Saying that American electric minivans are a rarity almost tells the whole story. And that very scarcity makes the VW’s ID.Buzz all the more attractive. You’ve got to forget about “fitting in”-this modern microbus is a great conversation generator. I felt like a celebrity the whole week with the vehicle; strangers approached me in parking lots, kids pointed and screamed, and one neighbor even did a proper U-turn-all to give the highest compliment of thumbs-up, calling it “cool as hell.” The ID-Buzz is not just about moving people around; it’s about making memories.
My children? Instantly enamored. The [EV Name] looked like it rolled right out of a cartoon, but it swallowed our whole family and all our gear for that lake trip. At last, an electric chariot fit for family road trips! Seven seats, massive cargo space, all full mental joy of the EV…sort of. At just under 60 grand and 234 miles of range, the dream just fizzles out. Greatness almost came along, just right there.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen ID.Buzz
The VW ID.Buzz: A retro dream hindered by the present day. While it masterfully channels the iconic VW microbus, sticker shock and perhaps range anxiety might temper your nostalgic high.
Pros
- Fun and playful design
- Smooth driving
- Large infotainment screen
- Tons of storage
Cons
- Too expensive
- Relatively low range
- Awful capacitive touch controls
- Second row windows don’t fully open
$59,995 at Volkswagen
Arriving stateside last year with baggage, VW’s ID.Buzz should have been a big deal. Forget about the spec sheet; did I want to actually see it belly-flop or be woken up? I have been driving it for a week, and the clear answer is that ID.Buzz sings with smiles. It is not the perfect microbus of yesteryear, but its aura gives ample analog joy. To be honest, it is a welcome change to the scowls that manufacturers of other mammoth EVs induce- like the Cybertruck (my son’s “ugly truck”) or the sheer absurdity of the Hummer EV.
Sure, the VW ID.Buzz is all about vibes. At the upside, it is a surprisingly practical electric vehicle. Just expect to shell out a premium, and on long hauls, add on a couple of stops to charge. But the magic really happens if you stay alert, for a couple of years down the road, the used market might just make that iconic reinterpretation a steal!
VW ID.Buzz
VW ID.Buzz
What is the VW ID.Buzz?
Forget practicality; the ID.Buzz is pure nostalgia in its truest form-whatever that VW has said to just cash in on young idlers, the Type 2 microbus was a beautiful creation to build dream scenarios about. Remember all those bulbous happy vans? There was a time when VW never really let go, but the later models lost all charm and became regular workhorses. However, the Buzz goes beyond simply trying to resurrect the spirit; it electrifies it. Imagine the classical silhouette humming away with a state-of-the-art electric car heart, with a huge infotainment screen, and sprinkled with so many tech spells inspired by adaptive cruise control, just to name one, that even a hippie traveling back in time would blush!
The ID. Buzz is far from just another electric vehicle; it is rolling conversation piece with retro-futuristic lines that set it apart from an instant reminder of the VW Bus. Imagine a bright two-tone splash in the sea of monochrome grays and blacks of rush hour; the Buzz could be an antidote to automotive boredom. Without front-engine packaging constraints, it embraces the soul of an electric. A rear driver’s delight or sure-footed ahead of the curve “4Motion” AWD could be your choice of adventure, unleashing 282 or 335 horsepower, respectively. The ID. Buzz defies the notion that EVs are too serious and too modern to possibly sound nostalgic.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Drop minivans and cargo vans out of your mind. Uneasy company: the ID.Buzz has people-moving prowess that comes from the former, and hauling capabilities from the latter. Spacious seating for six or seven, with second row sliding doors granting easily access to it. But then it really gets interesting: behind those seats lies a mercurial cargo area.
Daily errands? Stroller and diaper bags? The Buzz just swallows them with all seats up with a satisfying 18.6 cubic feet. Need more space? Then fold down that third row and unleash a massive 75.5 cubic feet. But the real magic starts when the second and third rows are completely taken out, with 145.5 cubic feet turning into a devouring fiend of space: prepare to be awed.
The VW Buzz: A technical three-seat back row, practically a nightmare child for any legality. The dream of shoving an extra person in was nixed in the regulation all because of this silly shortage of seatbelts-a mere two for possibly three butts are installed. The fix by VW constitutes a recall thatactually reducesthe available area by putting trim that is loosely placed and unpadded. The safety recall competes with functionality, in some twisted way of protecting passengers. (Buzz owners, don’t sweat it; it’s not yet compulsory.)
