Volkswagen ID.3 Forum

These boards are full of complaints, and cries for help, about problems with our new ID.3 cars. Which is fine, there are a lot of problems with the car and here is a great place to discuss them, and get help from the friendly denizens here. I think if we had all bought Tesla cars, for instance, we would be participating on forums complaining about the (different) problems that Tesla cars suffer.

I've done my share of complaining and crying for help. But actually I'm very pleased with my car and am patiently waiting for software 2.1 which is going to save the planet...

So... what do you particularly like about your car? What is its best feature in your eyes? Let us know in this thread!

To start the ball rolling, I absolutely love the lights. I like the Matrix LED headlights and their clever automatic full beam. I like the 'welcome' light that greets you as you walk up to the car at night-time. I like the rear brake lights that are in the shape of an X. I particularly like the concealed ambient lighting that makes the nighttime driving experience even more calming and peaceful.

I agree @heidiFlowerpot - the lights are absolutely outstanding. My Passat had lights that moved with the steering and my California has automatic dipping LED lights but the id3 lights are way better than either. The way they cut out just the segments that would otherwise blind the oncoming traffic and leave the rest of the road well lit is great!

HeidiFlowerpot wrote: ↑Thu Dec 31, 2020 1:45 pm To start the ball rolling, I absolutely love the lights. I like the Matrix LED headlights and their clever automatic full beam. I like the 'welcome' light that greets you as you walk up to the car at night-time. I like the rear brake lights that are in the shape of an X. I particularly like the concealed ambient lighting that makes the nighttime driving experience even more calming and peaceful.

Agree about the concealed ambient lighting, it is really calming and makes it much more enjoyable on a long journey. I love the handling of the car, particularly on country Devon roads where it effortlessly takes quite severe corners without the back end swinging out (even though it is RWD). Also amazed by how safe and secure it feels - despite the plastic coverings across doors etc, it feels solid and well-built.

Despite many concerns around range, I am incredibly impressed by winter range so far too - even 150-160 miles is a massive step up from our previous EV and I am excited to get to learn how to eke out every last mile as we head into summer 2021.

Finally, I find the overall cockpit space and passenger space really roomy (coming from an i3 to an I.D.3 is like owning a stretched limo!) and as we look to extend our family in 2021, I am excited by it as a long-distance family car. Already driven to Cambridge and back, a round trip of almost 500 miles and it felt effortless.

Agree about including some positives on here - would be interested to hear others too, particularly those who are EV adopters just starting out.

You’re right, it’s a great car. It’s just that it got released with beta software. Nearly all of the complaints in this forum are software related so, with luck, we will all be happy ID.3 owners in a few months time. Also, we will be vaccinated so we’ll be able to drive our ID.3s further with smiles on our faces.

Best bits:

• the driving experience / feel of it on the road

• elaborating on your likes, all of the little design touches right down to the play and stop icons on the pedals

• the tardis effect - bigger on the inside than it appears from the outside

Matrix LEDs are fantastic, I don’t have great night vision (eye infection when I was in my 20s) so those things have been a revelation for me!

I love how the car drives, always looking for reasons to get out in it even having to play by Tier 4 rules...

Crazy as it sounds (given some of the bugs in it), but I do really like the ACC — combined with the eco automatic speed adjustments, the car drives itself.

I like the silent running.

I also like the look of the car (although mine is seriously in need of a clean at the moment!)

p.s. and on a frosty morning I do love the pre-heating of the car, and now have the steering wheel on automatic heating when the temperature is low...

Great thread lots to like:

• ACC - fantastic it does the driving and you just have to be the fully alert vigilant back seat driver who steps in when needed.

• Integration between sat nav and car - ACC etc uses both sat nav information and road sign information.

• Ease of charging - just plug and go, car tells you what is going on and ability to sit in car when charging (MG I am told you can't sit in and charge).

• App - being able to check charge / pre-heat.

• Heat pump - I wouldn't have requested before but obvious on a electric car.

• Climate control - lots of options, but when set up just turn on and forget, especially when app has pre-warmed the car.

• Emergency call button - hope I won't need it but simple and effective.

• Boot space - not huge but height means you can fit lots in.

• Cabin space - the ID.3 is actually quite a large vehicle part of the benefit is the extra interior space.

Lots to get used to and hopefully more to surprise when software fixed.

Excellent idea for a thread.

Ours is currently at a dealer (hopefully) being fixed and we only had it for a few days before it went away, but we love it!

Speaking as a previous Model S owner, I am hugely impressed with the ID3, especially as it is VW’s first attempt at a ground-up EV.

As others have mentioned, the design and packaging of the vehicle is amazing. We have the very cheapest ID3 it is possible to buy, but the level of equipment, driving experience, range, interior ambience and “fun factor” are excellent.

Even my fiancée, who isn’t remotely interested in cars, loves the ID3.

Can’t wait to get it back and enjoy the experience again.

Whisper quiet cabin - tick
Lights - tick
It’s a lovely drive, it just feels so.... accurate

Cabin: Quiet and spacious

LED Matrix lights: Awesome

Adaptive Cruise: Just love it

The App: Great

Driving: Rear wheel drive and the weight down low makes it fun to drive

Navigation: Great to have it silent and be guided by the ID-light

VW id3 1st Plus in Sweden

The gimmick I enjoy above all is the way the interior lighting signals where to turn when using the satnav. I am interested to see whether this will still function when using Android Auto. Does anyone know?

DAN142 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:03 pm The gimmick I enjoy above all is the way the interior lighting signals where to turn when using the satnav. I am interested to see whether this will still function when using Android Auto. Does anyone know?

That’s the ID light, and apparently it does not work with other nav apps - which is a shame, maybe that will change at some point

After over 45 years of driving and over 40 cars, this is my first new car - 'Life Pro with alloys and heat pump' , collected on 23rd December. I have been waiting for an affordable EV which was would handle our regular 150 mile journeys, would go, stop and steer in safety and comfort. The ID3 ticks all these boxes superbly, way beyond my preconceptions.
When some of the tech features (which I didn't know in needed!!) occasionally fall short of their potential I just remind myself what a great overall package it us.

I love its appearance and quick, near silent performance and its spacious cabin.

A bit late to this but now after a few months of ownership here are our likes.

The lights, they are great, we live in the Styx and the lights following the road is way more than a gimmick, it has saved us from hitting boar. Also, the auto-dim is brilliant. We have a RR and it is nowhere near as good as our iD3 (which we call Rose (different dimension))

The acceleration. Oh how I have so much fun with sport mode and going up hills with those other sporty brands being left in the dust.

Voice recognition. Once internet connected its stunning. I feel it’s on the edge of talking back.

The HUD with AR - this is great, really good implementation.

Internet radio - great to get Yorkshire Radio in Barcelona.

USBC ports - it’s the little things.

Wireless charging - it’s the big things.

And finally, the lights again, as they blink and look around.

Love it.

At last some positive talk.
Well done HeidiFlowerpt
I just love the drive.

My best bits after three weeks (I've stated my small issues elsewhere).

- Warming the car up in the cold from the app, we've still got frosts here in April, bloody brilliant having that.
- Handling of it is superb, I've already found the limit a couple of times, but great all round.
- Acceleration on the 204PS is excellent
- Range is as expected currently as it's been cold, when we had a couple of warm days it was pretty good.
- I actually like the touch screen, some people criticised it as laggy, and it can be when opening the door to turn the charging off etc, but on the whole pretty good.
- Sound system is actually good, although the lack of rear speakers... oh well.
- Build quality feels very good, as you would expect
- Very roomy inside considering the size of the car