Road Trippin’ to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in an ID. Buzz

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Final Up to date on: 2nd Could 2025, 02:58 pm

By Nick Rericha

We not too long ago launched into a street journey in our model spankin’ new Volkswagen ID. Buzz First Version from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for Spring Break. Right here is our assessment!

My spouse and I had been anxiously ready for the ID. Buzz to go on sale because it was first introduced on the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Present. On the time, our daughters had been 9 and seven years previous and we had been driving a 2013 Mazda 5. The ID. Buzz could be the proper minivan for our household. Nonetheless, because the years rolled on and our children grew up, we would have liked a bigger automobile, so we bought a used Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, which gives a variety of house for our household whereas additionally permitting 30 miles of electrical propulsion.

When the US launch date and worth had been lastly introduced, we actually weren’t able for buying the Buzz. We had simply paid off our 2018 Tesla Mannequin 3 Mid Vary in December 2024. The worth of the Buzz was greater than we anticipated, so we determined to attend a 12 months or two. Nonetheless, after seeing a Mahi-Inexperienced First Version within the showroom of our native Volkswagen dealership, we determined to have a look.

We fell in love with the automobile and began working the gears and levers to see how we might make a purchase order occur. The trade-in worth of the Pacifica that was provided was lower than what we owed on the automobile. I actually didn’t need to have one other automobile fee as a result of we had simply paid off the Mannequin 3. After a number of weeks from that preliminary go to, we noticed the writing on the wall concerning resale values of used Teslas, so we determined to go to once more to see what they’d provide for my Mannequin 3. The trade-in provide was good and I solely noticed it happening, so we determined to commerce within the Mannequin 3 for a leased ID. Buzz First Version that we name Buzzy. We took Buzzy residence on February 8, 2024.

The primary side I like in regards to the Buzz is the retro-future design. Volkswagen has finished an ideal job of mixing the previous whereas additionally incorporating the current/future, in my view. You’ll be able to completely inform it’s a “VW Bus.” A couple of weeks in the past, a girl in a Lowe’s car parking zone requested, “It is back?” and naturally I responded with “It is back!”

The Buzz has a voluminous inside, with 145.5 cu. ft. of cargo house when the third-row seats are eliminated and the second-row seats are folded down. A rear “shelf” gives a flat floor when third-row and second-row seats are folded down. The shelf will be flipped up when wanted. As a result of our youngest daughter likes to have the third-row all to herself, we had been required to place all of our baggage for our street journey to Gatlinburg within the again behind the third-row seats. All three suitcases match within the again, and I used to be additionally capable of put my briefcase and climbing boots under the flipped-down rear shelf.

Our all-wheel drive First Version has a 91 kWh battery that’s rated for 231 miles with an EPA mixed MPGe of 80. Though there have been complaints from some in regards to the vary of the Buzz, the vary is just like my previous 2018 Mannequin 3 Mid Vary, so I’ve no points with the vary. The charging time from 10% to 80% state of cost is 26 minutes, which is respectable.

Once we left our home in Cincinnati, the Buzz had a 100% cost. I used A Better Route Planner with an OBD dongle, which was temperamental and was offering state of cost information that was 8% to fifteen% off in comparison with what the Buzz was reporting on the consumer interface. I finally unplugged the ODB dongle and plugged it again in at our first charging cease, which solved the issue.

We averaged 3.1 miles/kWh driving from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky to the Smoky Mountains. Our departure temperature was 40 levels Fahrenheit and our arrival temperature was 74 levels Fahrenheit. I set A Higher Route Planner in order that we’d arrive at our resort in Gatlinburg with 20% cost, which required two charging stops of about 25 minutes and 6 minutes, respectively. We finally stopped thrice on account of an additional rest room break. I wish to cease each two hours or so to stretch my legs and stroll round anyway, so the vary of the Buzz is ideal for me and my household on lengthy street journeys.

Our first charging cease was on the Richmond, Kentucky, Buc-ee’s, which has ChargePoint quick chargers. Initially I used to be confused as a result of the chargers had a Mercedes-Benz emblem on them, which I believed possibly meant they had been for Mercedes-Benz autos solely. Nonetheless, the Buzz charged simply high-quality. We charged for 23 minutes, going from 38% to 80%, gaining 26.1169 kWh at $0.48 per kWh. You probably have by no means been to a Buc-ee’s, it’s a vacation spot in itself and fairly a spectacle. The place was filled with individuals.

Our second charging cease was for 17 minutes at a Williamsburg, Kentucky, Electrify America in a Walmart car parking zone. We gained 33.84 kWh, going from 43% to 78% at a price of $0.48 per kWh. Our third and last restroom/charging cease was on the Sevierville, Tennessee, Buc-ee’s the place we charged for about 7 minutes, gaining 14.78333 kWh whereas going from 44% to 60% at a price of $0.49 per kWh.

Total, the Buzz was a dream to drive on our street journey to the Smoky Mountains. My previous Mannequin 3 didn’t have Autopilot options similar to adaptive cruise management. I discovered the IQ. Drive semi-automatic driving options to be very succesful, and it made for a way more stress-free driving expertise than I’m used to. One other characteristic that elevated the consolation of the drive was the arm rests, that are adjustable into any place. I like this characteristic! The again therapeutic massage characteristic can also be nice. I actually loved turning it on often.

We had been minor celebrities whereas driving round Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! The Buzz turned so many heads, and many individuals informed us how a lot they love the bus. Individuals had been hollering from the Hillbilly Golf line in Gatlinburg, which was hilarious. We bought many thumbs up and hang-loose hand gestures. One couple in a Ford F-150 Lightning pulled off the freeway simply to ask us to take a look at our automobile as a result of that they had by no means seen one and need to purchase one. Individuals actually do appear to like the Buzz!

All in all, I extremely advocate the ID. Buzz as an electrical minivan for taking street journeys. We can not wait to hit the street for our subsequent journey!

Associated: Early Owner Reviews of Volkswagen ID. Buzz — CleanTechnica Video

Notice that the homeowners of each ID Buzz autos interviewed in that video had been additionally in the course of street journeys and located the ID. Buzz utterly sufficient for street tripping.