Are you a self-employed person or an employee who is entitled to a company car, and should you opt for a compact electric car? Then the Volkswagen ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric quickly emerge. Their strong residual value also means that they are interesting for leasing. But can’t you choose between both models, or maybe you don’t even get the opportunity to take a test drive? No worries, Vroom.be has driven both the ID.3 and the Megane E-Tech. Let’s compare both models in terms of practical features, autonomy, interior, driving behavior and price.
1. Practical: VW ID.3 in the lead
|
Although the Volkswagen ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric are practically the same size (4.26 m vs. 4.20 m), the interior of the German is still more spacious than its French rival. Volkswagen even proclaimed at launch that it “offers the space of a Passat in the size of a Golf” thanks to its fully electric MEB architecture. The Megane is noticeably tighter on the back seat, especially behind a tall driver. If you mainly have to take things with you and not so much people, the Mégane hits back with its 440 liters of trunk space, compared to the 385 liter cargo space of the ID.3. However, the view through its minuscule rear window is a letdown.
2. Autonomy: VW ID.3 goes further
| | |
The victory also goes to Germany in terms of autonomy: with a usable battery capacity of up to 77 kWh, the Volkswagen ID.3 achieves a WLTP range of up to 572 km, compared to 60 kWh and 463 km range for the Megane. In practice, you can easily deduct 100 km from both models, making the relative difference even greater in favor of the VW. The final blow? The ID.3 can also charge faster (170 kW vs. 129 kW).
3. Interior: premium feel in the Megane
| | |
Once upon a time, even the cheaper Volkswagens were impeccably finished, while the build quality in the average Renault was rather questionable. Here, however, the reverse is true. The ID.3 has an original and playful interior, but it also looks and feels quite basic. The Megane immediately impresses with its beautiful finish, its logical layout and some high-quality equipment options (with massage seats, for example). Volkswagen has somewhat caught up with the facelift of the ID.3, but in terms of ergonomics and finish it still cannot match the Megane.
4. Driving behavior: equal
| | |
In terms of driving pleasure, we cannot identify a clear winner: both the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Renault Megane E-Tech can present a good balance between comfort and dynamics. The VW leans a little more towards comfort, while the Megane’s steering wheel makes you feel a little more connected to the front wheels. The ID.3 then hits back with its new GTX version, which sprints to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and undoubtedly grips the road a little tighter.
5. Price: Megane is slightly cheaper
| | |
With a starting price of 37,750 euros, you pay a good 2,000 euros less for the cheapest Megane than for the ID.3, which costs at least 39,990 euros. The fully equipped Megane E-Tech Iconic (43,500 euros) is also cheaper than the ID.3 Pro S Business (47,315 euros), and although you get a larger battery in return, the Volkswagen also has more options that further increase the bill.
Conclusion: the ID.3 wins… just
| | |
Purely on paper we would say that the Volkswagen ID.3 is a more interesting choice, especially due to its longer driving range and the extra seating space in the rear seat. But if these things are less important to you, for example if you mainly travel short distances alone, then you may find the Renault Megane E-Tech more pleasant to live with. In any case, the difference is small…
Want to keep up with the latest car news?
Did you find this article interesting and would you like to receive the latest car news straight to your mailbox? Register now – just like more than 300,000 car enthusiasts – for free via email:
){kind=link}