Volkswagen ID.3 real-world review. How far can VW's benchmark EV really go on one charge? 

"Hi guys, I'm Schmarry!" 😁

Cheeers!

schmee cringe

or worse: "Hi kids".......

BM - I agree - there's no substitute for class and having an extensive skill set.

Whoever thought they were has only ever driven cars virtually.

@@edkramer5592 more like they thought it would be a great way to sell a car

They are always slow and cumbersome within a couple of years too

Amen, I hate the current trend in car interiors.

Totally agree, they are a liability.

He created probably the best car magazine in the world. Nothing subtle about it bud. 😉

Not becoming, always was... good observation though..

Yes, he always was. And is.

Completely misguided when it comes to EVs. Dinosaur praising dinosaur juice memories of former glory.

@@mtumasz He's telling it like he sees it, and he does have a point, a car is supposed to do car things such as take you on a relatively short trip at motorway speeds with the heater on in the winter, stuff like that.

They drew first blood..

Name the car Christine

Makes a mockery of all the testing and analysis to obtain CE marking

It’s always the unassuming ones that catch you off-guard... Don’t know about anyone else, but as far as I’m concerned white tactile controls belong in only 2 places: concept cars and really expensive bicycles where it’s a statement of how pro you are that you’re willing to replace your bar tape every month or less.

Don't let Hammond near one.

The last time I fiddled around to get a casette tape into the car radio in 1994 it was legal.

They should'nt be and rumors are the law might be changed to make it illigal to use while driving lol. Similar to phones. So you could get fined for altering the AC and heating.

What's the difference between a mobile phone candour car's stereo?

I do think the Honda E is a series of accidents waiting to happen given the number of distracting screens. What were Honda thinking?

What does the candour of my phone have to do with anything, @@mgutkowski ? To be perfectly honest, I can go days without considering the honesty of any screen device in my home or car.

Your phone won't freeze.

@captain pugwash I completely agree. I wonder if Honda are hoping that no one buys it so helping to prove that ice cars are better. Mazda are doing something similar with the MX-30 which is a really odd car now, 5 years ago perhaps but now? Not sure both those companies will survive the EV transition with attitudes like that. I get really small EVs are tough to make at a profit, given the battery size compromise. Even the ID1 will be Polo size, according to the press. I think the Zoe and the fiat 500e leave the Honda in the dust. But then I am old enough to care about practicalities over the wow factor.

He knew where he was going anyway. Imagine relying on satnav, screen freezes, you get lost, run out of range and roll to a halt. Me? Diesel Mondeo and TomTom.

I simpathise but that completely depends on your driving style, the weather, speed, the terrain & traffic. The WLTP has never been accurate. We need to be accustom to knocking 20% off what the WLTP give us.

Probably like MPG, they test it with no AC on, no heating, tape up panel gaps, drive like an old woman, etc. So it's not a realistic figure. In a petrol/diesel car losing 50 miles on a tank isn't a big deal, but it is on an EV. That is the difference between getting to your destination and waiting hours for a tow and recharge. Because if it goes flat, you are stuffed even if you are only a few 100 meters from a charging point. You can't just walk to a petrol station and come back with a jerry can.

Part of the problem is the structure of the WLTP method compared with reality. It’s worth studying the graph of how it works - percentage at different speeds etc, and see if it fits with your normal journeys or not. A trip which is mostly 70 mph is often wildly out in any car - unless you benefit from a tail wind!

@@BlatentlyFakeName Good answer, you can't get a Jerry can of electricity 😂

your dad couldnt spell

@@EazyDuz18 Lol, that was my first thought as well.

Totally agree, can't believe they have followed Peuguot (308) & not having simple rotary dials for important functions.

Yeah. I dont like where manufacturers are going with the interior design. This will also look really old, really quickly

Same with most of these systems these days.

@@sasajungic89 yep, a white steering wheel. That will look grubby really quickly.

@@VFR-rs5um I'm sure that'll be an option...

"It is a sin if you touch your phone in the car..." Since when?

Nick Turner The UK police have been prosecuting lone drivers for picking up their phone whilst driving. They use HGVs on motorways and dual carriageways, to see into the cars(and other HGVs) and pull them over for the offence.

Nick Turner in The Netherlands 270 Euro fine, and when caught for the 2nd time in one year means suspension of driver lincense. They have modified mobile Gatso cameras on top of viaducts to scan cars 😐

@@nickturner2813 LOL, just got your licence?

The good thing about software is that it can be updated and it will have to be to compete.

ctl-alt-del - what’s the problem?

