Regresar al News2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Review
Vehicle Type: The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is an all-electric minivan capable of seating either six or seven passengers depending on the configuration.
Price Range: Entry-level ID.Buzz Pro S models have a starting MSRP of $61,545 with the destination fee included but before dealership markups, taxes, options, and other fees. Pro S Plus models are the priciest in the ID.Buzz lineup, with a starting MSRP of $68,040. Fully loaded models with options added can flirt with a $75,000 price tag.
Powertrain: There are two powertrain options available across the ID.Buzz lineup. The first comprises a 91-kWh battery pack and a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 282 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque.
A dual-motor option is available in place of the single-motor setup. It has the same 91-kWh battery pack but adds a front-mounted electric motor that boosts output to 335 horsepower. Models with the rear motor naturally come with rear-wheel drive, while dual-motor versions are all-wheel drive.
What’s New for 2025?
The VW ID.Buzz is an all-new model introduced by the German automaker for the 2025 model year. It joins the Volkswagen ID.4 as the second all-electric option within the automaker’s American market lineup and it's the first electric van available on our shores. As such, it occupies a unique position within the automotive landscape, as manufacturers seek to add more electric vehicles to their lineups. It shares its MEB platform with both the ID.4 and the Audi Q4 e-tron.
What’s Good?
- Oozes nostalgia, despite its modern architecture
- Tons of interior space
- One of a few three-row electric vehicles
What’s Bad?
- Expensive
- Electric range is unimpressive
- Lack of physical knobs and buttons inside
Would we buy one? Probably. The ID.Buzz hits us hard with notalgic flashbacks of VW Bus models of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, but it's pricey compared to other minivans.
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Overview:
The new VW ID.Buzz enters 2025 as one of the coolest new cars of the year. It features retro styling that channels classic VW microbuses of the past, but its usability as a modern minivan with an electric powertrain makes it a compelling choice for potential electric vehicle buyers in need of passenger space.
VW’s unique approach to the new ID.Buzz allows it to fill a niche in the current automotive market. Because it is an electric van, it doesn't have any true competitors. The most similar vehicles that buyers may cross-shop include electric three-row crossovers, such as the Kia EV9 and the soon-to-be-released Hyundai Ioniq 9. Of course, neither has the benefit of sliding doors, nor do they have as much space.
The Toyota Sienna and the Kia Carnival fit the minivan bill, but both are hybrids rather than electric vans. The Chrysler Pacifica is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 33 miles of range and all-wheel drive, but it's the closest any minivan comes to the ID.Buzz as far as electrification is concerned. The Honda Odyssey is the only other minivan on sale, but it doesn't offer any kind of hybridized or electric powertrain or all-wheel drive.
The 2025 ID.Buzz is unique for more than just its styling, then. It is expensive, but its electric powertrain, massive interior, available AWD, and modern tech make it a compelling choice in today’s market. Minivans have largely been replaced with crossovers, but the ID.Buzz could certainly be the driving force behind making them cool again.
Overall Score: 4/5 stars
Driving Experience: 3.5/5 stars
The driving experience that the ID.Buzz provides is generally agreeable but slightly different from that of a traditional minivan. Its electric powertrain gives it the typical instant torque boost drivers expect from an electric vehicle. Neither the RWD nor AWD versions are outlandishly fast, but the dual-motor AWD models provide more off-the-line boost than the single-motor RWD versions.
Also atypical of a traditional minivan driving experience is its competent cornering abilities. Because its battery pack sits underneath the floor, the VW has a low center of gravity compared to similarly tall vehicles. It is certainly not a corner-carving monster, but doesn't feel as tall and tipsy as it looks.
Both the suspension and seats are more than adequate for short commutes and longer road trips. The massaging front seats add an extra element of comfort, but even without them, the ample legroom and headroom would likely be more than enough for most passengers. Thankfully, the U.S. market only gets the long-wheelbase model (the short-wheelbase version is reseved for the European market), making the U.S. version a bit less jittery on the highway at speed.
Safety Features: 4/5 stars
Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS had given the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz a safety rating at the time of this review. The lack of a safety rating doesn't mean a vehicle is unsafe, but it does mean we can't give it a perfect score, regardless of its safety features – although the the ID.Buzz isn't short of them.
