Compare the2025 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 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 Kona Electric 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.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Kona Electric is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen ID.4, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Both the Kona Electric 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The ID.4’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona Electric 2 years longer than Volkswagen covers the ID.4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the ID.4 ends after only 8 years or 100,000 miles.

The Kona Electric’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the ID.4 runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona Electric for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the ID.4 (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kona Electric’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry 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 Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 16 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

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

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

The Hyundai Kona Electric 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 Kona Electric has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The ID.4 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Kona Electric 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 better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona Electric is .2 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ID.4.

The Hyundai Kona Electric may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1000 pounds less than the Volkswagen ID.4.

The Kona Electric is 9 inches shorter than the ID.4, making the Kona Electric easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona Electric has .6 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear headroom and 5.7 inches more rear hip room than the ID.4.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Kona Electric’s rear seats recline. The ID.4’s rear seats don’t recline.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kona Electric 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.

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

Compared to the Volkswagen ID.4, the Hyundai Kona Electric eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The Kona Electric Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist 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 Hyundai Kona outsold the Volkswagen ID.4 by over two to one during 2023.