Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style long-term test: parking this MPV can be a tall order

The Volkswagen ID.Buzz is 1.93 metres tall, and in  such a big car, dimensions are important. Most car parks have a 2.0-metre height limit, which is fine; the VW’s windscreen gives a great view of the concrete you’re mere centimetres away from. But there is the occasional irritation of a 1.9-metre restriction – like at Three Bridges railway station. My best-laid plans to catch a train went to ruins recently when I wasn’t willing to risk the accuracy of the measurements.

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I was fortunate enough to have a play with a McLaren 750S Spyder recently, a car about as far removed from the Volkswagen ID.Buzz as it’s possible to get. 

But clambering up into the VW after spending time being so low to the ground reminded me how much I love the tall and upright van-like driving position – and the relaxed drive when performance and quick cornering clearly aren’t priorities. The result is that I don’t stress, and just sit back and enjoy the ride. 

The McLaren was certainly fun to drive, despite the wet weather conditions, but hopping into the Buzz afterwards felt warm and welcoming after the more frantic and full-on supercar experience. 

Fleetwatch

I’ve already mentioned how everyone thinks the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is a campervan. Using the flat boot floor as a boot-changing bench after a muddy walk maybe didn’t help dispel the notion, but in one afternoon three people asked that same question; the interest the Buzz creates shows no sign of abating. We’re still getting around 200 miles on a full charge, which isn’t ideal, but the number of 50mph stretches on motorways is helping to preserve range.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style: fourth report

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We’ve had a busy summer enjoying the great outdoors in our electric VW

• Efficiency: 3.0 miles/kWh
• Mileage: 6,103

Our Volkswagen ID. Buzz spent most of the summer having various stuff chucked in the back of it as the Barker family’s fun-filled weekends headed off in different directions. 

And never did it prove more useful than on a long-weekend camping trip. Normally when we camp, we’ve got to the point where we have to take two cars, such is the amount of (what I’m assured is entirely essential) stuff we’ve collected in recent years – especially the huge tent. But there was no problem with fitting everything into the big VW.

Admittedly, it was a bit of a heave to lift a weighty tent up into the boot with the Multiflex floor in place. But on the other hand it allowed items such as folding chairsto be slid in underneath, making them easily accessible when we arrived. 

The Buzz’s epic proportions certainly worked in its favour when we were loading, and the children could even see each other over the coolbox plugged in between them in the back seats – unlike trips in more everyday cars where we’ve been loaded to the gills.

The kids not being crammed in sounds like a good thing, but because they can see each other, the chance of an argument increases. However, the ridiculous amount of stowage around the cabin means there’s no shortage of snacks stashed away to shut them up. 

Plus the Buzz’s lurid colour is almost enough of a match for the tent to look like a deliberate choice, though I promise the canvas came first.

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Elsewhere, we’ve also had two warning lights come on, one for regular maintenance and one seemingly just to irritate me. 

The regular one was a pop-up asking for screenwash. So for the first time I opened the ‘bonnet’, which is a drop-down panel that is used so infrequently it had cobwebs in it. Two minutes and a litre of liquid later, all was well. 

The less regular one was a tyre-pressure warning as I headed up the M40 one morning. But unhelpfully, there was no indication as to which tyre the car thought had deflated – something it must have known in order to trigger the alert, but clearly didn’t want to share. Maybe it was embarrassed because it had made a mistake, and it was clearly a sensor issue rather than a tyre losing air. Because when I dived into a petrol station at the services to investigate, I found all four pressures were where they should have been. As an aside, there’s still something that feels a little bit naughty about driving an electric car onto a petrol station forecourt, even if you are there for an entirely valid reason. 

While I’m having a tech-related moan, here’s a common Volkswagen Group issue I’ve already experienced with both Skoda and Cupra long-termers I’ve run in the past: having an Apple CarPlay system that randomly decides to drop the connection to a phone is absolutely infuriating. It generally only happens either when I’ve hit a crucial point in a journey and am completely reliant on Apple or Google Maps for directions, or when I’m running late and don’t have time to pull over to try to (usually unsuccessfully) persuade the car that it knows my phone, and they are friends, honest.

The sooner Volkswagen can implement a software fix for this issue – across all of its Group brands – the better.

Fleetwatch

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz proves to be the perfect picnic companion 

I’ve waxed lyrical already about the Volkswagen ID. Buzz’s brilliant practicality, but eating dinner out of the back was a new one.

The high, flat boot floor was the perfect height for serving pulled chicken burgers we’d made before heading up into Ashdown Forest to enjoy the last summer sun. Plus, the huge boot meant a folding table and four chairs could be lobbed in without a care, next to the inevitable football and other bits and pieces. 

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style: third report

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Our big electric MPV is a proper space ace

A couple of family summer road trips have really shone a light on the Buzz’s capabilities, and in particular the ridiculous amount of stowage space in the cabin. 

