2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz: 4 reasons to love it, 2 reasons to think twice

You can trace the history of the ID Buzz all the way back to 1946 when the first Volkswagen van was envisioned. In that time, the VW Van (aka: Bus, Vanagon, Wagon, Bulli, Type 2, Kombi, Samba, Campervan - etc.) has evolved from an underpowered, air-cooled utility machine, to a fairly luxurious, all-electric minivan.

Back in the day, it was an affordable do-everything vehicle. A book could be written on the variants the VW van sprouted. Even hippies dug the van as it was cheap, easy to fix, and rugged. Oddly, what was cheap-as-chips is now expensive-as-caviar.

This is a remarkably important vehicle for the automaker. Their first EV stateside was the ID4, which was met with mixed results, and slow sales. Many agree that the ID Buzz should have led the charge into our market, but VW wasn’t ready. Now that we have the ID Buzz on our streets, is it ready for primetime?

Reason to love it #1: Just LOOK at it

I cannot remember the last time I thought, “Man, that’s a cool-looking minivan.” Well, the time is here, and in the right color, the Volkswagen ID Buzz looks outstanding from almost every angle. That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement: some are displeased with the headlight design or the lack of the “Samba” (many windows) treatment.

Related: 2025 Acura MDX A-Spec review, a former owner's take

I think they struck an admirable balance between retro and modern. As long as you opt for the mid-and higher models, you get the two-tone paint, which is what makes it look so distinctive at a distance. One tone looks fine but makes the van look less distinctive. The 20-inch wheels with smooth, retro dish hubcaps are also a nice touch.

Reason to love it #2: It’s extremely utilitarian

While the boxy exterior looks big, the ID Buzz is actually about nine inches shorter than a Toyota Sienna. Despite that, it has removable folding rear seats and a cavernous 145.5 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. All of the seating is spacious as well and it can tow between 2,600 and 3,500 lbs, depending on the powertrain. There’s even a nifty fold-down hitch that’s pre-wired for towing.

Reason to love it #3: It’s easy, comfortable, and a hoot to drive

I always say, if a car isn't fun to drive, you’re driving the wrong car. It was hard to say that to minivan owners as they often needed the capacity or utility over fun. Fortunately, this van IS fun to drive and comfy at the same time. The seats are quite comfortable in every row, except for the third-row seats’ protruding headrests.

Related: XPeng will flex their Land Aircraft Carrier at CES 2025

My tester was rear-drive, meaning that it has a 282-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels. It was plenty quick and was fun to occasionally push through corners. There is a bit of body lean but it still holds fast, and the rip is good. The steering weight is excellent too.

If you opt for the all-wheel drive (AWD) version, you get a front motor and an increase in overall horsepower to 335. This extra power helps acceleration, grip, and all-weather driving too. Honestly, unless you live in snow country, it’s not that necessary. Regardless of the powertrain, you get the same squishy/inconsistent brakes.

Reason to love it #4: Proves that EVs are perfect - for some people

I now live in California, and this is a perfect vehicle for folks who have access to some form of electricity. What I mean by that isn’t just Level II charging in their garage, but the access to power at their apartments, which is far too rare.

Still, if you can find a place to charge, it’s a California-cool rig with a groovy vibe. With the ability to fast charge at 200kW, it works fairly well for medium-length road trips. It has a range of up to 234 miles and is capable of charging from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes.

Reason to think twice #1: Ugh - that UX (infotainment/user experience)

Just about every automotive journalist I know, including ones that actually own a Volkswagen ID Buzz, all agree that the interface with the UX is terrible. Sure, the 12.3-inch screen looks good, but everything connected to it (controls, “switches,” commands, Bluetooth, etc) is a challenge to use. VW killed all buttons in exchange for panels you touch, which are no bueno.

Related: Can Ford and GM buy Trump’s favor?

Since almost all switches, buttons, and knobs are all touch surfaces, this forces you to take your eyes off the road to accurately actuate the function you want. Even the window switches are unnecessarily complex to use when you want to open the rear port windows. Using something as simple as the radio, Bluetooth, Apple Carplay, or Android Auto is a pain as well. Altogether, a poor design.

Reason to think twice #2: Range and price are total bummers

This van has a 91 kWh battery, which is beefy, but with a maximum of 234 miles range in the rear-drive setup (AWD is slightly less) it’s a bit underwhelming. Other vehicles, like the 90D Tesla Model X, have slightly smaller batteries and weigh a bit less, but totally outperform the range of the ID Buzz. Much of that could be attributed to the brick-like shape of the Buzz, but many feel it should be 250 miles at least.

Related: Acura's new baby SUV: Introducing the 2025 ADX

Finally, there’s the price. $60,000 gets you the base, monotone Pro S. The Pro S Plus is $63,495, and the Pro S Plus 4Motion starts at $67,995. Want a loaded, 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz First Edition 4Motion? That starts at about $70,000. Sorry, but the demographic and the pricing don’t quite jive. I hope they build less expensive versions in the near future.

Final thoughts

While it isn’t perfect, there’s a lot to like about the 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz. It has oodles of charm, can carry lots of stuff, and up to seven passengers. It’s utilitarian, a giggle to drive, and gets lots of looks wherever it goes. The user experience isn’t grand, and its range is “meh.” Still, I believe its swagger outweighs its weaknesses.

Now, what if VW made a future Beetle EV this cool?!

Related: Reviving these five models might save Mitsubishi