@@goodfodder That it doesn't have Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys :oP

Well, bugs are fine as long as they get fixed (ID3 does have OTA updating). But the problem is the ID3 has consistently had infotainment crashing issues for many, many months. I wonder if they have been fixed now (January).

@@jay-uo2bi I have been reading many of the forums. The 2.0 (pre-release) software seems to be a big improvement but not perfect. I think most issues seem to be around the 12-volt battery drain which was sort of "worked around" in software by automatically recharging it when that happens and quite a lot of other things got better but I don't get the impression that anyone has 0 problems yet. There also seem to be hardware variants and the current update is only for 2 of the 3 variants etc etc etc. It's all just a software project that's been underestimated which I find very unsurprising as a programmer.

It just wanted to know his blood type

@@Anirossa a paid service to Facebook and google, so they can give you better adds.....

👌

Yep

Hi, Graham! Yes please. A proper motor. In 50 years it'll still be gorgeous.

its also bad for safety since you need to take the eyes from the road to look where you are pointing your fingers. with normal controls you can feel where you are, and still keep your eyes on the road.

Just had to have a complete new centre display in our Golf, had black screen of death.....

I don't get it why big tech companies are not contracted to build the infotainment systems. Modern infotainment systems exist for over 5 years and yet not many car manifactures get it right (without lag).

“If only everything in life was as reliable as a VW”.......NOT! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

iiit´s a cheap laptop, again :p

I live in Calgary, Canada. Today is minus 17C. Look how much mileage he loses when he put reverse on in plus 3. Electric cars are useless in the temperatures we get here. You lose 2/3s of your battery life in cold weather.

Indeed :)

Indeed. A friend recently bought a new hybrid XC40. MPG is hopeless. My V8 diesel Range Rover is as good.

When people will start to understand that "rated" Miles or mpg is measured on a precise driving cycle and temperatures we'll progress.... With my model 3 I managed to do > 420km which is above rated range, and some other times I hardly do 270km😁

If you want actual range figures then you want to go to EV data base and they will be correct because they're real world tested

Yup... I'd hazard a guess that if your testing procedure is flawed, it doesn't matter if you plug an EV or an ICE-car into it (so to speak) ... the results will always be crap. :)

And pay£200 a month in fuel and much more in tax, servicing, BIK, etc, etc.

Agreed! 👍 I couldn't care less about electric cars but I really hope for a Golf GTI I episode!

Rather have a Kona EV.

@@SledgeFox - yes, let's hope for Harry's views on that Golf GTI Mk1 on his next video! EV's? Harry's done enough on them for the time being, though didn't mention the e-Golf, Mustang Mach E or Citroen Ami!!! Cheers.

I dunno tho. I got an e-Golf and it is golden -- but I'd still buy an ID.3 _if_ _I_ _could_

exactly what I think, I have enough of computers at work.

That's not just touchscreen. It'd idiotic touch sensitive Buttons with no screen. A properly designed big touchscreen is way better. cdn.pocket-lint.com/r/s/1200x/assets/images/149344-cars-review-hands-on-vw-id3-image2-nfshtzobqm.jpg

Right? This tiny hatchback weighs as much as my MK3 Supra, and the ID.3 is slower, cheaper quality, less comfortable, doesn't sound as good, costs more, and isn't remotely engaging to drive. Think I'll be keeping this Supra going another 30 years. I'll be proud to be THAT GUY that still has an engine burbling away while people go about in their electric appliances.

Typical vw

@@valleysofneptune not really though, my dad has been driving vw passats for the past 15 years and nothing ever went wrong, every modern car has problems doesn't matter what you buy

@@lifesucks5322 check the warranty direct reliability index, VW and other German makes only ever reach mid-table.....not amazingly reliable when compared to price and other competitors....also ask any RAC or AA recovery driver, lots of German cars are fairly unreliable

@@valleysofneptune maybe they are unreliable if you look at the numbers, i was just talking about personal experience, all the people that i know who drive vw have never had any major problems that however can just be luck of the draw. what makes them reliable in my eyes at least is that where i live lots of people drive them so fixing things if something breaks is usually fast and inexpensive

@@valleysofneptune Volkswagen. Das Garbage

Me too

Was thinking that too. Proper pretty little car and designed by one of the greatest car designers of all time.

Forcing an unexpected reboot? 🤓

Lol

Close all windows first!

@@bertramspielt Classic!👍

Maybe keep the power button held down for a few seconds = soft reset.

It looks all plastic too. And that for 40k...

That's because car is a plastic bucket.

