Volkswagen ID.3 Review 2025

When launched the Volkswagen ID.3 had all the hallmarks of a good car rushed into production with a few rough finishes and electrical gremlins chucked in for good measure. Salvation came in the form of a mid-life update making it a far more competitive choice but is it the best electric family car you can buy? Read our full Volkswagen ID.3 review to find out.

The Volkswagen ID.3 arrived to a lukewarm reception when it first went on sale in 2020 — even when, back then, competition was limited to the ageing Nissan Leaf, oddball BMW i3 and SUV-bodied alternatives such as the Hyundai Kona Electric. Complaints centred upon its high price, cheap-feeling interior and frustrating infotainment system.

It's not surprising that Volkswagen's chiefs prioritised giving its electric hatchback a refresh in 2023 given the arrival of fiercer compeition, including closely related models from Stellantis — the Citroen e-C4 and the Vauxhall Astra Electric — plus the well-regarded Renault Megane E-Tech to name a few.

So what's new with the latest Volkswagen ID.3? Cosmetically, not a lot. You'll notice revised front and rear bumpers as well as different exterior colours.

The bigger changes are inside. No, not a new infotainment system, unfortunately, but some higher quality sustainable materials. The dashboard plastics are no longer offensively scratchy, while the door trims feel more becoming of a Volkswagen.

The VW ID.3 remains just as spacious as before, which is a good thing. Because it sits on the brand's dedicated EV underpinnings it feels like a much more spacious family car than the popular Volkswagen Golf, despite the two having similar exterior dimensions.

Initially only available in two different guises, the facelifted range has since expanded to encompass seven options. The range starts with the Pure Essential and Pure Match, both using a 52kWh battery for a drivng range of up to 241 miles. The ID.3 Pro Essential and Pro Match use a 58kWh battery pack, giving up to 269 miles of range, which will be more than enough for many buyers. 

For anyone wanting more, there's a 77kWh battery available in the Pro S Essential, Pro S Match and the sporty GTX Performance, offering anything up to 369 miles of range on a full charge, depending on the model. 

A single electric motor drives the rear wheels, which means the Volkswagen ID.3 feels agile and easy to drive around town. It's set up to be softer than its platform-sharing relation, the Cupra Born, so it's a pleasantly comfortable long-distance companion.

Prices for the new Volkswagen ID.3 start in the region of £31,000 rising to over £46,000 for the GTX Performance version. That'll make you wince if you haven't bought a new car in the last decade but it's no pricier than most of the competition, save for the ultra-cheap MG 4 EV.

You get plenty for your money with all the refreshed ID.3 range featuring adaptive cruise control, alloy wheels and heated seats as standard. Still too expensive? A used Volkswagen ID.3 can now be picked up for as little as £20,000... that's almost cheap enough to justify the harsh materials used in early cars.

The Volkswagen ID.3’s electric motor is positioned below the boot floor, powering the rear wheels. This leaves the front wheels to handle only the steering, making it extremely agile in and out of town. Its tiny turning circle means you can perform loop-the-loops on city streets if you so wish.

Excellent all-round visibility from the large windows helps when negotiating narrow spaces, aided further by the rear-view camera and parking sensors.

Out of town, you’re not going to chuck even the fastest GTX Performance version around like a VW Golf GTI, but it’s perfectly civilised on rural roads and motorways.

Refinement is one thing it does particularly well — there’s no engine noise, obviously, but sometimes this can expose a lack of polish in other areas. You won’t notice much in the way of clonks and bangs from the suspension and wind noise is fairly well hushed.

Like a lot of electric cars, the Volkswagen ID.3 is on the heavy side, although its suspension copes well with speed bumps and undulations. It's certainly a more comfortable, controlled choice than an MG 4 EV.

Although it features tweaked suspension and steering, plus a lot more power going to its rear wheels, the ID.3 GTX Performance doesn't feel drastically different to drive from its less powerful siblings. It's certainly capable but if you're looking for a thrilling electric alternative to the Golf GTI, this isn't it. 

Following its 2023 update the Volkswagen ID.3's suite of electric drive options was reduced to three tiers of power. All send drive to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission that's essentially used like an automatic.

Volkswagen ID.3 Pure models models have to make do with 170PS and 310Nm of torque, making for an 8.2-second 0-62mph time and an electronically capped top speed of 99mph. There's more power available for ID.3 Pro version thanks to the use of a 204PS motor, although weirdly the torque figure drops to 265Nm. Top speed remains unchanged but the 0-62mph time is trimmed down to 7.6 seconds.

Power, torque and top speed remain unaltered with the VW ID.3 Pro S but the extra weight of its larger battery pack increases the 0-62mph time back up to 8.2 seconds, matching the Pure models.

Topping the VW ID.3 range is the GTX Performance which pumps out 326PS and 545Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds and on to an increased top speed of 124mph. With 122PS of extra clout over the next most powerful ID.3, it's no surprise that the GTX Performance feels quick by comparison. It's generally at its most impressive when accelerating from low speeds or a standstill. 

