2022 Toyota Highlander vs 2023 Volkswagen ID.4

The 2022 Toyota Highlander had a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design. The flared fender arches and the way the third-row window kicked up a bit helped make the spacious Highlander appear smaller to the eye. However, once inside, it offered tons of cabin space and clever storage solutions for iPads and juice boxes. The XSE trim featured a bold red leather interior package, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and a sport-tuned suspension, making it a fun combination with a sedate navy blue exterior.

Trims for the Highlander included L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum. The base L trim came equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, pushbutton start, proximity/remote keyless entry, three-zone climate control, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Higher trims added features like LED fog lights, a smart key system, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power liftgate, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power moonroof, wireless device charging, and a 7-inch digital screen within the instrument panel.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 had subtle styling changes, including a front bumper with gloss black trim and a more squared-off rear bumper design that improved aerodynamics. All wheel designs and colors were new for 2023, and the rear VW logo now lit up. While easily distinguished as an EV, the ID.4 didn’t look particularly SUV-like, lacking the upright profile and added ground clearance of more traditional SUVs. However, it was based on VW’s MEB platform, designed specifically for EVs, and carried over the best qualities from recent VW gasoline-car interiors, including a minimalist design and an overall feeling of quality.

The ID.4’s interior featured leatherette upholstery with seat and door-panel inserts made partly from recycled fibers as standard for 2023. The base ID.4 Standard model, aside from a manual driver’s seat, didn’t seem like much of a downgrade from the higher-level ID.4 Pro S. The interior changes for 2023 included a conventional lid for the center console, a better spot for a phone, and three-zone climate control with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). The transmission had a tap-shift function on the shifter, and certain trims came with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. There was also a drive-mode button with Sport, Normal, and Eco modes, and a dial for the AWD system with Mud/Sand, Rock, and Normal modes. The Highlander’s handling was very good in all scenarios, with the XSE trim featuring a sport-tuned suspension that reduced body roll while remaining soft over bumps. When properly equipped, the Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds, with a max payload of 1,685 pounds in the FWD L and LE trims.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered a new 62-kWh battery pack for the base Standard and S models, available only with RWD. The Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus got the carryover 82-kWh pack, available with RWD or AWD. Single-motor RWD models were rated at 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, while the dual-motor AWD powertrain upped output to 295 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, allowing for zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. The smaller battery pack reduced curb weight by 240 pounds, improving acceleration and handling. The ID.4’s regenerative braking system allowed for coasting in its default setting and stopped short of one-pedal driving in the more aggressive “B” setting. The AWD ID.4 had the acceleration to rival hot hatchbacks but allowed too much body roll to be truly entertaining on twisty roads.

With the second- and third-row seats folded, the 2022 Toyota Highlander provided up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space. With the second-row seats in use, there was 48.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and with all seats deployed, the Highlander offered 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Lowering the seats was easy thanks to quick-release latches, and lifting them again was aided by pull-straps. Every trim above the base L came with a power liftgate, with Limited and Platinum trims featuring a hands-free power liftgate. The base L trim included an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, deep cargo pockets in the front doors, and a large center console compartment. The XSE trim had second-row captain’s chairs, providing a center aisle to the third row, which was spacious for adults in the second row but only tolerable for short trips in the third row.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 offered more interior space than other affordable EVs, with more front-seat and rear-seat legroom than a Chevrolet Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf, and more headroom than the 2023 Kia Niro EV. It had 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. VW benchmarked the ID.4 against gasoline crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and while it fell short of those vehicles on interior space, it was the SUV of affordable EVs in terms of practicality. The ID.4 had a towing capacity of 2,200 pounds for RWD models and 2,700 pounds for AWD models. Interior changes for 2023 included a conventional lid for the center console, a better spot for a phone, and three-zone climate control with rear-seat controls and heated outboard rear seats.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen that supported Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system had a straightforward layout with hard buttons on either side of the screen. The XSE test model featured a wireless charging pad, as well as a combination of USB and USB-C ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen was available, though it wasn’t as effortless as the base touchscreen. Other available features included a digital instrument panel screen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system.

For 2023, the Volkswagen ID.4 featured a standard 12.0-inch touchscreen on all models, replacing the 10.0-inch screen on lower trim levels. The infotainment system received software updates to improve responsiveness, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remaining standard. The ID.Cockpit digital instrument cluster was also standard. The user interface included sharp graphics, a choice of smartphone-like icons or a traditional automotive split-screen view, and natural-language voice recognition. However, the haptic touchpads on the dashboard and steering wheel replaced conventional buttons, which could be distracting. The ID.Light system, part ambient lighting system and part AI assistant, changed color depending on the drive mode and flashed to indicate navigation directions.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver-assistance features, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. All but the base L trim came equipped with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Other optional or upper-level trim features included front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were very active, sometimes feeling too active on certain highways and back roads.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. The 2022 model received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating, with top scores in all crash tests and high ratings for front crash prevention. The ID.4 also had a good complement of standard driver-assist features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear park distance control, automatic high beams, traffic-sign recognition, and VW’s Travel Assist 2.0. For 2023, the ID.4 added standard Park Assist Plus automated parking, an automated lane-change feature for Travel Assist, and a 360-degree camera system.