I’m not good. I’ll admit that earlier than I drove the 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz, I used to be fairly skeptical of it primarily based solely on the worth. As an auto journalist, this isn’t actually what you’re presupposed to do earlier than driving a automobile, however what can I say? I play quick and unfastened. I imply, are you able to blame me? $61,500 to $71,500 for a Volkswagen minivan looks as if a hell of a value to pay. Nonetheless, after spending the higher a part of a day with the ID Buzz, I get it, and I get its value… for essentially the most half.
The 2025 ID Buzz begs the query, “How a lot would you pay for individuals to love you?” VW’s reincarnated bus makes up for lack of inside high quality and effectivity by being probably the most fashionable and well-liked automobiles available on the market, and it’s fairly rattling sensible as well. If you happen to’ve obtained about $70,000 to spend on a automobile that’ll make you tons of buddies — and to hell with all the things else — the ID Buzz is a compelling package deal
Full Disclosure: Volkswagen flew me out to San Francisco, fed me and put me up in a really good lodge all so I might drive the 2025 ID Buzz.
I do know styling is a subjective factor, but it surely’s onerous to disclaim that the ID Buzz just isn’t a beautiful piece of design. It’s obtained all the great throwback touches you’d anticipate from a retro-inspired automobile, but it surely additionally has sufficient modern components to make it really feel totally at house in a contemporary world. Up entrance, you’ve obtained the basic snub-nose and massive emblem from the unique bus, alongside the perimeters you’ve obtained three strakes within the rear pillar that harken again to the air vents on these authentic VW busses, and a few actually nice trying 20-inch wheels that function a throwback to the hubcaps you’d discover on the authentic bus. There are some extra modern-looking rims obtainable, however it’s best to actually simply skip these. Up prime, you’ve obtained an unlimited greenhouse that makes the complete van really feel extraordinarily ethereal.
It additionally helps that there are a bunch of various two-tone coloration schemes (eight to be actual, with three extra stable grayscale colours) that make this factor appear like nothing else on the street. If you happen to’re forking over about $70,000, you’re doing it due to how good the ID Buzz appears. It’s very uncommon {that a} idea automobile (albeit, an outdated one at this level) appears so much like the completed product. It’s even a reasonably first rate measurement. At 195.4 inches lengthy, it’s not precisely small, but it surely’s about 9 inches shorter than a Pacifica or Sienna.
My solely actual difficulty with how the ID Buzz appears is its headlights. I perceive Volkswagen wished to maintain its company ID face for the bus, and which means it has cat-eye headlights, however I’d have actually appreciated to see a extra round design. Perhaps that will be an excessive amount of. I additionally don’t love how the second-row home windows don’t retract into the door. As a substitute, they’re little sq. cut-outs that slide inwards. I really feel like this was one thing that was acceptable on vans within the Nineties, however we’ve discovered how you can make a minivan with roll-down home windows at this level. These are each fairly small gripes, however gripes nonetheless.
Sadly, my actual points with the ID Buzz lie on the within, the place it’s onerous to justify the hefty price ticket Volkswagen is asking for its newest mannequin. Numerous the supplies inside the ID Buzz merely are usually not adequate for a individuals’s automobile that’s priced like a luxurious automobile. That is very true for the higher door panels, dashboard and a number of the switchgear. It’s a number of the most cost-effective plastic I’ve been capable of finding in a automobile exterior of a rental-spec Chevy Trax. It’s onerous. It’s scratchy. It’s low-rent. It’s unhealthy. It’s particularly unhealthy while you take a look at the $70,540 (together with vacation spot) as-tested value of the ID Buzz I drove. Take into account, you’ll be able to nonetheless spend much more cash than that, however I’ll get to costs later.
Materials points apart, the remainder of the ID Buzz’s inside is fairly stable. It isn’t almost as retro-inspired as the outside, which is a little bit of a disgrace in case you ask me. I really feel like VW’s designers might have had a little bit extra enjoyable. Regardless, Volkswagen clearly spent loads of time fixing its infotainment system. The 12.9-inch heart show and 5.3-inch gauge cluster display, normal on all fashions, each work moderately nicely. They’re fast to reply and the entire data they maintain is laid out sensibly and legibly. Positive, it could be good to have a bodily quantity knob and HVAC switches, but it surely’s not too annoying to make use of. Each Buzz additionally will get wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wi-fi charger, eight USB-C ports, a 30-color ambient lighting setup, a leather-based heated steering wheel and three-zone local weather management. Not too shabby. There are another niceties you get with the higher-trim Professional S Plus and 1st Version fashions, like a 14-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo (which is superb), computerized sliding doorways and trunk, massaging seats and a head-up show.
General, there are three inside colours for the U.S., and thank God none of them are black or grey. You may select from Copper (a terracotta coloration), Dune (white/cream) and Moonlight (darkish brown). The leatherette on the seats and armrests really feel pretty premium, particularly compared to the plastics and wooden veneer. Sadly, the U.S. doesn’t get the European inside coloration schemes that match the varied two-tone paints.
As a result of the ID Buzz is a minivan at its coronary heart, you gained’t be too stunned to be taught it’s obtained a metric shit ton of area — that’s an official measurement. Volkswagen says that in case you take out the third row of seats and fold the second row down (they don’t fold into the ground due to the battery), the ID Buzz can match 145.5 cubic toes of cargo. With all three rows up, there may be nonetheless 18.6 cubic toes of cargo area behind the third row, and because of VW’s nifty flex board, you’ve obtained two ranges to fill along with your stuff. Becoming individuals is simply as spectacular. At 6-foot-1, I used to be capable of match into all three rows extraordinarily comfortably with tons of head- and legroom to spare. I ought to word the Buzz comes as both a six- or seven-seater relying on the drivetrain you select. Rear-wheel-drive fashions get seven seats and all-wheel-drive ones get six with two captain’s chairs within the center row.
