Tariffs or no tariffs, the ID.Buzz was always too expensive for the US market. I am convinced that VW will stop selling it here in a few years. The Transporter is a highly successful vehicle but it too is too expensive to sell here.

 

I think the tariffs put the nail in the coffin. All the decisions beforehand led to this abysmal debut. I'm still hoping mine gets delivered because the interior space is amazing as a local family hauler.

 

The biggest thing the ID.Buzz has done for VW is that it is an image builder. The biggest thing the ID.Buzz does for the VW dealers is to help move a lot of Atlases, according to a local VW dealer sales rep. I am convinced it will face the same fate all of the other great VW models out there that we cannot get here..... too expensive for the US market.

 

Pure speculation. For a more upbeat review, see 2025 VW ID Buzz review: If you want an electric minivan, this is it For an informed opinion, I suggest you get an ID.Buzz and drive it. We owned a 1970 VW camper, a 1974 VW bus, and many beetles and rabbits and golfs and passats along the way. Our new ID.Buzz is for us a pure nostalgia trip. Cost about the same as a Ford F-150 electric. 600 miles so far. What an upgrade from our 2021 ID.4. And much better visibility.

 

Pure speculation. For a more upbeat review, see 2025 VW ID Buzz review: If you want an electric minivan, this is it For an informed opinion, I suggest you get an ID.Buzz and drive it. We owned a 1970 VW camper, a 1974 VW bus, and many beetles and rabbits and golfs and passats along the way. Our new ID.Buzz is for us a pure nostalgia trip. Cost about the same as a Ford F-150 electric. 600 miles so far. What an upgrade from our 2021 ID.4. And much better visibility.

Glad to see you upgraded also. Loving mine since the day after Thanksgiving 2024. 😎

 

Maybe the "too expensive" argument needs to be tempered by comparison to the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and other giant SUVs, all in the $60k-ish price range. The big problem with the ID. Buzz is that the stop sale is just now cleared up: it's hard to sell cars if they aren't allowed to be sold. And the idea that there is a general pull-back of the ID. Buzz from the US market due to tariffs seems to be a rumor; VW is denying it.

 

And the idea that there is a general pull-back of the ID. Buzz from the US market due to tariffs seems to be a rumor; VW is denying it.

VW Denies Halting ID. Buzz Exports To US Over Tariffs | Carscoops

Export examples of the German-built retro-electric minivan to the US were briefly held at a European port while VW dealt with a US recall issue

www.carscoops.com

 

Come visit us in Vermont and we'll take you all for a ride in our new ID.Buzz. See http://lengel.net

 

It's an appealing vehicle. But shelling out $60K for something that will be worth $40-45K in 2 years is not many people are eager to do. I'd consider one for $40K.

 

There's one Pacifica plug-in for sale here in Vermont, at $60,000. And it's not AWD.

 

Sienna platinum is $59-63k.

 

I love the look! Every time I see one I smile, even the monochrome commercial versions Saw a few as we traveled across Europe the last couple weeks.

However, I wouldn’t buy one …price isn’t the problem; there are two problems for me … First is that it should have a more well thought out interior with seats that fold and swivel (like many modern minivans). And second, as an EV, the range isn’t that bad - but it should have had a bigger battery and faster charging. A PPE based Buzz with 800v fast charging and 95kWh usable would probably see a 275 mile range and 20 minute recharge times.

 

Being cynical, IMO, it seems targeted at environmentally conscious (or virtue signaling) well off soccer moms’ local excursions. I’m sure when loaded to GVWR with a six seat family and their luggage for trips (and the weight of AWD), it has the range to get to the airport and back. A family will have to be pretty close to endure the longer days with more frequent charging if used on the road. YMMV

 

Now compare to a long trip in a conventional microbus or even a modern Sprinter. Van Life is not about getting from point A to point B in the least amount of time.

 

My neighbors bought one of the first ones (they pre-ordered). It does bring a smile to your face when you look at it. Such a happy car. They absolutely love it. We've talked about it quite a bit since I own an ID.4 and they really aren't bothered by many of the things that get a lot of attention in this forum. They are driving it, and camping with it, all around the western US.

 

The ID. Buzz. Pro S Plus (HUD and Hitch) with 4MOTION® (2nd row bucket seats) Mahi Green Metallic and Candy White with Dune interior but without the Electrochromic Smart Glass Roof costs $70,540 with destination. The glass roof adds $1,495.

 

Now I gotta hop over there and take a look.

Please let me know if you find a not-so-angry post Seriously, I looked at the GV60 forums for counterbalance and they seem a lot lass enraged. Today, I got the sudden braking experience while parking, but when rolling forward (instead backwards), which was a new for us, as my wife and I concluded. I think the Q6 owners simply have much higher expectations.

