Volkswagen ID 3 review

The Volkswagen ID 3 might sound like a counterpart of R2D2 and C3PO in Star Wars, but it’s actually a car – and a very important one at that – because it was VW’s first model designed from the outset to be purely electric.

As a result, Volkswagen describes it as the third major launch in its history, after the original Beetle and the ever-popular VW Golf – hence the name ID 3. With that in mind, we suspect Volkswagen had high hopes that the ID 3 would set the world alight (just like those other two cars), but it faces competition from a lot of talented rivals.

These include the closely related Cupra Born, the significantly cheaper MG4 and the long-established Nissan Leaf, while even the Tesla Model 3 isn't significantly more expensive.

In an effort to stay competitive, Volkswagen has already given the ID 3 a refresh, which brought updated styling and tried to fix some weak points of earlier versions.

So, does that mean the ID 3 should be the next car on your driveway? Read on to see how it stacks up against the best electric cars.

Most versions of the VW ID 3 come with a 201bhp electric motor, which powers the rear wheels, although it can be combined with a 58kWh battery (this model is badged as the Pro) or a 77kWh one (the Pro S).

The lighter Pro feels nippier around town and can sprint from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds – quicker than the MG4 SE – whereas the Pro S takes 8.2 seconds. However, both versions feel lively enough off the line and can get up to motorway speeds easily.

Alternatively, if you're looking for something that's hot hatch fast, there's the GTX, which has a 322bhp motor and can blast to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds.

The GTX also has a 79kWh battery, which gives it the longest official range of any ID 3: 369 miles. The Pro S still offers 344 miles, which is farther than any Kia Niro EV or the entry-level Tesla Model 3 but not as far as the MG4 Extended Range. Meanwhile, the Pro can officially travel up to 269 miles.

A heavy battery requires a fairly stiff suspension set-up to support it, so don’t expect the ID 3 to offer VW Golf levels of ride comfort. Still, the Pro version is far from harsh and manages to take the sting out of road imperfections at speed; it only really gets a bit fidgety around town.

You can feel the Pro S model's extra weight as you drive. Again, it's not uncomfortable, but it gives a more pronounced thud as you pass over potholes. On the plus side, this firmness means it never feels floaty over undulations.

The Pro S is also available with optional adaptive suspension, which allows you to soften or stiffen the suspension by changing the driving mode setting. However, while this makes it feel a bit firmer or softer, it doesn't dramatically affect comfort; the Niro EV is more forgiving.

As for the GTX, this has adaptive suspension as standard, but its ride still borders on harsh; it's so stiff that you're bounced around in your seat even when the road isn't especially bumpy.

With its light steering and excellent turning circle, manoeuvring the ID 3 around town is a breeze. Beyond the urban sprawl, the steering responds consistently, but it doesn't give much finger-tingling communication or weight build-up when cornering in the default Comfort driving mode. Sport mode adds a bit of extra heft, so is more reassuring.

Grip is decent, and for an everyday electric car designed to get you from A to B with little drama, the ID 3 handles very well indeed. There's more driver engagement than you’ll find in the Hyundai Kona Electric, although the Cupra Born is more agile than both.

The ID 3 will twitch at the rear if you back off the accelerator abruptly mid corner or apply a bit too much power on the way out of a tight bend on a damp road, but a lighter non-electric hatchback – the Seat Leon for example – is far more entertaining to drive.

Sadly, this extends to the GTX; despite its uncompromising suspension set-up, it doesn't feel especially darty or involving.

Even by electric car standards, the ID 3's motors are ultra-quiet, which is amazing around town but does highlight other things that are going on at speed. Wind noise – much of it whistling through the climate control vents – is the most noticeable breach of the peace, although the ID 3 is still a quieter cruiser than the MG4.

The ID 3 stops smoothly enough when you’re driving carefully, which isn’t something every electric car – or even every electric VW – can do. And you can turn up the regenerative braking effect so that the car swiftly slows to a near stop when you lift off the accelerator.

On the down side, even maximum regen won't stop it completely – unlike the one-pedal driving setting in the Nissan Leaf.

“The ID 3's brake pedal has a lot of travel, which I found a bit unnerving during an emergency stop. The Kona Electric is much better in this respect.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The interior of the VW ID 3 has a futuristic feel without being so revolutionary that it’ll scare anyone with an acute fear of change. It's a spartan affair, with little more than a small but clear 5.3in display behind the steering wheel, which shows the speed, range and sat-nav instructions, and has a rotary-style gear selector on the side. 

In terms of layout, the position of the driver’s seat in relation to the steering wheel and pedals is very good, leaving you sitting relaxed at the wheel. Height and reach adjustment for the wheel is standard. That said, if you want front seats with adjustable lumbar support, you’ll need to splash out on the GTX or add the optional Interior Comfort Pack.

Our biggest grumble, though, is the lack of 'real' buttons – a problem that also afflicts the closely related Cupra Born. Instead, everything is operated via the central touchscreen or touch-sensitive pads, which are far more distracting to use than the proper physical controls in the Kia Niro EV and Nissan Leaf.

Seeing out of the front of the ID 3 is pretty easy overall, and its deep windscreen and slim front pillars afford you a largely unobstructed view of the road ahead. They're heavily angled though, so despite the large glass cut-outs to reduce the size of your front blind-spot, taller individuals might find that they get in the way a little at T-junctions.

The rear pillars are wider and the rear screen a little shallow, making it a bit hard to see what’s over your shoulder or out of the back. However, to make parking easier, front and rear parking sensors are fitted as standard and you get a rear-view camera with the two Match trims and the GTX. 

Likewise, these models increase visibility at night by upgrading the standard-fit LED headlights with matrix LED headlights. They allow you to leave full beam on at all times without dazzling other drivers.

