This week we were celebrities. Well, at least we felt like one. When you’re driving the new VW ID. Buzz you get a lot of attention, and it’s almost universally positive. Everyone seems to love it. Do we? Let’s find out!
Retro Futuristic
The Good Vibes start with the ID.’s cool exterior. And it’s one that got constant thumbs-up, peace signs (so 60’), Shaka’s (Aloha to you!) and loads of questions and smiles.
First things first – this is a much larger vehicle than the original Microbus. And while a smaller version is offered in Europe, we don’t get that model here. Compared to the original we’re talking over 2 feet longer, 10-inches wider and about the same height.
While that sounds like the ID. Is huge, the truth is, it’s pretty close to the size of the Toyota Sienna we tested recently. For a 3-row minivan in today’s marketplace, the size is right.
What’s really right is the design, that’s instantly recognizable. From the front there’s the massive VW logo, waterfall style hood, and huge windshield. Even though this is an EV, there’s still a prominent lower grille that looks sporty. LED and adaptive front headlights give a cheerful look, and the ID. starts a light show as it senses you walking up. Overall, it’s a friendly face that always makes you smile back.
The profile shows off the exceptionally long wheelbase, and that means front and rear overhangs are tight – this is good packaging for the interior and promises a smooth ride. It’s also a squared off design – a real contrast to the Sienna and Odyssey that are trying to seem swoopy.
Other signs of design are dual sliding side doors, and air vents on the D-pillar that remind of the air-cooled original model. The side doors also feature cool power sliding windows – another nod to the original design. And a super cool feature – like the rear door on many SUV’s, the ID.’s side doors will power open when you slide your foot beneath the vehicle – a great idea when you’re loading up or trying to put in a child seat. And yes, the rear hatch also employs the same feature.
And since our tester was a First Edition, it wears a cool Mahi Green Metallic and Candy White two-tone that’s spot-on from the original design, and massive 20-inch alloys with a cool white and silver that just pops! We think the two-tone 1st Edition is the way to go, and if green isn’t your thing, there are also two-tones in your choice of Cabana Blue, Energetic Orange, Metro Silver and Pomelo Yellow. They all look cool!
Come around the back and there’s a large tailgate with an even larger VW emblem, I D B U Z Z spelled out in big block letters, and a LED brake light with a lit horizontal bar that emphasizes the width, height and squareness of the design. In the ID. Buzz, it’s hip to be square!
Hellooooooooo inside!
That big exterior pays off with a huge interior.
Getting in is a bit of a surprise – it’s taller than you think, and you’ll be happy there’s a grab handle to help hoist yourself up. You’ll be glad once you got there – this is one of the most charming and stylish interiors of any vehicle. It reminds us of a super-sized Mini Cooper that we tested recently.
The front seats are superbly comfortable, heated and cooled, and on our tester even featured a massage feature – great to kick back and enjoy while you’re charging up! The design has a Swedish-like minimalism that keeps things clean and friendly. There’s the light beige interior VW calls Dune – inspired by cool, coastal design – with contrasting soft orange and dashboard color VW calls clay. The Buzz features your choice of three different “color worlds” that are unique to North American models. Cool!
Keeping things bright is an available electrochromic smart glass roof, which changes from clear to opaque with the swipe of a finger. Nerd alert: (The roof works through a PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) layer integrated into the glass. Current is applied to the crystals in this layer to create transparency, with opacity happening when the PDLC layer is de-energized. Additional coating in the glass helps to reflect sunlight to help reduce the heat that could enter the vehicle.) Nerd out!
In front of the driver is a 5.3-inch, ID. Cockpit digital display that’s attached to the steering column, so no matter how you adjust the wheel, you have a clear view. It’s handy, with state of charge, range, driving data as well as navi info when Apple Maps or the on-board navigation is used.