Each of the four doors has a huge bin and a decent-sized shelf above it, there’s a central box with three sections – a big sliding drawer for the rear passengers, a long but shallow space on top and a pop-out section at the front – plus a pair of large pull-out cup-holders at the base of the dash. That’s without getting to a usefully sized glovebox, another shelf above that, and a little coin holder. There’s also a wireless charging slot and four USB-C charging points dotted around the cabin. It could have been named after Buzz Aldrin, such is its love of space. 

So the ID. Buzz is very well set for road trips or the kind of Barker family summer where weekends see us off camping or visiting friends across most of the holidays. The mountain of electronics, books, sweets, games and other general paraphernalia always finds a home, and you can see from the picture on the right, of what looks like the world’s weirdest car-boot sale, exactly what we crammed into the car’s stowage slots. Everything in that photo found a home stashed away somewhere in the cabin. Apart from the table itself, which looked pretty lost in the huge boot. 

These summer road trips do also show up where ID. Buzz is slightly flawed, in that 200 miles is the absolute top-end of reliable range. Efficiency is creeping up from 2.7 to 3.0 miles per kWh thanks to the amount of time sitting at a cruise-controlled 65mph on longer runs, but a few more real-world miles would just give a little extra breathing space. Or, indeed, the ability to go further and still get home again without needing to top-up the VW at a public chargepoint.

But at least I’m getting acquainted with the public network around the country, and in my increasing experience the big problem is cost rather than availability. High-speed charging is wallet-clenchingly expensive and a real blocker for higher-mileage drivers. If you can charge the majority of your miles at home, then EVs make perfect sense, but every time I have to use a public charger, I wince at the cost versus a petrol car. Overall, the sums still add up, but a bigger battery is coming on the Buzz late this year, and the extra 20-plus miles of real-world range would be handy. 

But the thing I haven’t struggled with at all is availability of charging points. Be it motorway service stations (and you quickly get to know which ones have a good bank of chargers) or other little gems that I’ve discovered either on or just off my regular routes, I’m yet to encounter a queue of electric vehicles waiting to charge. Maybe it’s just been down to luck and I’m about to have a horrendous charging experience, but so far so good over several months. 

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It would be nice if the VW charged a bit quicker though. Despite the official maximum charging speed being 170kW, I haven’t seen anything above 135kW yet, so there’s a bit more lingering in car parks than is ideal. 

At least the big cabin is a comfortable place to combine charging stops with my work meetings. The aircraft-style rear tray tables are just about big and solid enough to balance a laptop computer on and the huge amount of rear legroom in the ID. Buzz makes for a versatile mobile workplace. 

There’s even enough space for me to easily step through from the front seats into the back of the Volkswagen, so I don’t need to go outside. That’s been handy when this year’s summer has been so keen to come with a large helping of rain. 

The ID. Buzz is already ticking towards 5,000 miles in our care, which shows that the vehicle’s range isn’t prohibitive in terms of piling on the distance. Whether at work or play, the electric German MPV is proving its worth time and again. 

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style: second report

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Our electric MPV is opening up the possibilities of family trips

• Efficiency: 2.7 miles/kWh
• Mileage: 1,815

A bank holiday weekend jaunt to the south coast gave me a first chance to spend some time with the Volkswagen
ID. Buzz since inheriting custodianship of this distinctive lime-yellow machine.

Although I personally prefer the orange or blue two-tone paint options, it is at least summer-y, and seems to bring a little perk to people’s mood as they see it.

Because you’re not flying under the radar in an ID. Buzz, lime yellow or otherwise. I genuinely had a “nice motor, mister” from a young lad while we were down at the seaside, which was a first. And the car’s usually parked within sight of my kitchen window, where I’ve watched as it’s turned into something of a neighbourhood celebrity.

So many people stop, point or even sneak a peek through the window, and I’ve so far resisted the temptation to hit the button on the remote that slides open the rear door while they’re snooping. I’m not promising that will continue, but the car certainly creates a Buzz. Sorry.

It’s also settling well into Barker family life. The ridiculously huge boot is always appreciated, and the array of bodyboards, scooters, footballs and other essential kit for a weekend at the seaside were lobbed in without any need to think how best to pack it all. But the sheer size does lead me to the only negative I’ve encountered (apart from a mixed reception to the colour) from friends, family and strangers, which is surprise that it’s only got five seats. I’ve rather defensively explained that there is a seven-seat ID. Buzz on the way, but the first assumption tends to be that it’s a camper van, or at the very least some sort of family bus.

The Buzz’s rear-dwelling pair of pre-teen kids love the sliding doors and huge amount of rear space, and a charge point in each of those doors means no arguing about who uses which one, or if that wire is a tiny bit on to their half of the seat. Not that kids ever argue about stuff like that...

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I also love the sliding doors, because it removes my dad-anxiety whenever we’re parked next to another car. I don’t have to try and get out quickly enough to catch the rear door before it’s banged against neighbouring metal.

The ID. Buzz’s retractable towbar also means my bike was able to come along on our trip to the beach, giving me the chance to swap my hilly local area for some lovely flat roads across the Sussex and Kent coasts. Loading a bike on the back also emphasised the size of the Buzz, because, unlike on most cars, you can’t see a wheel poking out either side.

