Electric Car Comparison: Ford Mustang Mach-E vs. VW ID.4 vs. Toyota bZ4X | Range, Interior & More

Well, well, well, looks like demand for electric vehicles is through the roof right now, just as a whole bunch of new models are coming to the market. You know what that means. Time for a comparison test. Today we'll show you all around our very own Volkswagen ID.4 and our very own Ford Mustang Mach-E. Both of those are part of the Edmunds long-term test fleet, which you can read more about right there. The ID.4 is spacious and practical, while the Mach-E is fun to drive. And this one has the extended battery for more range. But what's this? The Toyota BZ-4X. This is the newest EV on the scene. And since it's from a company as massive and as popular as Toyota, it's a big deal. This is the first proper full EV from Toyota, so it directly challenges both the ID.4 and the Mach-E. How does it compete? And should you swap out your gas-powered RAV4 to get one? Let's find out. If you're as big a nerd about EVs as we are, then click like and subscribe to see more electric content in the future. And if you want to sell your gas guzzler, go to edmunds.com slash sellmycar to get a cash offer on it right now. Let's start with our ID.4. Now, at its heart, the ID.4 is about everyday practicality. It's an extremely usable car. And by that, I mean there are plenty of places to store people and cargo. Plus, it's got a family-friendly price. Starting prices for the ID.4 range from about $42,000 to $49,000. And importantly, the ID.4 is available for a full federal tax credit, which means that you could get up to $7,500 back off the price of the vehicle. Not every EV comes with that offer. Click the box here to read our detailed article explaining the EV credit process and what you can expect. Next up is the Mach-E. Call it a Mustang or don't, doesn't bother me. But what's clear is that Ford puts style and fun front and center. That doesn't mean that other areas have to suffer. In fact, the Mach-E is surprisingly practical. In fact, we like the Mach-E so much, we named it the Edmunds' top-rated luxury EV for 2021. Pricing starts at about $45,000 for base models and can go all the way up to $63,000 for the high-performance GT model. Keep in mind that you'll have to get in line for a 2023, as all the 2022 versions are sold out. Finally, let's talk BZ-4X. Well, it's a Toyota. And by that, I mean you should know exactly what you're getting into. All the controls are sensibly placed, everything's easy to find. Just because it's an EV doesn't mean it needs to be weird or different or out there. BZ-4X is essentially just like any other car. And that's a very appealing prospect to a lot of people. So if you're coming from a traditional gas car into an EV, there's not much you need to learn about operating this car. Just charging, which we'll cover later. Pricing is similar to the ID.4, ranging from about $43,000 to $48,000 for a new BZ-4X. Now that we know a little more about these three EVs, let's dive inside. I'm just going to let you know right now, this isn't going to go well for the Volkswagen ID.4 for one main reason. We'll get to that later. First, when you get into the ID.4, it is very easy to find a comfortable position and have space to move around, which is really nice. And check this out. When you adjust the steering wheel, the driver display moves with it. Pretty neat. Our car came with cloth seats, but I find them really comfortable and supportive with a great shape. The only thing is there's no ventilation option. Kind of a bummer. There's also a lot of glass space around me with the windshield and the windows, which makes for excellent outward visibility. Plus, this screen is really nicely placed, big and vibrant. But that brings us to technology. The control system for the ID.4 is just bad. B.A.D. Bad. There's no way around it. It's the same system Volkswagen is rolling out in some other models, but especially in the ID.4, which is supposed to be easy to use, family friendly, having a frustrating feature like that just kind of ruins the experience. Sometimes pressing these buttons just doesn't work. And even when it does, it doesn't really give you the confidence that it's doing what you want it to do. I've been driving this car for over a week now and you can slide the screen side to side slowly. And then I didn't realize until just now that there's more hidden buttons under here that I didn't even know were there. Seems pretty important thing to know. VW designers, see me after class. As for space in the backseat, there is plenty of room with excellent anchors for attaching car seats for infants and children. Cargo space comes to just over 30 cubic feet in total, which falls in between the Mach-E and the BZ4X. There is a hidden underfloor storage area in the trunk and the floor will drop down a space to give you a little extra room. One downside of the ID.4 is there is no front trunk or frunk, which a lot of EV owners love having. Sadly, not this time. We're here now in the Mustang Mach-E and just like many other electric vehicles, one of the hallmarks in here is how easy it is to slide right inside and get comfortable. Now, immediately