Volkswagen ID.3 Review & Prices

The Volkswagen ID3 is basically the electric car equivalent to the Volkswagen Golf. It’s a mid-sized family hatchback which is the baby of Volkswagen’s EV range. Launched in 2019 and updated in 2023, the ID3 will fall on your shortlist if you’re considering other small-ish electric cars such as the Kia EV3, MG4 EV, Renault Megane E-Tech, or Tesla Model 3.

The ID3 is as futuristic as it gets from Volkswagen, but being the brand of the ‘people’s car’ such modernism still has to be user-friendly and carefully implemented. A bit like trying to introduce your grandma to her new mobile phone.

Before its facelift, the ID3 didn’t do this especially well and attracted criticism for its awkward user interface, but the 2023 update went a long way to addressing this with a new infotainment system and improved interior materials.

The ID3 is a different shape to most hatchbacks - it’s quite tall, almost like a mini-MPV. A short bonnet, steep windscreen and big wheels all mean it stands out from the crowd. It’s not exactly handsome, but it’s a clean design - improved in the 2023 facelift which took away a set of silly decals that used to be standard on the rear pillar.

Volkswagen ID3: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 261-369 miles
Efficiency: 4.1-4.3 miles per kWh
Battery size: 52kWh/ 58kWh / 77kWh / 79kWh
Max charge speed: 120kW / 170kW / 185kW
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: 170hp / 204hp / 326hp

It’s even more minimalist on the inside. You get very few physical buttons, with most controls being routed through either the 12.9-inch touchscreen display or the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons. In a bid to remove as much switchgear as possible Volkswagen’s even shunned separate controls for the rear windows.

All this tech can be quite annoying to use - particularly the touch-sensitive sliders underneath the infotainment screen, which aren’t backlit at night and are really tricky to find when you’re driving.

Space in the cabin benefits from the ID3’s tall silhouette, with good headroom and plenty of legroom. There’s a totally flat floor and the centre console is low, giving a nice feeling of airiness - helped by loads of glass, particularly the extra windows in the windscreen pillars that give you a good view at junctions.

There are a choice of battery sizes and electric motors. The basic ‘Pure’ models can go around 240 miles on a charge and have modest performance, but you can step up through Pro and Pro S models with increasingly bigger ranges. The top model is the GTX - a performance-biased model that gets a sporty makeover, the biggest battery and the most powerful electric motor.

All ID3s are rear-wheel drive and feel nice and solid on the road. Bumps and potholes are a bit too obvious, especially in models wearing the largest 20-inch alloy wheels, but the steering feels accurate and the turning circle is really tight. It’s good on a longer run too, with punch acceleration and good refinement at a cruise.

What it’s not is particularly exciting - even the hot hatchback-like ID3 GTX. There’s a nice sensation that the rear-wheel drive is pushing you out of corners rather than pulling you around them, but otherwise there’s little enjoyment to be had - instead it feels neutral and safe.

So while the VW ID3 is a pretty good electric car, it’s also one that struggles to stand out - there are loads of cheaper alternatives which are just as practical and feel every bit as solid and reassuring, even if they don’t quite have the Volkswagen’s badge kudos.

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With prices for the most basic Pure Essential model starting at just under £31,000, the Volkswagen ID3 is priced as a close alternative to the Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3. The MG4 is quite a bit cheaper, so you could have a top-spec version for the same price as a basic ID3.

Moving further up the ID3 range, cars like the Renault Megane E-Tech and Tesla Model 3 become closer alternatives. All ID3s bar the range-topping GTX cost less than £40,000, though, which helps keep road tax down.

The Pro Match model would be our pick of the range - lower-spec ‘Essential’ cars get steel wheels, which feels rather stingy for a brand-new EV. However, all models do get full LED lights, a 12.9-inch infotainment screen, interior ambient lighting and climate control. Step up to the higher models and posh touches such as Matrix LED headlights, all-round cameras, a Harman Kardon sound system, augmented-reality head-up display and electric seats all become available.

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

In town

The ID3 has light steering, a tight turning circle and great visibility out of the front - so driving it in town is a doddle. The extra windows in the windscreen pillars really help here, giving you a great view of junctions.

The electric powertrain is totally smooth and it’s easy to modulate the power needed. There’s only one option for regenerative braking, though, activated by flipping the gear selector to ‘B’ rather than ‘D’. It’s not particularly strong and is a long way off the proper one-pedal drive modes you get in a Volvo EX30 or Kia EV3.

