Compare the2023 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2023 Nissan Ariya

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ariya doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Ariya have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ariya’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ariya doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the ID.4 and the Ariya have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ariya has not been tested, yet.

The ID.4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 3 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Ariya. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Ariya ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Ariya’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the ID.4 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Ariya.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motors is faster than the Ariya +/Premier electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the ID.4 gets better mileage than the Ariya:

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the Ariya on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ID.4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Ariya:

For better traction and acceleration, the ID.4 has larger rear tires than the Ariya (255/50R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The ID.4’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ariya’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Ariya’s (31.5 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

The ID.4 has 3.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ariya (99.9 vs. 96.3).

The ID.4 has 1 inch more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .6 inches more rear legroom than the Ariya.

The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Ariya with its rear seat up (30.3 vs. 22.8 cubic feet). The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Ariya with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 59.7 cubic feet).

Standard trailer stability control on the ID.4 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Ariya doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The ID.4 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Ariya doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The ID.4’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ariya’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The ID.4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Ariya doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/Pro S has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Ariya doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/Pro S also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Ariya.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Premiere/Platinum+ offers wireless charging.

The Volkswagen ID.4 outsold the Nissan Ariya by over 102 to one during 2022.