Compare the2023 BMW iXVS 2023 Volkswagen ID.4

The BMW iX 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the iX. But it costs extra on the ID.4.

Both the iX and the ID.4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 782 to 1452 pounds more than the Volkswagen ID.4. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The iX’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the ID.4’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the ID.4 (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 65 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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 12 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 315 more horsepower (516 vs. 201) and 335 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 229) than the ID.4’s standard electric motor. The iX xDrive50’s electric motors produces 221 more horsepower (516 vs. 295) and 225 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 339) than the ID.4’s optional electric motors. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 315 more horsepower (610 vs. 295) and 410 lbs.-ft. more torque (749 vs. 339) than the ID.4’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the iX xDrive50 is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4:

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the ID.4 on a full charge:

The BMW iX 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.

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ID.4 (275/40R22 vs. 235/55R19).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.4 S’ 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the ID.4. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the ID.4 S.

The iX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the ID.4 (118.1 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 3.6 inches wider in the front and 5.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

The iX xDrive50 handles at .88 G’s, while the ID.4 pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.4 (8.8 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the BMW iX amounts to more than styling. The iX has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .25 Cd. That is lower than the ID.4 (.27 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the iX get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the iX uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ID.4 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The iX has .9 inches more front headroom, 4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the ID.4.

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the ID.4 with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 30.3 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the ID.4 with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 64.2 cubic feet).

The iX has a higher standard payload capacity than the ID.4 (1003 vs. 959 lbs.).

The iX has a higher maximum payload capacity than the ID.4 (1054 vs. 959 lbs.).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 33% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the ID.4’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The iX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The ID.4 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the iX 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.

The iX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus.

The iX’s optional Automatic Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The ID.4’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.