The world has been caught in a nostalgia rut since I used to be a younger grownup. That’s very true within the U.S. There have been too many occasions once I’ve been on the web, stumbling upon an countless scroll of click-farming channels with titles like: “Solely 90s (or 80s or 70s) infants bear in mind.” Like flies to a bug zapper, these pages filled with outdated commercials, TV present openings, entice huge swaths of web commenters, who’re hooked on reminiscing concerning the previous and agonize over how a lot nicer the world was again then. The habit to nostalgia is a really actual phenomenon in immediately’s tradition. Each different pop tune is simply an interpolated sampling of another extra well-known tune from not that way back. Hell, Marvel has rebooted Spider-Man’s origin story 4 occasions now.

The factor is, although, nostalgia can cowl over sins, convincing the viewers and distracting them from extreme flaws, fooling them into pondering a chunk of media is healthier than it actually was. I believed that the rebooted Decide Dredd film was a enjoyable trip, however the remade Ghostbusters felt like an affordable money seize driving on the coattails of nostalgia. Vehicles aren’t resistant to this both. A variety of large manufacturers have reached into the nostalgia toolbox to various levels of success. Some, just like the Ford Bronco, are usually nice and well-resolved experiences, whereas others have been accused of being a low-effort solution to idiot automobile consumers into shopping for a not-so-good automobile.

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz’s raison d’être is clearly designed round nostalgia. However the cynic in me, the identical man who isn’t keen on the VW ID.4, wanted to know what means the ID. Buzz swung. Wouldn’t it be a slimy money seize? Did Volkswagen simply throw some seats into an electrical model of a European-style industrial van and hope folks could be dumb sufficient to shell out $70,000? Or is it an earnest try and lastly understand the desires of those that positioned the unique Kind 2 Transporter on a pedestal?

Every week with a 2025 single motor two-toned unit revealed that the reply is a bit more difficult than the dichotomy I’ve arrange right here. The ID. Buzz is a likeable electrical automobile, and has its deserves. Nevertheless it has actual high quality of life points that would trigger some hopefuls to take off the nostalgia goggles, see the van for what it’s, and maintain their cash of their pockets.

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Supply: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

It may be laborious for People to recollect the entire van section of the usauto market, since we don’t have that many passenger fashions left. I’m not speaking about minivans, however full-sized vans. I might know; Possibly you may name me the van vagrant, however I’ve specific reminiscences of studying the right way to drive on my mother’s V6 Ford Econoline, her final one being a 2000 mannequin 12 months in her 30 years of van driving. Any time somebody would try to get her right into a minivan, she’d go into an enormous tirade about how minivans aren’t the identical as vans.

She was proper. The ID. Buzz is commonly in comparison with minivans just like the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna, nevertheless it feels a lot bigger than these vans. It might be simply as vast and barely shorter than most minivans, nevertheless it’s 5-6 inches taller than most of them. 

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Due to this, ergonomically, the ID. Buzz has extra in widespread with conventional true-van shapes like Ford Transit or Ram ProMaster. Whereas a minivan’s low ground and comparatively low driving place make for ease of entry, it nearly feels such as you’ve obtained to climb a flight of stairs to get behind the wheel of an ID. Buzz. That ergonomic distinction impacts the entire driving expertise. The driving force-steering wheel relationship is extra upright, the wheel’s column is a little more bus-like and you’re feeling considerably near the hood, even when the ID. Buzz’s lengthy dashboard and faux-forward management van design is considerably faked. 

Nonetheless, if you’re up there, the ID. Buzz is remarkably nice and straightforward to drive, regardless of its massive girth and really excessive driving place. Actually–I discovered myself making up causes to get behind the wheel of the inexperienced coloured, two-tone massive van. It’s not a sports activities automobile, and I didn’t count on sports activities automobile issues from the van. However but, the ID. Buzz tries its hardest anyway, and low-key succeeds. It positively shocked me, and possibly sickened the poor passengers that took down a twisty again street.

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Throw the ID Buzz right into a nook, and also you’ll be rewarded with a remarkably flat and exceptionally mild-mannered cornering angle for such a tall, heavy van. The van holds on tight and the steering is surprisingly sharp, even when the ratio is gradual for actually sporting driving. Nonetheless, it handles higher than I anticipated. The suspension damping is stable, with no bizarre bounce or bumbling below aggressive driving; it’s sort of a deal with. 

