2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz 4Motion First Drive: Does AWD Make More Buzz?
Should you get the additional electric motor in your throwback VW bus EV?
The Volkswagen Microbus was invented by Dutch businessman Ben Pon and born in Germany, but its status as an automotive icon was forged in the U.S. San Francisco was one of the American cities that galvanized the cheerful people carrier as a symbol of movement, both literal and cultural. As one of the first-ever vans, the Type 2 was an affordable solution for transporting the masses, whether those people were hippies, protesters, or ordinary families. What’s more, it didn’t need a V-8 engine to get going. In that sense, it was the perfect countercultural vehicle in a nation of gas-guzzling barges.
Once more the Microbus, now known as the 2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz, finds itself at the center of a revolution. This time, however, the change centers around a shift from gasoline to all-electric power for personal transportation. Volkswagen invited us to drive its new 2025 ID Buzz where its symbolic significance began, the streets of San Francisco. Perhaps even more fitting, California’s Bay Area is home to the nation’s tech industry, which has been a driving force in the embrace of all-electric transportation.
We first chose a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model before sampling a rear-motor, rear-drive example that calls back to the original’s powertrain layout. We took to the city streets, highways, and back roads to determine if the newest interpretation of the Microbus meets the moment. (Read our First Test of the RWD model here, and our comparison test against 4 traditional minivans here!)
Is the 2025 VW ID Buzz Good to Drive?
Before getting a chance to sample the 2025 VW ID Buzz’s driving dynamics, Volkswagen brought us to one of San Francisco's best-known roads for a photo opp. Lombard Street, famous for its tight squiggle of eight hairpin turns, was the site of a well-known photograph of a caravan of T1, T2, and T3 Transporters taken by Peter Alau. Replicating this photo, we eased our way down the steep slope while a throng of onlookers snapped pictures and recorded videos.
After having our red carpet moment, a mere taste of the attention we received during the course of the day’s drive, we set off for Marin County in a two-tone 2025 ID Buzz Pro S Plus 4Motion painted Metro Silver and Cherry Red. Aside from the one-model-year-only 1st Edition trim, this version of the new VW bus represents the most well-equipped trim level, complete with dual-motor, all-wheel-drive power. Our car didn’t receive the available panoramic smart glass roof; instead it made use of a slick-top roof with an all-recycled plastic headliner.
Navigating through San Francisco’s morning traffic, the new ID Buzz’s quiet interior was a reprieve from the bustle of the city commute. There was very little road noise from the tires, and VW seems to have paid attention to sound deadening even in the absence of a gas-only engine. Once we made our way over the Golden Gate Bridge and out of town, there was a noticeable lack of wind noise, owed in part to the EV’s low 0.29 drag coefficient.
As one of the most powerful VW models ever offered in the U.S., the all-wheel-drive ID Buzz feels hooked up as it lays down its 335 hp. Off-the-line acceleration feels strong, too; Volkswagen claims a 0–60-mph time of 7.4 seconds. The all-wheel-drive ID Buzz accomplishes this with 413 lb-ft of torque sent to the rear, and a front helper motor applying an additional 99 lb-ft. We’ll have to verify the claim in a future instrumented test (we just tested a rear-drive Pro S model and recorded a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds), but we're confident in the stated figure based on the ID Buzz’s quick and responsive acceleration.
Before long, we left the city behind and began meandering through Marin County's curvy roads. To deal better with repeated direction changes, we enabled the ID Buzz’s Sport mode. Doing so engages the front motor more often, sharpens the accelerator pedal's response, and intensifies regenerative braking. Within a few bends, we found ourselves asking, “How is this so fun?”
MORE ID BUZZ REVIEWS: 2WD First Test | Comparison Test
With a curb weight of nearly 6,200 pounds, the 2025 VW ID Buzz Pro S Plus 4Motion is no Lotus, but its low center of gravity works well with the van’s light and precise steering. Selecting the B regenerative-braking mode upped the amount of deceleration upon accelerator liftoff, which was well calibrated for slowing down smoothly. Although the brake pedal felt artificial, we could modulate it precisely when more than mere regenerative braking was needed. Couple all of that with ample low-end torque, and you find yourself easily maneuvering the ID Buzz through the twisties with a big grin. VW has struggled to manifest Fahrvergnügen, one of the brand’s marketing slogans that means “driving pleasure” in German, in its recent SUV models. The ID Buzz manages to recapture that cheerful and pleasant spirit.
After stopping for lunch, we swapped into a rear-drive ID Buzz Pro S Plus with a Candy White roof and a Blue Charcoal body. With about 200 pounds shed, the single-motor van felt a smidge nimbler on the journey back to San Francisco. With the same powerful rear motor as the all-wheel-drive ID Buzz, acceleration is plenty quick for getting up to cruising speed. The biggest difference is an improved turning radius. The curb-to-curb turning circle drops from 42.7 feet to just 37.4 feet, which helped when we made a wrong turn on a narrow road. We were able to flip around and get pointed in the right direction without ever engaging reverse.
Getting back into San Francisco, the ID Buzz gave us driving joy that has nothing to do with powertrain specs or performance. The driver of a city bus slowed down to pull alongside us in traffic, risking missing a light as he turned his head around to ogle at our two-tone van. Game recognizes game; the ID Buzz still has its nostalgic charm.