@@williamr3840 Nope ironically BEVs are not plastic for strength to weight ratio reasons. It's mostly Aluminum & Steel by mass. Floppy Plastic BEV is a good way to get DEAD, they are soo quick.

hehe

And it cuts your thumb off!

@Paul Fellows It's like you read my mind. 100%

Never seen a VW that "just works", my dad did have a Jetta once, where the servo fell off in speed, that was at least interesting

'If only every thing in life was as reliable...............' Unfortunately my experience of VW is one of frequent faults and niggles. Had a Touareg that would randomly refuse to unlock on keyless, suddenly be unable to detect the key, and most worryingly, randomly go into limp mode and once did this in the middle of an overtake. It could only be resolved by pulling over, switching off, waiting 30 secs or so and turning it back on. No one could ever find an actual fault. The touchscreen randomly freezing sounds eerily familiar and so very VW.

Yes!

Definitely. The bulb that illuminates my heater controls has blown but because they're always in the same place and always do the same thing it doesn't matter. I can just reach out and make the heater do what I want without looking, simple. Same with the head unit.

The gear selector is something you could imagine seeing in a children's toy..

@@buggs9950 YES,

Not to mention how much it weighs (and electric cars across the board).

It’s my ultimate fear. My old Volvo 480 has a book value of peanuts, but a value to me personally that can’t be measured. This electric turd with some driver fighting that touch screen would write my car off (in the eyes of an assessor) with the most minor of bumps. He gets a brand new ID3 on his insurance. I get sweet FA and best of luck finding another!

The good news is that these modern cars also have all sorts of collision avoidance things going on. My Honda also beeps at me to tell me the traffic's pulled away at the lights, so my chances of not paying attention are slim. And it beeps quicker than the car behind beeps its horn!

@@Jay-Kay-Em get yourself proper classic insurance. Trust me on this, makes a huge difference. May cost a bit more, but well worth it.

@@davidcoveney Classic insurance is great and I have agreed valuations on all three of my classics. Sadly they don’t magic replacement cars out of thin air though. You try finding another Volvo 480 Manual Turbo. As I said, Mr new car driver doesn’t care, because he gets another new car. I also disagree with the sentiment that “it’s ok to drive bad because technology corrects it”. It’s all fallible. Sensors get dirty and damaged. I speak first hand from HGV collision avoidance systems not working or drivers turning them off “becuase they are a nuisance”. I got a DTC from a Mercedes the other day, actually telling me the distance sensor was dirty.

I just bought myself a good, late Golf 7.5 for that reason.

@@Gandalf721 where you would have found soft, premium plastics in the Mk 7/7.5, they’re now hard and cheap materials. Some silver elements that used to be metal are now plastic. The support in the seats was also less substantial.

+1 All I would take from this future is keyless go.

Looks horrible now

try 3 weeks

WHY DOES EVERYTHING ELECTRIC HAVE TO BE WHITE?!!! Go look at the interior of a 1970s Maserati and ask which one is more inviting: tan leather and wood or white, grey & touchscreens?

Breaking news: you can clean it.

@@olivierl2172 To a certain degree, yes.

New slogan "if only everything was as cheap and nasty as a volkswagen". This is one horrid looking and built car. It's a Dyson on wheels.

You must be joking? That was really the slogan? VW, at least here in the US and Canada, have been known for years of being the one of the most unreliable cars you can buy!!

@@lostchildren same here in Oz the dealers are shocking and the cars are not what they used to be.

There's a few other channels focused on EVs but they are generally not petrol heads, so focus on the technology rather than driving experience.

@@gazfish it's a combination that needs focusing on and explaining.. A very new phenomenon called "charging anxiety" will be very real to many new EV users. It's a huge new industry that currently is way behind the curve. Other major countries are miles ahead and conversely larger nations lagging. Chinese lead the market in battery dvelopment but the whole product and infrastructure needs explaining and showing to the public now. The major reason for the slow sales is the basic question..... Will I get there and back..

@@nigelbullock9039 "slow sales", really?

