Having found lots of useful information on the forum I thought it would be helpful to share my id3 experiences, in particular this may be useful for folk considering getting an EV and an id3 in particular.
Car purchased – Facelift id3 Launch Edition 1 58kwh Costa Azure, delivered with software version 3.5
Dealer – Citygate Ruislip
Mileage – 1432 miles
Consumption to date – 3.1mi/kwh
Changed from 16 year old VW Mk5 Golf 1.6 Match (petrol), 156,000 miles owned from new.
WHY AN EV NOW
Whilst our Golf was mechanically sound it was showing its age (eg headlights had “cataracts”, roof lining was sagging, satnav didn’t work when warm) so it was time for a change.
EVs have always had environmental benefits being zero emission and our view is that EV technology and charging infrastructure has moved on from an early adopter phase into the mainstream.
Everyone we know who has an EV says how easy they are to drive and I don’t think I know of anyone who has gone back to an ICE. Plugin hybrids seem an unnecessary compromise, why carry two power sources with you with all the added engineering complexity.
The price differential between similar ICE and EV vehicles seems to be closing and the lower running costs (zero road fund, cheaper "fuel”, less servicing) probably means over the life of the car costs are similar? The exception here is insurance which seems to be higher for an EV and is certainly less available. The insurance industry seems to be struggling with EV cover as many household name suppliers either won’t quote for an EV or quote silly money prices. Definitely worth checking before committing to an EV.
WHY ID3
Having been a long term Golf owner we had been happy with VW which meant we were predisposed to the id3. Our key requirement was that the car would fit in our garage and have a decent range! The id3 just does this (10cm to spare) whereas similar or longer range cars are just too long.
Our original intention was to get a 77kwh battery model but we ended up buying the 58kwh version. Whilst the longer range would be useful the lack of 3 seats in the back (only 2 seatbelts and a pit in the middle) just doesn’t work for us; the dealer (VW Citygate Ruislip) said this was a “design compromise” due to the weight of the larger battery which also precludes having a heavy glass roof.
We also needed a car relatively quickly. The dealer said that a custom build id3 would take 12-18 months for delivery which for us was a non starter. They did have about 20 of Facelift “Launch Edition” models in stock as part of their allocation from VW.
Last time I looked there was little info on the VW website detailing the spec of these cars and the dealer was working off a print out of some power point slides. Basically the Launch Edition 1 we chose is a standard model with upgraded lights (matrix lights which are very good), rear camera and sensors (very useful as rear view is limited), keyless entry and illuminated handles (quite useful), adaptive cruise control (very useful), metallic paint, and fancy alloy wheels (although it looks like the Facelift models have dispensed with the steel wheels?) plus car mats, a 3pin charging cable, and a split level boot (useful for stashing cables). The other Launch Editions add further “stuff” to this but for us Launch Edition 1 provided a decent spec car.
ID3 REVIEW
Reading some of the press reviews of the ID3 build quality/spec you would imagine it resembles a 1980s Lada. This isn’t our experience at all. Our Launch Edition 1 has good trim and materials and feels well bolted together. There are a couple of examples of value engineering eg you only get rear speakers in top spec cars, no magazine holders behind seats.
So far the car has been absolutely fine. Build quality is good, no rattles and everything feels solid. The software (v 3.5) has been stable and works as anticipated. We just use the car software (built in satnav is good, music on a memory stick) so can’t comment on iphone/android integration. Whilst not wishing to jinx things it seems that the software/hardware problems flagged up on this forum and more widely with earlier cars have been resolved; when launched it looks like the id3 was really still in “beta” mode whereas now it is in “production” mode. Of course there have always been lemons…..
DRIVING/USING AN ID3/EV
Driving the id3 is really an effortless joy and a real change from a petrol Golf. The car is really quiet, smooth, and quick. Continuous power delivery without gear changes and sound means you are at 30mph before you know it so you need to be careful about not speeding.
Using the car in regeneration mode with autohold brakes is smooth and easy around town. The car’s power means you can easily accelerate into gaps.
Adaptive cruise control (not unique to EVs) makes Motorway driving easy although takes some getting use too – following traffic to a stop without your involvement is a little unnerving to start with.
