size: 58kWh / 77kWh
Max charge speed: 120kW / 170kW
Charge time AC: 9hrs 30mins, 0-100%, 7kW / 12hrs 40mins, 0-100%, 7kW
Charge time DC: 35mins, 5-80%, 120kW / 30mins, 5-80%, 170kW
Charge port location: Right rear
Power outputs: 201hp

You also get a leatherette steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons – which can be quite fiddly – while there’s a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 5.3-inch driver’s display. A 12.9-inch touchscreen will be offered from the middle of 2024, while you can get an augmented reality head-up display too. You still get the annoying touch-sensitive infotainment control sliders though, which are very tricky to use when you’re driving.

There’s a decent amount of space in the cabin, with passengers having enough kneeroom. Headroom is a bit tight for taller adults, while fitting a child seat should be fairly simple with easy-to-access ISOFIX points and wide door openings. Pro S versions don’t have a middle seat though.

The ID3’s 385-litre boot is a good size, but there’s a large lip which can make it trickier to get larger items out. You do get an adjustable floor to help store your cables underneath, but there’s no extra space under the bonnet. The MG4’s boot is smaller, but the stylish Renault Megane E-Tech has a larger boot.

You get the choice of 58kWh (Pro) and 77kWh (Pro S) battery packs, both teamed with a rear-mounted electric motor. With the smaller battery you get up to 261 miles of range, while the larger option is capable of up to 347 miles. With the Pro, you can charge at up to 120kW, while the Pro S can be replenished at up to 170kW.

When driving around town, the ID3 feels a little lumpy over bumps on the larger 20-inch alloy wheels, but the steering has a light touch so you can make manoeuvres easily. Visibility is good on the whole, but there’s a minor blindspot over the front corners. There’s also a ‘B’ mode with higher brake regeneration but no one-pedal drive.

Going out onto the motorway, you’ll find the ID3 to be composed and comfortable. There’s a little bit of wind noise from the wing mirrors but it’s quiet on the whole. Acceleration is also pretty punchy.

Take the ID3 on a twisty road and while it’s no sporty EV, it’s fairly swift. You can feel the body rolling a little when you go round a corner quickly, but you get the rear electric motor to push you out of corners. It’s not exciting, but it’s stable enough.

While there have been some improvements to the Volkswagen ID3, its design isn’t as exciting as the Renault Megane E-Tech and the infotainment is still not the easiest to use when you’re driving. It’s more than comfortable enough for most, though, and rather practical.

To get the latest deals on the new Volkswagen ID3, check out carwow, where you can also find offers on used ID3s.

There’s deals on other used Volkswagen models and if you want to change your car altogether, you can sell your car through carwow to get the best price for your old model.

While it isn’t the most expensive EV around, Volkswagen has priced the ID3 above the MG4, Renault Megane E-Tech and Citroen e-C4. The MG4 is also better value with its Extended Range version, costing less than the ID3 Pro and having only 24 miles less claimed range than the Pro S.

There’s also the Cupra Born, which has the same platform as the ID3 but is also cheaper, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is a bit taller and higher riding, is the only alternative that’s more expensive.

While it’s quiet and composed when cruising, the ID3 can feel a little firm in town

In town

With light steering to help with manoeuvring, the ID3 is simple to use around town, as it has a fairly small turning circle so you can easily navigate into tighter roads and car parks.

The large windscreen, wing mirrors and rear window allow for good visibility all-round, although the thick A-pillars over the front corners can mean there’s a blind spot over the wheels.

If you get the 20-inch wheels, the ride comfort can be a bit sharp over bumps at slower speeds, but if you go for the 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels, there’s just enough cushioning. It can still be a bit jiggly though.

With the rear-mounted motor, you get a good amount of punch when you press the accelerator to get you out of junctions. It’s not stupidly fast, but it’s quicker than most internal combustion-engined vehicles.