Because it stands, there are two drivetrain choices you will get in the 2025 ID Buzz. There’s both a rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration. VW says the RWD energy unit places out 282 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque and has an EPA-estimated 234 miles of vary from its 91-kWh battery. In the meantime, the AWD Buzz makes a mixed 335 horsepower. VW isn’t publishing a mixed quantity for torque, but it surely says the entrance motor places out 99 lb-ft, and the rear motor places out an equivalent 413 to the RWD mannequin. I can’t converse for the RWD automobile, however the AWD Buzz was fast sufficient (VW doesn’t quote a 0-60 time). It’s not going to set your hair on hearth, however 335 horsepower is greater than sufficient for what this automobile will probably be used for. Any greater than that and I really feel it could be a bit too highly effective for the multi-link entrance and rear suspension. The AWD Buzz’s vary is quoted by the EPA at 231 miles from that very same battery. Each variations include an 11-kW AC onboard charger, and the Buzz can DC fast-charge at as much as 200 kW.
I’ll be trustworthy, I don’t love these vary numbers, particularly out of a automobile that prices this a lot. That’s simply kind of the character of Volkswagen’s MEB structure, although. It’s not deeply environment friendly, and that’s bearing in mind that its drag coefficient of 0.29 isn’t half unhealthy. Throughout some admittedly spirited driving, I used to be capable of get about 2.5 miles per kWh. That’s middling at greatest. One thing just like the Kia EV9 — the Buzz’s closest competitor in case you’re utilizing your head — can crack 3.5 and even 4 miles per kWh in case you take it simple.
Middling is the way in which I’d describe the general driving expertise of the ID Buzz. Which may sound a bit harsh on its face, however we’ve to recollect it is a 5,300-ish-pound minivan in any case. (1,230 kilos come from the battery, alone.) It was by no means going to be a nook carver, but it surely’s not dreadful by any means. You may inform the new dual-motor Buzz I used to be driving was way more snug cruising round city or driving down the freeway than taking the corners of the Pacific Coast Freeway at velocity. The electrical rack-and-pinion steering system is fairly properly weighted, however like most electrical automobiles, you get zero suggestions. I do know the wheels are up there, however I’ve obtained no concept what they’re doing. Additionally barely shocking is the ID Buzz’s penchant for understeer. Even though extra energy comes from the again, this factor likes to push, however in case you’re attempting to hustle your ID Buzz down a canyon street, maybe it’s essential to reevaluate your self.
Braking was the one truly suspect a part of driving the ID Buzz. Up entrance, it has 15-inch vented discs, however the rear is saddled with 13-inch drum brakes. I do know that it isn’t a giant deal to have drums on an EV, but when I’m not mistaken that is the costliest drum-brake outfitted automobile you should purchase. Take that nonetheless you want. It has regenerative braking, however there’s just one mode and isn’t very aggressive. It’ll sluggish you all the way down to about 3 mph, but it surely gained’t carry the automobile to a cease. Volkswagen actually doesn’t imagine regen braking is the reply, for higher or worse. General, brake really feel is kind of poor. It’s very spongy and also you don’t get loads of confidence that this rig goes to come back to a cease in case you’re driving onerous. Don’t fear, although — you’re not going to drive it onerous.
I’ve alluded to it a number of instances, however I suppose now can be a very good time to carry up the ID Buzz’s value. There are three trim ranges: Professional S, Professional S Plus and 1st Version. The Professional S is RWD solely, and the 2 latter trims have AWD as an choice AWD. The Professional S begins at $61,545, and there aren’t any choices obtainable. Subsequent up is the RWD Professional S Plus, which begins at $65,045, and fork over $69,545 and also you’ll get the Professional S Plus AWD. You may add two-tone paint ($995) and an electrochromic panoramic glass roof ($1,495) to both of these. Lastly, you’ve obtained the limited-time-only 1st Version that comes with all the things. RWD variations of that van begin at $67,045, and the AWD 1st Version will set you again $71,545. All of those costs embrace $1,550 for vacation spot.
To be trustworthy, I don’t hate the pricing of those automobiles, although I do want there was a less expensive solution to get into the AWD mannequin. You may’t get AWD for something lower than as-near-as-makes-no-difference $70,000, and that’s some huge cash. I’m conflicted, although, as a result of I don’t thoughts the ID Buzz being costly in concept. If VW needs to cost $70,000 for a slice of nostalgia with a unbelievable design, then it ought to go forward. I simply want the inside supplies matched the worth.
The ID Buzz asks its patrons two easy questions: how a lot are you prepared to spend on model, and the way a lot would you like individuals to love you? I don’t thoughts that in any respect, truthfully. It’s OK to have some automobiles exist purely to make individuals glad, usefulness be damned. You’ve obtained to be prepared to disregard some fairly sizable points if you wish to be ok with the worth. I don’t know if I might do it, however I’m additionally not the target market for this automobile.
Then once more, perhaps I’m. I’ve pushed an entire lot of automobiles in my time at Jalopnik, and none have garnered a lot constructive consideration. In every single place I went, individuals have been giving me thumbs up and asking concerning the ID Buzz. It’s the anti-Cybertruck, in a method. It’s a automobile that instills a large amount of pleasure in individuals by the actual fact they can see it. If you happen to like consideration as a lot as I do, then it is a massive constructive. I simply don’t know if my must be appreciated ought to value me $70,000.
