2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz First Drive Review: An Electric Smile Maker

It’s been seven years since Volkswagen proudly revealed the ID. Buzz Concept, previewing what would eventually morph into the all-electric 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz. This is easily one of the most anticipated EV launches of 2024, and Volkswagen’s most important product debut since the New Beetle launched in 1997. It’s been over a decade since VW attempted to compete in the minivan segment with the Routan (a rebadged Chrysler Town and Country), and more than two decades since the company offered a home-grown van (the T4 Eurovan). VW wants the ID. Buzz to be its new halo vehicle, bringing back customers who fell in love with the original Type 2 Bus.

The ID. Buzz enters the market with a segment to itself, as there are no other all-electric minivans on-sale currently. VW’s closest competitors are the traditional minivans (Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna), and three-row electric SUVs (Kia EV9, Rivian R1S, and Tesla Model X). With up to 234 miles of range, 335 horsepower, and more cargo space than pretty much any rival, can VW recapture the magic stirred up by icons like the Beetle and Type 2? DrivingOnRoad flew to San Fransisco to find out if the ID. Buzz can live up to its lofty expectations.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What’s New For 2025?

Though the ID. Buzz has already taken over the streets of Europe for around two years, it’s arrival in the US is still highly anticipated. American buyers receive a very different version of the Buzz that’s over ten inches longer than the European model. That extra length and longer wheelbase accommodates a larger battery and a third row of seats (the European model is exclusively a two-row vehicle). These changes should help the ID. Buzz appeal to the truck and SUV-obsessed American market.

VW made other adjustments to the product mix, factoring in the difference between American and European consumers. Our Buzz produces more power and comes with unique interior color schemes that don’t directly match the exterior paint. Europe also gets a cargo version that can’t be sold here due to the Chicken Tax, as well as a decontented base model (our ID. Buzz comes well-equipped at all trim levels).

Exterior: Making People Happy

After driving the ID. Buzz around San Francisco for the day, we attracted more excited glares than any vehicle we’d recently tested. This car attracts Cybertruck levels of attention but without any of the distain. Everyone who sees the ID. Buzz drive by gets a smile on their face and wants to learn more about it. By day’s end, no fewer than eight people stopped to ask us about it.

The base Pro S is limited in colors with only single-tone Candy White, Deep Black Pearl, and Metro Silver Metallic available. These are fine, but limit the Buzz’s adorable appeal. Stepping up to the Pro S Plus unlocks the retro-tastic two-tone options: Cabana Blue Metallic, Blue Charcoal Metallic, Energetic Orange Metallic, Indium Gray Metallic, Mahi Green Metallic, Metro Silver Metallic, and Pomelo Yellow Metallic (all paired with Candy white), and Cherry Red with Metro Silver.

It may be longer than the European ID. Buzz, but the US-spec model is still relatively short at 192.4 inches. For reference, the Atlas Cross sport is longer at 195.5 inches, and the conventional minivans from Chrysler, Honda, Kia, and Toyota are all well over 200 inches in length. Despite being shorter overall, the ID. Buzz’s 127.5-inch wheelbase is longer than its combustion engine contemporaries. Short front and rear overhangs help manage the exterior size and deliver those retro proportions. Speaking of retro, every trim level rides on 20-inch wheels that pay homage to the T2’s hubcaps.

Interior: Loaded Interior, Finicky Tech

If you’ve missed the near-luxury interiors from VW’s high-quality mid-2000s era, prepare to fall in love with this cabin. Even the base Buzz comes loaded with 12-way power heated and ventilated massage seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control with a pollen filter, IQ. Drive with hands-on semi-autonomous assistance, front and rear park distance control, power sliding rear doors, a nine-speaker audio system, and USB-C ports in all three rows. Upgrading to the Pro S Plus adds:

• 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system
• Head-up display
• Surround-view camera
• Hands-free liftgate and sliding doors
• Flexboard adjustable storage system.

An Electrochromic Smart Glass Roof is available on the Pro S Plus for $1,495, and can be dimmed or made clear with the swipe of a finger.

North America gets three unique leatherette interior schemes called Copper (light brown), Dune (light beige), and Moonlight (dark brown). Each interior pathway is locked to specific exterior colors, so you can’t mix and match to your heart’s desire. No matter which option you choose, the ID. Buzz’s cabin feels premium and upscale with many soft touch materials, tons of storage, and plenty of space.

While the physical elements of the cabin are great, the same can not be said about the technology. VW received backlash for its infotainment system due to its lack of physical controls, laggy software, and frustrating software. The standard 12.3-inch touchscreen fixes some of these complaints, but leaves others. The touch sliders for volume and temperature are still more distracting than knobs, but at least they are now backlit. Software changes enable quicker access to tasks like changing the fan speed, and an improved voice command system lets you program a personal wake up word like “hello, Jarvis” (the AI virtual butler from Iron Man). Combined with some cost-cutting measures, such as only having two switches for the front and rear windows, and the ID. Buzz strays away from ‘peace’ and ‘love’, to ‘anger’ and ‘frustration’.

Practicality: Not-So-Mini Van

Thanks to clever packaging, the ID. Buzz boasts one of the most cavernous cabins in the industry, regardless of powertrain or body style. This electric van holds up to 160.1 cubic feet of interior volume (163.7 cubes with the glass roof), yielding excellent passenger and cargo space. Sliding second and third row seats provide up to 42 inches of legroom, which is outstanding compared to most minivans and full-size SUVs. A second-row bench seat comes standard on rear-drive models, accommodating up to seven passengers total, while captain’s chairs can be added for $695 or standard on 4MOTION all-wheel-drive variants.