BMW Is Crushing Audi in U.S. Sales This Year

https://www.autoblog.com/news/bmw-vs-audi-sales-in-2025

That said, BMW BEV sales were down YoY in Q2. The i4 is up 10.7% in the half and the iX +3.9% in the half due to a stronger Q1. Could be tariffs.

To me it seems that even a 2023 iX remains a better purchase than a 2025 e-tron q6.

Not that I'm on the market for any of these. I won't buy anything until the next admin, and I'd still consider a Buzz very strongly, if they improved the range and price.

 

Please let me know if you find a not-so-angry post Seriously, I looked at the GV60 forums for counterbalance and they seem a lot lass enraged. Today, I got the sudden braking experience while parking, but when rolling forward (instead backwards), which was a new for us, as my wife and I concluded. I think the Q6 owners simply have much higher expectations.


To me it seems that even a 2023 iX remains a better purchase than a 2025 e-tron q6.

Not that I'm on the market for any of these. I won't buy anything until the next admin, and I'd still consider a Buzz very strongly, if they improved the range and price.

The next article is about how BMW is crushing Mercedes too. Audi’s only bright spot is the Q6 e-Tron it seems, because it’s on the new platform with 800v charging and good range.

 

The X1 is a converted Mini FWD platform. The Q6 Etron is based on the PPE platform developed with Porsche. Those cars are in a totally different league and are not comparable.

 

The X1 is a converted Mini FWD platform. The Q6 Etron is based on the PPE platform developed with Porsche. Those cars are in a totally different league and are not comparable.

Not in pricing. A used 2023 iX is in the range of a Q6. Yet again, i was looking to see some owners to rave about their cars and instead, they are more bitter than we are about the lack of software updates.

The next article is about how BMW is crushing Mercedes too. Audi’s only bright spot is the Q6 e-Tron it seems, because it’s on the new platform with 800v charging and good range.

The iX still looks very appealing. About Mercedes, the EQE lacks the range to get excited about and used EQS are yuuuuuuge. Literally.

 

Not in pricing. A used 2023 iX is in the range of a Q6. Yet again, i was looking to see some owners to rave about their cars and instead, they are more bitter than we are about the lack of software updates.



The iX still looks very appealing. About Mercedes, the EQE lacks the range to get excited about and used EQS are yuuuuuuge. Literally.

Yeah, the Audi forums are full of complaints about lack of updates - but otherwise they seem to really like the Q6. Personally, I’m considering an A6 eTron as a replacement for our ID.4, but it’s a little bigger than we need… would make an awesome road trip machine though!

 

You know I'd suggest that the title ought to be HAS POTENTIAL rather than HAD.

Because practically speaking, the Buzz's battery capacity can be increased, and it's not inconceivable can make this car more affordable through various incentive schemes in their financing toolbox.

...but it's never going to grow a frunk.

 

Because practically speaking, the Buzz's battery capacity can be increased, and it's not inconceivable can make this car more affordable through various incentive schemes in their financing toolbox.

That was a missed opportunity. The Pro S Plus with two tone paint and electro transparent roof is only $72k and they had $80k to work with. Once it gets expensive, you may as well spend more for reasonable range.

 

I like the concept of an electric van. The problem I see is when needed a people and kids hauler I could not buy a a $60k bus. Now that it is, well, it's still a reach, I don't need a bus. A traveling electric camper that I don't have to unhitch to get into a charging space could be useful. Not sure how much camping like that I would really like to do but, the thought is intriguing, but, iit only comes as a people hauler. Convert one into a camper? Maybe, but would want start from a shell utility cargo vehicle than tear apart a high end bus. It only comes as a high end bus however.

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of technical advances, maybe in chemistry or maybe in packaging.

I'm giving consideration to my i3, which began in 2014 with 20 kWh and after 3 years graduated to 30 kWh, then two years later 40 kWh, all in the same battery box footprint, and without a whole ton of weight gain.

I didn't know where we stand with new energy dense chemistries, but earlier this year VW talked about eschewing familiar modules and transitioning to a "CTP" cell-to-pack layout, which should have a dramatic impact on density and weight per kWh

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of technical advances, maybe in chemistry or maybe in packaging.

I'm giving consideration to my i3, which began in 2014 with 20 kWh and after 3 years graduated to 30 kWh, then two years later 40 kWh, all in the same battery box footprint, and without a whole ton of weight gain.

I didn't know where we stand with new energy dense chemistries, but earlier this year VW talked about eschewing familiar modules and transitioning to a "CTP" cell-to-pack layout, which should have a dramatic impact on density and weight per kWh

Same thing with Honda Insight. The third party NiMH batteries have significantly more capacity in the same form factor. But the one I bought for my 2005 car a few years ago was $2300, compared to, optimistically, $10,000-ish for a full replacement of the ID. battery.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out!

