Michael SatterfieldThe market is saturated with family-focused EVs, but the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz stands out as the fun uncle that everyone enjoys seeing show up at the beach party, but just like that fun uncle, it’s hard to find anyone who wants to take the ID.Buzz home forever. Everywhere we went in it, people would smile when they saw it, it was a great conversation starter, but they would look a little shocked when I told them the price of our test vehicle, then you tell them that it is only offered as an all-electric, and the mood quickly shifts.,
Built on Volkswagen’s MEB electric platform, the ID.Buzz is a modern revival of the iconic Microbus, a rolling symbol of counterculture that has been transformed into a family hauler for the electric age. Harolded by most of the automotive press as the vehicle that would save Volkswagen in the US market, sales have been lackluster, with the Dodge Charger EV outselling the happy little bus. The reality is that while most of the automotive press thought that boomers and hipsters would line up to buy a bit of nostalgia. Reality is that a $70,000 minivan with a sub-250-mile range is a hard sell, no matter how much it makes your neighbor smile when they see it.
Back in 1967, a brand-new VW Bus was just a little less than a base model Ford Mustang Coupe; it was an economical choice for young families, small businesses, surfers, and, of course, the hippies. Adjusting for inflation, a new Bus was just over $21,000, the new ID.Buzz starts at just over $60,000, making it a hard sell for the original Bus customer. Order a 1st Edition with AWD, and you are looking to spend over $71,000.
The Drive: More Glide Than Giddyup
Behind the wheel, the ID.Buzz is a surprise. It doesn’t lurch or wallow like its vintage ancestor. With 282 horsepower from the rear-mounted motor, or 330 hp with the dual-motor AWD setup, it moves with silent poise. Sure, it won’t outdrag a Tesla, but at least you won’t need to put a decal on the back of your Bus that reads “Caution Slow Moving Vehicle.”
The ride is smooth and settled, even when fully loaded. Regenerative braking is present but not aggressive, which keeps the learning curve low for first-time EV drivers. Handling is predictable, though it’s no canyon carver. But again, what VW van ever was?
If the ID.Buzz has a downside here; it’s the range. EPA figures clock in around 234 miles for the RWD version and 231 miles with AWD. In a world where family EVs like the Kia EV9 are pushing past 300 miles, this is a tough pill to swallow, especially when road trips are part of the heritage the Buzz sells so well.
DC fast-charging up to 200 kW means you can get from 10 to 80 percent in just over 25 minutes, about average in today’s EV market. It supports Plug & Charge functionality at select networks and has full over-the-air update capabilities. Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive system brings Level 2 semi-autonomous features like adaptive cruise and lane-centering. It won’t replace your attention, but it will ease the mental load on long commutes.
There’s also an optional augmented reality head-up display, an app-based remote parking system, and enough sensors to keep the NHTSA and your mother happy.
Inside ID.Buzz: Form, Function, and a Touch of Funk
Slide open the side doors, and you’re greeted by a cabin that blends modern utility with just enough whimsy. Seating configurations are flexible, with captain’s chairs in the second row or a bench, depending on trim, and the third row is genuinely usable. A rarity even among traditional minivans.
Material quality exceeds expectations, featuring soft-touch surfaces, playful trim accents, and an ample number of USB-C ports to power a tech startup. The optional panoramic electrochromic glass roof floods the interior with light (though it lacks a shade, which may irk sun-averse passengers).
Up front, the infotainment is typical VW: clean-looking but occasionally frustrating. Capacitive sliders replace physical buttons, and climate settings are buried in touchscreen menus. It’s a familiar complaint from recent VWs, and while updates have improved responsiveness, some drivers may still long for a good old-fashioned knob.
One clever throwback: sliding rear windows that open. They’re small, sure, but charming in the way that counts.
The Looks: California Dreaming on 21-Inch Wheels
If nothing else, the ID.Buzz is a walking mood board. It looks like a concept car that escaped the auto show floor and ran straight to a beach town.
The two-tone paint option, squared-off fenders, oversized VW badges, and short overhangs create a silhouette that is instantly recognizable. This thing doesn’t just get noticed, it causes a stir. During a weeklong test, reports from reviewers and owners alike described the Buzz as a mobile conversation starter. Strangers point. Passengers smile. Boomers get misty-eyed. Teenagers ask if it’s a new Tesla.
This is a vehicle that doesn’t just move you, it moves the air around it.
The Price of Being Groovy
Here’s where the Buzz loses a little buzz. The U.S. version starts at $61,495 (after destination), and the AWD First Edition tops out at over $70,000. That’s premium EV SUV money. And while the ID.Buzz brings something special to the table; it’s a hard sell on the spec sheet alone. Range-conscious buyers may turn to more practical options, and at this price point, there are a lot of them. But no one buys an ID.Buzz because it’s the most logical choice. They buy it because it is an emotional choice, but unfortunately for VW, people in my generation aren’t looking to recreate our summer memories from Woodstock. Our minivan memories were made in the Town & Country, Aerostar, and Astro.
The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is a tough sell. It doesn’t offer class-leading range. Its infotainment interface still has some quirks. And it’s priced like a luxury vehicle in a segment that’s usually about hauling kids and Costco hauls.
But it’s also the rare new car that feels like an event. A love letter to the past, written in the language of the future. If your heart beats a little faster at the sight of a split windshield and a surfboard rack, if you want an EV that doesn’t feel like it came out of a design brief labeled “anonymous,” the ID.Buzz might just be your ticket to ride.
And no, you don’t need to wear a tie-dye shirt to drive one. But it you might a well.
Photos Courtesy of Volkswagen
