Real driver reviews

VW ID. Buzz

Bringing back the joy of driving

 Behind the wheel: Amelia and friends 


I’ve always had a soft spot for quirky cars, the ones that stand out, make you smile, and feel a little bit different from everything else on the road. For context, I proudly owned a Citroën C3, and my brother had a Cactus. We were doing our best to keep Citroën afloat in Australia.


The VW ID. Buzz absolutely filled that gap again. It’s one of those cars that brings genuine joy, not just to drive, but to look at and experience. Rolling around town, it turns heads everywhere you go. Interestingly, I quickly discovered I wasn’t alone. Within a few days, I’d spotted three others in my neighbourhood. A strong sign the Buzz is already catching on.


I was lucky enough to spend time in the all-white model, which felt like a blank canvas. It immediately got me thinking, if I were to buy one, what colour would I choose? With multiple options available in Australia, it’s actually one of the hardest and most fun decisions upfront.




VW ID Buzz big sapce


Features – the fun factor is real

There’s a lot to unpack here because this car is packed with lots of thoughtful and playful features. Honestly, every time I discovered something new, I was showing someone nearby.


  • Space, space, space: This is the standout. Both second and third rows offer genuine room to spread out. It’s perfect for families, road trips, or carrying a full crew comfortably. It also offers a massive boot space. In the 5-seater, you get a massive 1,121L boot space, which expands to 2,205L with the rear seats down. In the 7-seater, you only get 306L when the third row is up. This expands to 1,340L with the third row down and 2,469L when all rear seats are folded.
  • Rear tray tables: A simple but brilliant addition, it’s great for working on the go, keeping kids entertained, or just holding snacks and drinks.
  • Heated seats & steering wheel: A must have in Melbourne winters! It’s not a unique feature, but it's absolutely appreciated on frosty mornings.

  • Illuminated front badge and light bar: The front-end design is a real highlight, with a lit-up VW badge and LED strip that gives the Buzz a futuristic look at night.
  • Play & pause pedals: A small, playful detail, there are icons on the pedals instead of traditional labels. It adds personality in a subtle way.
  • Panoramic smart glass roof: A large glass roof that can switch from clear to opaque at the touch of a button. It’s a very cool feature that elevates the cabin feel.
  • Sliding rear windows: A nod to its heritage, these don’t fully wind down but instead slide open, adding to the character.
  • Modular centre console (“Buzz Box”): This is removable and configurable, with clever storage and practical flexibility depending on your needs.



VW ID Buzz driving experience


Driving experience: city vs open road

I tested the Buzz across two very different use cases:

  • Inner-city Melbourne driving (including CBD trips)
  • A full day trip down to the coast

Around town

As expected, this is where EVs shine. Smooth, quiet, and easy to manoeuvre despite its size, the Buzz feels right at home in urban environments. Range anxiety simply isn’t a factor for day-to-day driving.


Day trip performance

To really test it, we loaded up 6 adults + 1 baby and headed from North Melbourne to Sorrento/Portsea.

  • Starting charge: ≈97% (rated ~420km)
  • Route: North Melbourne → Heathmont → Sorrento → return
  • Total trip distance: ≈248km

By the end of the day:

  • Remaining range: ≈70 km (18%)

What stood out

For a large EV (over 3 tonnes), carrying a full load and doing mostly freeway driving, the higher-than-expected energy consumption wasn’t surprising. But it does highlight something important: real-world range, especially with passengers, highway speeds and winter conditions, can differ significantly from advertised figures.


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VW ID.Buzz Pro SWB


VW ID.Buzz Pro LWB


VW key features




VW ID.Buzz trip summary

Trip summary (range reality check)

Details Range
Starting range ≈410km
Total trip distance 248km
Expected remaining (ideal) 172km
Actual remaining 70km


That’s a meaningful gap and it’s clear that the real-world range heavily depends on the driving conditions. It’s something drivers should plan for, particularly in larger EVs like the Buzz.


Charging practicality: public network reality


Now to an important point:

  • I don’t have access to home charging, so this review includes a real-world test relying entirely on public infrastructure. This is not a critique of the vehicle itself, but rather a timely comparison of public EV charging vs petrol costs on a like-for-like basis.
  • I used Ampol fast chargers based on availability and speed in my area.


Charging sessions

Charge 1: 33% → 80% Charge 2: 30% → 97%
  • Energy: 36.89 kWh
  • Cost: $27.67
  • Time: ≈61 minutes
  • Energy: 36.89 kWh
  • Cost: $45.27
  • Time: ≈45 minutes


Cost comparison: EV (public charging) vs petrol

  • Using the second charge for consistency:
  • Total cost: $45.27
  • Real-world range achieved: ~350km

EV cost per km

  • ≈12.9 cents/km

Petrol comparison (like-for-like)

  • Assumptions:
  • 8L/100 km fuel consumption (typical mid-size SUV)
  • $2/L unleaded petrol
  • Fuel used (based on 350km): 28L
  • Total cost: $56

Petrol cost per km

  • ≈16 cents/km
VW ID Buzz charging sessions


VW ID.Buzz charging


Side-by-side comparison


Metric EV public charging Petrol
Cost (350km) $45.27 $56
Cost per km 12.9c/km 16c/km
Difference ≈20% cheaper –


Key takeaway (important context)

  • Although the charge delivered a rated 420km of range, real-world use brought that closer to 350km on a fully loaded day trip.
  • At ≈12.9 cents per kilometre, public fast charging was still cheaper than petrol, but only by around 20%.

This highlights an important point:

  • This is not a reflection of EV ownership overall
  • It is specifically a public charging vs petrol comparison

If charging at home (typically much cheaper), the economics would look dramatically different. However, for drivers currently relying on public infrastructure (like myself), this provides a realistic, match-for-match view.



Final thoughts

The VW ID. Buzz delivers something genuinely unique. It combines personality, practicality and presence in a way that stands out in today’s market. It’s a vehicle that makes people smile and brings a level of fun that is increasingly rare.


From a lifestyle and driving perspective, it absolutely delivers.


From a cost perspective, when relying on public charging, the benefit over petrol exists but is more modest than expected, particularly in a larger EV under real-world conditions.

VW ID.Buzz



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Test drive vehicle supplied by Volkswagen Australia. All opinions are entirely the driver's own.

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