That driving prowess doesn’t come on the expense of trip consolation, both. I might describe the ID. Buzz’s trip as supple and complicated, little doubt due partially because of the ID. Buzz’s subtle multilink rear axle. It handily spanks the stable rear axle designs discovered on its ICE (and EV) full-size passenger van rivals just like the Ford Transit or Ram Promaster. The ID. Buzz actually can stroll and chew gum on the identical time; it doesn’t really feel overly agency, however not wallowy and mushy on the street, both.

My tester was a single-motor, RWD unit with 282 horsepower. Initially, I used to be apprehensive that this wouldn’t be sufficient energy to maneuver the ID. Buzz’s roughly 6,000 kilos with any authority, however I used to be glad to be proved unsuitable. The ID. Buzz feels fast off the road, and it has greater than sufficient energy for freeway driving, though I do suppose that my tune would change a bit if I drove the van absolutely laden. Nonetheless, within the context that I drove the automobile, I don’t suppose I would want the dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup’s additional energy. Except you’re in the hunt for some additional winter traction or simply need the roughly second-and-a-half enchancment in 0-60, the single-motor van is probably going simply effective. 

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The one actual gripe I had with the ID. Buzz’s driving expertise is that there’s no true one-pedal driving. The van doesn’t have any adjustment in its regenerative braking settings other than sticking it in “B”, which received’t deliver the automobile to a full cease. For the ICE convert, they most likely received’t discover. For the EV veteran like me, I discovered this to be a little bit of an oversight. 

All U.S.-market VW ID. Buzz fashions include the identical 91 kWh (86 kWh usable) battery. Curiously, the vary distinction between the AWD twin motor and the RWD single motor is minimal. My RWD tester was rated for 234 miles, solely three miles greater than the AWD mannequin.

But, the on-road, real-world effectivity of the ID. Buzz wasn’t too unhealthy for such an enormous automobile. This press mortgage passed off in Ohio, throughout the tail finish of winter, which might have an effect on the van’s effectivity. Most of my time with the automobile was spent at or barely above freezing temperatures. The van averaged 2.6 -2.7 miles per kWh in pretty blended freeway and metropolis driving. Given these figures (and primarily based on a visit from Detroit to Columbus), the ID. Buzz was on monitor to hit about 220 miles from flat to full.

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That might not be engaging to some readers and patrons who see headlines and advertising supplies that declare 300 miles or extra from smaller automobiles, however I do suppose it’s most likely sufficient for many patrons. A 3-row Kia EV9 will beat the ID. Buzz in all however its base trim, although.

Volkswagen says the ID. Buzz will cost from 10-80% in 26 minutes from a DC quick charger that may meet the van’s max charging velocity of 200 kW. Certain sufficient, the ID. Buzz did the dash in 26 minutes and 13 seconds, proper on the cash for VW’s claims. Volkswagen says the ID. Buzz can go from flat to full on Degree 2 AC energy in about 12 hours, offered that the van is related to an outlet that may make full use of its 11kW onboard charger. Fortunately, the ID. Buzz had no points beginning or ending any charging classes. 

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The ID. Buzz’s battery preconditioning may even be activated manually and has a timer as to when it’ll be at optimum temperature for max velocity. That’s a pleasant function for a number of causes; it provides plenty of transparency to the driving force, managing expectations as to what the automobile can or can’t do when it connects to the DC quick charger. Additionally, because it’s not essentially tied to the automobile’s GPS, it may be turned on and off manually. That is good for drivers who might not wish to use the in-car route navigation or planning software program however nonetheless need most charging speeds. Now that I’m used to dwelling with an EV, I don’t use my in-car GPS in any respect, as a result of I understand how to navigate round my metropolis.

The inside of the ID. Buzz is likely to be one among its greatest factors of controversy. At the very least, it was for me and most everybody I got here into contact with.

The ID. Buzz is likely to be probably the most spacious electrical automobile in the marketplace. This is without doubt one of the few autos in the marketplace that may seat seven full-grown adults in precise consolation. It doesn’t matter what seat in the home you choose, there’s an abundance of legroom in seats that really feel each soft and supportive. There are funky coloured inserts on the doorways and dashboard that make the van really feel enjoyable and ethereal. Mine didn’t have the elective glass roof, however I can solely think about the downright joyful inside ambiance that quantity of additional mild would have created. 

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But, that is the place I noticed that the automobile is basically good at blinding its customers with its charming design and nostalgic angle. After about two days with the ID. Buzz, I seen that the inside was sort of annoying. I believed I used to be nitpicking, possibly I used to be going for unhealthy right here, subconsciously wanting the ID. Buzz to be a half-assed nostalgia ploy. I needed to take a step again and ensure I used to be staying goal, I didn’t need any misplaced cynicism to cloud my evaluation. 