If you want to drive the car quickly then you can- 0-60mph at 7.4s feels very quick (according to the internet this is quicker than the 7.6s for 80’s “Wolf in Wolf’s clothing” Peugeot 205 1.9 Gti). The lack of gear change and consistent power delivery is the biggest difference to an ICE, power just seems to keep on coming.
Being able to pre heat the car either by schedule or remotely by app is really useful especially on a really cold day!
CHARGING AT HOME
If you haven’t got a smart meter then get one installed as soon as you can in order to benefit from cheap EV tariffs. Similarly order your home charger installation as quick as you can, there is a real shortage of installation engineers and quite a wait between ordering and installation. We have an ohme epod (needed a small, untethered charger as space is very tight in our garage) which was installed by Octopus, this charges via the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff.
So far Intelligent Go has worked just fine, set charge parameters within the app, just plug in the car, and leave it to it overnight. At 7.5p/kwh this is cheap as chips, I estimate 10% the cost of filling up with petrol. You also get 6 hours of really cheap electricity for the dishwasher, washing machine, tumble drier etc.
Whilst awaiting the smart charger installation we mainly charged using the VW supplied 3pin “granny” charger. This is really, really slow and whilst ok I wouldn’t leave unattended as the 3pin socket does get quite warm after a while (although this may also due to our local high voltage supply issues of up to 263v?) as it isn’t really designed for this level of sustained load.
Octopus have been excellent as a utlity supplier. We didn’t actively choose them (were transferred after Bulb went bust). Customer service has been first rate, they answer phones (relatively quickly), encourage and respond to email (no chatbots) and all their staff I dealt with had a really positive attitude. If you need to change supplier you can use this referral link and we both get a £50 credit https://share.octopus.energy/oak-rill-959
CHARGING ON THE ROAD/RANGE
For us the biggest unknown about an EV was just what the real life range of the id3 would be like.
Most of our usage is for a 15 mile round trip commute with the car nicely preheated; depending on how cold it is this uses 6-11% of battery. Charge at home to 80% and don’t even think about it.
Secondly we have some 120 mile round trips. This seems to use c 60% battery although we haven’t done one in really cold weather.
Our long trip was a 200 mile trip (each way) from London to Swansea along the M4 over Christmas. Whilst this may be just in range on a nice mild Spring/Summer day with no aircon required we needed to stop once each way from a starting charge of 100% in the cool, wet and windy driving conditions we experienced. There are lots of chargers at the M4 service stations or just off the motorway with plenty more being commissioned and we never had to wait for a charger. It takes about 30 minutes to charge from 30ish% to 80% at a fast charger. I’m not sure this would be the case if you were heading say to Cornwall on a summer Saturday, you just need to plan accordingly.
I would also recommend carrying a type 2 charging cable when on a longer trip. Whilst fast charging should be readily available via tethered CCS chargers in extremis you may find yourself at a slow charger (eg in a Tesco or Lidl). Or you may find yourself a bargain charge point as we did at a Welsh solar farm a 10 minute walk from where we were staying, slow but only 18p/kwh.
Our planned charging either used the really convenient Octopus Electroverse rfid card (referral link https://electroverse.octopus.energy/sig ... hell-14280 ) or at contactless Gridserve chargers. Whilst I didn’t want a plethora of cards/apps the Podpoint app came in handy for our cheap solar park and the public access Tesla chargers are cheap.
The id3 satnav seems to direct you to charge points although we didn’t rely on it having preplanned our stops at multi charger locations. It does seem to want to take you to a charger at c20% charge level and doesn’t prioritise multi charger points.
ANNOYANCES AND ODDITIES
Some of these are particular to the id3, some more generally relate to modern touch screen/voice recognition driven vehicles.
- Aircon controls
Why the car doesn’t have a simple on/off button for the aircon is beyond me (unless I haven’t found it)! It seems to need multiple presses of touch screen which isn’t always safe.
- Voice recognition software
We turned this off after a week as it was really annoying (car kept interupting saying “sorry I don’t understand that”) and when we tried to use just didn’t seem to work. Maybe we should give it another go?
- Manual/log book
There is no hardcopy manual or log book. Whilst I kind of get the eco benefits of saving paper as this is only a fraction of the car’s total environmental footprint hardcopy documents would be so much better.