upon getting in here, especially having just come out of the ID.4, it's very apparent that the interior has a lot more character and styling to it, flowing lines and different mixed materials. It's got nice visibility, glass all the way around with pretty thin pillars. The only thing that really hampers visibility is the big enlarged cowled hood up in front. However, just keep in mind that even though that hood is big, that's also the reason that it can fit a frunk inside. The Mach-E is the only one of the three cars in this video that has a frunk. Coming around now to the seats, our Mach-E has big, comfortable leather seats and this is the sportiest car out of the three and it has the least side support. So they're big and wide, but it's very easy to like slide side to side in them. Kind of a strange thing for a Mustang. They are comfortable though. And then finally we come to the centerpiece, the 15.5 inch center touchscreen right in front. This is a really nice system. Everything is big and clear, vibrant, easy to see and use and move around. It's run by Ford Sync 4 infotainment system, which we think is one of the best out there and having it in the Mach-E is definitely a big plus for this car. There's also a slim driver display right in front to display your speed and other information and it really rounds out the technology in this car, which is one of its biggest strengths. Moving into the backseat, there is good legroom for rear passengers and even better headroom. We also like the space for child seats, but the anchors are kind of hidden and a little bit harder to get to. Now cargo space comes to over 34 cubic feet, which is the best of this group. Just keep in mind that that includes the frunk. Man, I love saying frunk. Now we are inside the Toyota BZ4X and the first thing I noticed upon getting in is this car has a higher ride height than you might expect. So you do notice that upon getting in, the floor is just a little bit higher than the other models that we have here. Remember, it's come from a partnership with Subaru and I think as part of that, they wanted to have a higher ground clearance. This car has about eight inches, which is a lot for an EV in this class. Now it's not a problem getting into the front, but in the rear it's a little more pronounced because that roof line is lower. One thing that is an issue you should know about is the position of your seat and the steering wheel and the driver display. I'm finding it hard to describe exactly what you need to do, but basically you have to get your seat height at a position where you can see the road, but also where you can see the driver display and it's not being blocked by the rim of the steering wheel. It just takes a lot of constant adjusting. That's too high, but this feels too low. Maybe I lower my seat. That doesn't feel right. Another thing that doesn't feel like it should be a problem in any car is there's a lot of piano, glossy black plastic right here on this console makes it look a little bit classier in here. I understand why they did it. Problem is because it curves at this angle, if any sunlight hits it reflects it right back into the face and the eyes of the driver. Typically you don't want to be blinded by sunlight when you're driving. That brings us to this center touch screen. This is a nicely presented screen. The maps are really clear and easy to use and move around on. I think this new audio and multimedia system that Toyota has been implementing is really a home run for the brand and it's a big plus in the BZ4X. Now let's move on to the seats. Surprisingly, I think the BZ4X has the best seats of the three cars that we have here today. That's because they're comfortable and this limited model comes with leather upholstery. There's a lot more side support than in either of the other two cars. So as you're going side to side, you're being held in place, which is very nice. In the backseat of the BZ4X, there is a spacious rear seat for passengers, although it does require a bit of a step to get up to it. Now the BZ4X doesn't have the most impressive stats when it comes to rear space, but we found that the room is usable in all directions. There's plenty for a bulky infant seat, for example. However, when it comes to cargo space, the BZ4X is trailing this group with 27.7 cubic feet of cargo space. And if you get the upgraded JBL stereo system, that falls to under 26 cubic feet. But the trunk space is pretty wide and the floor can be lowered. As for a frunk, it's a no-go this time. Just like the ID.4, the BZ4X does not have one. Bummer. Power comes reasonably quick in the ID.4. There's just not a whole lot of it, especially in the single motor version we have here. It won't light your hair on fire, but that's okay. This is a family SUV. More important is the braking. The ID.4 has strong regenerative brakes, meaning that when you let off the throttle it will automatically brake and you can intensify the feeling by switching to the B-drive mode. But it's not full one-pedal driving. It won't take you all the way down to a stop. It still gives you a nice EV feel though. The ID.4 likes to be driven leisurely. Drive it that way