Volkswagen ID. Buzz Style long-term test: summer fun awaits for our pricey electric MPV

Verdict

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is big, practical and full of touches that give it character not seen in many cars. The infotainment has its foibles and the price raises eyebrows, but it’s a car that will be even more adept over the summer.

• 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...

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.