2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz

At a glance, the long-awaited ID. Buzz looks like it's got everything except an appealing base price. Cool styling? Oh yes. Three rows of seats? Those come standard. Performance? With 0-60 times ranging from 6.6 seconds (single-motor rear-wheel drive) to 5.5 seconds (dual-motor all-wheel drive), the Buzz’s acceleration is more than fine for a three-ton minivan.

But given that it all starts around $60k, this VW looks like more of a fashion accessory for rich volks than a van for the people, especially when you take its range estimates into account. No doubt due in part to the ID. Buzz's prodigious three-ton curb weight, it can barely go 230 miles on a full charge in the EPA's test cycle, which consists of 55 percent highway driving and 45 percent city driving. Since EVs get less efficient at higher speeds, you're realistically looking at 200 miles per charge on a road trip. That doesn't sound like the stuff of minivan dreams to us, but if you plan to stay local and the price doesn't turn you off, we can understand the appeal. Kind of.

Is the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz a Good Minivan?

"Is it even an SUV? Technically, no. It's a minivan. But with the notable exception of the Rivian, these 'SUVs' aren't designed to go off-roading anyway, so we're really talking about three-row people-movers here. That's exactly where the ID. Buzz excels, providing adult-sized, ride-all-day comfort in all three seating rows. It also gives you the most cargo space in this segment, although you'll have to wrestle with the third-row seats and remove them if you want to achieve that max figure — the battery pack prevents the rearmost seats from folding into the floor. Ultimately, the Buzz's viability for your lifestyle may come down to whether you're OK with its sub-240-mile range and $60k-plus price tag. If so, there's a lot to be said for it, but we suspect the range in particular will be a stumbling block for many shoppers."—Ranked #10 out of 11 Large 3-Row Electric SUVs

"As more and more EVs filter into the marketplace, crossover contenders like the all-electric 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz will become more common. We were hesitant to include it here, honestly, because its disappointing sub-240-mile driving range greatly limits its appeal. Long family road trips are not this VW's strong suit, to put it mildly. But if you know you'll be staying local most of the time, the Buzz could make a lot of sense. It's easily the quickest van on this list, making zipping through traffic a breeze, and it's got plenty of room for passengers in all three rows. Plus, it's funky as all get-out with that retro-modern styling. Unfortunately, it's also the most expensive van here by a wide margin, but it's certainly a vehicle that today's minivan shoppers should be aware of."—Ranked #4 out of 5 Minivans

Which 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Should I Buy?

MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.

1. 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive

• Base Price: $59,995
• Range: 234 mi
• Battery Capacity: 91.0 kWh
• Peak Charge Rate: 200 kW
• Drive Type: Rear-wheel drive
• Engine: 1 electric motor
• Horsepower: 282 
• Torque: N/A
• 0-60: 6.6 sec
• Weight: 5,997 lbs
• Length: 195.0 in

The single-motor ID. Buzz pairs a hefty 91-kWh battery with the 282-horsepower motor that we already like in the ID.4 SUV. Like every American ID. Buzz, it comes standard with three rows of seats (offering six- and seven-passenger configurations), unlike the European version, which has a two-row variant. The entry-level trim will be the Pro S with rear-wheel drive, meaning a single motor that drives the rear wheels. Rated at just 234 miles of range by the EPA, the rear-drive Buzz is not the long-range EV that we hoped it'd be.

2. 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive

• Base Price: $67,995
• Range: 231 mi
• Battery Capacity: 91.0 kWh
• Peak Charge Rate: 200 kW
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2 electric motors
• Horsepower: 335 
• Torque: N/A
• 0-60: 5.5 sec
• Weight: 6,174 lbs
• Length: 195.0 in

Adding a second motor to the ID. Buzz will give you all-wheel drive and significantly more power, but it'll also cost you one seat, as the AWD powertrain is only available with the six-seat layout. The cheapest way to get a dual-motor ID.Buzz is via the Pro S Plus trim level, which gives you that (gulp) $67,995 entry point. Although 231 miles of range isn't much these days, at least it's only three miles less than you get with the single-motor Buzz.