Volkswagen ID. Buzz review

Driving position 

If you thought an SUV had a high driving position, try a VW ID. Buzz on for size. Sitting above (almost) everyone else on the road, with a wide view ahead through the vast windscreen, is one of those few joys in life that’s all upsides.  

With plenty of electronic adjustment in the front seat, plus the addition of two (yes, two) folding driver’s seat armrests, you feel like a proper van driver. 

There’s also plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel, and the 5.3-inch digital driver’s display moves with it, meaning you can always see the key info it shows.  

Pair this comfortable seating position with the heated and massaging seats in the ID. Buzz and motorway drives are a doddle. 

Tech and features 

Like the previous-generation car, the new ID. Buzz (updated in 2024) comes with Volkswagen’s latest and greatest tech. Controversially, we think it’s better than it’s given credit for. 

Sure, the haptic controls are a bit fiddly and heater/volume controls are all touch capacitive, but at least they light up now (which they didn’t before) so you can see them in the dark. 

Sitting proudly in the centre of the dash is a 12.9-inch display running the German brand’s latest software, which is fast, crisp and easy to use, with plenty of shortcuts.  

We also like that Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (available wirelessly) doesn't take up the whole screen, so you can easily access the car’s own controls. 

To keep your phone charged, there’s a host of USB-C ports (including one in each front door) and a ‘hidden’ wireless phone charging slot to the left of the steering wheel. 

VW also knows music is important to Buzz drivers on their road trips, so it gives you the option of a 12-speaker Harman/Kardon surround sound system. 

This comes with a rather impressive subwoofer under the seats for maximum base – you can literally feel it ‘womp’ along to your tunes. 

Electric motors and power 

There are a few power outputs available on the ID. Buzz. Our seven-seat LWB (long wheelbase) test car makes 286hp and 560Nm of torque from its rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup in both Life and Style trims.  

This helps it get from 0-62mph in a respectable 7.9 seconds, then onto a limited top speed of 99mph.  

But if you want serious performance, opt for the top-spec ID. Buzz GTX, which has two motors – making it all-wheel drive (AWD) – and pumps out 340hp for a 0-62mph time of 6.4 seconds. That’s hot hatch territory, in a van. 

All models get the same single-speed automatic gearbox, as is customary with almost all electric cars.  

It runs smoothly and acceleration changes between the drive modes to give you sharper throttle responses in Sport mode over the standard Eco and Comfort modes. 

Handling and ride comfort 

On the road, the VW ID. Buzz is the jolliest car we’ve ever tested. You even get waves from other Buzz drivers – something you usually only get in cult-favourite cars like the Suzuki Jimny. But how does it ride? Well, the long wheelbase car we tested is the worst of the lineup in terms of ride comfort.  

Sitting on large 21-inch wheels and weighing nearly three tonnes, it’s quite bouncy on all types of roads except a smooth motorway. 

It’s also a really big car, which is why it’s sold under Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles department. 

In fact, at 4,962mm long, 2,211mm wide and 1,937mm high, calling the ID. Buzz a car isn’t really accurate. 

The bumpy ride does add character – the same way an old Defender bumbles down country lanes – but we have to admit, not everyone will see the charm in the Buzz’s ride quality. 

Boot space 

Boot space is a big topic with outdoorsy vehicles like the ID. Buzz because, if you’re spending upwards of £60,000 on a retro van, you want to at least be able to store all your kit in it. 

Thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint. 

It’s essentially a giant box on wheels so the loading area itself is really impressive. With all seven seats in place, you might only get 306 litres, but this grows to 1340 litres when you fold the third-row seats down.  

Still want more? No problem. Fold down the middle row and you get a staggering 2,469 litres of boot space – ideal for moving furniture, etc. 

Go for a standard wheelbase (SWB) five-seat ID. Buzz and you’ll get a standard boot space of 1,121 litres (2,205 litres when the rear seats are folded). 

Rear seats 

The ID. Buzz is available with five, six or seven seats, giving you many configuration options. (Don’t worry van-lifers, there’s likely a campervan ID. Buzz coming soon.) 

While we loved our seven-seater test car, we think the five-seater will be best for most people unless you really need those two extra seats. 

Space in the second row is really impressive. Even if you’re over six foot, you’ll be able to lounge back there with no legroom or headroom concerns. 

Creature comforts like rear climate controls, USB-C ports and massive door bins only add to how easy it is to ride in the back of the Buzz. 

The third-row seats are a little tight, but non-six-footers could still sit back there on longer journeys and not feel too cramped. 

Storage solutions 

‘Practicality’ is the ID. Buzz’s middle name. The space between ‘ID.’ and ‘Buzz’ is a metaphor for all the room you get to store things (other models in the range, like the ID.3, don’t have a space). 

Okay, that probably isn’t true, but VW really has thought of everything else. 

Between the front two seats is what VW calls the ‘Buzz Box’ – a removable central storage unit that can be used for phones, snacks, whatever you want really.  

It even has interchangeable slots to change the size of the storage, with the dividers doubling as an ice scraper and a bottle opener. 

In front of this are two large foldable cupholders, and in either door, there’s masses of space for several water bottles and more. 

Even all the way in the back, you get large storage compartments for devices, snacks and drinks, so this really is the perfect road trip car. 

Towing 

You’d be brave to make the Buzz a longer vehicle, but if you’d like to tow with it, you can. 

The standard Life and Style ID. Buzz vans can tow 1,000kg (braked) and 750kg (unbraked), while the top-spec GTX model can tow up to 1,800kg (braked). This does shrink to 1,600kg for the long wheelbase version though. 

Safety 

Volkswagen takes safety just as seriously as the next car brand, so the ID. Buzz comes packed with all the features it can possibly have. 

Some of these include adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, driver and passenger airbags, lane assist, parking assist, 360-degree camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and much more. 

There’s a reason it scored a full five stars at its 2022 Euro NCAP safety test. 

Range and charging times 

Range is always a sore subject with bigger, heavier cars and unfortunately, it’s just average in the ID. Buzz. 

VW claims the LWB seven-seat Style model, with its 86kWh battery, will get 286 miles on a full charge. In reality (admittedly, it was pretty cold during our test), we saw a smidge over 200 miles at 2.4mi/kWh against its claimed 3.01mi/kWh. 

The standard five-seat car has a claimed range of 277 miles and the six-seat LWB gets 293 miles, while the sporty GTX gets 260 miles. You do need to take all of these with a slight pinch of salt as always. 

Having said that, it’s always going to be hard for a car this big and heavy to be efficient, whether it’s petrol, diesel or electric. Especially if you’re full of passengers or luggage. 

Thankfully, charging is very good. 

It can rapid charge up to 200kW, which gets you from five to 80% in 30 minutes. A slower 11kW charge will take around nine hours to 100% from flat. 

That also means less time to argue about who’s going to sit where on the charging breaks during your road trip in the ID. Buzz. 

Reliability 

Because the ID. Buzz has been out for a number of years now and VW is always growing its all-electric ‘ID’ range, we have no doubts about its overall dependability. 

Every new ID. Buzz comes with a standard three-year/100,000-mile warranty, plus it shares many of its parts with other cars within the VW Group, so it’s a tried-and-tested formula. 

Electric cars are also more reliable on the whole than petrol or diesel alternatives because there are fewer moving parts that could fail.