Yet there are other scenarios in which it feels underwhelming which might sound odd for a car with so much power, although note that this ID.3 weighs 1993kg. Other performance-celebrating EVs, such as the Tesla Model 3 and the MG 4 EV XPower make up for chunky weight figures by cranking up the power much further than VW has here. 

While the lower-powered versions don't surge forward at quite the same rate as a 3, they certainly have the instant get-up-and-go that surprises many people when they first drive an EV. There’s no waiting for the turbo to spool up or the automatic gearbox to change down a gear — they just go.

Like with many other electric cars, you can adjust the ID.3's levels of regenerative braking to suit your tastes. The greater the regen, the more it will automatically slow down without having the press the brake pedal when you lift off the accelerator. It’s not as severe as the Nissan Leaf’s e-Pedal, though, and neither are there any paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the amount of regen.

On pre-facelift Volkswagen ID.3 models, the entry-level 45kWh battery pack was powered a 150PS electric motor, while the 58kWh battery was available in two forms — Pro with 145PS and the 204PS Pro Performance.

Independent crash test specialists Euro NCAP awarded the Volkswagen ID.3 a maximum five stars for safety in 2020. This includes impressive 87% scores for adult occupants, 89% for child occupants, 88% for its safety assist features and 71% for the protection of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians.

Standard safety equipment on the Volkswagen ID.3 includes an autonomous emergency braking system as well as a lane-assist feature plus Isofix child-seat mounting points in the rear bench and on the front passenger seat.

Although the Volkswagen ID.3 isn’t much bigger than a Golf, its dedicated electric car underpinnings means it feels surprisingly spacious. There’s loads of headroom up front, while access to the rear is easy thanks to wide-opening doors.

There’s enough room for a pair of adults in the back, while Isofix points are fitted to the front and rear passenger seats. There are plenty of useful stowage areas in the cabin for your odds and ends. 

With 385 litres of luggage space, the ID.3 isn’t quite as capacious as the Renault Megane E-Tech, but its boot is bigger than the Vauxhall Astra Electric's.

There’s a bit of a lip for lifting heavy items over and a dog won’t be eager to jump in, while the underfloor storage area is too small to be of much use. Folding the rear seats over increases luggage space to 1267 litres.

The Volkswagen ID.3 was widely criticised for its flimsy interior finish when it was launched in 2020. VW buyers have high expectations and the ID.3's cabin just didn't cut it.

That's been somewhat addressed with the ID.3's 2023 facelift. Although the updates are minor, the soft finish to the dashboard is welcome, as are the redesigned door trims. It now feels at least on par with rivals in terms of interior quality, if not better.

All Volkswagen ID.3 models initially came with the same 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s similar to the unit used in the pre-facelift versions of the current VW Golf, with buttons replaced by irritating touch-sensitive strips you slide your fingers along. While it has sharp graphics and responds quickly to inputs, it’s borderline dangerously distracting on the move.

You can get around this, to an extent, by using the voice control system. It’ll respond to indirect commands such as “I have cold feet” but it’s all a bit gimmicky.

The unit improved over time thanks to over-the-air updates, before being replaced by a 12.9-inch displayas part of the ID.3's mid-life update. It's certainly an improvement, not least because the touch-sensitive temperature controls at the bottom are finally backlit, so you can actually see them at night.

Sadly, while most versions of the Golf have reverted to 'proper' buttons on the steering wheel, the touchpads remain in the ID.3. Not helped by the fact that these mix pressing and swiping controls, it's very easy to do things like accidentally turn down the volume instead of lowering the cruise control speed. 

Prices for the Volkswagen ID.3 start with the Pure Essential from £30,860, while the Pure Match is £32,220. You'll need £35,740 to get behind the wheel of a VW ID.3 Pro Essential and £36,660 more for the better equipped Pro Match.

There's still a sizeable jump in cost for the Volkswagen ID.3s with the largest of the available batteries, with the Pro S Essential priced at £39,230 and the Pro S Match at £39,940. Crowing the range is the VW ID.3 GTX Performance at a considerable £46,325.

That makes the Volkswagen ID.3 look quite expensive alongside budget offerings along the lines of the slightly small GWM Ora 03 from £24,995 and the MG 4 EV which starts at £26,995, although it's priced roughly in line with Citroen e-C4 and Renault Megane E-Tech, which can be had from £27,650 and £32,495 respectively. 

Note that the ID.3's also only slightly pricier — model for model — than the very closely related Cupra Born. It starts at £35,690 with the equivalent of the Pro drive system and battery pack.

The good news, too, is that the ID.3 has been on sale long enough for the market to be awash with used examples. As the recent updates are relatively minor, visually at least, your neighbours will struggle to tell the difference between a three-year-old version and a brand new one. Just £10,000 will buy you an early Volkswagen ID.3, while £20,000 will get you a late example of a pre-facelift model.