WOULD I RECOMMEND AN EV AND AN ID3
Absolutely yes and we have no regrets at the change. Leaving aside the environmental benefits of EVs the driving experience (quick, smooth, quiet, preheated on a cold day) is so much better than any ICE. Also the cost of running the car is really low. Charging on the go has been hassle free and the car range is fine.
The id3 is nicely built and specified and has been trouble free.
There are two groups of people who I would say think harder about an EV. Firstly if you can’t have an off road home charging setup an EV will be more inconvenient to keep charged and the price of electricity will be four to ten times higher as there are practically no free chargers available these days. Secondly if you do lots of long journeys, aren’t organised, and would be annoyed by having to wait 20 to 30 minutes for an on road charge an EV may not be for you.
VW ID3 – 4 MONTHS IN
I have had my ID3 for 3 months and my experience agrees with all your comments, g320y. As well as the ACC I also went for the Travel Assist option on my ID3 and I use that a lot. It is brilliant at detecting speed limits, even temporary ones at road works, and slows down / speeds up accordingly. No more speeding tickets!
ID3 Pro 2024 Kings Red
East Derry wheels
Transport hitch
Zappi charger
East Derry wheels
Transport hitch
Zappi charger
That's an excellent and very complete overview.
I am 3 years and 1 month into my EV driving experience and on my second ID.3 now and wouldn't disagree with anything you have written.
Oh, and personally, I don't think it is worth giving the voice control another try!
I am 3 years and 1 month into my EV driving experience and on my second ID.3 now and wouldn't disagree with anything you have written.
Oh, and personally, I don't think it is worth giving the voice control another try!
Great to read everyone's views on the ID3
Currently driving a VW ID 3 life pro performance - 2 1/2 years in 32,000 miles
Simple Overview, my ID3 life pro performance is coming up due to be replaced in August this year ( company car) I have clocked up 32,000 trouble free miles
+ sides well its electric, easy to drive and is reasonably quick off the mark
- sides NO rear speakers! I mean really....a £30,000 + car , hopefully the new model has some.
Poor range when it's cold, even more so when you have the front blower on to clear the front screen.
Annoying brake noises when moving slowly (from new), normal apparently (according to the vw dealer)
and regeneration mode, well what can I say...Jerky at the least!
Voice control... what a pain
For me had the range been better ( I mean come on folks honestly when was the last time you got 200+ miles out of one charge!) even when driving slow everywhere!
However if you pootle around the city and don't do many miles then an ID3 is suitable.
Anything else I just don't think really it's quite there yet.
I would LOVE to know other peoples views on having owned and driven an id3 for a few years.
Currently driving a VW ID 3 life pro performance - 2 1/2 years in 32,000 miles
Simple Overview, my ID3 life pro performance is coming up due to be replaced in August this year ( company car) I have clocked up 32,000 trouble free miles
+ sides well its electric, easy to drive and is reasonably quick off the mark
- sides NO rear speakers! I mean really....a £30,000 + car , hopefully the new model has some.
Poor range when it's cold, even more so when you have the front blower on to clear the front screen.
Annoying brake noises when moving slowly (from new), normal apparently (according to the vw dealer)
and regeneration mode, well what can I say...Jerky at the least!
Voice control... what a pain
For me had the range been better ( I mean come on folks honestly when was the last time you got 200+ miles out of one charge!) even when driving slow everywhere!
However if you pootle around the city and don't do many miles then an ID3 is suitable.
Anything else I just don't think really it's quite there yet.
I would LOVE to know other peoples views on having owned and driven an id3 for a few years.
[media][/media]We have had ours for 2 years now and agree with everything the first poster said.
I would add that we have taken ours on many long journeys with the family (young kids) - up to 350 mile trips (each way) to visit family in the UK and two trips to the continent (France/Belgium). It has been fine for all these trips and the combination of range and charging speed is completely adequate for UK motorway trips with the family: it's extremely rare we wait for the car at all.
My only negative to add is that I've become fed up with the incompetence of VW dealers and poor planning of updates and recalls by VW. Our car is now in a queue for a replacement battery module that could easily have taken just a few days if they had planned things properly. Basically the car is great but VW and their dealer nwtwork aren't. I'd still buy another though. I think all car manufacturers have their problems and the most obvious competitors like Kia/Hyundai also get a bad rep for their dealers.