They include adaptive headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, road sign recognition, automatic high beam headlights, active blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe-exit assist, adaptive cruise control, and an IQ.Drive hands-on semi-autonomous driving assist system.
Other driver assistance features include a head-up display and an overhead surround-view camera. Though the ID.Buzz comes with a robust list of standard safety features, there are a few additional features available across the industry—such as rear automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, and a rear-seat reminder system—that would be nice to see at its price point. Interestingly, rear drum brakes are standard, a rarity in the automotive market today.
Value: 3/5 stars
The elephant in the room when it comes to value is the price tag. Most electric cars are more expensive out of the gate than comparable gasoline models, but the next most expensive minivan available on the market, the Chrysler Pacifica, undercuts the VW by more than $15,000 in terms of its starting price. We have also seen a trend of steep depreciation with electric cars from other automakers such as Tesla, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
On the flip side, ID.Buzz buyers get a ton of van for the money. It truly is a microbus, offering about as much interior space as a Chevrolet Suburban. The fact that it has an electric powertrain will also appeal to those anxious to EV-conscious family buyers. It can seat seven passengers, one fewer than several other minivans, but still enough to easily haul around a family of six.
Of course, the ID.Buzz is sure to tug at some heartstrings with its retro styling, two-tone paint options, and boxy shape—all reminiscent of VW buses from years past. Few can deny its cool factor, and Volkswagen nailed its combination of vintage vibes with current tech.
Tech Features: 4.5/5 stars
Each VW ID.Buzz comes standard with infotainment features such as a 12.9-inch infotainment system touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a nine-speaker sound system, Bluetooth, tri-zone automatic climate control, voice control capability, navigation, and wireless device charging.
Other standard tech features include LED headlights, LED taillights, power-folding side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, massaging front seats, a heated steering wheel with touch controls, adjustable interior ambient lighting, a power-operated liftgate, and power-operated sliding doors.
Other available tech features include a heated windshield, a retractable tow hitch, hands-free sliding doors, a hands-free power liftgate, a 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, an electrochromic smart-dimming panoramic glass roof, and a parking assist system with distance control and memory functionality.
All-in-all, the ID.Buzz has a tech-forward focus with an impressive amount of features. It is only lacking in a few top-tier tech features that might be expected on true luxury vehicles, but buyers should be more than pleased with the equipment at their disposal.
Practicality: 5/5 stars
Even though the ID.Buzz has flair and character for days, it is far from all show and no go. It has 18.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind its third row of seats, 75.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row removed, and 145.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats. Even though the third row has to be fully removed to open up all that space, its wheelbase is 6.6 inches shorter than a Chevy Suburban with nearly as much cargo space.
Front-seat passengers have 37.5 inches of legroom at their disposal, second-row passengers have 39.9 inches, and third-row passengers have an impressive 42.4 inches. All three rows have a minimum of 38.7 inches of headroom, even with the panoramic sunroof.
The ID.Buzz also has some smart additional features, such as adjustable front-seat armrests, a removable center console, and plenty of storage compartments throughout the cabin. Additional options, such as hands-free sliding doors and a retractable trailer hitch, add even more flexibility. A plethora of accessories including roof rails, a cargo box, and a roof platform are also available to make your ID.Buzz even more usable.
If we have a compliant, it's the lack of physical control buttons and knobs in the vehicle and the fact that the two third-row seats have to be removed to access the ID.Buzz’s full cargo capacity. The absence of buttons makes it look clean but makes simple controls frustrating, while removing the third row is jut a pain.
Styling & Design: 5/5 stars
You might not call the ID.Buzz’s exterior beautiful, but it's certainly iconic. Much like the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco, VW’s efforts to modernize the design without losing its retro feel have been successful. It features a boxy shape with a short hood without the sharp, angular body lines that were present in VW microbus models of the mid-20th century, while the two-tone paint options also add some vintage flair.
Inside, the ID.Buzz feels much more modernized. The central infotainment display dominates the dashboard, much like the center screen in Tesla models. The steering wheel has several touch controls, but the rest of the interior is simple. Its upright canopy provides a feeling of airiness and gives the driver excellent outward visibility.
