A Little Extra Grip for the Coolest Ride Around
How sloppy are the roads where you live? Do they tend to get slick from rain and snow, maybe even a bit of mud or even ice? If wanting extra traction and grip while also being seen in the coolest looking vehicle on the road, the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz 4Motion could be what you are looking for. Clean Fleet Report has written about the rear wheel drive (RWD) ID. Buzz twice (reviews at the end of this story), but just recently had the opportunity to get in the all-wheel drive (AWD) version.
Living in Southern California, and having the ID.Buzz 4Motion (Volkswagen-speak for all-wheel drive) in July, there was little-to-no chance our roads would be anything but dry. This didn’t stop us from finding some twisty bits to see how having power delivered to all four wheels, instead of just the rears, would affect the handling and ride.
Power and Range Comparison
Rear-Wheel Drive
- Single, rear-mounted motor
- 282 horsepower
- 413 pound-feet of torque
- 91 kWh maximum/86 kWh usable lithium-ion battery
- 11 kW onboard charger
- 0-60 mph: 6.9 seconds
- Driving Range: 234 miles
All-Wheel Drive
- Dual motors
- 335 horsepower
- 413 pound-feet of torque rear/99 front
- 91 kWh maximum/86 kWh usable, lithium-ion battery
- 11 kW onboard charger
- 0-60 mph: 6.0 seconds
- Driving Range: 231 miles
All-Wheel Drive: What to Expect On Road
Stability is increased by the dual motors, aided by the vehicle dynamics manager that senses which wheel needs more power. With the front wheels activated, it enhances turn-in and acceleration out of corners. When rain or light snow cover the road, 4Motion can be beneficial. The towing capacity is increased by the additional horsepower and torque.
Courtesy of Reddit, these comments are representative from owners, giving a good idea of what to expect with the ID.Buzz 4Motion.
“I have owned the AWD for 2 years now, and in those two years I have only been stuck twice thanks to my own stupidity. Once at the bottom of a hill, where water turned to ice, I had to use some sand to get traction, and the other when I stopped on a steep, icy uphill street I had to reverse down to a flat area to get some grip again. Besides those two occasions I have been very impressed with it driving in all the crazy weather we get in the Norwegian winter. 6-8” of snow is not a problem as the software does a great job of keeping it on the road. So good in fact it only manages to slip on wet ice. The biggest factor is tires as it arrives on all-season tires. I use a set of Yokohama winter tires on mine, and that has been very successful”
“The AWD Buzz has done just as well as my Outback did (the Outback had snow tires) getting up the mountain to the ski resort. I have been really impressed with how it handles on snow and ice.”
“It’s a rear-wheel dominated AWD system. But if you know you are going somewhere with low traction just select the traction driving profile in the infotainment system. It will give power to the front wheels.”
4Motion: What to Expect – Off-Road
The 4Motion AWD system is designed to increase on-road traction and enable light off-road use. The batteries under the floorboard lowers the center of gravity on the high-roof Buzz, but also makes them vulnerable for underside damage. The fixed ground clearance of 6.3-inches is great for aerodynamics and ingress and egress but even a high curb could present an issue.
The ID.Buzz 4Motion is designed for the rear motor to handle standard driving situations, such as around town or on the open highway. The front motor will engage when sensing wheel spin, in a few hundredths of a second, making this transfer of power seamless with the driver never noticing the changes.
The ID.Buzz 4Motion is designed for mild off-roading on forest gravel roads, dirt roads and when encountering snowy roads. When the conditions demand extra traction at slow speeds, the driver can engage the Traction Mode setting, making the 4Motion system permanent all-wheel drive up to about 12 miles per hour. An important point is 4Motion does not give the ID.Buzz any off-road ability for deep rutted roads and paths or rock crawling.
Charging
The ID. Buzz uses a 400-volt system that can charge at a maximum of 200 kW. There are three charging options through a plug-in port with these approximate charge times.
- 120V (Level 1) – 2 miles of range added per hour
- 240V (Level 2) – 7.5 hours to go from 10% to 100%
- 480V DC fast charging – 10-80% in 30 minutes or lesss
The battery pre-conditioning system heats or cools to the optimum temperature before charging at home or on the road. This enables the charging time to be reduced by several minutes, particularly in winter.
The 2025 ID. Buzz Charging Plan includes 500 kWh of charging. For full details go to Electrify America.
Slowing, Stopping and Regeneration
The anti-lock brakes were more than up to the task, along with the regenerative braking to keep control through some serious esses and when making regular and emergency stops.
The regenerative braking, which is really the motor slowing and not the brakes being applied, is managed by driving in “D” mode and applying the brake pedal, or opting for “B” mode where the Buzz slows when lifting the accelerator pedal. Volkswagen does not offer the ability to adjust the intensity of the regenerative braking (in the center screen or by steering wheel-mounted paddles) like most other EV brands.
Also note this system is not true one pedal driving where the Buzz comes to a complete stop and holds until the accelerator pedal is pushed again. The Buzz does have an Auto Hold button that, when engaged, it will hold in-place after stopping.
My driving was purposely a bit more aggressive at times than a family would be doing on a weekend outing. The goal was to test high speed turning and stability similar to an emergency maneuver. The Buzz steered quickly with little lateral movement or body lean. One thing the AWD brings is cornering with little oversteer.
