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Title: Volkswagen ID.Buzz review: A head-turning EV microbus with unfortunate
flaws

Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 14:30:24 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/v...

While we're still waiting for a true electric minivan to hit the US, VW's
ID.Buzz microbus is close. It's a unique family hauler that'll definitely get
your neighbors buzzing. No, seriously, during my week of testing I had over a
dozen conversations with strangers who were fascinated by the ID.Buzz. One of
my neighbors stopped their car dramatically when they saw it, backed up, and
just had to give me a thumbs up and praise it as "cool as hell."

My kids were similarly enamored, they loved its cute design and enormous
interior space. In many ways, it's the family EV I've been dreaming of ΓÇö
something that could comfortably seat seven people and carry tons of cargo
for road trips. Unfortunately, its high $60,000 starting price and relatively
lackluster 234 mile range hold it back from true greatness.

Really, though, those issues were obvious when VW announced its US launch
details for the ID.Buzz last year. I was more intrigued to see if it was a
complete flop for VW, or if there was something compelling about it despite
those flaws. After testing the ID.Buzz for a week, I've noticed one
surprising thing: It makes everyone smile. It may not look exactly like VW's
classic '60s microbus, but it elicits a similar amount of joy. And that's
refreshing compared to the response I've seen to other large EVs like the
Cybertruck (my son calls it the "ugly truck" and the ridiculous Hummer EV.

Sure, it's sort of coasting on vibes, but the VW ID.Buzz still has plenty of
practical benefits if you don't mind the high price and charging a bit more
often during road trips. And as I'll explain below, it'll likely be an
enticing option once it hits the used market in a few years.

What is the VW ID.Buzz?

Most cynically, the ID.Buzz is an attempt to milk the brand nostalgia for
VW's hippy-era Type 2 microbus. VW never quite gave up on those vehicles, but
its later models dropped the cute rounded aesthetic and looked more like
commercial vans. What makes the ID.Buzz truly interesting is that it
transforms a beloved classic into a cutting-edge EV, with an enormous
infotainment screen and modern features like adaptive cruise control.

It also makes a great first impression, since it doesnΓÇÖt look like anything
else on the road. There's a rounded front end that evokes the playfulness of
the original model, and its two-tone color design (on some trims) simply pops
among a sea of boring (and often white) cars in traffic. Sure, VW has done
this before, but the Buzz is still a great reminder that EVs don't have to
look like traditional vehicles. There's no front engine to worry about, just
a big battery and electric motors. In the Buzz's case, you can choose from
rear-wheel drive and "4Motion" all-wheel drive dual motors, delivering 282
and 335 horsepower, respectively.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

The ID.Buzz offers the seating of a minivan ΓÇö with room for six to seven
people depending on your configuration, and convenient sliding second-row
doors ΓÇö plus the height and storage capacity more akin to cargo vans. With
all of its seats up, the Buzz offers an acceptable 18.6 cubic feet of
storage, which is enough for a typical grocery run or a stroller and a diaper
bag. Fold the third row down, though, and you get a far more useful 75.5
cubic feet of space. You could also remove the second and third row of seats
entirely to get a massive 145.5 cubic feet of space.

Funny enough, you could technically fit three people into the Buzz's third
row, but US regulators have taken issue since that row only has two
seatbelts. VW has recalled existing vehicles and says it'll be adding
"unpadded trim parts" to reduce the seating area. Yes, it's the rare recall
where you'll actually lose a bit of functionality in the name of safety.
(Nobody is actually forcing Buzz owners to do that, though...)

As for other niceties, the ID.Buzz offers an enormous 12.9-inch infotainment
screen (I've never seen Apple CarPlay look so big before), a smaller driving
information screen behind the steering wheel and an optional heads-up
display. There's also a panoramic sunroof option, which can't be opened but
can be tinted to look opaque on demand. Our review unit didn't have that
sunroof, unfortunately, and the interior certainly felt a bit gloomier
because of that. If I were seriously considering the ID.Buzz, I'd argue the
sunroof a is requirement. (Admittedly, it could be a problem if you're trying
to get babies and toddlers to sleep, since the interior will never truly get
dark. But kids outgrow napping fairly quickly, and it's easy to find canopies
for car seats.)

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's good about the VW ID.Buzz?

The best thing about the ID.Buzz is the vibe you get while driving it around
town. People will stop and stare at it, kids will point at it excitedly and
harried parents will approach it like the monolith from 2001. It's as if VW's
designers took Marie Kondo's advice to heart: It simply sparks joy. As I
dropped off my son at daycare one morning, one of the school's admins dragged
me outside and demanded to see the interior. "I wish I could retire in this
thing and travel the country," she said.

The ID.Buzz is also very capable as an EV. Despite its large size, it's quick
to accelerate and incredibly comfortable on the highway and bumpy roads.
Parking was a bit annoying, but the Buzz was also easy to maneuver thanks to
the large infotainment screen, which could display both single-camera and 360-
degree overhead views at the same time. I had a much easier time backing into
spots than I did with much smaller cars.

The Buzz's large second row could easily fit three carseats side-by-side,
assuming you get the models with the middle bench seat. I was able to hook up
my son's carseat and my daughter's booster chair in a few minutes, without
the finger-cramping I usually experience with my Volvo XC90 SUV. (One
downside to the second row? You can't open its windows fully, instead only a
smaller section of the windows open up.)