And when the bank holiday did its usual torrential rain thing, the huge tailgate was almost gazebo-like in protecting us from the downpour. Although you do have to remember quite how much space it needs to open up when picking a parking spot.

At least the car recognises when the powered boot is about to hit something, which I definitely didn’t accidentally test by not folding the bike rack down properly before trying to open it. But I can confirm it stopped in good time.

The Buzz is also earning its keep in the week. The acres of space and fold-out rear tray tables mean grabbing the laptop and working while the car’s charging or I’m out and about between meetings is simple, and the tinted glass on the rear windows gives me a private view of the world as it goes past.

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The average efficiency has improved by a tenth to 2.7 miles per kWh, giving the ID. Buzz a 200-odd-mile real-world range from a fully charged battery. That’s acceptably close to the 3.3 miles per kWh official figure, and I’d expect to sneak even closer as the warmer weather arrives. Unless that’s counteracted by an increase in longer trips over the summer, where aerodynamics aren’t the best friend of such a brick-shaped car.

Which is a shame, because the Buzz’s immense practicality in terms of boot and passenger space would make it the perfect getaway companion if it had an extra 50 or so miles of range to play with. Three weeks after taking the keys I discovered another cubby I’d completely missed, such is the quantity of clever Haribo-stashing stowage spots across the car.

The car’s range isn’t quite at the level where a cross-Europe jaunt would be on the cards, but various summer trips around the UK in the coming months will provide a vigorous series of follow-ups to a first trip that the ID. Buzz passed with flying (lime yellow) colours.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style: first report

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It’s smiles all round as our family ‘summer-fun bus’ arrives

By Steve Fowler

• Efficiency: 2.6 miles/kWh
• Mileage: 442

I have history with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. As a judge on sister title Auto Bild’s Golden Steering Wheel awards, I totally fell for Volkswagen’s ‘happy bus’. It was love at first drive and I said so on video, admitting that I wanted to marry the ID. Buzz. The video was played out to the great and good of the car industry at the awards ceremony, including VW’s top bosses, who’ve never let me forget.

And now the ID. Buzz and I are at the start of a six-month relationship, which began at the Citygate Volkswagen Van Centre in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire.

Van Centre? Yes, the ID. Buzz comes out of Volkswagen’s commercial vehicle team and is also available as a van – the ID. Buzz Cargo, winner of our Best Electric Van Award last year. In fact, the ID. Buzz’s van links are one of the things that I love most about the car, but more of that in a bit.

If you were expecting a different experience at a van centre than your usual car showroom, you’d be wrong. The Citygate Van Centre was as slick, smart and professional as any other place you’d take delivery of a car.

Similarly, sales executive Tom Lodge was brilliant in showing me around my car, introducing me to some of the surprise- and-delight features of the ID. Buzz and, importantly, helping me set up the Volkswagen app and understand the touchscreen infotainment system.

A bit of theatre always helps when you pick up a new car and having my sizeable Buzz covered by a silk when I arrived – complete with personal welcome board alongside – was a lovely touch. And it was clear that there was nothing Tom didn’t know about the car, although he was as surprised as I was that my car came without a reversing camera, which is apparently a delete option. Let’s hope the parking sensors do their job.

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I did choose the colour of my car – a two-tone arrangement of Candy White on the top and Lime Yellow; ideal for the summer sun if and when it arrives. I’m not normally one for car names, but this is my second consecutive car that I’ve given a name to – so say hello to Daisy, a nod to the colour scheme and the DSY registration number.

In for a penny and all that, I decided on the Lime Yellow-Mistral interior, too – it just seemed the right thing to do, and a couple of weeks on I have no regrets. Let’s see how it stands up to usage. I also specified the Styling Seat Package with a white steering wheel.

Other options included the sleek 21-inch alloys, the Assistance Package Plus, which adds driving and parking tech, the Open and Close Package Plus to get powered rear doors and tailgate, a retractable towbar and charging cable that must be paid for – £190.

The Infotainment Package Plus upped the size of the touchscreen and number of speakers, and it’s the same system that has come in for constant criticism across the VW Group. I’ll see how I get on with it, but Apple CarPlay connects wirelessly and that’s what I’ll rely on most – although that’s failed to pair a few times so far.

One way around using the touchscreen is with voice control and Tom taught me how to command it with a ‘hello ID’ wake-up phrase. I’ve only used it to turn on the heated seats so far, but it does have a habit of randomly speaking out – maybe my singing sounds like ‘hello ID’ sometimes.

You do step up into the Buzz, van-style, but the driving position is comfy – a bit Range Rover-like – and it’s easy to drive, thanks to its decent ride and excellent visibility. And while the amount of storage spaces and USB charging points around may point to my car’s van origins, that’s fine by me; why more van thinking doesn’t go into cars is beyond me – it’s all so useful.

However, the one thing I’ve noticed more than anything else is the reaction I’m getting from both passengers and other people; this is a car that just seems to make everyone smile – I’m not used to that! Let’s see if I’m still smiling and whether the wedding is still on after six months of living with the ID. Buzz.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.