[526]

So, we've had a Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD since last September, and love it, but we've reserved an Ocean to be our trip car (with its much longer predicted range). Out of curiosity I looked up the dimensions... the Fisker Ocean is a surprising amount larger than the ID.4!

	Fisker Ocean	VW ID.4
Length	188 in	181 in
Width	78.5 in	73 in
Height	64.2 in	65 in
Wheelbase	115 in	109 in
Cargo Length (seats up)	35.8 in	37.4 in
Cargo Length (seats down)	?	64.9 in
Cargo Width (between wheel wells)	40.5 in	39.3 in
Cargo Height	25.9 in	32.2 in

I've also thrown in some tech specs (comparing similarly priced trims):

	Fisker Ocean Ultra	VW ID.4 AWD Pro S
Horsepower	540 hp	295 hp
Torque	?	339 lb-ft
Range (EPA)	340 mi (est)	245 mi (2022)
Max Charge Speed (DC)	250 kW	125 kW (135kW upgrade)
Towing Capacity	4,000 lbs	2,700 lbs
Curb Weight	?	4,888 lbs
Drag Coefficient	?	0.29 cd
Battery Capacity	?	82 kWh / 77 kWh usable
Turning Circle	?	36.42 ft

And some capacities:

	Fisker Ocean Ultra	VW ID.4 AWD Pro S
Front Head Room	?	41.1 in
Front Leg Room	?	41.1 in
Rear Head Room	?	38.4 in
Rear Leg Room	?	37.6 in
Cargo Volume (Seats Up)	20 cu ft (25 cu ft w/o parcel shelf)	30.3 cu ft
Cargo Volume (Seats Down)	45 cu ft	64.2 cu ft

 

[Bernie]

You've got your column heads switched, the ID4 and Ocean, but we know what you mean.

 

[Holt]

Hey @df287 did you accidentally mislabel the chart? because based on the chart it says the ID.4 is bigger than the Ocean.

 

[526]

Thanks guys, fixed! I also took a minute and added a few more tables of data...

 

[Dodob]

I had a reservation for ID.4 and cancelled it after a test drive. Too many compromises for my taste - all touch controls, rear drum brakes, no view through the rear window, etc. I was genuinely annoyed with useless, needless "innovations" to the driver's interface. But the deciding factor was the ride. The car is heavy and I was expecting a solid, heavy planted car ride, but instead it was bobbing, pitching and swaying, magnifying every tiny imperfection on the road - all exacerbated by the driving position (feels like you are driving "on" a car, not "in" it). By comparison, my Passat circa 2000 was riding as plush as a limo (and that was still rougher compared to my Outback which is, in fact, as plush as a limo). I do realize that I am a bit behind the curve and probably do not represent any significant marketing category anymore, but if Ocean rides like that, I will cancel my reservation on it too - and keep waiting until someone comes back to their senses and produces a car that's pleasant to drive.

 

[526]

We too test drove the ID.4 back in Summer of 2021 when the First Edition came out - and it was fine but nothing to write home about. But the AWD Pro S (without the gradient package) we ordered is dramatically better - with 50% more power and 19" instead of 20" wheels, it strikes an excellent balance of performance, handling and comfort. Compared to the 2017 Subaru Outback we replaced, it has dramatically better handling - with the weight down low, it hardly rolls in the corners at all - instead, when you push it too hard, it just goes into a flat, plowing, progressive understeer. The winning formula for a corner is slow in, fast out. And with the dual motor powertrain it is quick. Not Model Y Performance or Mach E GT quick, but 0-60 right around 6 seconds and no waiting means it is faster off the line than most anything else around, and it also has an impressive highway overtaking power.

I also have a VW Golf and there's things they changed that they didn't need to (like only two window switches and no volume dial) but once you own a car you just get used to that stuff. Same with the infotainment that the reviewers love to complain about - once you're used to it, it's fine - and the voice commands are dramatically better than the old Subaru, or my 2019 Golf. But the highlight for me is how incredibly plush and quiet it is on the highway, combined with the excellent TravelAssist ACC system that lane centers and follows. It doesn't require you to "torque" the wheel occasionally like a Tesla or Ford; it is capacitive so as long as you're not wearing gloves (the wheel is heated) it just senses your hand to know you're alive... the best long distance highway cruiser I've ever drive (and I grew up with some of the best - older Lincolns, Buicks and Cadillacs).