Due to the placement of the battery under the floor, the ID. Buzz doesn’t have a deep trunk area that can stow the third row seats in a flat configuration. That greatly limits the storage behind the third row to just 18.6 cubic feet, which trails most minivans, but is competitive with electric SUVs like the Rivian R1S. The Pro S Plus trim gets a Flexboard adjustable storage system, which creates a flat load floor when the third row is folded with a storage area beneath it that can be filled with two fabric storage binds. Removing this organizer requires taking out two large screws, so not too much hasse.

The third row can be easily removed by pulling two latches, and can be reattached using a clever track system. We caution owners that these seats are heavy, so removing them should be an occasional task. With the third row removed, the ID. Buzz opens up to a sizable 75.5 cubic feet of space, and with the second row down, it offers up to 145.5 cubes. In case you can’t visualize just how capacious 145.5 cubic feet is, the Chevrolet Suburban has one cube fewer. VW says the second row of seats can also be removed, but it’s a more complicated process that requires tools.

Performance: Road Trip Ready?

Buyers can choose either a single motor setup with RWD or a dual motor configuration with 4MOTION AWD. While Europeans make do with only 201 hp, the North American Buzz gets VW’s latest APP550 electric motor that delivers 282 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. Adding a second motor at the front brings the total output to 335 hp, dropping the 0-60 mph time to around six seconds flat (VW estimate). Both setups are paired with a 91 kWh battery (86 kWh usable capacity) providing up to 234 miles of range in RWD form or 231 miles with AWD. Aside from the $4,500 price premium, there is little to no downside to choosing 4MOTION.

Sadly, the ID. Buzz still falls short of the Kia EV9 (up to 304 miles), Rivian R1S (up to 410 miles), and Tesla Model X (up to 335 miles) in terms of range. VW has at least improved the peak charging speed to 200 kW, meaning the Buzz can go from 10-80% battery in just 26 minutes. This is not the ideal family road trip vehicle based on its battery size, but should be perfect for the average family commute.

Driving Impressions: Smile Wagon

VW felt so confident in the ID. Buzz’s handling abilities, it sent us out on some properly windy roads outside San Francisco. We spent the morning in a RWD model, which quickly earned the title of the most entertaining minivan we’ve driven. The low center of gravity contributes to confidence around corners, more so than any other minivan on the market, which combines with light but accurate steering to deliver an athletic experience. The Buzz shrinks around you despite its sizable footprint, and it will maintain its composure to prevent occupants from getting car sick. We were also impressed by the ride comfort, which was soft and compliant even on less-than-perfect rural roads.

The RWD model never felt underpowered, even when we needed a quick burst of acceleration to merge onto the Golden Gate Bridge. In fact, compared to gas-powered and hybrid minivans, the instant torque and lack of an engine note makes the ID. Buzz feel like a serene and effortless driving experience. The 4MOTION feels quicker, though it loses the RWD model’s agility. We noted that the front end tended to push wide more than it did in the RWD model, which could be due to the added weight of a second electric motor and the additional weight of the electrochromic glass roof that was equipped on the 4MOTION 1st Edition during our afternoon stint. We’d need to spend more time in both models to determine if the added weight was truly a detriment, or it was another factor. However, in our limited time behind the wheel, we thought the RWD version felt peppy enough for most buyers, especially current minivan owners who aren’t used to instant acceleration.

Pricing & Verdict: Beetle Or Phaeton?

VW priced the 2025 ID. Buzz above the upper echelon of the minivan segment, but on-par or below comparable three-row EVs. The Pro S trim only comes only in RWD configuration, starting at $59,995, excluding a $1,550 destination charge. That’s more expensive than the top Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige, Odyssey Elite, and Sienna Platinum trim levels, but it’s actually a bit less than the Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Pinnacle. We imagine some current minivan owners looking for a quieter and more premium experience could stretch into an ID. Buzz.

The Pro S Plus costs $63,495 more with a single motor or $67,995 more with the 4Motion dual-motor setup. Early adopters can also opt for the 1st Edition at $65,495 ($69,995 with 4MOTION), which loads up with exclusive white wheels and badging, a standard elecrochromic glass roof, two-tone paint, and other features from the Pro S Plus. This may seem like an absurd amount of money to spend on a minivan, but it’s not outrageous when viewed against other three-row EVs. The Kia EV9 is cheaper in its Light RWD trim, but more expensive in its top GT-Line AWD configuration. As for the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model X, those both start well above where the ID. Buzz ends, making it somewhat of a value proposition.

Since we can’t predict the future, it’s difficult to tell if the ID. Buzz will be VW’s next “New Beetle moment” or the next Phaeton-size flop (referencing the full-size luxury sedan that cost between $64,600 and $94,600 back in 2004). Judging by people’s reactions and overall positive attitude towards the Buzz, there may be a line of buyers busting down the door at VW dealers to buy one. Alternatively, the lackluster range and high entry price may turn buyers away from a brand that translates to “people’s car” from German. Based on how much we enjoyed driving the ID. Buzz, we sincerely hope it’s the former, and VW finds the audience its looking for.