A large 12.9-inch central info-tainment display serves up all your needs, and in general its excellent, but we’re not entirely sold on the haptic style, slider controls for things like volume and tuning. We never really got the hang of it, and frankly, we’d prefer knobs for the basic stuff. The sound system is fantastic, with a 14-speaker, 700-watt Harmon Kardon system.
And let’s not forget the Buzz Box, a removable, and highly configurable center console. It includes flexible storage on top, with two unique dividers that double as a bottle opener and ice scraper, as well as two additional compartments below. There is a 1.4-liter hinged compartment on the front side (for example, for a water bottle) and a 5.0-liter drawer opposite for larger items such as laptops and tablets.
More? The box can be locked between the front seats, or if second-row captain’s chairs are fitted, the box can also be installed between them in two different positions that cater to the second or third-row occupants. Super clever.
Staying charged up is easy with a 15W ventilated Qi charging console that you just slide your phone into, and eight USB-C ports throughout the Buzz. There’s also 110V/150W outlet under the passenger seat and a 12-volt power port in the cargo area.
Getting into the 2nd and 3rd rows is easy, with dual power sliding doors, while sliding power windows help serve up some fresh air, and are another stylistic nod to the original bus. About the windows – we really didn’t like the controls – you only have two switches, and to open the rear windows, you have to hit a button marked “rear” first to activate them. Ugh.
The interior space is huge, thanks to the EV’s flat floor and the 3-passenger 2nd row serves up loads of legroom, headroom and shoulder room. The third row can fit adults, and the shoulder room is notable, but headroom and legroom are tight – longer trips best for small kids and pets.
A Drive You’ll be Buzzing About
Putting the Buzz into motion is as far away fom the original bus as you could imagine.
Suiting a future generation of eco-minded owners, the ID. Buzz is offered EV-only, with a choice of rear-wheel-drive models with 282 horsepower like our tester, or 4Motion all-wheel drive with 335 horsepower.
We didn’t feel like we were missing out with the lower-power version, and part of that has to do with the mountainous 413 lb.-ft of torque. This Buzz may be a big, heavy box, but it hustles easily and silently, and 60 mph comes up in around 6 seconds, easily quick enough to keep up with today’s traffic and soooo much faster than the original could ever dream of!
Range on the 2WD model comes in at a reasonable 234 miles, while the 4WD is close by at 231 miles. And with the capability of up to 200kW at DC fast-charging stations, you can go from 10 to 80 percent charging in about 26 minutes. Perfect for a workout or a quick lunch!
Actually, you’ll probably need more than 26 minutes – just about every time we stopped people wanted to talk about the Buzz, get a look inside, and ask lots of questions.
The drive is excellent, along with the quiet and smooth power, the ride is equally smooth (thanks in part to that long wheelbase). You do get the sense that all that mass is down low with the battery pack, but the van steers with precision, and you can actually hustle it around – although we doubt few owners will be interested in twisty road shenanigans.
The regenerative braking is a little grabby and it takes a little getting used to the pedal feel, until then your first few stops are a bit sudden. Familiarity breeds smoothness here. By the way, we love the brake and gas pedals with the “stop” and “play” icons baked in!
Big Green for Big Smiles?
To be honest, VW could probably ask any price for the ID. Buzz. It’s a new kind of halo machine that could make you want one even if you have no interest in EV’s, vans, or VWs!
You can get into the ID. Buzz Pro S starting at $59,995, and that’s pretty comparable to many other premium minivans. Our 2WD 1st Edition is the loaded model (they are actually all well-equipped) and started at $65,495. With no options, and $1,550 Destination, we rang the bell at $67,045.
We recently tested the Toyota Sienna minivan. It’s a hybrid, and an efficient one at that. Coming in at $58,634, it’s notably less expensive than our 1st Edition, but it can’t match the Buzz for style and charm. If you want a three row EV, we’d also look at the Kia EV9, but coming in at $78,430 for a maxxed out version The Buzz looks like strong value.
Fantastic style, charm, and instant celebrity status, the 2025 VW ID. Buzz is a great EV minivan, and all-around fun vehicle!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.