I would add that we have taken ours on many long journeys with the family (young kids) - up to 350 mile trips (each way) to visit family in the UK and two trips to the continent (France/Belgium). It has been fine for all these trips and the combination of range and charging speed is completely adequate for UK motorway trips with the family: it's extremely rare we wait for the car at all.
My only negative to add is that I've become fed up with the incompetence of VW dealers and poor planning of updates and recalls by VW. Our car is now in a queue for a replacement battery module that could easily have taken just a few days if they had planned things properly. Basically the car is great but VW and their dealer nwtwork aren't. I'd still buy another though. I think all car manufacturers have their problems and the most obvious competitors like Kia/Hyundai also get a bad rep for their dealers.
Last edited by sidehaas on Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
ID.3 Family Pro Performance (Jan 22). Also an ID.4 Max. Ohme Home Pro charger.
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- Posts: 168
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Great to feedback like this, as I mentioned in an earlier post, some of the motoring jounos were way off the mark on the ID3, more real world experiences like the OP are needed.
Given my overwhelmingly positive experience, I have only one concern and that's the value of the car going forward, especially with the raft of new makers coming into the market (BYD etc) offering low cost options. I can't see ID3 prices holding up to be honest, 50k + euros for a Pro Max which is really a small family hatchback will be at the very upper end of the price point.
Beyond that, I'm with the OP, I have no complaints about the ID3 or switching to an EV.
Rob
Given my overwhelmingly positive experience, I have only one concern and that's the value of the car going forward, especially with the raft of new makers coming into the market (BYD etc) offering low cost options. I can't see ID3 prices holding up to be honest, 50k + euros for a Pro Max which is really a small family hatchback will be at the very upper end of the price point.
Beyond that, I'm with the OP, I have no complaints about the ID3 or switching to an EV.
Rob
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2021 Pro Performance Max
White with East Derry Alloys
2021 Pro Performance Max
White with East Derry Alloys
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- Posts: 55
- Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2023 6:37 pm
Fantastic review - something I’d wished I had done!!
Absolutely agree with everything you say and can’t really add much to your comprehensive comments. As for the voice control, it does work almost flawlessly for me but giving the command to turn the heated steering wheel off never works. Strange, because I can command it to turn on. The most annoying thing for me/us is the voice control wake up word. ‘Hello ID’ is the phrase the car is looking for. However, the car responds to phrases that aren’t remotely close. From discussing what we’re having for dinner, commenting on how annoying the mother in law is right now and right through to what happened in Eastenders the previous evening sets the car off.
Absolutely agree with everything you say and can’t really add much to your comprehensive comments. As for the voice control, it does work almost flawlessly for me but giving the command to turn the heated steering wheel off never works. Strange, because I can command it to turn on. The most annoying thing for me/us is the voice control wake up word. ‘Hello ID’ is the phrase the car is looking for. However, the car responds to phrases that aren’t remotely close. From discussing what we’re having for dinner, commenting on how annoying the mother in law is right now and right through to what happened in Eastenders the previous evening sets the car off.
Id.3 Launch edition 3
Moonstone Grey
Ohme home pro
Moonstone Grey
Ohme home pro
If you wish, you can turn off the wake up word in the infotainment. This still allows you to use voice control - you activate it by a short press on the steering wheel button. I deactivated the wake up word after we had the car for a couple of months - by that time the novelty fun value of it butting in had started to wear offDermottdog wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2024 11:05 pm Fantastic review - something I’d wished I had done!!
Absolutely agree with everything you say and can’t really add much to your comprehensive comments. As for the voice control, it does work almost flawlessly for me but giving the command to turn the heated steering wheel off never works. Strange, because I can command it to turn on. The most annoying thing for me/us is the voice control wake up word. ‘Hello ID’ is the phrase the car is looking for. However, the car responds to phrases that aren’t remotely close. From discussing what we’re having for dinner, commenting on how annoying the mother in law is right now and right through to what happened in Eastenders the previous evening sets the car off.
ID.3 Family Pro Performance (Jan 22). Also an ID.4 Max. Ohme Home Pro charger.