As with every electric car we'd recommend charging at home for maximum cost efficiency as much as possible and leaving public rapid chargers for occasional use on longer journeys. Depending on your electricity tariff and the size of the battery pack, espect to pay £15-£25 for a flat-to-full recharge.

While Vehichle Exise Duty (VED or road tax) used to be free for electric cars, since April 2025 the rate from the anniversary of its first registration will be the same £195 annual bill as all other cars.

Similarly, the Expensive Car Supplement for models costing £40,000 or more with optional extras taken into account, also became applicable to EVs from the same date. This means that from the second to the sixth anniversary of its first registration affected cars will subjected to a £425 annual levy. Before options, only the ID.3 GTX Performance falls foul of this.

Electric cars remain a no-brainer for company car drivers thanks to their 2025/26 Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation rate of just 3%. For a 20% taxpayer opting for the entry-level VW ID.3 Pure Essential that equates to a monthly cost of approximately £21.

Volkswagen provides a warranty of up to eight years/100,000 miles for the ID.3's high-voltage battery.

Volkswagen ID.3: Range and charging

Today's Volkswagen ID.3 range is offered with three different battery sizes.

The ID.3 Pure models have a 52kWh battery for a WLTP Combined cycle range of 240-241 miles depending on the trim level. Next up are ID.3 Pro versions with a 58kWh battery pack — this extends the potential range to 267-269 miles.

Largest of the batteries is the 79kWh pack as used in the Pro S and GTX Performance models. For Pro S versions the driving range is 350-351 miles, while the GTX Performance amplifies that figure to 369 miles.

Watch out for older Volkswagen ID.3s with the smallest 45kWh battery — these discontinued entry-level models have a maximum range of 217 miles.

In the real world, the actual range will depend on the kind of driving you cover and even the time of year or weather conditions. Don't automatically assume you need the biggest 77kWh battery — charging takes longer as well as costing more, so if you rarely cover large mileages in a day you're not really gaining anything.

For a full 0-100% recharge using a 7.2kW AC domestic wallbox connection the 52kWh battery requires 8 hours 30 minutes. VW quotes 6 hours 30 minutes for the larger 59kWh version although that's with an 11kW AC connection that most UK residences don't have. The 79kWh battery also takes 8 hours 30 minutes but again with an 11kW wallbox.

Using a public DC charger for a 10-80% replenishment takes 25 minutes for the 52kWh battery with a maximum energy flow rate of 145kW, while the 59kWh version can manage a flow of 165kW reducing the same top-up to 24 minutes. As the 79kWh battery can handle an ultra-rapid DC rate of 185kW the 10-80% replenishment still only takes 26 minutes.

In essence the Volkswagen ID.3 range hierarchy is straightforward with Essential, Match and GTX Performance trim levels. That's made slightly more complicated by some variations within first two depending on wether they're fitted with the Pure, Pro or Pro S battery and drive system.

Standard features on the Volkswagen ID.3 Essential include:

• 18-inch steel wheels with full-diameter trims — Pure and Pro only
• 20-inch Sanya Black and diamond-turned alloy wheels — Pro S only
• Silver-coloured roof and rear pillar trim
• Heat-insulated windscreen, side windows and tailgate glass
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Heated windscreen washer jets
• LED head and tail lights
• Automatic headlight main beam — Pro and Pro S only
• Electrically adjustable and folding door mirrors with integral puddle lights
• Keyless entry and starting
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Play and Pause symbols on accelerator and brake pedals — Pro and Pro S only
• Taia cloth seat upholstery
• Height-adjustable front seats
• Rear bench seat central armrest
• Leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel
• Multimedia system with 12.9-inch touchscreen
• Total of four USB-C charging ports
• Bluetooth connectivity
• DAB radio
• Natural voice control
• Climatronic air-conditioning system
• 10-colour interior ambient LED lighting
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Adaptive cruise control

Upgrading to the Volkswagen ID.3 Match adds to or replaces the following features fitted to Essential versions:

• 18-inch East Derry Black and diamond-turned alloy wheels — Pure and Pro only
• 20-inch Sanya Black and diamond-turned alloy wheels — Pro S only
• Automatic headlight main beam
• Matrix LED headlights with dynamic light assist — Pro and Pro S only
• Dynamic rear LED indicators — Pro and Pro S only
• Exterior ambient lighting between headlights and in door handle recesses — Pro and Pro S only
• Dark-tinted rear privacy glass
• Play and Pause symbols on accelerator and brake pedals — Pro and Pro S only
• Heated front seats
• Heated leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel
• Discover Pro integrated navigation package
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Air Care Climatronic dual-zone climate control system

Upgrading to the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance adds to or replaces the following features fitted to Match versions:

• 20-inch Skagen Black alloy wheels
• ArtVelours Eco microfleece cloth seat upholstery
• Electrically adjustable ergoActive front seats with memory function and manually adjustable thigh support cushion
• Harman-Kardon 480-Watt sound system
• 30-colour interior ambient LED lighting
• Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) including adjustable dampers