The ID3’s comfort levels depend on the wheels you select. Top-spec models on the 20-inch alloys can thud over bumps and potholes, while things are much more cushioned on the 18-inch versions you get on more basic cars. No version is particularly uncomfortable, though - just a bit jiggly on rough surfaces.

On the motorway

The ID3 is very comfortable on the motorway, and even models with the big wheels soon smooth out. Top-spec GTX versions come with adaptive suspension that can be made softer or firmer as needed, and at its softest it deals well with most road imperfections at speed.

The lowest-spec models do feel a little underpowered when you’re trying to get down a sliproad or overtake decisively. The Pro and Pro S models are more powerful, and the range-topping GTX beefier still - though with 326hp on tap, it’s still slower than even the most basic Tesla Model 3.

At least long-range efficiency is good, with the ID3 coming closer to its claimed range figure on the motorway than many alternatives.

On a twisty road

You can definitely feel that the ID3 is a heavy car when you get onto a twisty road - at over 1.8 tons, it’s about 400kg heavier than a Volkswagen Golf, largely thanks to all those batteries.

As a result it doesn’t feel so agile when changing directions, and the body tends to lean more when you’re cornering fast.

There is plenty of power, though, and the rear-wheel drive setup gives a satisfying feeling that you’re being pushed out of a corner, rather than the front wheels struggling for grip as they drag you out of it. However, the eco-focused tyres aren’t the stickiest, so if you’re too energetic entering a bend you will feel the front end start to lose traction.

The sporty ID3 GTX is the best of the bunch on a twisty road, as it’s much more powerful - and unlike other Volkswagen IDX products, it’s still rear wheel drive. It’s a tiny bit more fun than the other cars in the range, capable of being a very slight hooligan - but the nannying safety features prevent it from being a true electric hot hatchback in the way a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is.

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

All versions have plenty of legroom and headroom - and, unlike pre-facelift, all versions do now accommodate three passengers. Big-battery models previously had just two seats in the rear.

It's a bit narrow for three adults to sit abreast, though, and the centre seat is higher and harder than the outer two.

There's a flat floor with space for everyone's feet, and even with the panoramic roof it doesn't feel cramped.

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.

A bright, airy interior let down by annoying touch-sensitive controls

The ID3’s cabin feels very open and spacious, with the large windscreen and extra windows in the pillars. A glass roof, optional on most models, is well worth paying extra for as it’s a proper panoramic affair stretching the whole length of the car - and it really floods the interior with light.

The original ID3 used a lot of hard, scratchy plastics but the 2023 facelift remedied this with lots more soft-touch materials. The dashboard now feels pretty premium and the door cards have fabric or artificial leather covering all the bits you regularly touch. You have to look lower down in the footwells to find nastier materials - though the rear door cards feel a lot cheaper than the front ones. There’s no option for real leather - instead, you get artificial leather and fabric trim on all models.

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. The GTX does get some red accents, but these are minimal.

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.

The touchscreen was improved drastically in the 2023 update, though. It’s now a huge 12.9 inches across as standard, and has permanent shortcut bars at the top and bottom allowing you far quicker access to functions like the climate controls, driving modes or driving assistance menus.

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.

There’s a choice of four battery and motor combos with the ID3. The basic Pure models get a 52kWh battery and 170hp motor, good for a range of around 240 miles. Step up to the Pro and you get a 58kWh battery and 204hp motor, with a range boost up to around 270 miles.

The Pro S cars get the same 204hp motor but a much larger 77kWh battery - range leaps up to 345 miles. The range-topping GTX gets the most performance, with 326hp on tap, as well as a slightly larger 79kWh battery good for a claimed range of 369 miles.

In practice, the GTX’s extra performance dents real-world range, and you’ll see the best returns from the Pro S models. A genuine 300 miles should be possible if you’re not too heavy-footed, and unlike some alternatives the range gauge is both accurate and dynamic - meaning it changes depending on your driving style, so you can trust it.

The smaller batteries can top up at a rate of 120Kw, allowing a 10-80% charge in about 26 minutes. For the Pro S, that figure jumps to 170kW, so even though it has a bigger battery charging times are similar provided you find a sufficiently powerful roadside charger. The same is true of the GTX, which has a bigger battery still but a max charge rate of 185kW.

As a fully electric car the ID3 remains a smart choice for company car buyers thanks to low Benefit-in-Kind tax rates, while first-year road tax is the lowest available rate.

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.