The time has finally come, the Volkswagen Microbus is essentially back, only this time it’s the coolest minivan you can buy that turns heads everywhere you go – and it’s electric. Yes, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz has entered the chat and has essentially taken over newfound conversations as one of the most intriguing vehicles this year after a long wait filled with teases from VW that a form of the famous bus was to return.
What we have in the new VW ID. Buzz is a rather creative design that harkens its presence back to the 1950s and beyond in several forms and generations of a VW Van. Today, that cheeky style has returned to a modernized form, just in time for those who enjoyed the ‘hippy’ style of those days to enjoy such. However, there is a caveat to the new VW ID. Buzz that starts and ends with its electrified drivetrain, something that may fit the futuristic mold of tech and forward-thinking but doesn’t quite bode with those who see such a versatile and fun vehicle as something adventurous for long trips.
Of course, the caveat rests on the fact of an electric vehicle (EV) today being more of a conscious effort to allow time for charging and working around the current slowed-growth state of our charging infrastructure here in America. However, if anything, the new VW ID. Buzz has fundamentally inspired lost excitement for those of the proper age in having an option to be the center of attention all while having an adventure in what is essentially a minivan, and again, the coolest and hippest minivan around.
My time this week with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz was fun. Not for the idea of driving a minivan around and having the ability to tote my family and many friends around town, but to return the countless smiles from onlookers. The last time I drove anything that turned so many heads was in a vehicle that adorned raging bull emblems. No, the ID. Buzz isn’t exotic, but it might as well be from the number of head turns and people who ran up to ask questions about the ‘new VW bus.’
Not everything was about the unique stand-out style of the ID. Buzz also had some respected substance in its electrified powertrain. Here, the top-trimmed ID. Buzz Pro S Plus 4MOTION, in my possession, is a dual motor setup with a total of 335 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. That’s just enough grunt to keep the ID. Buzz exciting to match its exciting looks. While the base trimmed Buzz gets a single motor to power the rear wheels, my 4MOTION all-wheel-drive test vehicle adds a bit of power from the base 282 horsepower RWD setup but has the same amount of torque output, interestingly enough. Making a dash to 60 mph takes about 5.6 seconds in my tests with its nearly fully charged 91 kWh battery pack.
Out on the road, the VW ID. Buzz essentially drives like a minivan. There isn’t any getting around such a driving characteristic. However, there is a different ride quality of the Buzz, one that buyers will want to experience before purchase, as there’s a bit of stiffness and extra bounce when going over road bumps and undulations. The body does jostle around a bit more than I would like, which I somewhat attribute to the curb weight of the ID. Buzz being just over 6,100 pounds. While the Buzz doesn’t necessarily feel that heavy, VW’s suspension tuning seems to only do so much to keep things civil. I won’t go as far as to say the ID. Buzz rides bad, it’s just more of an acquired taste that you’ll have to experience for yourself before ‘signing and then driving,’ as VW will put it.
Power from the dual motors is substantial, and you’ll never beg for more as the torque is instantaneous. The deceleration is set by default to be very minimal, which is something to also think about when you go down hills or the end of a bridge as the ID. Buzz may tend to accelerate as it costs without your input. There is a “B” drive mode to add additional regen and deceleration, but just like other electrified Volkswagens, the ID. Buzz doesn’t have a one-pedal drive mode. Overall, the driving character is agreeable and never intimidating for being such a large vehicle.
As far as efficiency and charging times, the VW ID. Buzz gets a respectable EPA score (87 MPGe city/74 MPGe highway) considering its large size but manages to still have a decent 0.29 drag coefficient to help with its efficiency. In the real world, I managed to get about 2.6 kWh per mile overall, in mixed highway and city driving, which matches the 87 MPGe EPA city figure. Not bad, right? Well, the unfortunate part of the VW ID. Buzz, which tends to be the ‘buzzkill’ in any conversation I have with those who come up to me to ask about the new VW Microbus, is the range. The electric range of the ID. Buzz is 231 miles, which appeared to be right on the nose for my test, even though I tried to keep one of my trips slow and steady where my next full charge stated 252 miles of range. That range estimate on the dash was misleading and eventually equated to matching the 231-mile estimate, where I would have ended up with such a range if I depleted the battery below my 12% level when reaching home.
Charging up the ID. Buzz took nearly 9 hours on my Level 2 40-amp home charger from the 12% state of charge, and at a local FPL DC fast charger the charging rate only got as high as 124 kW taking about 26 minutes to charge to 82% from a 21% state of charge. The ID. Buzz charging speed is rated up to 200 kW and a 5% to 80% charge should take about 30 minutes or so under ideal conditions.
The interior of the VW ID. Buzz is a cavernous space, one of the largest spaces of any vehicle on the market, and it is only bested by vehicles like the Chevrolet Suburban and similar. The flat floor gives way to ample cargo space and the ability to completely remove the third-row seats – or remove the second row if you’re adventurous enough to do some unbolting. The cargo room with the rear seat rows out of the way is as much as 146 cubic feet, but behind the third row up and in place, you just have 18 cubic feet of cargo room – all accessed by a rather large, smart power tailgate.
Seating areas are spacious, as you expect, with the front seats in the top trim ID. Buzz Pro S Plus having heating, ventilation, and back area massaging functions. The second row in my test vehicle opts for the captain’s chairs, which are heated. The third row has two exceptionally wide seats, making it an enjoyable space for most sized adults without much of a compromise in space as typical third rows. The one downfall for the second row is the lack of cupholders, which VW assures me of removable modules soon being available for additional storage areas and configurable cup holders. Otherwise, there are plenty of USB-C charging ports and the welcoming quick-folding action of the second-row seats to make way for easy entry into the third row, which allows you to leave a baby car seat in place in the second row.
Getting into the back, with the ID. Buzz being a minivan, the power sliding doors have multiple ways of opening and closing them, which include waving your foot under the vehicle near the front of the sliding door. The sliding doors have a unique square-like power sliding window, which is more of the design elements to pay homage to the original microbus.
As far as tech, entertainment, and connectivity, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz has it covered with an updated infotainment system addressing a few issues I found in previous VW test drives, such as the touch controls below the 12.9-inch touchscreen now being illuminated at night. The system does have a slight learning curve but prides itself on having multiple ways of accessing some of the same functions through more simplified menu screens. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, along with an interesting wireless smartphone charging pad that is essentially a slot on the dashboard just to the right of the steering column.
One thing about Volkswagen’s tech in their new EVs is the automated on/off of the ignition and power in the vehicle. Such a setup relies on seat sensors to detect the driver’s presence to essentially power up accessories in the vehicle, including the three-zone automatic climate control system. There is a start/stop button on the steering column, but its use is not necessary because simply pressing the brake pedal will start up the vehicle, making it ready to drive upon twisting the shifter stalk. Some may like the automation, while others may not agree with the vehicle controlling vehicle startup and shutdown.
Volkswagen has finally done justice to bringing back the bus, abet in an electrified form that many wish had a longer range or even a hybrid version to make it more convenient for travel. Despite this one issue that only some will find to be a shortcoming, the VW ID. Buzz is sure to be the coolest minivan around at a starting price of $59,995 before any fees or options for the base RWD trim. While the pricing does seem a bit much for a minivan, I believe for the collective of its parts and being an electric platform, the top-trimmed ID. Buzz Pro S Plus 4MOTION, testing out at $70,540, is still an attractive offering for its target. That target is for those who want something that’s ‘fun’ for around town that turns heads and adds in the versatility of a large interior space and forthcoming modules and aftermarket additions to make the new BUS something even more special to its owners.
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