and you'll be rewarded with a smooth, quiet ride. The steering is actually more responsive than you might think. It feels easy and accurate at any speed. Driving the ID.4 around town is a comfortable, composed experience. That's a big plus for families. The Mustang Mach-E is the most fun to drive of our three EVs here. The weight feels low to the ground and easy to control. The Mach-E also has smooth, consistent braking and if you like one-pedal driving, good news, it will come all the way down to a stop on its own. The only one that does that in this test. Despite all that power, the steering is more loose than I expected. That makes it comfortable, but it's also awfully vague. You can also feel the Mach-E shifting its weight from side to side, even at slow speeds. It's just more pronounced than the others. Still, the ride is quite smooth. This is an enjoyable EV to drive. Perhaps too eventful if you prefer mature and buttoned up. But there is Mustang blood running through these electric veins. Into the BZ4X. First, you'll need to get used to the driving position. You sit up pretty high and there isn't much adjustability in the seat. Also, the steering wheel feels low and small in diameter. This combination makes the BZ4X generally awkward to drive, especially at first. Thankfully, the steering feels direct and more natural than the other two EVs. Once moving, the BZ4X can provide bursts of power, but it's much more interested in comfort. Thankfully, the brakes are well-tuned and easy to work in order to achieve a smooth, full stop. However, there is no one-pedal braking. Drive the BZ4X like a docile family vehicle and you'll find a willing and pleasant partner. It just doesn't want to go above and beyond in any manner. To sum it up, the Mach-E feels the most alive of these three EVs. It's fun to drive while still remaining easy and comfortable. Meanwhile, the ID.4 and BZ4X are nice to drive, but they're also somewhat bland and nondescript. Kind of like their names. Pick the Mach-E for excitement and the ID.4 for refinement and precision. We also put all three cars on our Edmunds EV range test. Now, the Mach-E has the biggest battery. So, it stands to reason that it has the highest EPA estimated range at 300 miles. And it outperformed even that, logging 341 miles on a single charge on our route. The ID.4? It's got the second largest battery, so, no surprise, it has the second highest estimated range. It also way overperformed. That's big time. Finally, the BZ4X. It has the smallest battery, so, we're not shocked to see it has the lowest estimated range of 242 miles. We are shocked, however, to see it underperform significantly, finishing with 227 miles on a single charge. That puts it way down the leaderboard. Now, a word on charging. We recommend using a level 2 home charger, which typically costs in the ballpark of around $1,000 to install, depending on where you live. Charging regularly at home is the most convenient way to make sure you have suitable range for the day. There are also public stations for when you're out and about. Some of these have level 3 fast chargers that will help you juice up quickly. Toyota even offers BZ4X owners with one year of free charging at EVgo public stations. Not bad. The BZ4X showed the best electric efficiency in our testing. But all three EVs here are cheaper to fuel than their gas alternatives. There's a lot more to know about electric vehicles and charging, so check out our EV guide on edmunds.com to get the full rundown. We set out to learn a lot today, and here's where I've ended up. The Volkswagen ID.4 has the steepest learning curve out of the group, thanks to its aggressively bad touch capacitive controls. And the Ford Mustang Mach-E is the most expensive EV here today, but it's also the most ambitious. And it's at the top of the list in terms of fun. That brings me back to my original question. How does the BZ4X stack up in this class? The BZ4X feels like it wasn't necessarily made to compete with other electric vehicles. It was made to be an electric Toyota. This is the kind of car that you get because you know exactly what to expect. It's easy to get inside. You know where all the controls are and what they're going to do. And it'll get you where you need to go. You know, Toyota stuff. As for whether you should give up your RAV4 to get one? In my opinion, the answer is not really. The gas RAV4 is more affordable and offers more space. And you can get a hybrid version for great mileage. Consider a BZ4X only if you really want to go electric. What about the others? For families on the EV hunt, I would rank them like this. ID.4, then Mach-E, then BZ4X. The ID.4 has annoying controls, but it's spacious, affordable, and strong on range. The Mach-E isn't currently available, but our 2021 Edmunds top rated luxury EV is worth waiting for thanks to its sportiness and space, including that frunk. Finally, the BZ4X comes up short in too many places like range, ergonomics, and some unforced errors like that sunlight glare. It is spacious though and easy to use. You know, it's fine. Fine is great for some people. You're just going to have to ask yourself, are you one of those people?