TEST: why the Volkswagen ID.3 is worth the high additional price - AutoReview.nl

This article is a shortened version of an extensive comparative test in Auto Review 9. Online we highlight the positives of the ID.3 - all the things that may make you want to pay the high additional price of the car.

Lots of space and soft materials

Of Atto 3 WORLD is the largest car of the three. Yet the driver and co-driver of the Volkswagen have the most freedom of movement. Thanks to the slim dashboard and compact center tunnel, the interior of the ID.3 is so empty that your knees won't bump into anything.

Volkswagen has also listened to the criticism of the interior of the first ID.3. In places where hard plastics were still used before the facelift, we discover soft-touch materials in the 2023 model. In the field of material use and finishing, BYD and the MG4 Electric therefore not comparable to the Volkswagen.

High-quality comfort may cost money

When it comes to seating comfort, VW leaves nothing to chance. Our already not cheap test car (from 44,990 euros) is equipped with the 2680 euro Interior Style Package. Then you sit on the excellent ErgoActive front seats with lumbar support and a massage function. They support your body in such a comfortable way that even after long rides, signs of fatigue are minimal.

As part of that package, Volkswagen also installs a sound-insulating windscreen and you can hear that. In the quiet cabin of the ID.3 you experience less wind and road noise.

The ID.3 also has a pleasant chassis. It combines suspension comfort and sportiness in such a successful way that Chinese car brands are probably curious about its secret recipe. We know one ingredient: the optional adaptive shock absorbers (1560 euros). Without extra passengers or belongings on board, the Volkswagen is by far the smoothest to deal with irregularities in the road surface.

The best brakes

The ID.3 rounds our test track in a fast, neutral and safe manner. Along the way, its steering provides clear feedback. The Volkswagen also has the most powerful braking system and always comes to a stop faster than its competitors. And that with drums on the rear wheels, while the Chinese mount discs all around.

Conclusion

The recent facelift has done the ID.3 well, with the quality upgrade of the interior as the most important and most visible change. You also buy the Volkswagen for the excellent ErgoActive front seats, the quiet cabin and the pleasant chassis. The powerful braking system contributes to safe driving characteristics.

Today he may go home as the winner, but we wonder whether Volkswagen has done enough to make the updated ID.3 first choice for another three to four years. That gives the competition a lot of time to come up with even better electric family cars.

You can already read the full test Auto Review 9/2023. Can be found in the magazine shelf and can be ordered in our webshop.