ADAC Ranking: VW ID.7 with top marks, Peugeot e-208 tops Eco-Test, electric cars sweep awards

2024 was a challenging year for car buyers – increased purchase prices, especially for smaller vehicles, and fluctuating fuel and electricity costs made the choice difficult and required careful calculations. After all, numerous new models from China provided a greater selection. The ADAC summarizes in its best lists how new models performed in the past year in the car test, in the price-performance comparison, and in the eco-test.

The ADAC tested 84 cars in the past year, including 22 petrol, 16 diesel, 29 electric cars, 16 hybrids, and one gas car. Despite high prices, numerous electric cars occupy the top spots, with exclusively electric vehicles landing in the first seven places. The reasons: Compared to combustion engines, they perform better in terms of drive (e.g., low noise, strong start from a standstill, no gear jerking) and in the environmental category because they are becoming more economical and consume less electricity. Notably, the top spot is not taken by an expensive luxury model but by a family car, the VW ID.7. The "electric Passat" achieves the best score of 1.5 among all vehicles examined in the current ADAC car test, outperforming significantly more expensive models like the BMW i5, the Porsche Taycan (both 1.6), or the Mercedes EQE SUV (score 1.7). Even its combustion counterpart, the Passat TDI, only achieves a 1.8 in the ADAC car test.

The test loser is the Dacia Duster of the second generation, which was replaced in 2024 by a new model. Overall, the ADAC engineers test each new model according to around 300 criteria, for example, they measure values for consumption and interior size, pay attention to usability, or test the functionality of assistance systems.

Purchase costs are only part of the truth

Besides quality, costs are crucial for most car buyers. Purchase costs constitute only one component; the ADAC additionally calculates maintenance and operating costs and – as the biggest price driver – depreciation. From the individual categories, an overall score is derived, which is directly related to the car test score. In 2024, the relatively inexpensive Renault Clio TCe90 (21,250 euros, grade 2.1) led this price-performance comparison. Four vehicles claimed second place: the Škoda Kamiq 1.0 TSI, the VW Golf 1.5 TSI, the Kia Picanto 1.0, and another tested Renault Clio with hybrid drive.

Some might be surprised that there are also several electric cars with a good price-performance ratio. With these models, cost disadvantages are offset by the significant technical advantages already mentioned. For instance, even the VW ID.7 Pro, costing 54,000 euros, achieves a "good" in the price-performance rating, though just barely (grade 2.5). The long-distance runner VW Passat as a Variant 2.0 TDI Business DSG (50,510 euros) receives exactly the same grade.