Despite its simple design, the standard leatherette upholstery and other soft-touch surfaces exude quality. Nothing feels or looks overtly cheap, but everything also looks utilitarian at the same time. We miss the knobs and buttons that would make navigating the infotainment system a bit easier, but Volkswagen has done a terrific job of marrying the past with the present.
Fuel Efficiency: 3/5 stars
Even though single and dual-motor versions of the ID.Buzz are available with quite different power outputs, their EPA fuel economy estimates are not that far apart. Single-motor RWD models have an EPA-estimated 234 miles of range. They earn EPA fuel economy estimates of 90 MPGe in the city, 75 MPGe on the highway, and 83 MPGe combined.
Dual-motor AWD models have 231 miles of range according to the EPA. They earn fuel economy estimates of 87 MPGe in the city, 74 MPGe on the highway, and 80 MPGe combined. Compared with the most efficient Kia EV9 RWD long-range model, the most efficient ID.Buzz has far less range but comparable fuel economy numbers. Standard-range Kia EV9 RWD models are much more comparable, with 230 miles of range. Both AWD EV9 models feature comparable fuel economy estimates to the ID.Buzz but have significantly more range.
It is hard to compare the ID.Buzz with competitors, simply because of the lack of true rivals. The hybrid minivans on the market will be able to travel far greater distances between fueling and the Kia EV9 generally has a much greater range but its fuel economy numbers are quite comparable.
Volkswagen claims that the ID.Buzz will charge at about two miles per hour using a standard 120v household outlet, 16 miles per hour using a 240v outlet, and can recoup from 10% to 80% of its battery life in around 26 minutes using DC-fast charging.
What’s it Going to Cost Me?
Every new 2025 VW ID.Buzz model comes standard with adaptive headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, road sign recognition, automatic high beam headlights, active blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe-exit assist, adaptive cruise control, and an IQ.Drive hands-on semi-autonomous driving assist system.
Standard infotainment features include a 12.9-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a nine-speaker sound system, Bluetooth, tri-zone automatic climate control, voice control capability, navigation, and wireless device charging.
LED headlights, LED taillights, power-folding side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, massaging front seats, a heated steering wheel with touch controls, adjustable interior ambient lighting, a power-operated liftgate, and power-operated sliding doors round out each model’s standard technology features list.
Buyers can choose from one of three available trim levels: The Pro S, the Pro S Plus, and the 1st Edition.
Entry-level 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro S models feature a 91-kWh battery pack and a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 282 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. They have a starting MSRP of $61,545 with the destination included.
The Pro S model also adds leatherette upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, front disc brakes, rear drum brakes, a second-row 60/40 split-folding bench seat with seating for three passengers, a removable center console, and power-sliding second-row windows.
Standalone options include two-tone paint, a two-in-one mobile EV charger cable, roof crossbars, and various interior and exterior cargo-related extras.
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro S Plus shares its single-motor electric powertrain with the Pro S model and has a starting MSRP of $65,045. Unlike the Pro S, the Pro S Plus is available with a dual-motor AWD powertrain that produces 335 horsepower. Buyers who wish to upgrade to the Pro S Plus AWD model will be required to pay an additional $4,500 over the standard RWD model.
Pro S Plus models feature the same equipment as the Pro S models but add a hands-free power-operated sliding doors, a hands-free power-operate liftgate, a retractable trailer hitch, a head-up display, a 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and an overhead surround-view camera system.
Dual-motor AWD models benefit from a few extra standard features, including a heated windshield and second-row captain’s chairs. Second-row captain’s chairs can be added to the single-motor RWD Pro S Plus as an option.
Two-tone paint and most of the other standalone extras remain optional on the Pro S Plus model, but an electrochromic smart glass panoramic roof can be added for $1,495.
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz 1st Edition comes standard with the single-motor powertrain from the previous trim levels and is available with the same dual-motor powertrain from the Pro S Plus model. Single-motor models have a starting MSRP of $68,040, and dual-motor models cost $4,500 more.
1st Edition models build on the standard features from the Pro S Plus AWD model and add unique wheels, unique badges, two-tone paint, a roof rack, and the electrochromic panoramic roof.
Our VW ID.Buzz of choice would be the dual-motor Pro S Plus model with two-tone paint. We might consider adding the panoramic roof, but don't need the special badging and extra cost that comes with the 1st Edition AWD version.
