Electric vehicles are approaching a proverbial crossroads. While they have become more mainstream over the past few decades they have also proven to be more vulnerable to market swings and souring demand from consumers.

One of these vehicles currently facing some rough headwinds is the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz. The Buzz was supposed to be a proverbial hail mary for Volkswagen with the van not only channeling the retro heritage created by the Volkswagen Microbus, but also giving the ID lineup a true family hauler. However, the Buzz has proven to be a slow seller for the company and we wanted to find out why?

Buzz’s Retro styling channels the 60’s…for the most part

@carlmalek

It has been a long wait but we finally got the chance to spend some time with the @volkswagen ID Buzz. #volkswagen was hoping the van would help jumpstart #EV sales but it has gone up short due to its high price tag. Despite that, the Buzz does make a good first impression but 234 miles of range (231 for dual-motor models) you get is lower than rivals. #fyp #vw #review

♬ original sound – Carl Malek

A potent selling point for the ID.Buzz is its strong resemblance to the Type 2 Microbus with Volkswagen designers injecting plenty of 1960s flair into the design. The front half of the van gets a short compact nose wth the white portion of the paintwork flowing downward into the front bumper. The large “VW” roundel in the center of the grille panel is also a nod to the original with our tester getting LED headlights. The side profile has a playful cheery look to it with the two-tone red and grey color scheme (single colors are also available) working very well with the black colored center wheel caps.

However, the spirit of the 1960s jarringly moves forward to the 1990s when you get to the rear with the van having a strong resemblance to the old Eurovan. Unfortunately, this resemblance means that the rear is bland and is a stark contrast to some of the front end’s retro character. Thankfully, our tester came with a power operated liftgate which helps make loading cargo easier though it doesn’t change our thoughts about how much of an aesthetic imbalance exists between the front and the rear. For now, the only Buzz models on sale in the U.S. are long-wheel base models with VW keeping the short wheelbase and cargo versions in Europe.

Cavernous Buzz interior is marred by quirks

The interior of the ID.Buzz is perhaps its biggest strength with the large cavernous interior having plenty of room for both passengers and cargo. The ID. Buzz comes with power sliding doors and these doors help promote good entry and exit for both people and cargo. The large amount of space also comes with plenty of room for second row passengers. The third row is reasonably roomy also but expanding cargo space requires buyers to manually remove them.

However, unlike the Volkswagen Atlas, the ID.Buzz does not have much in the way of cupholders with the front passengers getting two cupholders. The second row gets a removable center console but the space originally didn’t come with cupholders for the rear passengers. The company has attempted to address this with optional accessories but we wish they would have added them in from the start. A second row-bench is standard but our tester arrived with optional captain’s chairs which cuts the passenger count to six. The rear climate controls are also awkwardly placed and are just above the sliding doors.

A 12.9-inch infotainment screen is standard on the Buzz and the driver also gets a 10.5-inch screen for the instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard but the interior in our tester was quite noisy at freeway speeds with the blunt front end possibly playing a strong role in creating this problem. The front seats also require occupants to step up and into the van which might be a problem for older buyers with knee issues. Material quality was good and the front seats in our tester were very comfortable places to spend time in and can even give occupants a massage if needed though that function is only available on higher trim levels.

Electrified performance packs plenty of incense and holds the peppermints

The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is underpinned by a modified version of the company’s MEB platform that’s also found in other Volkswagen and Audi EVs with our tester being powered by two electric motors that make a combined system output of 335 hp with all-wheel drive also being bundled into the package.

This is a healthy amount of power for the EV but it’s balanced out by the fact that the ID.Buzz weighs over 6,000 lbs. This high amount of flab not only makes the van feel outright sluggish when equipped with its base single-motor layout, but it also eats into range with our dual-motor equipped example getting 231 miles of range on a single charge. Buyers who think the base model will offer noticeable improvement in that regard will be disappointed to hear it gets 234 miles of range. That’s literally a figurative drop of water in terms of improvement and causes the Buzz to be behind some of its rivals that often go over 300 miles on a charge.

Steering in our tester was accurate and consistent but it felt like you were moving it through a vat of dipping sauce though that’s also true for many other EVs that also feel like your going through Chicken McNugget sauce to go from lock to lock so the Buzz gets a pass. Comfort is the primary directive for the suspension and it did a good job keeping things smooth most of the time though the regen braking’s erratic behavior left alot to be desired.

Value Quotient

Pricing for the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz starts at $59,995 for the base Pro S model with the single electric motor. The Pro Plus S version starts at $63,495. Our all-wheel drive Pro Plus S tester is technically the range-topper in the family (only being temporarily outclassed by the launch only First Edition) with these versions starting at $67,995. Our tester arrived with a small list of options which caused our tester to have a revised final MSRP of just over $70,000.

This pricing puts the ID.Buzz in contention with other rivals, but unlike some of those offerings, the low amount of range does create a situation where the van will be heavily cross shopped with higher numbered rivals.

In addition, the end of Federal tax credits here in the U.S will put a pinch on the ID.Buzz since buyers will not have that cushion to work with anymore when considering their purchase. The ID.Buzz is produced overseas so it’s not shielded by tariffs either with that fact of life eventually appearing in increased pricing for the EV in the future.

As such, the 2025 ID.Buzz is a cute and very capable EV that can swallow healthy amounts of cargo and people but some of its inner quirks, Volkswagen’s decision to make the U.S. wait too long to get it, and factor’s beyond its control will be the proverbial ball and chain holding it back from true sales success.