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

I also instantly appreciated the Buzz's enormous storage area, as it was able
to fit a large pile of charity donations that were sitting in my garage. That
included a bike trailer for kids as well as an old high chair. We were able
to fully load up the trunk with the third-row seats down, and there was still
room in the second row for additional gear. That trip likely would have been
possible with my Volvo, but it would have involved cramming in large items
more creatively. With the ID.Buzz, I didn't break a sweat.

Now that I'm several years into being a suburban dad with two kids (sigh),
I've learned to appreciate the benefits of less flashy and more practical
transportation. And there's no doubt the ID.Buzz is useful. In addition to
that donation drop-off, I was also able to comfortably pile my parents into
the Buzz along with my kids for a day trip. My dad thought the third row was
absolutely huge, and my mom had no trouble sitting in the second row
alongside the child and booster seats.

There's no other EV that's this flexible. The Rivian R1S is far more
expensive, and the Kia EV9 is great but doesn't offer as much storage. And
neither of those cars have minivan-like sliding doors, which are a life-saver
in tight parking spots. There's no true EV minivan in the US at this point,
the best you can get is the hybrid Toyota Sienna (which I loved) and the plug-
in hybrid Pacifica (which I had to dump because of Chrysler's terrible build
quality).

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget What's bad about the VW ID.Buzz?

The hardest pill to swallow with the Buzz is its $60,000 starting price,
which can escalate to over $70,000 if you want all the fixins. Basically,
it's a luxury curiosity for those who can afford it, not something that's
easily attainable for everyone. Its price could be excused if the Buzz also
offered everything we see in comparable EVs, but its short 234-mile range is
just inexcusable when the EV9 can reach 309 miles for around the same price.
For such a large vehicle, you'd think VW would be able to stuff in more
batteries.

Realistically, the Buzz's range only becomes a problem during long road
trips, where you'll have to charge more often compared to other EVs. But that
can be an annoying process, since you'll typically have to spend at least
half an hour at a charging station to get ready for the next leg of your
trip. VW says the Buzz can go from 10 to 80 percent charge on a 200 kW DC
fast charger in 30 minutes, but those aren't available everywhere. One hour
of level 2 AC charging got me 12 percent of additional battery life, while
level 1 trickle charging at home added 20 percent of juice over 14 hours.

It's also worth noting that range estimates vary dramatically in cold
weather, or if you're cranking the Buzz's heat or air conditioning. That's
why it's always smart to aim for as much range as you can, even if you don't
think you'll be driving that much.

Volkswagen

Beyond the obvious problems, I also hated the Buzz's capacitive touch
controls, which are spread across its steering wheel buttons, infotainment
center and window controls. While there are indentations and a bit of haptic
feedback when you hit something, like pumping up the volume or choosing the
next music track via the steering wheel, it's hard to differentiate those
controls from nearby capacitive buttons. It's far too easy to tap the cruise
control functions while you're just trying to change the volume, and vice
versa.

Since it's hard to actually feel where certain buttons are, I found myself
looking down to make sure I was hitting the right option, which is something
I absolutely hate doing while driving. Similarly, trying to adjust HVAC
settings on the bottom portion of the infotainment screen can easily trigger
the capacitive buttons below them, which was another reason I had to
occasionally take my eyes off the road. Thankfully, VW appears to be focusing
on physical buttons for future vehicles, but ID.Buzz owners are still left
with a frustrating interface.

The ID.Buzz's rearview mirror controls... how do they work? Devindra Hardawar
for Engadget

Here are just some of the ways the capacitive buttons infuriated me:

It's difficult to turn on the cruise control and adjust your speed without
looking down.

It's tough to control the rear windows from the driver's seat, since it
involves hitting a capacitive "Rear" button. There are only two controls for
windows, so you have to choose between controlling the front and second-row
windows. Even more annoying, the Buzz would sometimes disable the rear window
option after a few seconds.

I spent at least 10 minutes trying to figure out how the rear-view mirrors
are controlled, and I still have no clue. It's an inscrutable combination of
a joy-stick, turning dial and capacitive controls.

Should you buy the VW ID.Buzz?

At this point, given its price and range, the VW ID.Buzz just doesn't make
sense for most people. If you really want a three-row EV, you'll likely be
better served by the Kia EV9 or the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which offer more range
for a similar price. And if you absolutely need something that's like a
minivan, the Toyota Sienna is hard to beat. While it's not a full EV, its
hybrid setup still offers a healthy 36 MPG.

But, I've also noticed that used EVs tend to drop in price far quicker than
gas cars. You can currently find the Polestar 2, which launched at around
$60,000, for $30,000 or less in the used market. While I can't guarantee the
Buzz will drop that far, I wouldn't be surprised if we see used versions for
around $40,000 in a few years. And at that point, it could be a decent
purchase even with its relatively low range.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Wrap-up

It's clear that the ID.Buzz is a big swing for VW, and itΓÇÖs truly unique
since there aren't any EV minivans outside of China. It's just a shame that
it's held back by some obvious issues. The ID.Buzz is still undeniably useful
though, especially if you don't plan on taking many road trips, so there's a
chance it'll become more compelling as its price falls.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/v...
turning-ev-microbus-with-unfortunate-flaws-143024824.html?src=rss

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