There is a huge difference in retail prices between a Standard model at the entry-level end, and a Pro S Plus at the very top end.
How large? It roughly translates to about a 30% price premium in the used car market.
Other than the Chevy Bolt, no other vehicle has as much of a reach from the entry-level to the near luxury level as the ID.4. That reach also has a huge impact on the demand for the various trim levels.
The Standard, S and Pro models sit for a long time. Every... single... one...
Standard and S models in particular take a LOT longer to sell at the wholesale dealer auctions and the retail lots. I sometimes see the same vehicles get no-saled for months on end waititng for a buyer.
It's not just the limited range of the lower trim models which discount them heavily.
It's the sun. Literally.
When folks test drive these vehicles during the day, that heat combined with the panoramic glass roof makes the ID.4 less attractive to buy. Especially if you live where it's hot.
I have a friend of mine who operates one of the largest VW dealership in South Carolina. They intentionally keep these vehicles in the shade whenever possible, and even start performing climate control beforehand if a car shopper wants to test drive one.
As most of you know, only the Pro S and Pro S Plus trims have the heat mitigation systems needed to keep the ID.4 cool when parked directly in the sun for hours. If you own a dealership, they can sit for days on end and the panoramic glass roof can be a turn-off during a test drive.
That's why if you live in the South, Texas region, or Southwest, the price for an ID.4 Standard often runs neck and neck with the much older Nissan LEAF.
So is there an advantage to choosing the lower trim levels? Kinda.
The internet is chock full of tools and ideas to reduce that heat. Some work. Others not so much.
Nano-Ceramic window tint on the windshield and the windows helps. Custom windshield sunshades from Weathertech or Covercraft can also make a difference along with a good dashboard cover. You can also get window, roof, and rear shades.
But the thing is most VW dealers just have trouble selling these units. The days in inventory is now over 500 for the ID.4 and with the name officially cancelled, rebates and incentives are going to play an even greater role between now and 2027 for new vehicles.
The sweet spot may be a Pro if you need that range. Or a Standard or S if you can do fine with the smaller battery.
As an auto auctioneer and a buyer of a lot of EVs at the wholesale dealer auctions for 48 Hours And A Used Car, I can tell you that the higher trim models will always get more eyeballs. As those rebates get greater, it's those lower trim used models that will get the strongest price breaks.
The higher trim models will get more action. As those rebates get greater, it's those lower trim used models that will get the strongest price breaks.
The first is a white 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S Plus w/VW Sound out of Kansas City with a 4.9 out of 5.0 condition report rating and 27,107 miles. Current bid is $20,100 and that timed auction will end today at 2:00 P.M. Central Standard Time. VW Credit is the seller.
The second is a gray 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S with only 107 miles. That one is in Los Angeles and will be auctioned off tomorrow right around 9:30 A.M. Pacific Standard Time.
The last one similar to this one was an identical model with 167 miles that sold back in mid-April for $25,200 plus the auction fees. I would assume that this one will likely sell in the $26k to $27k range.
RESULTS : The Pro S Plus sold for $22,500 plus the auction fees. It went for about $900 above wholesale which is reasonable since this trim level is pretty uncommon. Most of the wholesale inventory is at this auction was either a Standard or a Pro.
The low-mile Pro S was a minor surprise. It sold for $24,750 plus the buy fee. A lot of bidding activity as expected, but they started way below the reserve and spent over a minute trying to sell it. Took forever and the auctioneer had to pull teeth to get the last few bids.
As a long-time auto auctioneer, starting out about four grand under the reserve and not transitioning from $250 to $100 bids late in the game kills online bidding. This one sold for a great price.
I have a customer who has been looking for a Chevy Bolt.
He has a wife. Three kids. One of which now has a driver's license and the other two will be driving in a few years.
Whatever he buys, it will get plenty of road use.
As many of you already know Chevy Bolts are pretty expensive right now.
I'm seeing 2023 models flirting with a $20,000 price tag. Which brings it firmly into Chevy Equinox EV levels.
So we looked at two older Bolts.
One was a 2018 Chevy Bolt LT with about 53,000 miles and a replaced battery that still had 75,000 miles left on the battery warranty which stretched to May 2031.
Some dings and scuffs. One major dent on the roof and drivers side door.
It was definitely a workhorse.
It would do the job, and my customer didn't mind the cosmetics.
But then we found a buyback that was just plain incredible. A 2018 Chevy Bolt Premier still under the factory warranty.
But the real story was the HV battery.
The high voltage battery was finally replaced under recall in March 2025 which means the battery warranty stretches all the way to March 2033 and over 85,000 miles.
The average wholesale value was $11,850 and there were over 130 dealers at the wholesale dealer auction. Including Carmax and Carvana who usually suck up a lot of the late model vehicles.
I was expecting a tough fight when it went on the block.
He was willing to go up to $12,500. We got it for $9200.
I was so shocked that I called the auction to make sure there weren't any technical issues with the online bidding.
Before the Iran War, a Chevy Bolt buyback would lose about $1000 to $1500 over one without that brand.
These days a buyback on a Chevy Bolt usually has little to no effect on its value.
These vehicles are so high in demand that GM has been selling their own Bolts under 'closed' sales for months. Where only Chevy dealers can bid on these vehicles.
We stole it. Plain and simple.
Unlike most dealers that like to tease prices, I seriously doubt I'll see this level of a discount on any Chevy Bolt for a very long time.
Glad it's going to a great customer who knew exactly what he wanted.
It'll be up for auction next Tuesday the 18th out of California.
If you can stand having a baseplate on the front of your vehicle, the value you get is often excellent. This is a well kept 2020 Chevy Equinox LT with only 23,000 miles that I bought for just $12,000.
If you can stand having a baseplate on the front of your vehicle, the value you get is often excellent. This is a well kept 2020 Chevy Equinox LT with only 23,000 miles that I bought for just $12,000.
