Compare the2024 Lexus RZVS 2024 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.

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 Lexus RZ achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The ID.4 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the RZ’s reliability 21 points higher than the ID.4.

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 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

As tested in Car and Driver the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motor:

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

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

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.

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the ID.4 (255/55R18 vs. 235/55R19).

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 3.4 inches longer than on the ID.4 (112.2 inches vs. 108.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RZ is 1 inch wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

The RZ 450e Luxury handles at .86 G’s, while the ID.4 Pro pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the ID.4 Pro (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.4 (7.9 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The ID.4 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The RZ has 1 inch more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .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.

The RZ’s standard Smart Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. KESSY Keyless Access standard on the ID.4 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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.

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/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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus RZ, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen ID.4 isn't recommended.