2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz review: Running down a dream
It’s been a long time since a vehicle launched that we could truly label as a dream maker. So many cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs on the road today are appliances designed to get us from A to B. But one look at the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz inspires longing for the open road and nostalgia for a more carefree time. In fact, the ID.Buzz’s ability to harken back to past summers of love while simultaneously shoving us head-first into an electric future is truly impressive.
But does the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, an intentional revival of the iconic classic VW minibus, live up to the hype? We set off on a road trip in and around San Francisco — complete with a drive down the city’s famed Lombard Street — to find out.
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz review: Pros and cons
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz pros:
- Few new cars today are this inspirational
- One of the roomiest new vehicles you can buy
- Drives very nicely given its overall size
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz cons:
- Very expensive at launch
- No cup holders in the second row
- Not enough trim selection (yet)
What is the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz?
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is the brand’s latest and most long-awaited electric vehicle. It’s a modern reinterpretation of the classic Volkswagen Microbus. A shorter version of the Buzz has been on sale in Europe for a couple of years. It’s the longer version we’re test driving here that will be sold in North America.
Is the Volkswagen ID.Buzz a minivan? Some might argue it is. It’s got power sliding side doors, a floor that’s relatively close to the road, and three rows of seats with a whole lot of interior space. But it doesn’t look like a minivan from the outside, especially with the available two-tone paint job. Because of this, people may not think of the Buzz as a minivan despite it having similar features.
How big is the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz?
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is one of the roomiest vehicles you can buy. It has 1,067 millimetres of headroom in the front row, 1,074 mm in the second row, and 982 mm in the third row when the optional panoramic sunroof is equipped (or slightly less in the front two rows without). This means the ID.Buzz has 13 cm more front-row headroom than Volkswagen’s Atlas three-row SUV and 20 cm more than the two-row VW Atlas Cross Sport.
Despite all this roominess, the ID.Buzz has an overall length of less than 5 metres. This is quite short by three-row vehicle standards. It contributes to the Buzz’s distinctive appearance and helps make it easier to drive.
Eight colour combinations are available for the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz in Canada. These include three solid colours—Metro Silver, Deep Black Pearl, and Blue Charcoal—which we don’t recommend since they make the Buzz look like a cargo van. It’s the two-tone paint job you want, so be sure to budget an extra $1,500. This look is available in five colours in Canada: Mahi Green, Cabana Blue, Energetic Orange, Pomelo Yellow, and Indium Grey. Each one comes paired with a white roof.
How much power does the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz have?
There are two versions of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz. The rear-wheel drive (RWD) version produces 282 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque from a single electric motor. In the all-wheel drive (AWD) version, total horsepower increases to 335 hp. The additional motor on the front axle also adds another 99 lb-ft of torque.
How much can you tow with a 2025 VW ID.Buzz?
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is rated at up to 1,587 kilograms (3,500 pounds) of towing capacity with AWD and 1,179 kilograms (2,600 pounds) with RWD. For 2025, a Class II tow hitch is standard in Canada. It’s retractable, so it stays hidden when not in use.
How does the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz drive?
During our drive in the San Francisco Bay Area, we sampled both the RWD and AWD versions. Although it has less power overall, the RWD version is also lighter and easier to maneuver. We find it a little more fun to drive than the AWD version. Many Canadians are hesitant to choose RWD, but if you live in a part of the country where winters are a little milder and a good set of winter tires will do the job, we say go for it.
In either case, the ID.Buzz performs much better than we expected. Steering feels nimble, and it’s got plenty of power to meet the needs of most drivers. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel top-heavy despite being taller than some large three-row SUVs. This is because the Buzz sits close to the road with a ground clearance of just over 16 centimetres, and the heavy battery underneath its body structure helps keep it planted.
The ID.Buzz’s suspension is a less pleasant aspect of its drive feel. It feels quite rough on bumps and potholes. Other vehicles at similar price points offer a much smoother ride.
What is the range on the VW ID.Buzz?
There’s not much difference in range between the RWD and AWD versions of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz. With RWD, the ID.Buzz gets a range of 377 kilometres. With AWD, that figure goes down slightly to 372 km.
What is the charging speed of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz?
The ID.Buzz is capable of charging at speeds of up to 200 kW. This can take its battery from a 10 percent to 80 percent charge in 26 minutes. Most public charging stations in Canada charge at slower rates and will take a little longer. If you install a Level 2 charger at home, as most EV owners do, the ID.Buzz recharges from 10 to 100% in 9 hours with an 11 kW charger and 15 hours with a 7.2 kW charger.
Interior design
The Volkswagen ID.Buzz’s interior design is clean and bright. Three colours are offered at the start. There’s a light beige called Dune, a deep brown called Cognac, and a darker colour called Moonlight. If you look closely, you’ll spot fun Easter eggs throughout the cabin such as a mini ID.Buzz on the third-row armrest and play and pause symbols on the pedals.
Canadian models of the 2025 ID.Buzz will have standard ambient lighting with thirty colours. A heat pump is also standard in Canada. This is an important feature on EVs that helps the cabin warm up more efficiently in cold conditions.
Visibility is excellent with tall windows all around and a very high seating position from the front row. On the other hand, having such high front seats means getting into an ID.Buzz can feel a bit like climbing into a pickup truck, and there’s no handle available to help.
