We sold our VW and bought a Model 3. We had a serious look at VW’s EV lineup for my wife’s next car though. All manufacturers with a genuine EV programme have my support.

the VW ID4 is a great family car, imo its worth the wait.

Europe here.

I have been driving an ID3 nearly every day since a month or so (don't own it) and I absolutely adore the car. It's both simple and full-fledged at the same time. Voice-control is hot garbage but other than that it's fine.

Disclaimer: I never drove a Tesla Model 3 before, but a few other EVs like the BMW i3. The VW ID3 feels like a genuine high quality car - as if the Golf simply reached a new era.

BMW's i3 always felt like a weird toy and the Renault Zoes I drove where just an electric replacement for Smarts which are now electric too. I can see myself sitting in an ID3 for a longer trip with a nice charging pause.

I would never even dare take a Zoe on the Autobahn or an i3 aside from a handful of kilometers. ID3? No issues here.

Same about the ID4. Its a great "normal" EV SUV. the ID3 is to the Golf what the ID4 is to the Tiguan. Plus I have no issues with the >400Kms range with such a vehicle.

> ID3? No issues here.

Can you actually use it on the Autobahn like a "normal" car, i.e. drive over 130 km/h with AC or heating, while still getting reasonable range?

One of my major gripes with EV was always that the range on paper is good, but only if you drive like a truck speed-wise and turn off every comfort - which is honestly not what I want to do when investing in an (usually) pretty expensive car. Would be pretty awesome if VW managed to get that right.

I can speak for the ID4, yes you can do this. Sure you will not get the 520km on paper and of course it depends how you driving it but you get around 400km with ok weather conditions, AC and seat/driving wheel heating. In Winter with negative temperatures I got high consumptions but I learned it might also have to do with the fact the batteries where not hot enough.

> the Renault Zoes I drove where just an electric replacement for Smarts which are now electric too

The Zoe has nothing to do with a Smart. It's the same size as a Golf.

Also, I have driven a Zoe on the motorway and it's perfectly fine. I don't understand your problem with that car. It's the most sold EV in many countries, for good reason.

Not particularly striking, however.

I'd say the interior looks like someone stuck the cheapest sale parts at a surplus store but I haven't seen the car live.

Having tested latest VW ICE cars when buying a new car a while ago I would be shocked if it's anything but cheap plastics all over the place inside.

I believe Mazda was the last without phone home functionality but I that's over as of 2020.

Mazda has also said they will be decreasing the importance of an infotainment screen and focusing on having quality switchgear. People who actually _enjoy driving_ like these kinds of touches; in general, in the segments Mazda competes in, they have some of the most fun offerings available.

For people who consider a car to be a status symbol that transports them from place to place, it's not the ideal choice, but I'm glad there's some variety. Otherwise, we'll all just be driving electric jellybeans with an iPad awkwardly bolted to the dashboard.

Me too, only owned a used old Toyota (pre ABS and OBDII) since and right now nothing. The VW I leased was a 2014 so I just managed to miss out on the era of rearview cameras though

You are aware that the old Toyota has higher emissions of greenhouse gases than VW which cheated on emission tests?

It might generate higher emissions, but whether using it for another year or two generated more emissions overall, I think it's a bit trickier to know if it was worse overall.

Enough VW's not sold mean VW's not built, and producing the car is a large amount of the car's expected lifetime CO2 footprint (I've seen from 1/5th to 1/3rd).

If they were just delaying a less polluting vehicle purchase, a delay is a net negative, but since now they are driving nothing, that means it's actually possible the older vehicle was the better choice, especially since pollution from cars if very front-loaded (if we assume a new car that was purchased would be unused or very lightly used, since they are able to go without a car now).

Plus if you trade in one functional old car for a newer model with better emmissions, that perfectly good car is not magically lifted into automobile heaven never to emit again. It will be bought on the used market by someone else can't afford a new car (much less a $70K Tesla) and continue to emit whatever it emits today.

Aftermarket rearview cameras are dirt cheap if you really want one. Tons of kits less than $100.

D00d, pre ABS and OBD II? My 13-years-old car feels state-of-the-art! :))

What's wrong with ABS and OBD2?

Nothing, I was (am) just poor.