 

[Dodob]

I am fascinated how two people can have an almost diametrically opposite opinion on the same car... (I do agree with you that after a while one can get used to most anything. The question is - should we?) Out of curiosity, and off topic obviously - did you have a chance to own Lexus IS200, the original, rebadged Toyota Altezza? Of the many cars I owned, I still consider it the best sorted combination of ride and handling and superior visibility (the last car where I could see all four corners from the driver's position). The thing was expensive to own though - high insurance, premium fuel and it chewed up the tires (new set every 15K miles).

 

[526]

I am fascinated how two people can have an almost diametrically opposite opinion on the same car... (I do agree with you that after a while one can get used to most anything. The question is - should we?) Out of curiosity, and off topic obviously - did you have a chance to own Lexus IS200, the original, rebadged Toyota Altezza? Of the many cars I owned, I still consider it the best sorted combination of ride and handling and superior visibility (the last car where I could see all four corners from the driver's position). The thing was expensive to own though - high insurance, premium fuel and it chewed up the tires (new set every 15K miles).

Agreed - obviously we went in with very different expectations Sadly never got a chance to drive an IS200, but I have driven a Honda S2000, Mazda RX8, and my Golf. I've also driven a Ford Explorer, Honda Accord and a bunch of full-size American cars that were on the opposite end of the handling spectrum. Honestly, I enjoy both styles of driving depending on mood. My Golf with a small turbo four to carry a ton of speed through corners (as did the Honda and Mazda). All three were manual transmission cars, and I could control the gear and therefore keep the revs up to maintain the engine in its power band. However, they're a bit of work. The Golf is actually a bit Jekyll and Hyde - it's surprisingly comfortable and reasonably torquey if I keep the revs low and cruise gently.

But back to the ID.4 - I was turned off by its handling on the test drive, but didn't care - we were buying it to replace a 2017 Outback which was my wife's daily and it was comfortable but handled like a pig. That wasn't the point of this car... however, the more I drive it, the more I realize why the auto reviewers say it handles better than Mach E (non-GT) or a Ioniq 5 - the wide rear tires (it's staggered with 255 rear and 235 front tire sections) put the power down cleanly and the suspension is engineered to minimize roll while maintaining grip. It basically lets you go all the way to the limit of the tire's adhesion without rolling over; that's a sensation you don't get in most gas cars, since tire adhesion is usually much higher than suspension compliance. It's also probably related to the fact that VW worked with Bridgestone to make these ultra-low rolling resistance EV spec tires that really don't corner terribly well (and I notice Fisker is also working with Bridgestone so expect the same). So, you're in a situation in the ID.4 with the narrower front tires reaching the limits of their adhesion while the car remains flat and planted - and you get this progressive understeer that just bleeds speed and guides you gently toward the outside - however it doesn't seem to possess any throttle lift oversteer so you can just dial off the accelerator and collect yourself into the corner. It really doesn't appreciate that, however... If you brake more than you think you need to into a corner, however, and squirt out of the corner, those fat rear tires just bite and it goes in a straight line. The vertical compliance is pretty good so squat and dive are limited; electric motors have that maximum torque from zero and it goes. (Actually, that's not totally true - like MB and BMW, VW limits the maximum torque at tip-in so it blends in gently over a few tenths of a second; this limits the head toss my wife and I complained of in the Mach E and Model Y. You can put it in sport mode if you don't like this.) But even in Comfort mode, it just pulls out of the corners as fast as any sports car I've ever driven... so if you need to get somewhere quickly, you can! However, to be honest, it's just so quiet and so comfortable, I find myself much more relaxed behind the wheel and I just tend to drive it gently That also means my tires will last longer and I need to charge less often. (And I may be getting older than I used to be, but won't admit to that if asked!)

