Volkswagen bus enthusiasts, the wait is finally over. For decades, the dream of a revitalized VW van has been simmering, and now, it’s a reality in the form of the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz. After a quarter-century of anticipation, sparked by VW’s initial teasers in 2001 – following the successful reboot of the Beetle – the electric VW bus first emerged in Europe in 2022. Now, a slightly larger iteration has made its grand entrance into the United States, and Volkswagen generously lent me one for a week-long test drive to experience this New Volkswagen Van firsthand.
My frame of reference for vehicles leans towards the wonderfully chaotic world of my neighbors, the Shapiro brothers, Gefen and Yona. These teenagers, with their impressive collection of eleven cars including gems like a Girl Scout-green 1972 MG Midget and a blueberry-blue 1987 Alfa Romeo Spider, are masters of automotive resurrection. Gefen, particularly, with his tangerine-colored 1972 Saab Sonett – a coupe whose engine emits a roar akin to a “dying lion” – embodies the spirit of classic car enthusiasm. Knowing my limited experience with formal car reviews, I consulted Gefen, a true car aficionado, to brainstorm some “Top Gear”-esque tests for this new Volkswagen van. Despite the comical mismatch in horsepower – my Buzz boasting 282 horses against his Sonett’s 65 – we decided a drag race was in order. After all, while his Sonett “can’t get to sixty,” the new Volkswagen van promised a swift zero-to-sixty sprint.
Considering Gefen’s knack for finding automotive treasures – he acquired his Sonett for a mere twenty-nine hundred dollars and then skillfully rebuilt its engine and clutch – the starting price of around sixty thousand dollars for the new Volkswagen van feels, as he might say, “insane.” Especially when you factor in options like a sunroof and all-wheel drive, quickly pushing the price tag above seventy thousand. This price point is a universe away from the junk-yard clunkers my brother Jack and I used to revive in our garage-turned-body shop, transforming beat-up wrecks like a 1967 Camaro and a 1968 Mustang. While I never owned those classics, the thrill of fixing them, the Ftt-fffffttttt of the rivet gun, remains a cherished memory.
My personal VW journey began with a used Golf in 1989, purchased for roughly the same price Gefen paid for his Sonett. It was all about Fahrvergnügen, VW’s clever advertising slogan at the time. A sticker from my sister, who worked at a dealership, served as a constant reminder to engage Fahrvergnügen mode. Though my Golf met an untimely end after just two weeks, the joy was undeniable. Since then, VW buses have been a constant in my life, from Vanagons to a 2002 Eurovan. The recent departure of our last Eurovan marked the first time in thirty years without a VW bus in our driveway. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, this new Volkswagen van, the ID. Buzz, arrived, fitting in perfectly, like a familiar presence returning home.
To be frank, my expectations for electric vehicles (EVs) are generally low. Often lacking the engaging gear shifts and driver involvement of traditional cars, EVs can feel somewhat sterile. However, the Buzz proved to be a delightful surprise. It’s an experience akin to piloting a spaceship, in the best possible way. Even Gefen, after a ride, admitted, “It’s just like your Eurovan, except it runs.” High praise indeed.
Initially, my plan was simply to drive the new Volkswagen van around, offering rides to friends and soaking in the experience. But the spirit of adventure, reminiscent of our past road trips in Vanagons and Eurovans to Good News Garage – the home of Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers of NPR’s “Car Talk” – beckoned. A visit to Ray Magliozzi, of “Car Talk” fame, was in order.
“This is pretty swanky,” Ray remarked, inspecting the spacious three rows of seats of the new Volkswagen van. As we embarked on a ride, I jokingly pointed out the massage feature in the seats. His response was a classic, skeptical eye-roll. When I inquired about its market appeal, particularly at the sixty-five thousand dollar price point, Ray’s practical wisdom surfaced. He favored the older buses, the ’68 to ’72 models, considering the later ones “a pain in the neck.” However, even Ray couldn’t deny the Buzz’s performance when we opened it up on Memorial Drive. “This thing does fly, though,” he conceded, albeit with a hint of reluctance.
Next on my list was Boston Volkswagen, where the general manager expressed high hopes of receiving forty-eight Buzzes from VW, confident in selling hundreds, if only allocations allowed. However, a minor hiccup arose when one of the sliding doors became stuck open on a freezing day, during a drive with an environmental-law professor friend. The irony wasn’t lost on us as we joked about a new VW motto: “Our E.V. van brings you closer to the great outdoors, whether you want it or not.”
A road trip to John’s Car Corner in Westminster, Vermont – a place that, from Route 5, resembles a VW bus graveyard – became essential to test the range of this new Volkswagen van. John Hamill, an 84-year-old VW aficionado with over twenty-seven hundred cars owned in his lifetime, and a current driver of three Vanagons (his favorite being a red 1990 model), offered a valuable perspective. “Every day, I wake up, and I think, I get to drive my Vanagon today, and I am happy,” he shared. He was a Buzz virgin until my visit. Taking him for a ride, he noted the resemblance to a Toyota Sienna but recognized the inherent VW bus DNA. Remarkably, even as we stood outside his shop, a passerby offered to buy the new Volkswagen van – a common occurrence throughout my week with the Buzz, from parking lots to taco stands. Even now, parked in my driveway, it attracts attention, with people knocking and asking, “You willing to sell that?”
To prepare for the drag race against Gefen’s Sonett, we watched the iconic race scene from “American Graffiti.” Gefen, impressed by Harrison Ford’s Chevy 150 with its miniature human skull rearview mirror ornament, exclaimed, “That’s so fire.” However, the Chevy’s fiery demise in the film prompted my reassurance, “Uh, I’m not doing that actual thing.” Gefen’s reply: “I know, You’re such a baby.”
The chosen race venue, suggested by Yona, was a two-lane stretch of road past the synagogue. The night of the race involved navigating through the synagogue parking lot, filled with cars on a Tuesday night – Hebrew school, Yona explained. The crowded parking lot triggered a nostalgic memory of cramming fourteen kids into our Eurovan after a bar mitzvah party.
Finally, Buzz and Sonett, lemon and tangerine, stood side-by-side, ready to race. “I’ll count three,” Yona announced over speakerphone. A sudden wave of apprehension hit me. “O.K., yeah, but we’re only going, like, fifty yards, right?” I asked, the reality of the impromptu race setting in. “No, this is so cool,” Yona countered. “And illegal?” I added hesitantly. “Chicken,” Gefen taunted.
With Yona’s countdown – “Three! Two! One!” – I floored the accelerator of the new Volkswagen van. The result? I smoked them. The electric power of the new Volkswagen van delivered an undeniable victory. The ID. Buzz isn’t just a nostalgic nod to the past; it’s a powerful, fun, and surprisingly engaging vehicle that redefines the Volkswagen van for the electric age. While the price might be a barrier for some, the experience behind the wheel of this new Volkswagen van is undeniably compelling and signals an exciting direction for the future of the iconic VW bus.
