Back in February I wrote about my growing frustration with Tesla ownership. The Model 3 gave me super fun acceleration but also things like squeaks, cheap materials, a cramped trunk, and the constant feeling that I was driving a rolling advertisement for Elon Musk. Every time I saw the news, I thought about selling what some were already calling a “swasticar.” Eventually, I did. I traded it in for a Volkswagen ID.4, hoping for a more practical car that still happened to be electric.

Six months later, I can say the change has been worth it. The ID.4 feels better made in almost every way. The doors close with a satisfying thud, the seats are comfortable, and the cabin materials feel solid. It is not luxury, but it does not need to be. Most importantly, it is roomy. I can pack up camping gear for Cub and Boy Scout trips with my kids without the frustrating trunk shuffle I had to do with the Tesla. Day-to-day errands are easier too, and that counts for a lot.

The range estimates have also been a pleasant surprise. Tesla’s trip computer always started too high and then walked itself back to reality, which made it hard to trust. The VW learns your driving style and gives you a number that feels accurate from the start. That little bit of honesty makes the car easier to live with.

I also appreciate that the VW feels like a car first and an EV second. Tesla always leaned into its identity as a tech product on wheels, for better and worse. The ID.4 has a driver display with speed, range, and navigation right where you expect it, and a second screen that handles CarPlay and maps. I do not miss the giant tablet-only approach.

That said, the VW is not perfect. The inside door handles sometimes need two pulls to actually open, which gets old quickly – this is something that happened due to a recall handle replacement, and I’m considering going back to the dealer to get worked out. CarPlay can take a minute or two to connect if the car has been sitting for a while, which is a long silence at the start of a drive. And the software that controls scheduled charging almost never works the way it should. I like to charge during off-peak hours, especially in the summer, but the car often ignores the schedule. If I forget to reset it when I get home, I end up paying much higher rates. It feels like I am fighting the software instead of trusting it.

Then there are the smaller annoyances: the car shuts off the moment you stand up from the driver’s seat unless you press a button to keep things running, the range tops out around 240 miles compared to the 350 I used to get, regen braking has to be toggled on every time, and the cameras are lower quality with no side-view support for lane changes. None of these ruin the car, but they remind you this is still an early-generation EV.

Even with the quirks, I am glad I switched. The ID.4 is comfortable, practical, and much less stressful to drive than my Tesla ever was. More importantly, I no longer feel like my car says something about me that I do not want it to say. My plan is to hang onto this one for a few years, then see what the next wave of EVs looks like. I still have my eye on what Rivian and Honda are up to. But for now, sanity restored.