Compare the2023 Toyota bZ4XVS 2022 Volkswagen ID.4

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the bZ4X are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota bZ4X has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ID.4 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The bZ4X Limited has a standard Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The ID.4 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the bZ4X and the ID.4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The bZ4X’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the ID.4’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ4X’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 58 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 24th.

The bZ4X’s optional electric motors produces 13 more horsepower (214 vs. 201) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (248 vs. 229) than the ID.4’s standard electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota bZ4X electric motors is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the bZ4X gets better mileage than the ID.4:

The Toyota bZ4X has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the ID.4. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The bZ4X’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.4’s standard 55 series front tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ4X’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the ID.4 (112.2 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ4X is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

For greater off-road capability the bZ4X has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.4 (8.1 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the bZ4X to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota bZ4X may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Volkswagen ID.4.

The bZ4X has 1 inch more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the ID.4.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ4X’s rear seats recline. The ID.4’s rear seats don’t recline.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the bZ4X has standard extendable sun visors. The ID.4 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the bZ4X and the ID.4 offer available heated front seats. The bZ4X Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ID.4.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the bZ4X Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The ID.4 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.