Compare the2024 Porsche TaycanVS 2023 Volkswagen ID.4

The Porsche Taycan 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The ID.4 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Taycan 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 82 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 Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 19 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Taycan has more powerful engines than the ID.4:

As tested in Car and Driver the Taycan Performance Plus electric motor is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motors:

The Taycan’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The ID.4 doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Taycan Turbo S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the ID.4:

The Porsche Taycan 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 Taycan offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The ID.4 doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Taycan stops shorter than the ID.4:

For better traction, the Taycan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ID.4 (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19).

The Taycan’s standard 275/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.4’s standard 50 series rear tires. The Taycan’s optional 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the ID.4 S’ 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taycan offers optional 21-inch wheels. The ID.4’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Taycan offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The ID.4 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Volkswagen doesn’t offer an active suspension on the ID.4.

The Taycan has a standard 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. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taycan’s wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the ID.4 (114.2 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 4.7 inches wider in the front and 4.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

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

The Taycan Cross Turismo 4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.6 seconds quicker than the ID.4 Pro (25 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

The Taycan is 10.2 inches shorter in height than the ID.4, making the Taycan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The front grille of the Taycan 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 Taycan has a much higher standard payload capacity than the ID.4 (1331 vs. 959 lbs.).

The Taycan has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the ID.4 (1596 vs. 959 lbs.).

The Taycan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The ID.4 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 46% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus, the Taycan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Taycan’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 Taycan 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 Taycan’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The ID.4’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Volkswagen ID.4 isn’t available as a sedan.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Taycan first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The ID.4 isn’t in the top three.