Tech-savvy idlers would revel in the massive 12.9-inch screen of the infotainment system in the cab of the ID.Buzz- Apple CarPlay has never looked so gloriously oversized! A smaller display for the driver resides right behind the steering wheel, while an optional heads-up display rounds up the digital cockpit. But the real showstopper is the panoramic sunroof. It cannot open, but with one tap, you instantly go from clear to opaque due to smart tinting. Our test drive felt somehow incomplete without it; the interior ambiance felt dimmed. As a matter of preference, make that sunroof a must in one’s list so as to fully embrace the airy, modern vibe of the Buzz. Of course, anti-blackout schemes for snoozing toddlers may get thrown off course, but hey, that nap phase is temporary, and there are tons of aftermarket hacks to look into.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
What’s good about the VW ID.Buzz?
With running component, the ID.Buzz really stays loud in the wind. Making a cruise out of it on the town streets is like starring in your own march. Neck-wrenching, child shrieking, and childhood enthusiasts-turned-weary-dads stare at it with an awe that these days is only reserved for alien artefacts. This is not a car; it is utter joy on wheels: four wheels upon which the tidying philosophy of Marie Kondo rests. Just today, while dropping off my son, a certain daycare assistant had almost managed to yank me out of the driver’s seat with her excitement to see the interior. And her verdict was, “I wish I could retire in this thing and travel the country!”
Forget what you think you already knew about vans. The ID. Buzz is not merely an electric car-it is a revelation. Sure, it is spacious for a van, but don’t be fooled: it moves. Acceleration, honestly, is quite shocking in the favor of this vehicle, now that’s one fast thing on wheels that will obviously leave any gas guzzling van behind. It glides on the open road, acting as a cushion that soaks in all the bumps and potholes. Talking about parking? A bit tricky at first, just because of its dimensions. Then comes the entry of a powerful infotainment system, and all of a sudden, it all makes sense. Pick your preferred camera angle-just the rear view or the bird’s-eye 360-degree perspective-and suddenly those tight spaces just seem to get larger. I was backing into tight slots with more confidence than I had even in cars half its size. The ID. Buzz does not merely drive; it offers a different form of driving.
Forget wrestling with car seats! This back row in the Buzz is so spacious you could hold an entire car seat convention in it. So with the bench option, three across is easy. Click the base in, lock the harness, and it’s done in under 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I usually have to do some serious finger gymnastics installing car seats in my Volvo XC90. (Slight downside? The rear windows of the Buzz only crack open; they don’t roll down completely. Hello, sunroof!)
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
The ID. Buzz gulped with appetite the mountain of charity donations coming out of my garage. An entire disassembled kid’s bike trailer and a monstrous high chair vanished into its cavernous hold. Folding down the third-row seats turned the trunk into an abyss of storage space, yet space was still offered in the second row for yet another cargo. My Volvo could’veprobablyhandled the load, but it would’ve strongly resembled a Tetris game way off course. But the Buzz? Didn’t bat an eyelash. With the Buzz, moving this kind of load was sheer fun.
“The minivan life chose me. Having traded sports cars for sensible SUVs, I would have thought there would be no more automotive excitement. The ID.Buzz came along, though, and erased that certainty. It is less about sleek lines with this one; think Swiss-Army-knife-on-wheels. Yesterday? A mountain of donations emptied into its cavernous interior. The day before? It was all about cramming in my parents and kids for a day-long outing. This dad, who measures legroom like a pro athlete, described the third row as ‘palatial.’ Even mom found blissful comfort as she maneuvered through the minefield of car seats in the second row. Who knew practicality could be so…fun?”
Never mind compromises. The Rivian R1S is rather hard on your wallet. The Kia EV9 meanwhile, has a storage crisis. Neither has that minivan life Holy Grail: sliding doors. Try to get the kids and car seats out in a tight parking spot without them, and you’d be the ultimate test for any parent’s patience. The EVminivan world is a desert in the US. If one seeks an oasis, one is left with the hybrid Toyota Sienna (once-loved) or the plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica (whose once-strong lure was quickly lost due to its abysmal build quality).
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
What’s bad about the VW ID.Buzz?
