2021 Volkswagen ID.4 vs. 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD ・ Photo by Volkswagen

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 is the brand’s first all-electric SUV. It’s available with a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive with a range of up to 260 miles. It has a roomy interior with seating for five people and the flexibility to carry cargo.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E also offers rear-wheel or all-wheel drive with a driving range of up to 300 miles. It seats up to five people and has good room for cargo. Let’s take a closer look at these two vehicles to see which is the better choice.

Only One Offers Performance Trims

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 is available in three trims starting with the Pro at $39,995. It includes a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, 6-way power driver’s seat, and heated front seats. The Pro S at $44,495 adds a 12.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and 12-way power front seats. There was also a limited-run 1st Edition for $43,995

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E includes five trims starting with the Select at $42,895, which includes a 15.5-inch touchscreen and wireless charging. The Premium comes in at $47,000 while the California Route 1 is $49,800. The limited-run First Edition was $58,300, and the performance GT starts at $60,500. Its wider range of trims gives the Mach-E the win.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

A Choice of Powertrains

The Mustang Mach-E offers a wide range of powertrain options. Base trims with rear-wheel drive and the short-range battery deliver 255 horsepower with 306 lb-ft of torque. At the top is the GT Performance Edition with 480 horsepower and 634 lb-ft of torque. EPA-estimated fuel economy ranges from 90 to 101 mpge.

The base ID.4 offers 201 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque with rear-wheel drive. Add all-wheel drive and numbers rise to 295 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 93 mpge to 99 mpge. Not only is the base powertrain in the ID.4 less powerful, even with all-wheel drive it falls short of the Mustang Mach-E.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

Differences in Electric Driving Ranges

The ID.4 has an 82-kWh battery with a range of 260 miles for the Pro and 250 miles for the Pro S equipped with rear-wheel drive. Those numbers drop with all-wheel drive to 249 miles for the Pro and 240 miles for the Pro S. That’s easily enough to cover what the average person drives in a single day.

The Mustang Mach-E has both a standard and extended range battery. The lowest figure comes from the Select with the 68-kWh battery, which gets 230 miles per charge. The best range comes from the Premium with the 88-kWh battery that delivers 300 miles of range.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

Charging Times That Won’t Keep You Waiting

The Mustang Mach-E is compatible with DC fast charging that reduces the time you spend waiting to charge. The extended-range battery with rear-wheel drive gets up to 47 miles of range in 10 minutes. The standard range battery can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 38 minutes.

The ID.4 also accommodates fast charging. This lets it go from five percent to 80 percent charged in 38 minutes. At a typical Level 2 home charger, it’ll fully charge in 7.5 hours. It can get up to 62 miles of range in 10 minutes of fast charging. That faster charging gets you on your way more quickly.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

The Instant Acceleration of an Electric Car

The instant response of an electric vehicle combined with the silence of an electric powertrain makes it unique to drive. They’re somewhat stealthy, delivering an impressive burst of power the minute you hit the accelerator even though there’s no accompanying engine rumble. Both the Mach-E and the ID.4 deliver strong power with solid handling that won’t disappoint.

What gives the Mach-E the edge is its GT trims. These are performance variants, much like there are in the traditional gas-powered Mustang. They have more horsepower and more torque, delivering a truly engaging drive with crisp handling designed to appeal to driving enthusiasts.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

Futuristic Yet Simple Interiors

The going trend in electric vehicles is to give them more minimalist interiors. They’re clean and streamlined without much fuss. This makes them look futuristic, but it can create a somewhat lackluster interior. Not every interior pulls off this look without looking cheap.

Both the Mach-E and ID.4 follow this trend with clean, crisp, and attractive interiors. We like them both but find the Mach-E does a better job of combining that minimalist attitude with a high level of comfort and quality in both how it looks and how it feels.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

Infotainment With a Large Touchscreen

The ID.4 has a standard 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, wireless device charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Pro S adds a 12-inch touchscreen. Control comes from either the touchscreens or by saying, “Hello, ID” and then issuing a command in natural language rather than having to learn key phrases.

The Mustang Mach-E features Sync 4 on a 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the screen can be easily customized with a series of dash cards that keep whatever you use most frequently within easy access at the bottom of the screen. The system in the Mustang Mach-E feels more modern and is easier to navigate.

: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford

The Importance of Safety Ratings

Standard safety features in the Volkswagen ID.4 include automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. It’s also a 2021 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ and has a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5-star rating.

The Mustang Mach-E also has a long list of standard safety features. These include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, lane centering assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. It has only a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and has not been tested by NHTSA. For its higher safety ratings, the ID.4 comes out ahead.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Room for Cargo

While neither of these SUVs is a huge cargo carrier, both do offer a good amount of room for carrying all your stuff. The Mach-E has 29.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats. Fold them down and cargo capacity expands to 59.7 cubic feet. There’s also 4.7 cubic feet of additional storage in the front trunk.

The ID.4 comes in with higher figures. There’s 30.3 cubic feet behind the second row and 64.2 cubic feet behind the first row. Unlike, the Mach-E, there is no front trunk (frunk). While that makes overall cargo capacity pretty close, the ability for the ID.4 to hold larger items gives it the win.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

And the Winner Is...

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 charges faster, has more cargo room, and has impressive crash test ratings. It also has a lower starting price, which makes it a more affordable way to get into an electric vehicle. A comfortable interior with good cargo room and a responsive powertrain rounds out the package.

The 2021 Mustang Mach-E, however, comes out ahead for being a more complete package. It has more trims, more powertrains, better infotainment, and a higher range that give it the win.

: Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Ford