Most ID 3s come with a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system. That's a similar size to many of its rivals'. And while it's quite a bit smaller than the 15.0in display in the Tesla Model 3, VW does offer a 12.9in screen as an option (only the GTX gets it as standard).

This upgrade is worth considering, not only because the icons are bigger and easier to hit, but because you get revised software that speeds up the system's responses; the 10.0 screen is rather laggy.

Either way, natural-speech voice control allows you to call out commands, but it's hit and miss whether it’ll do what you ask – especially if you have noisy children in the car. More helpfully, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring is standard across the range.

Quality was once a Volkswagen byword, but in the past the ID 3 suggested this was no longer one of the company’s priorities.

The good news is that the 2023 facelift added soft materials to pretty much every surface you’ll touch regularly in the ID 3. However, it still doesn’t take much prodding around to find materials that feel cheap; the biggest culprit is the centre console, which is clearly made from hard plastics. 

That’s disappointing when you consider that even the entry-level ID 3 costs almost as much as an equivalent BMW 3 Series. Now, don’t get us wrong, the Tesla Model 3 isn’t exactly great when it comes to material and build quality, but it's better than the ID 3, as is the Renault Megane E-Tech.

“As annoying as the ID 3's touch-sensitive climate controls are, I think they're better than they were, because they are at least backlit now so you can see them at night.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

There’s loads of space in the front of the VW ID 3; even if you're well over six-feet tall, you should be able to get comfortable.

As a bonus, the centre console features plenty of useful cubbies and cupholders. Plus, the glovebox and door bins are a decent size.

The ID 3 is roughly the same length as the VW Golf and about as roomy in the back. This means there's space for a couple of tall passengers to sit behind front-seat occupants who are similarly lanky, even though the Tesla Model 3 is even more accommodating.

Unfortunately, the news isn't so good for anyone sitting in the ID 3's central rear seat. This features a raised base that significantly reduces head room, plus shoulder room is tight when you have three adults in the back.

Storage amenities in the rear are pretty sparse, with rear-seat occupants given smallish door bins to put things in and nothing else.

There’s not a huge amount to report here. You get 60/40 split rear seats as standard, which are not as useful as 40/20/40 seats, although the presence of a ski hatch does give you more options for carrying longer loads with passengers.

There's no option of sliding or reclining rear seats, which you can get in a (non-electric) family SUV of an equivalent price.

The ID 3 has a 385-litre boot, which is four litres more than a VW Golf offers and fine for fitting in a buggy, your weekly shopping or a couple of large suitcases. The Nissan Leaf's boot is bigger, though, and the Tesla Model 3 is in a different league for cargo capacity.

We’d suggest adding the optional height-adjustable boot floor, because it doesn’t cost very much but reduces the load lip and gives you a flat floor if the rear seats are folded. Better still, it provides somewhere to stow the charging cables away from the rest of your luggage; the ID 3 doesn't have any under-bonnet storage.

“Even though you've definitely drawn the short straw if you end up in the central rear seat, I appreciate the fact that the floor is flat, with no hump to get in the way of your feet.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

As a cash purchase, the cheapest Volkswagen ID 3, the Pro Essential, will set you back a little more than the entry-level Kia Niro EV, about the same as the top-spec MG4 EV Trophy Extended Range and a bit more than the Nissan Leaf. Meanwhile, the more expensive ID 3 Pro S Essential costs around the same as the Tesla Model 3.

You can make sure you're getting the best price by checking our New Car Deals pages.

As a company car, meanwhile, the ID 3 will save you a heap of cash over a petrol or diesel model because electric car benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax is very low. The ID 3 should look after private buyers too, thanks to reasonably slow predicted depreciation and the fact that this keeps PCP finance rates competitive.

The ID 3 Pro has a maximum charging rate of up to 120kW, the Pro S 175kW and the GTX 185kW. As a result, the Pro can charge from 10-80% in around 35 mins, while the Pro S can do the same charge in around 30 mins and the GTX in 26 minutes.

If you want to keep costs to a minimum, you can get all the basics by going for the entry-level ID 3 Pro Essential. It comes with 18in steel wheels, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam headlights, heated windscreen washer jets, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and rain-sensing front wipers. 

We'd be tempted, though, to upgrade to the Pro Match. That version doesn’t cost much more but adds plenty of nice extras, including 18in alloy wheels, wireless phone-charging, keyless entry and start, dual-zone air conditioning and heated front seats. It also gets built-in sat-nav. 

The Pro S follows the same structure, but its Essential trim gets 20in wheels. Meanwhile, the Pro S Match comes with all the bells and whistles, including a system that’ll park the car for you and a heated steering wheel.

In the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, the ID 3 finished down in 13th place (of 18) in the electric car class – behind the Nissan Leaf (2nd), Renault Megane E-Tech (4th), Cupra Born and Tesla Model 3 (9th). That said, it did beat the MG 4 EV, which was dead last.

VW gives you a three years/60,000 miles warranty. That’s fairly typical in the class, but doesn’t come close to Kia's seven-year cover. The ID 3's battery is guaranteed to maintain at least 70% of its energy capacity for eight years and 100,000 miles.

There's an extensive suite of safety kit fitted to the ID 3 as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, lane-keeping assistance and a driver fatigue monitor.

The ID 3 scored the full five stars when it was tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP in 2020. The Niro EV with a safety pack scored five stars, but that was in 2022 when the tests were tougher, so it’s impossible to directly compare. Likewise, the Model 3 holds five stars, but they date back to 2019.

“I find the augmented reality head-up display that you get in the GTX useful, because it can project sat-nav arrows onto the road, showing you where to turn.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

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