 

A couple of things that would cost them almost nothing would be Dog Mode and Camping Mode, also including on the ID.4.

 

If VW is able to install a a large battery in the ID.Buzz, any improvement might be modest and expensive.

In the attached video (watch at 5:50 for a comparison, 6:20 for concluding remarks), for an ID.7 with a larger battery offered ~13% more capacity but only ~8% improvement in range. The larger battery could charge faster but cost an additional 5K Euros. Diminishing returns, for sure.

The conclusion, for this example, it was not worth it and only interesting if one absolutely needed a bit more range and willing to pay the premium.

 

yup. proportionate range improvements would only occur if there's a proportionate Wh/Kg reduction as well. We'll get there, but not in same-gen models.

 

Had a lot of cars in 58 years of driving and BUZZ is a favourite. Be happy with what you drive.

 

So I'm curious to know how much of your ID.BUZZ enthusiasm is because the vehicle itself is a special design or has special capabilities, and how much of it is because it's an electric vehicle with all the advantages that go along with that.

I have a Chevy Bolt EV, which is my all-time favourite vehicle. Most of that has to do with the fact that it's an EV, although some of it is because it has features like surround vision, heated steering wheel and Android Auto that I've never had before (which of course are also available in ICE vehicles).

 

Guess I’m hardwired VW. My dad started an agency in 1959. First car was a 1950 split window bug. Had an ID4. I wanted, at 74, to push myself technologically, so yeah, that’s part too. I’m not so picky as some are, having been the car business. But mainly I just like the way my BUZZ make me feel. I enjoy positive reactions from others too.

 

Guess I’m hardwired VW. My dad started an agency in 1959. First car was a 1950 split window bug.

I was a VW fan when I started out. My first car was a brand new 1976 Rabbit. I loved the car's design, but it turned out to have a lot of reliability issues - it went through mufflers, oil filter adapters and alternators like nobody's business. If left a bad taste in my mouth for both VW and Bosch.

Cars in general have come a long way from those days. Back then I would never have considered buying a North American car, but the Chevy Bolt is the best car I've ever owned. It's going on 8 years now and has never seen the inside of a service bay except for a few recalls along the way. If VW's electric fleet can live up to that level of reliability then I'd be sold.

 

It's definitely a "feel good" vehicle, but from a design standpoint it has a leg up on the 3-row EV9 because of more generous cabin space and a more accommodating cargo area behind the rear seat (the KIA has a high floor back there).

For me, the Buzz's range is not an issue, even for a road tripper. But for the price, I expect more. The bottom rung EV9 Light trim is $54k and 230 miles.

I also wonder if the Buzz is seen by some as "too gimmicky" and automatically dismissed, looked at as non-serious or even potentially too odd looking / attention grabbing. From that perspective, the KIA is fairly generic.

 

We just returned from our first camping trip in our ID.Buzz. All went well, even in the pouring rain. Plenty of room to sleep and move around inside. Our biggest problem was how to shut off the headlights once we arrived at the campsite. Normally, the lights go out by themselves a few moments after we exit Buzzy. But at the campsite, we stayed inside. And the lights stayed on. I pushed every button I could find, and still they shone like suns in a black hole at 10:30 PM. The four tent campers on Harleys in the next campsite were not happy, but when I explained my dilemma, they proved kind enough to figure out how to use the Mode button on the light panel to extinguish the beacons. Then the air conditioning would not stop, but it was hot so we left it running. It shut itself off after 20 minutes or so. After that, sweet dreams.

 

The Buzz has the weird ID.4 interfaces where they use sliders and capacitive touch vs knobs and switches, IMO really messed up combining functions on the left stalk when putting the shifter on the right (and used twist rather than conventional stalk movement) and did strange things like putting the defroster switches down with the headlight control instead of the HVAC controls. IMO, they need to rethink the entire layout and perhaps have somewhat in the upcoming ID.4 refresh. I think they know the window switches are hurting sales worse than they thought.

 

I really don't think the window switches are causing folks to pick one vehicle over another.

 

I guess I should’ve added YMMV. Functionally, they wouldn’t bother me either, but they, with the drum rear brakes and lack of TPMS sensors (edit: and no heat pump) communicate Toyota Yaris/Honda Fit cheapness. YMMV.

 

Yep, YMMV. I like all three of those VW decisions.

 

As discussed here many times, drum brakes were an engineering decision made because, in cases of long periods of non-use, they would be better able to respond in an emergency situation.

 

It sounds like VW planned ahead for its EVs in dealer inventory to experience long periods of non-use during stop sales as well as customer vehicles waiting weeks for parts. These days, only the lowest priced Tata and perhaps BYD EVs share this unique MEB advantage.