Used Volkswagen ID.3 for sale: everything you need to know

The Volkswagen ID.3 is, in the brand’s own words, as significant as the launch of the Beetle and the Golf. The reality is of a decent but far from class-leading electric vehicle with a few frustrating aspects, that’s far from being the dead-cert Golf replacement we might have imagined prior to its launch.

Still, as a used buy it shouldn’t be overlooked, because even if the infotainment system can be irritating to use and it’s nothing special to drive, it’s still a family-sized EV with a pretty competitive range, and the undeniable appeal that comes with that VW badge on the bonnet.

Since the ID.3 arrived its competition has only got tougher, with electric family cars now including the Renault Megane E-Tech, Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model 3, Vauxhall Astra Electric, and MG4, and in-house rivals like the sporty Cupra Born. All are well worth considering if you’re in the market for an ID.3.

Should you buy a Volkswagen ID.3?

The ID.3 has several things going for it. Volkswagen’s brand image can’t be ignored, that VW badge still commanding more respect than many mainstream rivals, but the ID.3 also promises a decent range, with 216 miles even in the smallest battery models and up to 341 miles in those with the most capacity.

It’s also very spacious, taking up similar road space to a VW Golf but, thanks to the benefits of packaging an EV’s mechanical components, a greater feeling of space. The boot’s pretty big too, if not as much as some rivals, and the expansive glass area means excellent visibility - which combined with electric power and a tight turning circle makes it particularly easy to drive in town.

It’s not all good news inside though, as the general interior quality and feel of the materials isn’t up there with the Golf, while the car’s infotainment system is near-maddening. Several interior functions rely on the touchscreen, which would be fine if it was more user-friendly and not so glitchy. So try before you buy.

The ID.3 is pleasant enough to drive, feeling agile thanks to its rear-wheel drive layout, and being very refined, and there’s enough regenerative braking for one-pedal style driving in most cases. The ride can feel a little firm, but less so than some rivals.

And that brings us to the number of alternatives out there. Everything from the Renault Megane E-Tech, Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model 3, and Vauxhall Astra Electric, to the mechanically similar Cupra Born is an option if you’re looking for a family EV, and in reality most are better cars than the Volkswagen too. Budget buyers might want to look at the slightly more conventional Nissan Leaf, or the fun-to-drive but less stylish MG4.

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What’s the best used Volkswagen ID.3 model to buy?

The sensible thing to do here is to choose an ID.3 primarily based on battery size, as that’s the thing that will make a meaningful difference to your ownership experience. We’d opt for the 58kWh pack as a bare minimum, but if you see a model for sale listed as Pro S, you’re looking at one with a 77kWh pack and more than 300 miles of claimed range.

We’ve covered trim levels in more detail below but given most differ by only one or two items of equipment bundled into standard ‘packs’, it’s not worth choosing one specific trim over another - so just pick an ID.3 in a colour you like and with an appropriate battery pack, and you can’t go too far wrong.

Used Volkswagen ID.3 range and performance

• Volkswagen ID.3 Pure Performance: The basic ID.3 drivetrain uses a 150PS motor supplied by a battery with 45kWh of usable capacity. 0-62mph takes 8.9 seconds and VW claims 216 miles of range.
• Volkswagen ID.3 Pro: The Pro actually has slightly less power than the Pure Performance, with 145PS, but benefits from a larger 58kWh of usable battery. 0-62mph takes 9.6 seconds, and it has 264 miles of claimed range.
• Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance: Pro Performance models get the same 58kWh battery of the Pro, but a 204PS motor for 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. Range is the same as the Pro, at 264 miles.
• Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S: This time the ID.3 gets the same motor as the Pro Performance, but a larger battery with 77kWh of usable capacity. The extra weight means 0-62mph drops to 7.9 seconds, but VW claims as much as 341 miles of range.

What used Volkswagen ID.3 trim levels are available?

Brace yourself, because things get complicated here. VW has seen fit to offer the ID.3 with an enormous range of trim levels and at a glance you’d be hard pressed to understand any kind of hierarchy. We’ve summed up the most significant equipment changes among the baffling trim line variants below.

• The Volkswagen ID.3 Life gets 18-inch steel wheels with aero covers, 100kW DC charging, LED headlights, a black roof, cloth seats, air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and steering wheel, and a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Business adds microfleece seat trim, ambient lighting, an LED light bar between the headlights, 65% rear tinted glass, and a rear-view camera.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Family builds on Life trim with microfleece trim, a panoramic sunroof, 65% rear window tints, ambient lighting, the LED light bar, two-zone climate control, heated front seats and wheel, and a rear view camera.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Style is again based on Life trim and has similar kit to the Family, but without the latter’s two-zone climate control, heated front seats and wheel, or rear view camera.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Tech is - you guessed it - based on Life spec, but adds similar kit to the Style, plus a head-up display, seven-speaker audio, and a rear-view camera.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Max is as per the Tech, but throws climate control back in there, heated front seats and steering wheel, plus Dynamic Chassis Control and progressive steering, and pneumatic lumbar support and a massage function for the front seats.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 Tour is amazingly the first model to get alloy wheels (19 inch items), as well as similar equipment to the Max, four seats rather than five, and without the Max’s Dynamic Chassis Control and progressive steering.
• The Volkswagen ID.3 1st Edition was a limited edition sold when the ID.3 was introduced. Over Life trim, it added 19-inch alloy wheels, two-zone climate control, ambient lighting, an exclusive interior colour theme and 1st Edition badging, an illuminated LED strip between the matrix LED headlights, and rear tinted glass.

Used Volkswagen ID.3 dimensions and boot size

The Volkswagen ID.3’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4262mm
• Width: 1809mm (without mirrors)
• Height: 1552mm

The Volkswagen ID.3’s boot size is:

• 385 litres
• 1267 litres with the rear seats folded (to roof)

Used Volkswagen ID.3 road tax

If the ID.3’s trim level lineup is difficult to understand, then taxing it should be much easier. All versions are electric, which means that for the time being at least, all models have zero-rate Vehicle Excise Duty, meaning you won’t pay anything to tax them each year.

How much is it to insure a Volkswagen ID.3?

Like a lot of electric cars the ID.3 sits in slightly higher insurance groups than a combustion equivalent might - while a Volkswagen Golf begins in group 14, the lowest-spec ID.3 Life started in group 19, and those groups rise to group 27, higher than the group 24 of the top Golfs (excluding the GTI/GTD/GTE performance versions). Still, an MG4 starts at group 27, so you can expect an ID.3 to cost less than that.

Read our full Volkswagen ID.3 review