@@nigelbullock9039 2021 is a big year for EV infrastructure for sure in terms of general public awareness. According to Zap Map, there are currently 36k connectors across the UK with 650 added in the last month alone, with a number of high profile charge hubs opening recently. Charging Anxiety is not really a thing once you own an EV as you soon work out where and how you are going to charge for your personal circumstances. its just a new thing to learn. Remember, even with years and years and years of ICE ownership, 800k ran out of fuel in 2015, so not managing your journey properly is not exactly new. However, it is correct that winter driving hammers the range, as does running on the motorway, especially compared to city / suburban driving which is very kind to all EVs. EVs have been about in increasing numbers for around 10 years, Tesla, Nissan, Renault and BMW being the most high profile along with Kia and Hyundai. Most manufactures have what are known as compliance cars so they all have experience with selling EVs. VW has been selling EVs for a number of years now with the E-Up! and the E-Golf. So, the technology is not in any way new or untested. It is just, apart from Telsa, just under the radar until the government's recent announcement. The switch to a mainly EV car fleet will be much quicker than the deadline, as with all things, once your friends have them, they will encourage you to have one too.

Yeah Harry was way nicer over that screen not functioning then I would be. Almost £40K and it's this kind of rubbish is unacceptable. I'd take it back to dealer ASAP.

And you get another bonus if you install a loading station for your car at home. Having said that you see how they are desperately trying to get these crazy cars into the market. Let´s see if the government will pay the a new battery pack if it´s down after eight years.

Desperately playing Tesla catch-up.

They used a Fisher Price screen 😀

If its just that problem with freezing its no indication that its been rushed. Software is tricky and really loves to freeze

didn’t they delay the release of it coz they had massive issues with the tech side of it? I remember them crapping themselves as it wasn’t ready. Autogufuhl had the same issues on another brand new ID3. Pretty pathetic VW!

@@Tautusian that's why the chap in charge of software was demoted by VW in a very public way recently

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y3vomJoM0jQ.html

Just a software bug. Nothing to do with electronics

@@freepadz6241 but what if the manufacturers start downloading these bugs into the cars to cause them to become obsolete quicker. It could become a real safety hazard if you buy one second hand.

@@bentullett6068 I don't think vw could afford another disaster. Apple tried it, didn't go well.

@@3v3rhard I think Tesla tried it as well that is why they had lots of cars batteries explode randomly after the owners had a update.

@@freepadz6241 the whole car is a software

Exactly. What's the difference? It's still distracting you from the road. "driving without due care and attention" is what I think Plod calls it.

@timemachine_194 the future is voice control? My car from 2005 has voice control for most functions, not exactly the future is it?

I just don’t understand why the voice activation hasn’t been prioritised as a safety and convenience item. This is very poor. The distraction of fiddling with the screen, (and even worse, having to switch it on and off again to reset) is obvious. Why is it acceptable on a £30k new car in 2021? My 2007 X type was much better.

@@jdavison8551 my car with voice control is a Jaguar too. Maybe they were ahead of their time! Perhaps the problem is coming up with a system that works with all regional dialects and convincing customers to remember all the commands.

@@Rover200Power you might be right. I can’t believe any voice activation issues couldn’t be overcome if they effort into that, rather than things like “lane assist” or auto parking that most of us rarely use anyway. Personally, I think that would produce a much better outcome in terms of safety and overall driving experience.

hahaha lol

More aggression that you don't need. If it can bring or bong or tell you that the car isn't in Park and will roll away or just generally treat the owner like a Dim Witted Idiot then it will. Who owns who here, the car owner the driver or the other way round!!!!

Settle, petal. Right now the aggression is coming from you, @@richardhunt1384 . ☹️ A _little_ comes from the sharp rubber seal hook, but mostly you.

@@AsinineComment that was a highly aggressive, devious reply, young man!

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y3vomJoM0jQ.html

@@skkh5108 Very very annoying child. No thanks.

Teeth?

Jay Emm actually knows what he's talking about, to be fair. Good real world reviews from an enthusiast. Shmee proved his worth over the SSC Tuatara faked record, although I still find him fairly unwatchable otherwise. SoL is insufferable.

Jay Emm is good imo. Down to earth and tells you what you want to know in a tight format. Also he has some older and reasonably priced cars that you don't often see reviewed on youtube.

@@nicholasshort7849 yep, and some are real rarities, like the Venturi.

@@richardharrold9736 I liked his Lotus Evora pieces but went off him after his overly long and melodramatic squeal about his friend’s misfortune at the hands of Mclaren. He became so shrill it sounded like a pig being slaughtered.

@@johnsmith2421 McLaren is a shitshow. An old friend of mine worked there for a while. An incredibly badly-run company with criminally inept management.

It’s 260 WLTP, so cold weather effects the range by nearly 100 miles...

@@bcmstfilms Yes my Kona (64 KWh battery) has a 280 WLTP. I get a good 240 in the summer (driving fast road/motorway) - probably 4.1 m/kwh and around 205 in the winter (3.5 ish m/kwh). Banging the heater on, winter's cold air density and a bit of battery 'cold gate' does it. Still its a perfect tool for 99% of driving. Even for 200 mile + trips to the Lakes with a bit of preplanning and using Instavolt or Polar.