The electronic stability control and the staggered (235/50/20 on the front and 265/45/20 on the rear) Continental ProContact all-season low rolling resistance tires, designed for fuel efficiency and a quiet ride, gripped well.
Retro. Iconic. Reincarnated. Nostalgic.
The ID.Buzz boxy shape has short front and rear overhangs, making it easy to maneuver in traffic and running in-town errands. The 4Motion turning radius is wider than the RWD version because the AWD system adds front drive shafts so it has a larger turning circle.
The smooth, down-sloping front end features an oversized “VW” illuminated round logo with a lighted strip connecting the LED headlights. Many EVs have a front trunk, or frunk, but the small flip-up door on the ID.Buzz only provides access to add fluids for the windshield and brakes but adds no storage space.
The smooth slab sides contain dual power sliding doors that include a power sliding in-set windows for the second-row passengers. On the rear D-Pillar three faux vents harken back to the scoops on the earlier air-cooled buses. The rear power tailgate has a large “VW” logo badge and is the only place “ID.BUZZ” is found on the bus. The manually retractable trailer hitch, part of the optional brake package, gets tow-rated at 2,600 pounds for the RWD and 3,500 pounds for the AWD.
The airy and modern interior has large windows and the panoramic glass roof has electrochromic tinting that, with the swipe of a finger, goes from clear to opaque.
Driver and passenger seats, with folding armrests on both sides of each seat, get 12-way power, ventilation, massage, heat and memory, while the outboard second row seats are heated. All seats are covered in perforated leatherette. For fun, Volkswagen has placed ID.Buzz Easter eggs throughout the cabin (see how many you can find). The brake pedal has a Pause icon on it while the accelerator has a Play icon, just like what is found on a computer or other devise.
Space is generous for up to seven passengers and their gear. Seven seats, standard on the RWD ID.Buzz, contains a second row with a heated (outbound seats) bench that folds 60:40, reclines 16 degrees, slides 7.9 inches and can be removed. It also moves 4 inches with the flip of a handle to allow for easier access to the third-row seats.
Captain’s Chairs with seating for six are standard on the AWD model. The leg and head room in either configuration are excellent, even for 6+ footers.
The second and third row seats fold flat and, when the Flexboard is in-place at the far rear, it makes for a wide sleeping area for two adults, two adults and a kid or for two adults and a dog. There are two removable storage bins below, Buzz Boxes, and recessed storage areas. In other words, the 2025 ID.Buzz is ready for around town errands or a camping adventure.
The second-row passengers get a climate control panel and adjustable vents, reading lights, storage pockets, charge ports and cup holders.
Technology
The ID.Buzz has three screens consisting of a head-up display, a configurable 5.3-inch vehicle information screen and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen. The standard wireless App Connect, a 120V outlet, 12V charger and eight USB-C ports throughout the cabin, including in the doors, will keep everyone connected and powered-up.
Haptic touch and steering wheel buttons control the infotainment screen. In an attempt to be extra modern and to make for a sleek and uncluttered dash, there are no physical buttons on the ID.Buzz except for three that control the sliding side doors.
Convenience features include a 3-zone climate system, power-folding heated exterior mirrors, heated steering wheel, headlight washer nozzles and the removable front center console.
There are three ID.Buzz trims: Pro S, First Edition and, the one we drove, Pro S Plus. The upgrade Harmon Kardon 13-speaker audio system was easy to program and operate for the FM/HD radio with SiriusXM. In such a large vehicle with an unusual amount of glass (usually the bane of sound engineers), it sounded pretty good.
The wireless phone charger and Bluetooth made connecting a mobile device easy, while the wireless AppleCarPlay and Android Auto made streaming music easy.
Safety
The ID Buzz comes with IQ.Drive, which includes advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking with front pedestrian detection, active side assist blind spot monitor, rear traffic alert, lane assist and adaptive cruise control w/Stop & Go, Travel Assist and Emergency Assist.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing includes the $1,550 destination charge, but not any options or packages.
- Pro S (RWD only) $62,545
- Pro S Plus
- RWD $65,045
- AWD $69,545
- 1st Edition
- RWD $67,045
- AWD $71,545
Observations: 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Pro S Plus 4Motion
The cool factor, vibes and aura the ID.Buzz emits are obvious. Even having been on-sale in America for almost a year, people wanted to know what I was driving, wanted to talk about it, and take a look inside. I gladly added 30 minutes when heading out for errands to allow for Buzz walk-arounds.
Assembled in Hanover, Germany, the ID.Buzz is a niche vehicle for a specific buyer. Volkswagen is hoping the ID.Buzz brings enthusiasm to Volkswagen, drawing attention to the brand and all its models.
The new category of a six- or seven-passenger all-electric van is an interesting distinction. It is the only one of its kind on the market. Volkswagen projects the 4Motion model will make-up 60% of all ID.Buzz sales. Those sales for nine months of 2025 were olny 4,934.
The AWD ID.Buzz will find its happy place on the freeway, heading to the mountains for a ski weekend, cruising the coast in search of waves, and for in-town errands. Does it fit your lifestyle? Go to your local Volkswagen dealer to see for yourself.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Volkswagen.
Previous Volkswagen ID.Buzz reviews on Clean Fleet Report:
Disclosure
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
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