Volkswagen ID.4 vs Ford Mustang Mach-E

After its foundation in the 1930s, Volkswagen has continued to make cars for almost a century. The name "Volkswagen" translates to the "people's car," a highly appropriate name for a brand that many people have clearly been enjoying for decades.

The company has been a top seller of vehicles around the world, and Volkswagen has done it again with the ID.4, the company's all-new electric SUV.

Like many other automotive manufacturers recently, Volkswagen has taken some of the first steps into electric and sustainable vehicles. With the ID.4, VW is not only breaking into the market but doing it in a big way.

But, as we said, Volkswagen is not alone in the push towards electric vehicles. Ford also has broached the world of electric vehicles, offering the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Mach-E draws design inspiration from the classic Ford Mustang.

While these two vehicles are competitors, both have advantages. One vehicle, though, still takes the lead in the push toward a more eco-friendly future and sustainability.

Difference at a Glance

Want to see the differences at a glance? Take a look at the chart below.

The ID.4 vs. Mach-E: Model Overview

The Ford Mustang Mach-E takes Ford’s tradition of the sporty Mustang name and adapts it to bring the same spirit into an EV SUV. Volkswagen was born from the desire to build high-quality vehicles that anyone could afford and enjoy, taking steps forward to bring the same base into the world of EVs with the Volkswagen ID.4.

When the Volkswagen ID.4 was first launched, it came in three trims: the Pro, the 1st Edition, and the Pro S. All three of these trims had rear-wheel drive. In 2022, Volkswagen launched another pair of trims with all-wheel drive. Currently, there are five trims: the Standard, Pro, Standard S, Pro S, and Pro S Plus.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E, like the Volkswagen ID.4, is available in a number of trims. These include the base Select, the mid-range Premium, the California Route 1, and the top-of-the-line GT Performance edition.

Performance

When you compare the ID4 vs. Mach-E, you’ll start to notice the differences between the two. For example, you might notice that the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro AWD is speedier and more powerful than the standard-battery Mustang Mach-E Select or Premium, not to mention the fact that it also has a better range.

The Volkswagen Standard is also more affordable than the base-trim Ford Mustang Mach-E Select. If you’re looking for those more impressive stats, we recommend looking at the higher-level trims, which can make even the affordable Volkswagen vehicle a bit pricier, although the higher trims on the VW are still considerably less than the higher trims on the Mach-E.

Range and Specs

Drivers with families will find that the Volkswagen ID.4’s range and charging capabilities dovetail nicely with their loved ones' needs. The car gets an EPA-estimated 260 miles per charge. It can also charge from 5% capacity to 80% capacity in under 40 minutes at a public DC fast charger.

This means that if you take the car on a road trip, you'll be able to pull off at a rest stop and have plenty of time to let everyone use the facilities, get car snacks and drinks, grab some food, stretch their legs, and more before piling back into the car with plenty of juice to get where you're going.

For the Ford Mustang Mach-E, drivers can buy the vehicle with one of two battery packs. The standard option is a 75.7 kWh battery, while the upgraded version boasts 98.8 kWh. Between this choice and the other trim options, the range for the Mach-E varies a great deal. The base model with the normal battery only expects 211 miles per charge, while the extended battery on a higher-trim model can see the car travel about 305 miles per charge.

Both of these electric SUVs come with rear-wheel drive as standard, although AWD variants are available for both. The standard Mach-E gives your 266 horsepower. On the flip side, the Volkswagen ID.4 offers 201 horsepower from the RWD Volkswagen ID.4.

Safety Features

In terms of standard safety features, both of these vehicles are near equals, but you’ll have to pay extra to have certain features in the Ford Mustang Mach-E that come standard in the ID.4.

Some of the standard features that the Volkswagen ID.4 offers include traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, voice command, and an electronically controlled locking differential.

Interior

In the Volkswagen ID.4, you can find some delightful features that make the interior feel open, modern, spacious, and luxurious. One of the most notable features of the ID.4 is the ID.Light - a unique feature made up of an LED strip integrated into the dash that humanizes the driving experience. This allows you to see the vehicle’s lock status from outside, assist navigational direction with a scrolling green light, and see incoming notifications.

In addition to this unique light strip, the Volkswagen ID.4 also offers an available panoramic glass roof that allows passengers to see a full range of sights above them. An electric sunshade is also included to help protect from the sun when it is too bright.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E also has an available panoramic sunroof, but it doesn’t feature the same swipe-to-activate sun shade that is so convenient in the ID.4.

Other features of the Volkswagen ID.4 include standard dual-zone automatic climate control, front-seat heating, a heated leather steering wheel, and configurable ambient lighting. The more expensive Ford Mustang Mach-E includes standard dual-zone automatic climate control but requires you to upgrade to the upgraded Premium trim for a heated steering wheel and heated front seats.

Size

While both electric SUVs offer five seats for the driver and passengers, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is slightly larger. The Mach-E has an overall length of 186 inches, 5.5 inches larger than the Volkswagen ID.4. The Mustang Mach-E is also slightly wider than the ID.4 by about 1.2 inches. As far as height, though, the ID.4 is slightly taller by about 1.1 inches.

In other words, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is both longer and wider than the Volkswagen ID.4, but the VW is taller than the Ford.

Surprisingly with these numbers, the Volkswagen ID.4 offers more cargo capacity than the Mach-E. In fact, where the Mach-E contains about 59.7 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the ID.4 offers 64.2 cubic feet.

Interestingly as well, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E is almost six inches longer, passengers in the rear seats only have an additional 0.5 inches of legroom when compared to the Volkswagen ID.4.

Long story short? The Mach-E is larger in exterior dimensions, but the ID.4 offers more cargo capacity and comparable legroom for the rear seats.

Features and Technology

When it comes to the features and technology in these vehicles, the Volkswagen ID.4 came to impress. The Volkswagen ID.4 features a 10-inch infotainment system which can be upgraded to 12 inches with the available Statement package. The custom software features useful apps for playing music, navigating, and generally enjoying the vehicle.

The Volkswagen ID.4 also comes with a digital driver's cockpit and an impressive center stack integrated horizontally into the dash. The cabin is luxurious, to say the least. It is fit for the individual driver who wants to turn heads and for those with families.

The Volkswagen ID.4 also adds a genuine leather heated steering wheel, configurable ambient lighting, the aforementioned ID.Light, and more.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E offers wireless charging, a digital cluster, a 15.5" vertical touch-screen center stack, a plethora of USB ports, a push-button start, a rotary dial shifter, and more.

Mach-E vs. Volkswagen ID.4 Summary

At the end of the day, the ID.4 and the Mach-E are fairly comparable vehicles. Both boast family-friendly interiors, delightful style, and enough power to get you where you need to go and then some.

One area in which they do differ significantly, however, is in the price. The Mach-E runs tens of thousands of dollars more than the ID.4, despite boasting similar performance statistics. Ohio buyers will get the best value for their money by opting for Volkswagen's classy new ID.4.

Still not sold on an electric vehicle? Take a look at the local incentives available for drivers looking to buy an electric vehicle. On top of that, while the prices of the vehicles themselves might be higher than you want, no one can deny that you’ll be saving a lot of money at the pump. What you don’t save in ticket price, you will more than save when it comes to gasoline at the pump vs. electric charging.

If the ID.4 sounds like the next ride for you, let us here at Evans Volkswagen help. Give us a call or stop by today to take a look at our selection of new and used Volkswagens. Take one for a test drive or ask a member of our team for any additional information you might need.

Come see us today!