The ID 3 arguably had bigger shoes to fill than any car has ever had: it was charged with spearheading the 'third age' of Volkswagen - just as the Beetle had led the first and the Golf the second.
VW's self-proclaimed third age was about electrification and the ID 3 was launched in 2019 as the flag-bearer for a new family of bespoke EVs with a fresh design language and digital-first interiors.
VW had ambitious plans for it to be a towering sales success. But its launch coincided with the Covid pandemic, and early examples were also hampered by software issues. So the ID 3 was more of a slow burner than a smash hit. But it has always been a good car-roomy, efficient and pleasant to drive - and with early examples now on sale from as little as £9k, it could be your ideal first step into the EV world.
That outlay can land you a 2021 ID 3 Pro (the middle of three battery options) with 50,000 miles. Facelifted versions with a longer range and a heavily updated interior start at less than £15k.
VW says the ID 3 offers as much interior space as cars from the class above. In reality, while it has more back-seat room than a BMW 3 Series Touring, the boot isn't massive, at 385 litres.
There are also some frustrating ergonomic foibles: the 10in main screen (12.9in from 2024) is in charge of the radio, ventilation controls, heated seats (if optioned) and plenty of other gizmos that should be quick and easy to adjust but aren't. The original 'slider' temperature controls were especially controversial because they didn't light up at night, although that was rectified in 2024 as part of a facelift that brought a dramatic improvement in interior quality and made the infotainment much easier to use.
These gripes aside, the ID 3 is a compelling all-rounder and among the more dynamically adept EVs of its era. Acceleration from low speeds is smooth and quick in all versions, and even the lower-powered variants have enough muscle to get a lick on once you reach the open road.
Thanks to its rear-wheel-drive layout, the ID 3 also gets its power down in corners far better than some scrabbly front-driven EVs. It delivers balanced, predictable handling too - albeit a little short of truly engaging. You'll want the closely related Cupra Born for that.
The ID 3 is passively damped as standard but the Sport Plus package adds fully adaptive dampers and 'progressive' steering, which works like a variable-ratio rack. The ride is quiet and there's a relaxed sense of isolation to it aside from the ever so slightly firm edge to out-of-town cross-country progress. Both wind and road noise levels are low too.
