2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz COTY Review: Little Minivan Sunshine

We’ve been here before. Volkswagen’s last cleaver slammed between boomers and their money, the New Beetle, was an unexceptional car with exceptional retro appeal. Surely the new ID Buzz, VW’s Microbus revival, is another soon-to-fizzle nostalgia ploy.

It sure looks like a miss against our Car of the Year criteria—at least on paper. Anything “retro” swims upstream against advancement in design, and the $61,545 opening ask bends the upper stratosphere of minivan pricing. Then there’s its 234 miles of range, which lives in the basement of expectations for EVs generally, challenging its value case.

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But in our real-world EV range test, it comes awfully close to that range estimate—just 6 miles shy, or 2.6 percent—and charges at a respectable 176 kW. Efficient. And value is more than just a low MSRP. Name another electric minivan. Chrysler’s Pacifica Hybrid (32 miles of EV range) comes closest, costs just a few thousand bucks less, and looks like a rental. Even zooming out to electric three-row vehicles generally leaves only high-buck stuff like the Kia EV9, Rivian R1S, Tesla Model X, and Volvo EX90 SUVs.

Unlike those EVs, the ID Buzz is awash in cabin space in every row. It is among the most passenger-friendly vehicles, period. Shorter lengthwise than conventional minivans but about the same width, with a wheelbase several inches longer and a towering 76.2-inch-tall roof perched over half a foot above those of the competition, the Buzz delivers the most cabin volume in its class, a minivan in the truest sense.

No one—absolutely no one—will complain about headroom. Nor will many bemoan this design as “retro.” Judges came to appreciate the look of the Buzz for standing on its own while achieving the same effect as the original Microbus. Detroit editor Alisa Priddle “loves seeing this car’s face in a rearview mirror,” adding it’s “such a happy vehicle.”

There are minor packaging whiffs that, ironically, are more retro than the styling: Like in the original rear-engine bus, the Buzz’s aft motor hogs the underfloor area other minivans use for deep cargo wells that swallow folding third-row seats, and (along with the battery) it forces the floor higher, necessitating an odd sill-height step to reach the seats.

Most people probably won’t care, given the payoffs of sitting eye level with pickup drivers and the screwball fun of piloting what feels like an upside-down Pyrex baking dish. Visibility out is commanding, and every passenger enjoys a similarly expansive view through the huge side windows, along with luxurious legroom, comfortable cushions, and generous recline options. Even adults can move about the cabin ducking only slightly.

Without whiz-bang multifunction seats like Chrysler’s Stow ’n Go or Honda’s Magic Seats that flip, slide, and somersault their way to instant interior reconfiguration, the VW’s limited cabin innovation left some judges wanting. Others find it refreshingly straightforward—it’s a box, and you can put people or your crap in it without reading a manual.

The second- and third-row backrests do fold flat atop the cushions to form an elevated, semi-continuous, hip-height load floor from the (removable) shelf in the load area to the front seats. Or you can remove the third row entirely via built-in grab handles.

Idiosyncrasies aside, the Buzz is “surprisingly compelling as a minivan,” as features editor Christian Seabaugh put it, nailing basics such as overhead air vents (ideal for car-seat-bound infants), class-topping sliding door openings, and a smooth ride. That it blows the doors off other vans and handles smartly suggests it’ll satisfy long after the novelty of its unusual package wears off.

An unexpected blend of solid execution and total appeal, the ID Buzz may yet find itself parked in the dream blunt rotation with the original Microbus and other Volkswagen vans of the past. It’s far from bong-water chuggers like the Dodge-built Routan and the Vanagon, a water-cooled mailbox. And it sure charmed its way into our finalist group. 

This review was conducted as part of our 2025 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.

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