 

[Dodob]

I am positively impressed to stumble on someone who knows what they are talking about... (I swear that after reading / watching car reviews lately, you would think that driving is a secondary function to whether the CarPlay is supported and how many phones it can charge). I guess we'll compare notes when (if?) Ocean is available for test drives... I admit - I'm already looking at what would be the smallest wheel size to clear the calipers and which Yokohamas would pair nicely with that

 

[MTN Ranger]

Will the much lower cargo volume affect you? Compared to most of the CUV EV rivals, the Ocean has the lowest cargo capacity of any of them. It's barely larger than my Model 3. That's the only major issue I have with it.

 

[526]

Will the much lower cargo volume affect you? Compared to most of the CUV EV rivals, the Ocean has the lowest cargo capacity of any of them. It's barely larger than my Model 3. That's the only major issue I have with it.

Agreed - the long range makes it an ideal trip car, but to go on a trip you need to bring stuff. The trunk on a Camry is 15 cubic feet and Fisker PR said online the 20 cu ft goes up to 25 if you take the parcel shelf out - so I assume that's 20 cu ft below the parcel shelf, so larger than the trunk in a Camry by 25%... so, I guess I should modify the number up above to represent 25 cu ft with the parcel shelf out. (I'm sure VW's number of 30 cu ft is with the parcel shelf out.)

 

[Bernie]

Here's a funny thing I've noticed for most cars. When cargo capacity is given in liters it references the number with the parcel shelf in place. When given in cubic feet it appears to be the capacity without the shelf. So make sure you compare the same unit, and don't convert to compare. It's just a funny little detail.

 

[sirozha]

I had a reservation for ID.4 and cancelled it after a test drive. Too many compromises for my taste - all touch controls, rear drum brakes, no view through the rear window, etc. I was genuinely annoyed with useless, needless "innovations" to the driver's interface. But the deciding factor was the ride. The car is heavy and I was expecting a solid, heavy planted car ride, but instead it was bobbing, pitching and swaying, magnifying every tiny imperfection on the road - all exacerbated by the driving position (feels like you are driving "on" a car, not "in" it). By comparison, my Passat circa 2000 was riding as plush as a limo (and that was still rougher compared to my Outback which is, in fact, as plush as a limo). I do realize that I am a bit behind the curve and probably do not represent any significant marketing category anymore, but if Ocean rides like that, I will cancel my reservation on it too - and keep waiting until someone comes back to their senses and produces a car that's pleasant to drive.

That would be Cadillac Lyric. The ID.4 rides so much better than the Model Y. I’ve driven both. I own a Model Y, and I’m about to get my ID.4 delivered to me. I didn’t notice any wibbliness in the ID.4. You may have had an issue with alignment or some other issue in your test drive.

 

[526]

Added some cargo dimensions as per this other post: Ocean's SUV Size Category?

 

[S7davis]

@Tim Thanks. Per those added dimensions it is a little smaller for cargo but you gain little more leg room. Some people prefer more leg room others more cargo space. I think this is a perfect in between vehicle. Now if you have a large family I do not think the Ocean will be the proper vehicle for those vacations or family road trips. If your family is only 3 or 4 people it might work out just our wives will have to condense the amount of make-up, purses, and shoes to bring on those family vacations.

 

[526]

just our wives will have to condense the amount of make-up, purses, and shoes to bring on those family vacations.

Let me know how that works out 😂 (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) But in my case it’s usually camera gear and sporting goods that take up the space!

 

[tkang]

Anyone have data on the Fisker length with the back seats down? Seems like the lower cargo volume with the seats down compared to the ID.4 would suggest that there's less height and length in the Fisker?

 

[MTN Ranger]

Anyone have data on the Fisker length with the back seats down? Seems like the lower cargo volume with the seats down compared to the ID.4 would suggest that there's less height and length in the Fisker?

No I haven't seen any pictures showing the measurement from the hatch to the back of the front seats. We came close in Orlando with a bunch of measuring tape photos.

 

[DBatz10]

I'm very interested in the ID4. The AWD S Pro with the 275 range is really appealing at 53k and qualifies for the 7500 rebate. Dealers locally have quite a few in stock and some are starting go under MSRP.