Compare the2024 Ford Mustang Mach-EVS 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 Mustang Mach-E 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 Ford Mustang Mach-E has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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.

With its standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen ID.4, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Mustang Mach-E, with its five-star roll-over rating, is .8% to 2.3% less likely to roll over than the ID.4, which received a four-star rating.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E (built after August 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The ID.4 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

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

There are over 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Mustang Mach-E’s warranty.

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 Mustang Mach-E’s reliability 16 points higher than the ID.4.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 62 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 28 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 5 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Mustang Mach-E has more powerful engines than the ID.4:

As tested in Motor Trend the Mustang Mach-E ER electric motor is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motor:

As tested in Motor Trend the Mustang Mach-E GT electric motors is faster than the ID.4 Pro electric motors:

As tested in Motor Trend the Mustang Mach-E GT electric motors is faster than the ID.4 Pro electric motors:

The Mustang Mach-E can travel longer on a full charge than the ID.4 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Mustang Mach-E GT/Rally’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ID.4:

The Ford Mustang Mach-E 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 Mustang Mach-E stops much shorter than the ID.4:

For better traction, the Mustang Mach-E GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ID.4 (245/45R20 vs. 235/50R20).

The Mustang Mach-E 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.

The Mustang Mach-E offers an available 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 or off-road. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mustang Mach-E’s wheelbase is 8.7 inches longer than on the ID.4 (117.5 inches vs. 108.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Mustang Mach-E is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

The Mustang Mach-E GT handles at .92 G’s, while the ID.4 pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Mustang Mach-E GT 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).

The Mustang Mach-E has 2.2 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom and 6.5 inches more rear hip room than the ID.4.

The Mustang Mach-E 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Mustang Mach-E’s exterior PIN entry system. The ID.4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Car-Net can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Mustang Mach-E has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the ID.4 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Mustang Mach-E’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the ID.4’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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

Compared to the Volkswagen ID.4, the Ford Mustang Mach-E eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s visor.

The Mustang Mach-E’s optional Active Park Assist 2.0 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 Ford Mustang Mach-E, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen ID.4 isn't recommended.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its July 2021 issue and the Ford Mustang Mach-E Select 4 won out over the Volkswagen ID.4.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Mustang Mach-E as the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The ID.4 has never been chosen.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E outsold the Volkswagen ID.4 by 8% during 2023.