Benjamin Leuchter, Volkswagen test and development driver, and Peter Bunke, head coach of the Volkswagen Driving Experience, have tips for you when you are out and about in the snow with your new VW ID.4 for the first time this season. This information is especially timely as many ID.4 owners post warnings that the ID.4 is not what they expected in the white stuff.

Related story: Long-term test of Michelin CrossClimate2 all-weather tires

Winter tires
VW’s first piece of advice is to get the right tires for the mission. VW recommends the use of high-quality winter tires in snow. Bunke explains that winter tires are designed to perform better on snow than summer or all-season tires. And don’t forget to inflate your tires when the temperature drops.

Modes
If your vehicle is equipped with a driving mode selection function, always select snow or slippery (duh) in wintry conditions. However, did you know that Eco is also a good mode to choose in slippery road conditions? Torque is not your friend on slippery driving and the Eco mode will hobble the powerful engine a little and make you start off a little more smoothly.

Take control of yourself
Active driver assistance systems are great in most conditions, but Leuchter recommends avoiding cruise control systems and increasing the distance between your vehicle and the car in front as the braking distance can increase in winter conditions. He also suggests all the obvious things. Drive calmly, avoid sharp inputs and do not apply the brakes.

AWD won’t help you stop
Vehicles like the ID.4 with all-wheel drive are easier to start off in slippery conditions. However, that’s the most you can expect. AWD won’t help you stop. And although manufacturers like to advertise AWD as a turning aid, your tires will be your limitation in slippery conditions. So remember the first piece of advice. Get at least tires with the three-cornered mountain snowflake symbol.

Related: This is how professional testers know whether a vehicle is good in winter with ice and snow

Do you need more help? Take a class
If you are unsure behind the wheel in wintry conditions, help is available. Try a winter driving course. If you are in the northeast, we recommend the Team O’Neil Rally School’s Winter Driving Course. We learned a lot and it was a great time too!

Torque News has not yet had the opportunity to test the VW ID.4 under winter conditions. However, if the posts from Facebook Club members are any indication, then the vehicle on its production tires is not ideal for the winter. When we have the opportunity to test the ID.4, we will report on our results.

Image of Michelin CrossClimate2 tires. Image of the ID.4 from VW.

John Goreham is a longtime member of the New England Motor Press Association and a recovered engineer. John’s interest in electric vehicles dates back to 1990 when, as part of an academic team, he designed the thermal control system for an electric vehicle battery. After studying mechanical engineering, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked for automotive component manufacturers, the semiconductor industry and biotechnology. In addition to Torque News, John’s work has appeared in print on dozens of American news outlets and has reviews of many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and check out his references on Linkedin. on

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