Compare the2023 Lexus RZVS 2023 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 RZ 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 Lexus RZ 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 RZ. But it costs extra on the ID.4.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 78 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 Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 23rd.

The RZ’s electric motors produces 107 more horsepower (308 vs. 201) and 92 lbs.-ft. more torque (321 vs. 229) than the ID.4’s standard electric motor. The RZ’s electric motors produces 13 more horsepower (308 vs. 295) than the ID.4’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Lexus RZ is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4:

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

The Lexus RZ 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 RZ has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RZ’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 RZ is 1 inch wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.4 (7.8 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the RZ 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 RZ has 1 inch more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom and 5.1 inches more rear hip room than the ID.4.

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

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the ID.4 with its rear seat up (34.9 vs. 30.3 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 64% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The ID.4 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

The RZ’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.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the RZ 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 RZ 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 RZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The RZ’s optional Advanced Park 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.