On the motorway

Going on faster roads covers up some of the slower speed problems. While there’s more comfort as the suspension is better at soaking up the bumps, you can get some road noise from the larger wheels. There’s also a little bit of flutter from the wing mirrors.

Both the Pro and Pro S come with a single motor on the rear axle, and the 204hp motor offers more than enough performance to help with overtaking and getting off slip roads.

The ID3 also manages to be quite efficient on faster roads, averaging 3.8mi/kWh on a range test with the 58kWh battery when the model first came out in 2020.

On a twisty road

For a family hatchback, the 1,815kg kerb weight is pretty bulky and you can definitely tell that when you go on a twisty road.

You can put the drive mode in ‘Sport’ which makes the steering feel a little weightier and the suspension gets a touch firmer. Doing that can make the car better suited to driving faster, but you can still feel the body rolling.

When it’s in its normal mode, you can feel the roll more and the front wheels can lose grip when you go through a corner at higher speeds. If a sportier ID3 GTX comes along, the all-wheel drive and additional performance could be an interesting option.

The bespoke EV has plenty of storage space in the cabin and boot, but there’s a lip out of the boot and no under-bonnet storage

As it’s a purpose-built electric vehicle, the ID3 has all its batteries under the cabin floor, allowing Volkswagen to make the cabin feel more spacious and practical. You get decent sized doorbins – that aren’t lined, so things may rattle around – while you get a little net under the central touchscreen.

The centre console is pretty useful too, with two large cupholders, a small bin to put your keys in and a diagonally-mounted wireless charger for your smartphone. There’s also a space under a sliding cover where you can plug devices in with USB-C ports. It’s really quite practical here.

For seating, you get a good amount of adjustment whether there’s electric or manual controls, while the steering column has plenty of rake and reach – which also changes the driver’s display position.

Space in the back seats

There’s a big difference between the Pro and Pro S trim levels in the rear. If you choose the Pro, there is space for three people across the bench and there’s good room in the footwells. Sitting three adults across the back may be a squeeze, while headroom can be a little tight for taller adults.

If you choose the Pro S, there is no middle seat and it’s replaced by cupholders that are in the armrest for the Pro. If you need enough space for three, don’t choose the Pro S.

You get decent-sized door bins and good seat pockets at the bottom with additional phone-sized ones at the top of the seat backs.

Boot space

With 385 litres, the ID3’s boot is a good size. It has a square shape, while you also get a 12V socket and hooks to hang bags off. There is a little bit of a load lip, but you shouldn’t struggle loading things.

While the boot of the Renault Megane E-Tech is larger in capacity, the load lip is a lot deeper, the area is narrower and the space itself is a lot less practical on the whole. The MG4’s 363-litre boot is smaller, but has a dedicated area for the charging cables, so it ends up being about as practical as the Volkswagen.

With an adaptable boot floor, folding the seats down gives you a flat load area – making sliding things forward a lot easier. If you just want to hold longer items, you get through-loading with a small hatch in the middle seat back.

While the materials used are improved and it’s a nice cabin to be in, you still get the annoying infotainment system with touch-sensitive controls

The ID3’s cabin feels very open and spacious, with the large windscreen and panoramic sunroof – the latter being optional on the Pro and fitted as standard on the Pro S – helping a lot of light flood in.

The materials used overall were improved with the 2023 update. With no animal-based materials now used, the ID3’s mixture of cloth, ArtVelours faux suede and fake leather are eco-friendly, while also feeling high quality.

The main dashboard and armrest surfaces are now squidgier and more cushioned, with scratchier plastics only getting involved around the footwells in the front. There are a lot more harsh feeling plastics in the back, especially on the door tops, but it’s a good cabin overall.

You will find the overall colour of the interior is pretty drab though. The only colour options are grey and black, with ambient lighting the only true splash of colour. Some lighter interior trim options would have been nice.