However then, I carted just a few different buddies round within the ID. Buzz. They seen issues as nicely, utterly unprompted.

A clumsy second with a buddy and a medium-sized thermos revealed to me that there aren’t any cupholders for the second-row occupants. That’s an enormous oversight for a van that’s constructed for household and buddy hauling responsibility. We tried to put the bottle in what appeared to be the third row cupholders–no cube. They’re oddly formed and really shallow; I nearly want they’d omitted them solely. The entrance island between the seats has cupholder-shaped alcoves within the prime, however they provide no assist. Flip a nook too shortly, and that scorching drink shall be throughout your lap. I definitely made a multitude out of a Tim Horton’s double-double after exiting the drive-thru and studying the middle console cubby holes aren’t cupholders. The one two cupholders are the fold-out ones that take up a surprisingly excessive quantity of actual property within the decrease portion of the dashboard. There are bottle holders within the doorways, too, however once more: no assist.

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My tester additionally had the seven-passenger structure that features a three-person bench within the second row as an alternative of two captain’s chairs. There was no middle folding armrest, which might be exhausting on an extended journey. The six-seat model has built-in armrests, however nonetheless no cupholders. 

There are different ergonomic quirks, too. Due to the ID. Buzz’s packaging, there’s an enormous step up into the entrance seats. I’m effective with it, however I acknowledged that entry and exit for entrance seat passengers might not be straightforward for these with restricted mobility. The second and third row seats don’t fold flat into the ground, and the trunk is small. The trunk will be made bigger with its sliding third-row seats, however the false ground to make a flat load house isn’t adjustable, so there shall be a big hole for your whole cargo to fall by way of. You’ll be able to take away the third row, too, however not the second.

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Maybe that is simply my pondering, nevertheless it’s a bit odd that the ID Buzz is barely out there in six or seven-seat configuration regardless of its third row showing to be vast sufficient to accommodate three passengers. Looks like a misstep for EV patrons in the hunt for a really family-sized van.

I’m additionally not an enormous fan of the dinky cutout second-row home windows. They don’t seem to be they do a lot however add wind noise and turbulence to the cabin once they’re open, and just like the ID.4, there isn’t a devoted change to open and shut them from the entrance. Volkswagen says they did this as an alternative of a conventional roll-down to enhance the van’s aerodynamics whereas nonetheless retaining the windows-down, open-air California vibes of the unique bus. I’m not satisfied by its resolution. Just like the cupholders, they really feel a bit too advert hoc for such an costly automobile. There have been a number of cases once I thought I had closed them, solely to study that they have been nonetheless cracked ever so barely and rising cabin noise. This can be a widespread situation for ID. Buzz house owners. 

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The inside plastics themselves are a blended bag. They match collectively properly, however there are plenty of roughly-textured, laborious and brittle supplies across the cabin. The fake wooden trim is a few of the lowest-effort trim I’ve seen shortly. It appears to be like like a low-quality JPEG was enlarged in Photoshop, printed out by an affordable inkjet printer on a sticker, and slapped on prime of a chunk of plastic. I’m being barely hyperbolic, however my level is that this van was almost $70,000, and it ought to be nicer than this. 

Picture by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Nonetheless, the automobile’s inside usually has a constructive, shiny and enjoyable ambiance. I simply don’t know if it is enjoyable sufficient for patrons to utterly overlook these obtrusive quality-of-life points. Virtually any given minivan could be extra accommodating to carrying passengers whereas having a nicer inside, even when they’ve much less legroom.

The ID. Buzz is considerably superior, though most likely common within the period of hyper-connected EVs and hybrid automobiles.  My Professional S tester got here with a 110-volt outlet within the entrance seat and a wi-fi charging pad on the dashboard. Virtually each seat within the van has entry to a USB-C charging port, too. It has wi-fi CarPlay and Android Auto, feeding music by way of a 13-speaker Harman Kardon stereo system. It additionally has a head-up show.

Probably the most fascinating function is Volkswagen’s Park Help Plus with Reminiscence Parking. On this mode, the driving force can program the van to memorize very particular parking maneuvers, like say, a decent driveway or tough street. Then the automobile can repeat the maneuvers. It’s positively cool, even when I’m unsure who would want to make use of it.

