2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vs 2023 Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler’s roots go all the way back to World War II and the Willys-Overland company. Fast-forward some 60 years or so and we have the iconic Jeep Wrangler JL, one of the last body-on-frame SUVs left for folks who prioritize off-road capability over creature comforts.

Every Wrangler comes with solid front and rear axles and a five-link suspension system. However, some popular trim levels, like the Wrangler Sport, Wrangler Willys Sport, and Wrangler Sahara, don’t get locking differentials or meaty tires, so choose your Wrangler carefully.

The Volkswagen ID.4 electric car is still relatively new to the marketplace (it debuted for the 2021 model year) but VW is already making some important updates to keep it competitive and fulfil goals set when this compact electric SUV first launched.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 adds a new base model and a smaller 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack alongside the carryover 82-kWh to increase affordability. VW will also begin sourcing cars for its North American dealerships from the same Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory that builds the gasoline-powered Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. The automaker has been discussing this since the ID.4 was unveiled, but at first cars for our market came from Zwickau, Germany.

The 2023 ID.4 retains single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) and dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain options, but gets revised exterior and interior styling, some software changes, and a few more standard tech features and driver aids.

The new-for-2023 base model is dubbed simply ID.4, slotting below the ID.4 Pro and ID.4 Pro AWD. We recently spent a day on a test drive with the U.S. equivalent of the ID.4 Pro AWD model, along with a shorter drive in a base ID.4 model.