He was on dry roads and using as little heating as he could get away with while sticking to speed limits on the cars speedo (usually a little slower than the actual speed). He also had the car in his garage/port and on charge the night before so the battery was already warm. That's not worst case by a long way. He's also working out the range based on the promise of whats left which in some ev's can be quite a bit more than can actually be had - though I have no experience in the I.D.3 on that one I have experienced it in a lot of ev's. I never trust range remaining. Always go from mi/kWh used and total used vs percentage remaining and you know what you're likely to actually get.

225miles in the summer with the air con switched off

I bet you that 260 WLTP figure is coming from a test vehicle that is doing the majority of its driving in a Stop and Go enviroment. Doing all city driving would create lots more regen braking from making more stops (thus enhancing the range ability more) versus doing his run that was majority highway driving with a lot less braking, lot less regen action going on to extend the battery range.

Yeah thats when you know a car is shit when youre having to highlight its "price per kilo."

In the early days of computers in cars ( Disco 3 eg ) one would disconnect the battery for a few minutes if the system glitched , but that's somewhat impossible with this ..........

@@npet6842 its not, everything internally is still powered by the 12V battery so you’d just have to disconnect that!

Microsoft user's reply: Nah. I just got used to the darkness.

Ironically Microsoft is in lots of cars. It's called Ford Sync upto Gen 2 & current BMWs. Even funnier including this car is most likely using BLACKBERRY aka QNX.

@@Neojhun The VW platform is linux-based. Pretty sure there is no QNX in there.

The future of cars is clearly not ownership, it's like everything else in the modern world, renting it. Hence the attractive £350 p/m lease deal.

This is at the expensive end for a small-ish EV. In fact it's at the expensive end for the ID3, being the launch model; later ones are supposed to be cheaper. But yes, right now it's not a good value deal. You can get a Fiat 500e for under £20k though, or a bit over for one with reasonable range. Still more expensive than a combustion version, but close enough that you can end up with a cheaper car after a few years' fuel, tax and maintenance.

Tesla

@@Gandalf721 : well alongside Fiat there's also the MG 5, Peugeot e208 and e2008, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Renault Zoe, Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Ioniq all offering >150 miles' real-world range for

However, there are car testers who complain about the cheap plastic interior. but maybe you golfers are used to it. Anyone who wants more premium from the company will probably buy an Audi 😀 or another Volkswagen

@@Andersljungberg Not at the price range of an ID 3.

New normal. Don't often need to visit a charger in an EV if you have 300 miles of range. Could do avg commute for 2 weeks with that. 300 miles at 70mph is 4 hours, I'm going to want a 45 min break anyway 🤷‍♂️ for longer trips and I think the kids would be going crazy well before that. No one can fill up their petrol car at home but 60% of houses can have home chargers. The other 40% could be charging from a lamppost (see ubitricity) or the kerb see connected kerb.

@@AndrasMihalyi my comment was valid , your comment is pointless.

I'd rather take the golf too. Not a pointless comment at all given the golf was featured and spoken about in the very same video.

Heck, I'd take a new Mk8 Golf over this utter POS any day.

My BMW diesel actually gets up to 800 miles of range from a tank. You should have bought a BMW lol

It's measured in a laboratory without generator, climate control and servo hydraulics attached.

Yes, they are mostly tested in a lab, under "ideal" conditions. So (...) who knows what that is.

Jon a - Yeah exactly - when the difference could mean missed business appointments, childcare commitments or other things of that nature, rather than a 5-minute fill-up, they really ought to acknowledge that and fix it (or at least stop lying about it!).

My petrol 15 yr old BMW also hits the estimate mpg and distance figures every time. I wouldn't trust a VW as far as I could throw it....

It's ugly! they should have done the Porsche 912 electric first.

And if it behaves like an iPhone it’ll be obsolete in a couple of years. Spot the depreciation.

Check out the 2020 e-Up! if tech isnt your thing. Will actually beat its claimed range, too.

You won't want a Tesla then.

Triumph Dolomite fir the win. (if it doesn't away rust first)

The touch screen has gone on the fritz in my car a few times in the cold - was selecting various things randomly going through menus on it's own. Potentially bloody dangerous if you can't shut it off.

Preach!

Yes that happened in analog cars as well - I remember the first generation GPS in my 5 series - slow like a snail and kept and freezing - but it drove!

How old is your car then if it doesn't have anything computerised in it?