ID3 test drive

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RichH
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:42 pm

Post by RichH »

I’ve been keen to try the ID 3 for a while and, despite the many trials and tribulations of the early adopters on this forum, decided enough time had now passed for the major bugs to be fixed and a test drive was in order. Turned up at dealership for a pre-arranged appointment, completed the formalities and waited to be shown the car. And waited. And waited some more. Eventually, the sales guy had to confess that, whilst the car had been driven earlier that morning, they couldn’t get it to run and the technicians had been unable to figure out what the problem was.....I think I’ll pass.

monkeyhanger
Posts: 1273
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:33 pm

Post by monkeyhanger »

I had a test drive last night in a Life Pro Performance with the 19" wheels.

This test drive might seem a bit underwhelming, but to put it into context, I've had a previous string of VW hot hatches, so I've been used to great interiors and a high degree of grunt...

I was let out on my own with it for 20 mins.

First impressions with the seats - comfortable but the cloth on my chosen model isn't really to my tastes - I guess I'm too used to sports seats in greys and GTI/GTD tartan. I'd pay extra for Sports seats, but while I'm sat in them,I can't see them. The airplane fold up/down skinny arm rests are a bit crap. Maybe I'd need time to get used to them, but never really been a user of arm rests in other cars, except the A4's which was large and highly adjustable.

The dash plastics are hard by the windscreen (which you'd have to stretch to touch), and softer where they're accessible. The door cards are softer than the Polo's but harder than a MK7 Golf's. Not really liking the piano black door grab handles purely for reasons of practicability in avoiding fingerprints and microscratches. The haptic switches have a click to them if you press them hard enough, didn't really have time to mess with them for functionality/ease of use.

The interior size is weirdly huge. You know this is the size of a Golf (2cm wider, 1cm shorter), but 17cm taller (that's the battery pack you're sat on), so maybe think of it as a slightly short Golf Plus on the outside. On the inside it is hugely spacious- it's like being in my Cousin's Q5.

Onto the drive...I press the start button on the steering column where a manual key would go - silly place! You have to fumble for it because you can't see it -
should've placed it on view in the lower dash.

Button pressed...I forget that there's no engine noise, there's no tone to indicate everything's ready to go. I turned it off and back on again to be sure it was on (it was). I cautiously tickle the throttle as I'm half expecting some serious sensitivity and don't want to plough into the car opposite. Thankfully it crawls if you just tickle it. I get out of the car park and the silence is weird, like I'm on one of those electric trams in Amsterdam.

I get out on the open road (A19 sliproad), getting past the crawler in front of me and boot it. There's quite a pull but zero drama, the acceleration is very linear. I drove it normally between 70 and 80mph once I got there. It's still smooth and eerily quiet, a smaller whisper of wind noise. I came off the A19 a few junctions up and have a drive around the country roads near Seghill. I was able to stop and boot it from a standstill 3 times - consistently quick off the line with zero drame and linear all the way to 80.

So it's competent, pretty quick in a very usable.way, but a bit dull. This is probably the way with affordable EVs - until the batteries get light and cheap, you'll need to be spending £50k+ to get something genuinely sporty and desirable.

Definitely not a car that excites in the way it delivers its ample output - will make a good car for the kids with plenty of interior room and rear legroom.

Mine is still stuck in Emden (been there 6 weeks) and the dealership hot given some wordsmithed VW bulletin that blames Brexit, saying that UK ports are full but they're aiming to clear the backlog on a priority list. Says a lot without saying anything or committing to do what is required in a defined period.
Cupra Born V2 e-boost 230ps Aurora Blue, replaced ID3 PP Family

Audi S3 - because I hate rapid charging for long distance driving.

Octopus referral: https://share.octopus.energy/lush-fawn-565
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kaiz
Posts: 119
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 12:34 pm
Location: Estonia

Post by kaiz »

monkeyhanger wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:19 am Onto the drive...I press the start button on the steering column where a manual key would go - silly place! You have to fumble for it because you can't see it -
should've placed it on view in the lower dash.
You don't have to press the start button, just brake. ;)
That's what I like.
Life Pro Performance, Manganese gray, Heat pump, Tow bar, 0792 / 2.1.
Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

I've only pressed the START/STOP button to turn on the electrics when I didn't want to get in the car (such as the 12V socket in the boot) - I just sit down, buckle up, and press the brake pedal...
Deleted User 314

Post by Deleted User 314 »

Reading this made me realise that I’ve not pressed it more than seeing what it did.
monkeyhanger
Posts: 1273
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:33 pm

Post by monkeyhanger »

kaiz wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:55 am
monkeyhanger wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:19 am Onto the drive...I press the start button on the steering column where a manual key would go - silly place! You have to fumble for it because you can't see it -
should've placed it on view in the lower dash.
You don't have to press the start button, just brake. ;)
That's what I like.
Good to know. Salesman told me it needed pressing as he gave me the key to let me go out on my own.
Cupra Born V2 e-boost 230ps Aurora Blue, replaced ID3 PP Family

Audi S3 - because I hate rapid charging for long distance driving.

Octopus referral: https://share.octopus.energy/lush-fawn-565
JonS
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:58 am

Post by JonS »

Just back from a test drive and also rather impressed. Easy car to drive, comfortable, bright and airy. Performance is more than adequate and space in the cabin excellent. People complaining about interior trim obviously haven’t sat in a Hyundai Kona....

I didn’t love the touchscreen and interface, and found things like adjusting the AC much less intuitive and more fiddly than I’d hoped. Voice control was useless. Much prefer some proper buttons and fewer finger prints! I guess you just learn through doing. Testing Kia Soul on Monday then it’ll be decision time.
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