Road Rally Review: Driving a Volkswagen ID. Buzz for 5,000 miles through Europe

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hanover, Germany loaned us the vehicle. It came with an aftermarket “camping module” called a BusBox-4 from QUQUQ (pronounced “COO-kook”). This setup allowed us to use the van as a camper. We started near Hamburg, Germany and drove through Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and back through the finish line in Hamburg 16 days later. We’d have plenty of time to get to know the ID. Buzz and see if it’s worth waiting for in North America. 

Regardless of wheelbase, the ID. Buzz plays the retro card hard, and it does it well. It’s not too cartoonish and has the right mix of nostalgia and modernity. This five-seater had a sliding bench seat in the back and two comfortable captain’s chairs up front. The rear cargo area was occupied by the QUQUQ camping setup. Behind the front doors were two easy-to-use power sliding doors and a power tailgate, part of the Open & Close package. Oddly, the only operable windows were the driver/passenger fronts—not great if being used as a camper. Thankfully the weather was cool during our trip, otherwise the van would’ve likely turned into a sauna when camping. (Then again, Northern Europeans love saunas.) While driving with the front windows down, there was significant wind buffeting when at highway speeds.

The ID. Buzz does not have a spare tire. The Continental EcoContact 6Q tires—235/50R20 front and 265/45R20 rear—were at least run-flats and offered solid amount of grip. The van included a small compressor and tire slime, and we carried the optional lug wrench, jack, and we supplied our own tire patch kit. 

The small outgoing European-spec motor didn’t exactly provide rapid transit, with published 0-100 km (0-62) times of 10.2 seconds. However, it effortlessly cruised at 120 km/h (75 mph) once you got there. A brief top speed test on the German autobahn maxed out at 150 km/h (94 mph). Our route was mostly on European backroads with 60–80 km/h speed limits, so a lack of speed wasn’t an issue. The cruise control, however, was another story. 

The ID. Buzz’s cruise control could read speed limit signs when activated. But, for example, when set to 100 km/h, it would suddenly slow believing it saw a 50 km/h sign which didn’t exist. Also, to speed up with cruise on, a light tap of the “+” button was supposed to increase speed a single km/h at a tap, a harder tap was to go up 10 km/h. Many times, when I’d try to do a few single-digit light taps (say to go up 3 km/h), the van thought I was mashing the + button and wanted to go up 30 km/h. I’d hit the brakes, disabling the cruise, reset, and try again. Additionally, the 100% touchscreen climate control and ICE operation can be difficult to adjust. Certain things were too many menus deep and there wasn’t any haptic or tactile feedback.

The ID. Buzz rode firmly with surprisingly competent handling and steering feel. It was almost comical to see something with a one-box shape handle corners that well, despite our camping gear sliding back and forth inside. Adding to the entertainment value was Sport Mode, which tweaked throttle response, steering, and braking regen. The B mode was specifically for regenerative braking. We used it a lot to capture back kilometers, especially in the Norwegian mountains.

Finding chargers along our journey usually wasn’t difficult but required careful route planning. Learning to operate and pay for the chargers, however, tested our patience. We started with about six apps on our German iPhone, which our nephew, Paul Cronie (a German resident), loaned us. We borrowed the phone because we couldn’t download the apps on our U.S. phones in the U.S. or Germany because they stated we were out of the region. By the end of the rally, we downloaded 16 apps, used 13 of them, and had a handful of EV charging cards. Google Translate was a must when dealing with the nine different languages on chargers. But without the German phone, this trek wouldn’t have been successful. 

The ID. Buzz employed a CCS plug and we learned we could use the plentiful Tesla Superchargers in Germany and the Nordic countries which was excellent. Our van’s maximum charge was 290 miles (467 km) at 100% but its worst charge took just 200 miles (322 km). We usually charged to 80% during the day and went to 100% before finding camp in the evening.

The ID. Buzz was easy to juice up with useful info provided on the center screen. The brilliant display was easy to read and helpful. Occasionally, the screen would turn off and we’d have to cycle the van on and off again to read the display. If you’ve driven a VW ID.4, it has the same system for turning the vehicle on and off. Basically, you just sit in the seat to initialize it. We found that when camping, a heavy backpack on the driver’s seat could initialize the van, so I put mine on the floor for the night. We also discovered if you didn’t disable the interior motion sensing before going to bed, the van’s alarm would sound the first time you turned over, which was mildly terrifying.

Our ID. Buzz’s interior was attractive and airy with a cream, light green, and black motif. It design looked premium and modern despite lots of hard plastic. Perspective buyers should note: a family hauler/camper van with a light interior isn’t a great idea as it shows lots of dirt. The cream-hued upholstery on ours started to show grimy from its dirtbag traveler occupants—namely, us—in just a few days. Thankfully the seat trim could be wiped off.

Along the rear interior sides were cup holders, cubbies, and USB-C ports—great for wallets, keys, once going to bed. There were seven USB-C ports throughout, a 12-volt outlet in the back (which we used for a fridge), and a European-style house plug on the passenger’s seat base. It worked as advertised, but our feet often bumped into the outlet knocking the plug out. 

There were loads of storage spots throughout the van. My favorite was the removable, reversable floor-mounted center console. Push a button and you can lift it out of the van. You could flip it 180° for a different compartment configuration fore and aft, too. Cupholders resided on top and there was a hidden removable bottle opener for drinks at the end of the day. 

After 5,000 miles with this green electric German bread loaf, it proved to be one of the most practical and versatile EVs out there. It’s not perfect—the range could be better; the cruise control and HVAC could be more intuitive; more operable windows, please! But it looked cool, was reliable, and proved to be fun to drive (and quiet). Plus, it was a cozy camper once you figured out the interior quirks. We had zero mechanical or electrical issues, and no flat tires. 

The ID. Buzz had plenty of personality and proved to be a comfortable, fun vehicle to road rally with. It’ll be interesting to see if North Americans embraces this retro EV micro bus. Many Europeans I talked to weren’t fond of it, preferring older petrol-powered vans. Some Germans suggested the ID. Buzz could be like the New Beetle: disliked in Germany, but popular in the States. The VW van is arguably the brand’s second most iconic vehicle next to the Beetle. And with the shift towards EVs, perhaps only Volkswagen could market an all-electric minivan to people and have them embrace it. This isn’t a 1960s hippy van; however, but it might just be the right vehicle at the right time, and inject a shot of fun into VW’s lineup.

This German-market ID. Buzz stickered for 64,581.30 € ($71,105.67 USD as of late August 2024 and before the 19% value added tax). A U.S.-market ID. Buzz will start at $61,545.

[Images © 2024 Andy and Mercedes Lilienthal/TTAC.com]

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