Captain’s chairs are available for the ID.Buzz, but to get these in Canada you’ll need to choose AWD. With RWD, you’ll receive a three-seats bench. The removable centre console between the front seats can be clipped into different positions. This is helpful since there are otherwise no functional cupholders in the second row. Bear this in mind if you’re expecting to have kids or teenagers as frequent passengers.
Space in the third row is spacious and adult-friendly. There are two seats in the third row of the VW ID.Buzz regardless of how you equip it. The third row here delivers more legroom than in most SUVs and minivans, and the seatbacks can be reclined into eight different positions. A bottle holder sits low on the left side for additional storage. Each third-row windowsill has a cup holder, a storage tray, and a USB-C port.
Can you sleep in the ID.Buzz?
We haven’t yet had a chance to try it, but we think it will be possible to sleep in a Volkswagen ID.Buzz very comfortably. The second and third-row seatbacks fold fully flat and snap into place. The Buzz also comes with an extra platform in the cargo area that allows the fully flat load area to extend all the way back to the rear door. We’d happily throw an air mattress in here and expect to sleep very well. We’re already cooking up road trip ideas to give this a try!
While its configuration is sleep-friendly, the VW ID.Buzz is not yet available from the factory as a camper. We do know VW has some accessories planned, though, and it won’t be long before aftermarket upfitters are working on it.
How many car seats fit in the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz?
The Volkswagen ID.Buzz can fit up to five LATCH-compliant car seats with a complete set of anchors for every seat. To maximize this, you’ll need to choose the RWD version with the bench seat in the second row, which has three seating positions arranged in a 60-40 split. If you choose the AWD Buzz, you’ll have anchors in each of the captain’s chairs and two sets in the third row, for a total of four sets.
On top of having plenty of car seat positions, both types of second-row seats can be safely retracted for access to the third row while keeping connected car seats in place. This makes the VW ID.Buzz one of the most car seat friendly vehicles you’ll find.
How much cargo space is there in the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz?
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz has 526 litres of cargo capacity behind third row, 2,138 litres behind the second row, and 4,120 litres with all rear seats folded. Its total passenger volume is 4,635 litres with the sunroof equipped or 4,534 litres without.
Cargo flexibility is another hallmark of the new Buzz. The seatbacks in both rear rows fold very flat and click into place to keep the load floor level. An accessory called the Flexboard covers a pair of foldable bins in the cargo area, which extends the flat load floor all the way back to the rear door. The Flexboard and bins are removable, as are the third-row seats. However, the second-row seats cannot be removed.
Infotainment and technology features
Every 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz comes equipped with a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless charging is also standard, but this is a slot-style pad that’s not very wide, so it won’t accommodate some phones. There are eight USB-C ports throughout the cabin. One of these is installed into a storage pocket in the front passenger door, which is handy for the front seat occupant.
In Canada, a helpful head-up display is standard on the First Edition. Since the 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits relatively low, this helps with keeping your eyes on important information like speed without looking away from the road.
The VW ID.Buzz doesn’t come with a rear seat entertainment system option. Instead, there are pockets integrated into the front-row seatbacks so you can slide in the cover on a phone or tablet case. This is a wise decision on VW’s part since many people prefer to watch media on their own devices these days.
In terms of safety features, the 2025 VW ID.Buzz has plenty of standard features. These include Travel Assist (which combines adaptive cruise control with lane assist), blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, and emergency assist (which stops the vehicle if the driver is unable to respond to prompts). Park Assist Plus with memory, traffic sign display, and around-view cameras are also standard.
How much will ID.Buzz cost in Canada?
For its first model year, the only 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz available is the fully loaded First Edition. This means there are plenty of standard features such as heated front seats and second-row outboard seats, along with ventilated and 12-way adjustable front seats with memory and massage functions. Three-zone climate control, with two zones for the front row and a combined zone for the two rear rows, is also standard.
You can get this trim in two configurations. If you choose RWD, you’ll get the second-row bench seat by default. This version costs $77,495, not including the $2,500 destination charge. Two-tone exterior paint ($1,500) and the panoramic sunroof ($2,000) cost extra. (The panoramic sunroof is electrochromic, which means you can add or remove tinting instantly at the push of a button. It’s very cool.)
The AWD version replaces the second-row bench with two captain’s chairs. You lose a seating position, but you gain the option to add a centre console as an accessory if you wish. This configuration is priced at $82,995, not including options or fees.
The first units of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz will begin arriving at Canadian dealerships in November 2024. It’s expected to be fully on sale by January 2025.
Does the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz qualify for EV rebates in Canada?
Unfortunately, the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is priced too high to qualify for Canada’s federal EV rebates, as well as available provincial rebates or territorial EV purchase incentives.
Is the 2025 Volkwagen ID.Buzz worth buying?
Many people who were interested in the Volkswagen ID.Buzz have been disappointed that its starting price is so high at launch. We do expect prices to come down eventually, though even the most affordable future models aren’t likely to drop much below $65,000 or so in Canada. As a result, the ID.Buzz is not going to be the right fit for everyone. The right buyer needs to have a healthy budget, a desire to take on the EV lifestyle, and a personality that matches the Buzz’s carefree aesthetic (or a gaggle of kids that will make the extra space worth the cost). For someone who checks all these boxes, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz will be a great fit.
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