The VW Buzz: funky looks, murderous price tag. $60,000 to get one in the door, but if you want the full experience, start talking $70-plus. Honestly, it’s a toy for those with money, not a practical EV for the masses. Perhaps you would forgive that premium if it set new standards for technology and range, but here’s the naughty bit: a crude 234 miles. Really, VW? The Kia EV9’d laugh in defiance with its 309 miles for about the same price. For a vehicle this size, you’d expect VW to have put in enough batteries to be a good contender. Instead, it leaves you with a frustrating buzz.
Yes, the ID. Buzz? Definitely a showstopper. But then again, the anxiety about range does poke in on the long road trips. Scratch the idea of a quick sprint-and-charge; think more in terms of long breaks at charging stations. VW states that 30 minutes of charging can take the battery from 10 to 80%. Wonderful, if you can locate a 200 kW DC fast charger! The reality is that a Level 2 AC charger will do the trick slowly at 12% in one-long-hour. Level 1 trickle charging would give a 20% boost overnight at home. So, plan it well.
Advertised range: the best-case scenario or a sunny-day dream. Cold weather and heavy AC use will drain those miles faster than you would expect. So, pack the range like you are outfitting an apocalyptic road trip you will thank yourself later, even on shorter trips.
Volkswagen
Forget fumbling for functions; the capacitive touch controls of the Buzz are truly an obstacle to overcome. Spread like digital quicksand across the steering wheel, infotainment screen, and even window controls, they enforce an annoying game of “guess what I’m pressing.” There is a smidgen of haptic feedback; it buzzes ever so slightly when nudging the volume, but picking out one control from another is useless. Cruise control is almost guaranteed to activate while you try desperately to pump volume on your own. This is a touch-sensitive dance of torment.
Looking down to find the appropriate virtual button became an unwelcome habit-a driver’s pet peeve. Fumbling through the touchscreen HVAC controls became reminiscent of navigating a digital minefield, thumbs bracing for that final prickling capacitive abyss below. Such errant maneuvers distracted one’s mind from the road, a great hazard. The rumored return to actual controls at VW is a hopeful sliver, but yet present-day ID.Buzz drivers are stuck with this brutal touchscreen dance.
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. Classic troubles that come with designing ID. Buzz rear windows. Forget one-touch convenience; wresting the capacitive touch “Rear” button is step one. Next comes juggling the window controls, the pretty frustrating either/or choice it’s for front or back. But the real kicker? Buzz has this habit of spontaneously disabling the rear window control in the middle of that fierce contest, leaving rear seat passengers marooned in window limbo.
Ten minutes. That was the time I had spent trying to sort out the rear view mirrors and I was empty-handed at the end of it. The controls are less intuitive than Rubik’s Cube in the daylight of lesser illumination-Date: a maddening hybrid of joystick, dial, and touch-sensitive surfaces. I gave in; I gave up on the reflective glass and a sadistically designed interface.”
Should you buy the VW ID.Buzz?
The VW ID.Buzz–Just Speculation? To many, this electric van simply does not make sense. More than three rows of EV seating? The Kia EV9 and the Hyundai Ioniq 9 give you extra miles per charge for money. If you want to simply live that minivan life, then the Toyota Sienna, with its hybrid powertrain that sips on fuel and also has a killer MPG of 36, remains undefeated. Practicality-wise, ID.Buzz sounds very cool.
EVs, while shiny and new, have a dirty little secret. Their resale value can depreciate much faster than a Tesla in full Ludicrous Mode. Take Polestar 2 for example: knowing full well it was a $60,000 status symbol, these days you can grab a used one for under $30,000. That’s what I call depreciation at light speed. While I can’t predict the destiny of ID. Buzz with crystal-ball intensity, I wouldn’t be surprised to see used versions around the $40,000 mark in a few years. Now, therein lies the opportunity as that iconic electric van, range and all, could become a very worthwhile option to consider, and a whole lot cheaper too.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Wrap-up
ID.Buzz is not just another electric vehicle; it is VW placing a major bet-a bold step into unchartered turf. It remains, outside China, the only electric minivan daring enough actually to exist. But, they keep there: there are glaring faults that hold the ID Buzz back from coming all the way. So I say, do not discount it. For the city dweller and short trip aficionado, the Buzz might well remain very useful. As the price does go down, this E.V. might just become very tempting indeed.
Thanks for reading Volkswagen IDBuzz review: A head-turning EV microbus with unfortunate flaws
