My family of 5 outgrew our Subaru Outback. We test drove the Volkswagen ID Buzz and loved it — except for one thing.

We’ve had our Subaru Outback since 2018, when my first child was just a newborn.

Now that our kids are 7, 5, and 5, while the car is still as reliable as day one, it’s become a source of stress because our kids fight so much in it from the lack of space.

My husband had been suggesting a minivan for our family, with three rows to space the kids out and sliding doors for easy loading. I, however, refuse to be a minivan mom. I find them ugly and impractical.

That all changed when I saw the new electric Volkswagen ID Buzz, so we decided to test it with our family — and now we are torn.

We need more space for our family so decided to test out the electric Volkswagen ID Buzz.

There’s no denying we need more space in the car. With three car seats, growing limbs, and all the stuff from school and sports, the back row is tight.

That’s the major cause of fights in our car, which makes any trip (short or long) incredibly stressful for whoever is driving.

As for the rest of the car, it’s got what we need: a big trunk, the ability to place a turtle top, and an overall reliable engine.

My first car was a Volkswagen Golf, which I loved, so I’ve always been a bit partial to the brand. We also tested the Volkswagen Atlas Crossport, which has two rows instead of three, and even having just a bit more space in the second row made our kids more comfortable and manageable.

When we saw previews on social media of the ID Buzz, VW’s new version of their 1950s Bus, I was intrigued. It looked cuter than a van, but still offered what we thought we needed.

The third row is a true row.

When the kids saw the VW ID Buzz, they all squealed in excitement. I won’t lie, it looks so cool in person. Even while driving it to summer camp drop off, we saw people turn around to do a double take and kids pointing as we drove past. If you don’t like the attention, be warned that this car attracts all the looks.

The ID Buzz we tested didn’t have captain seats, so we had to lower one seat for one of our kids to sit in the third row. As I was setting up the car seats, I noticed that the third row is a full row. I’m 5’6″ tall and was able to sit comfortably with extra space for my legs.

Loading the kids was pretty easy.

You can open the sliding doors with the key, and even with the seat lowered, it was easy for all three of them to navigate their bodies inside.

One detail I loved was the ability to open the doors three different ways: from the remote, as mentioned, from the actual door, and also from a button near the driver’s seat.

This last option made it so I could get in the car, type in our destination on the screen, and not have to wait around to close the doors.

It doesn’t have a ton of bells and whistles.

One of the biggest complaints online has been the interior design, which some feel is lacking compared to how innovative the exterior design is. For my family’s needs, this wasn’t a problem at all.

Coming from a 2017 car to a 2025 model, we could tell the difference in things like heated seats in the middle row and a more dynamic screen (our Subaru’s screen doesn’t even show a map). That said, the VW ID Buzz doesn’t have that many bells and whistles, and I actually like that.

We recently drove a BMW 7 Series after getting a free upgrade from a rental car company, and I really disliked all the extra buttons in the back row.

My kids kept changing the temperature and radio station, annoying everyone.

The trunk space was limited but enough for day-to-day use.

The trunk space in the ID Buzz is nonexistent compared to the space in our Subaru Outback if the third row is in use. I do like that the ID Buzz has two baskets that can be covered by a platform, allowing us to store groceries or sports equipment without taking up precious trunk space.

While the amount of space wouldn’t be an issue on a day-to-day basis, if we were going on a road trip, the space in the trunk does feel a bit limited.

But there was one major drawback for us.

Overall, I’ve found the Volkswagen ID Buzz easy to drive, fun, and reliable. While there’s criticism for the range — which is advertised at 230 miles — as a city car to move kids from one location to the other, the range felt fine. We were able to run almost a full week without charging, and then stopped to charge while during groceries for about 30 minutes.

The one criticism I have for the ID Buzz is its price point. The 4-wheel-drive, which is what we would need in Maine, is retailing at over $72,000. This puts it over our other car, an Audi Q7, the 2025 model of which is now retailing at $70,000 and is considered a luxury SUV.

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