The ID. Buzz’s infotainment makes use of the newest model of Volkswagen’s self-developed working system. This interface has been the topic of plenty of criticism, rightfully so, however Volkswagen says that it has accomplished rather a lot to make it work higher.

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The system is rather a lot higher than once I first used it in 2021 on the Volkswagen ID.4. It nonetheless has quite a lot of cryptic menus, and every interplay requires one too many steps. I additionally discovered it annoying that the visible illustration of the ID. Buzz within the menus was of the not-for-U.S. quick wheelbase model; why not spend a bit time and make that graphic look correct to the automobile it’s put in in? It might appear minor, however small consideration to the automobile’s UX are what could make it really feel that rather more particular. 

Nonetheless, I do suppose that as an entire, the interface may be very a lot improved. Most interactions have been speedy, and it was usually dependable, though I did should utterly reboot the system twice throughout my week when the sound system randomly went utterly mute and wouldn’t play music from Apple CarPlay. The automobile’s route planning is far improved, capable of navigate to chargers (and alter the route if the automobile doesn’t have sufficient cost). The ID. Buzz additionally helps plug and cost at Electrify America stations.

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I are likely to echo the ideas of deputy editor Mack Hogan on the software program expertise, although. He felt that the Buzz didn’t have sufficient capabilities within the infotainment system that cater to the automobile’s objective. I agree, this can be a large van that might be used for household outings or tenting. The place’s the tenting mode? Or Netflix streaming? Or any variety of enjoyable little apps that at the moment are widespread in new EVs? Why can’t you export energy when the automobile is off? It simply looks like such a missed alternative right here, for a model that sees the ID. Buzz as a flagship for its EV efforts, I needed one thing extra distinctive other than its exterior styling. 

The ID. Buzz has a full suite of security options, together with IQ.DRIVE with Journey Help. It’s not a real hands-free driver help function, however it will probably do automated lane retaining with assisted lane adjustments. 

The ID. Buzz has not been crash examined by the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration or the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security. For what it’s price, the European ID.Buzz has a full five-star ranking by the Euro NCAP.

The ID. Buzz is available in 5 trims for 2025; S ($59,995), Professional S ($63,496), Professional S with 4 Movement AWD ($67,995), 1st Version ($65,495) and 1st Version with 4 Movement ($69,995). All vans are topic to a $1,550 vacation spot charge.

My tester was a Professional S, with no glass roof, and a center bench seat. The one choice it had was its two-tone Mahi Inexperienced Metallic and Sweet White paint job, for an additional $995. In all, the van stickered at $66,040 after vacation spot charge. 

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Make no mistake, this appears like some huge cash, made worse by the truth that the ID. Buzz is made in Germany and, subsequently ineligible for any federal-level tax credit. That additionally means costs might improve following new tariffs. A Kia EV9 is a bit cheaper, goes additional and can quickly be eligible for IRA tax credit, assuming that they don’t disappear within the subsequent few weeks. 

The ID Buzz ain’t low-cost, however then once more, neither is every other large 6 or 7 seater within the EV house.

In plenty of methods, the ID. Buzz is the quintessential automobile for 2025. It’s a retro redux driving on its look and the fond, rose-tinted reminiscences of its clientele who are not looking for the world to alter from once they have been youngsters. 

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The factor is, although, individuals are getting bored with nostalgia and remakes. The luster of Marvel’s motion pictures is sporting off, and now individuals are criticizing the formulaic scripts and flat performing in a few of the newer motion pictures. Equally, Volkswagen has teased the world with a reborn retro new VW bus since no less than 2001. It’s lastly arrived, at what I really feel is likely to be the tail finish of a tradition that’s beginning to get bored with seeing the identical handful of concepts reinterpreted. I don’t know if patrons have the bandwidth for this, particularly because the execution isn’t excellent.

But, of the identical token, I preach that folks should purchase automobiles that make them smile. Ones which have character. The ID. Buzz has plenty of flaws that will maintain rational patrons away, however I might be mendacity if I didn’t take pleasure in driving the van. I imply, I mentioned that the Ghostbusters remake was a crappy ploy to get followers of the unique into theathers, however I additionally favored watching it. 

The ID. Buzz doesn’t have the perfect software program. It might’t go the furthest. It’s good to drive, however I’ve pushed electrical automobiles and crossovers which can be nicer.

Nevertheless it’s been some time since I’ve pushed one thing that made me, and everybody else, smile so broadly. For some patrons, that’s all they should make their resolution.

Contact the creator: Kevin.Williams@InsideEVs.com