Where Volkswagen has taken a major step back compared to alternatives in recent times is the infotainment setup. While the screens are clear to read, they are really lacking in ease of use when you’re driving. The annoying touch-sensitive sliders for the media volume and climate control are hard to pinpoint sometimes and when you’re trying to adjust them while on the move, it can be a struggle.

The same happens with the steering wheel. The controls are both press and touch-sensitive, so you’ll brush your hand over the controls and your driver’s display view will change. Or, when you need to change the volume by not pressing the button down, it won’t do it. The dual-functionality of the setup can be frustrating.

Back to the screens, you get a 10.0-inch touchscreen alongside a 5.3-inch driver’s display as standard – with an optional 12.9-inch touchscreen arriving in the summer of 2024. While the first iteration of this system was quite glitchy, Volkswagen has updated the software so it works a lot smoother now.

You do have the option of using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which can be connected wirelessly.

There’s also an optional augmented reality head-up display. Projected onto the windscreen, you will get direction arrows in front of you when using the navigation system, as well as your speed and other information you may want on there. It’s clear and stands out day or night.

A lot of the options available are cosmetic, but the Exterior and Exterior Plus packs do add some useful kit. With both there’s the adaptive matrix LED headlights, ambient lighting for the front grille and rear tinted glass, while the Plus version adds front and rear shock absorption, adaptive chassis control – so you can set the car up as you like it – and progressive steering.

The optional Drive Assistance Plus pack is also handy, as it adds traffic assist, additional parking support, lane change assist and additional ambient lighting options.

With the ID3, you get the choice of two batteries – the Pro with 58kWh and the Pro S with 77kWh. Choosing the Pro S does yield a better range of 347 miles, compared to 266 miles for the Pro.

Both get the same rear-mounted electric motor with 204hp and 310Nm of torque, with only slight differences in performance. The Pro takes 7.4 seconds from 0-60mph, while the Pro S takes 7.9 seconds as it weighs 100kg more.

In practice, the Pro S achieves 3.6mi/kWh when tested over varied conditions. That means the range will be closer to 280 miles – still more than enough for most people.

With the same test, the 58kWh averaged 3.9mi/kWh, so it would do 226 miles. That’s a lot less of a penalty and that can also be improved with smoother driving.

Charging differences are that the Pro S can replenish its batteries at a higher rate. When on a fast enough DC charger, the Pro S can go from 10-80% full in just 30 minutes with its 170kW charging speeds. The Pro can only go at 120kW, so the 10-80% charge takes 35 minutes.

On an AC current, you can go at up to 11kW – with no 22kW option available. Using an 11kW charger would mean a full charge on the Pro would take just over six hours, while using a 7.4kW wallbox for the same task would take just over nine hours. The Pro S takes eight hours on an 11kW current, while it will be fully charged on a 7.4kW wallbox in a little over 12 hours.

Currently, electric cars don’t pay vehicle excise duty – unlike all other cars – so although they may be more expensive initially, you can save on running costs. If you had an ID3 as a company car, the tax would be much less than if you had a car with a combustion engine.

Crash tested by Euro NCAP, the ID3 received a five-star rating with high scores across the four categories – both occupant protection and the safety assist sections scored particularly highly.

As standard, the ID3 receives front assist with autonomous emergency braking, lane assist, driver alert detection, dynamic road sign detection and adaptive cruise control. You also get front disc brakes for improved stopping power.

For additional security, the ID3 has all-round airbags, ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats and front passenger seat, E-Call for emergency assistance and an alarm with interior protection.

While the ID3 has been mostly unscathed with major issues, two recalls have occurred. There was an issue with a missing bearing bush in the steering system, while some front passenger airbags weren’t bolted in correctly. Some vehicles have also been recalled over faulty battery modules, so if you’re looking at used versions of the ID3, make sure these have been resolved.

For the first two years of ownership, you get an unlimited mileage warranty. When you reach the third year, you can either get to the end of that year or reach 60,000 miles on the clock for the warranty to run out. You can apply for an extended warranty through Volkswagen for that extra peace of mind.