Compare the2024 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2024 BMW i5

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen ID.4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW i5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen ID.4 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the ID.4 and i5 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 i5’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.

Both the ID.4 and the i5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The i5 has not been tested, yet.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 4 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the i5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the i5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 81 percent more Volkswagen dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the ID.4’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the ID.4 gets better mileage than the i5:

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the i5 on a full charge:

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 7.5 feet tighter than the i5 M60 xDrive’s (31.5 feet vs. 39 feet). The ID.4 AWD’s turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the i5 eDrive40’s (36.42 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The Volkswagen ID.4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the BMW i5.

The ID.4 is 1 foot, 6.7 inches shorter than the i5, making the ID.4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the ID.4 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The i5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The ID.4 has 1.5 inches more front headroom and 1.1 inches more rear legroom than the i5.

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 i5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 i5 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 i5 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.