Compare the2024 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2024 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Prius Prime have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Prius Prime’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 Pro has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the ID.4 has standard Rear Traffic Alert with automatic braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Prius Prime.

Both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Volkswagen ID.4 weighs 746 to 1416 pounds more than the Toyota Prius Prime. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Volkswagen ID.4 is safer than the Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	41	331
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	223 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.98 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.46 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	357 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	243	246
Neck Compression	112 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.28 in	1.42 in
Shoulder Force	112 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.71 in	1.06 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	446 lbs.	692 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Prius Prime has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The ID.4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Prius Prime’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 3 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Prius Prime. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Prius Prime ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Prius Prime’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Engine

The ID.4 Pro’s standard electric motor produces 62 more horsepower (282 vs. 220) than the Prius Prime’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The ID.4 Pro’s optional electric motors produces 115 more horsepower (335 vs. 220) than the Prius Prime’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the Prius Prime on electricity, only, on a full charge:

			Miles
ID.4
	RWD	Pro Electric Motor	291 miles
		Standard Electric Motor	206 miles
	AWD	Pro Electric Motors	263 miles
Prius Prime
	FWD	SE Electric Motor	44 miles
		XSE Electric Motor	39 miles

The ID.4, as a pure battery electric vehicle, has no need to “idle” its motors in traffic: they only burn power when moving. The ID.4’s climate control systems still work completely when the vehicle is stopped. The Prius Prime still runs its internal combustion engine whenever it’s stopped, burning excess fuel.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ID.4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	ID.4	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	14.1 inches	12 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the ID.4 has larger standard tires than the Prius Prime (235/55R19 vs. 195/60R17). The ID.4 S’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius Prime (F:235/50R20 & R:255/45R20 vs. 195/60R17).

The ID.4 Standard’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Prius Prime SE’s standard 60 series tires. The ID.4 Pro S Plus’ 235/45R21 front and 255/40R21 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Prius Prime XSE’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Prius Prime SE. The ID.4 Pro S Plus’ 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Prius Prime XSE.

Suspension and Handling

The ID.4’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (47% to 53%) than the Prius Prime’s (56% to 44%). This gives the ID.4 more stable handling and braking.

The ID.4 handles at .83 G’s, while the Prius Prime XSE pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Prius Prime SE’s (31.5 feet vs. 34.4 feet).

Passenger Space

The ID.4 has 8.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Prius Prime (99.9 vs. 91.2).

The ID.4 has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius Prime.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ID.4’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The ID.4 has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Prius Prime has no towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the ID.4 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The ID.4 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The ID.4’s standard KESSY Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the Prius Prime doesn’t offer a sensor on the trunk or any door except the driver’s, so you’ll have to walk to the driver's door to touch the handle.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the ID.4 has a standard rear wiper. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The ID.4’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Prius Prime’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The ID.4 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius Prime has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XSE.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/S Plus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/S Plus also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the ID.4 Pro S Plus is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Prius Prime’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The ID.4 S/S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Prius Prime.

The ID.4’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the ID.4 and the Prius Prime offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the ID.4 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Prius Prime XSE offers wireless charging.