Discussion
Always been a fan of the Buzz. I don't need a car that big but the child in me loves the way it looks, the driving position, and the practicality it offers. Interesting that after all the initial interest when it was launched there are now nearly new models with low miles available for around £40k. My local dealer in Edinburgh has 4 for sale!
I also noticed that VW has upgraded the battery and motor for the SWB model. The standard battery size has increased slightly from 77 to 79 kWh and the power has gone from 204 PS to 286 PS. Range still not the best even with the slightly larger battery - 282 miles WLTP.
Still a bit too much for me but will be keeping an eye on prices over the next 12-18 months.
Anyone on here own one and is happy to share their experience of daily use?
I also noticed that VW has upgraded the battery and motor for the SWB model. The standard battery size has increased slightly from 77 to 79 kWh and the power has gone from 204 PS to 286 PS. Range still not the best even with the slightly larger battery - 282 miles WLTP.
Still a bit too much for me but will be keeping an eye on prices over the next 12-18 months.
Anyone on here own one and is happy to share their experience of daily use?
Edited by Ecosseven on Monday 27th January 10:49
I've got a 1st Edition, bought in December 2023 and now on 16k ish miles. It followed a Tesla Model 3 and a VW T6 California before that so a blend of both. The lifetime average consumption so far is 2.9 kwh/mile so far which suggests 223 mile range but realistically I'd say a safe 200 in the summer and 180 in the winter.
It makes the T6 feel archaic in comparison in terms of ride and NVH. The one change I made was to change the 21" wheels it came with. Its wider that the T6 and the wheels were a complete curb magnet so I've got a set of steels on there now.
The infotainment isn't quite as bad as is made out but is several steps backwards from the Model but the inclusion of CarPlay is a plus. The Comfort seats were a must for me and its a very competent motorway cruiser. We've taken it to Europe a few times now and it eats the miles quite happily.
It makes the T6 feel archaic in comparison in terms of ride and NVH. The one change I made was to change the 21" wheels it came with. Its wider that the T6 and the wheels were a complete curb magnet so I've got a set of steels on there now.
The infotainment isn't quite as bad as is made out but is several steps backwards from the Model but the inclusion of CarPlay is a plus. The Comfort seats were a must for me and its a very competent motorway cruiser. We've taken it to Europe a few times now and it eats the miles quite happily.
How are these for fuel range?
One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
rallycross said:
How are these for fuel range?
One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
If you're reliant on 70p+ /kWh public rapid charging then yes, it's going to be expensive. If you're doing within range of home charging nearly every day then the unit costs are 10% of that.One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
I must admit I have a slight yearning for one of these, but as I can’t charge at home, then, as for any EV.
The capital cost has to be comparable to an ICE.
The public charging has to approach diesel/petrol cost per mile.
With many new cars, there is always some complaint, and only by using one do you discover if it is minor or a major bugbear.
Having said all that, and tried a Jazz out, how can car makers not make a spacious car within a small footprint? (Especially wrt width).
The capital cost has to be comparable to an ICE.
The public charging has to approach diesel/petrol cost per mile.
With many new cars, there is always some complaint, and only by using one do you discover if it is minor or a major bugbear.
Having said all that, and tried a Jazz out, how can car makers not make a spacious car within a small footprint? (Especially wrt width).
rallycross said:
How are these for fuel range?
One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
That sounds a lot.One of our drivers used a new ID Buz to take 4 other drivers to Devon the week before last.
When they got in it the dash said it had 220 miles range,
Their journey was 320 miles in total all motorway or dual carriage.
It cost them £87 to do the trip including using up the range it had when they got in it (very cold day and they drove within the speed limits).
Sounds terrible fuel efficiency.
When charging at home, I reckon about 2ppm (7.5p/kWh and 4miles per kWH). An ICE car at 40mpg is about 17ppm.
The costs you quote comes out at about 27ppm so either the Buzz is much less efficient than my Model Y (probably true) or you were paying top whack for charging (probably also true). The most expensive public charger I’ve seen is a Shell Recharge at 85p/kWh (or 21ppm, and which I’ve never used because of that huge price). Tesla Superchargers are more like 40-45p/kWh.
Zigster said:
That sounds a lot.
When charging at home, I reckon about 2ppm (7.5p/kWh and 4miles per kWH). An ICE car at 40mpg is about 17ppm.
The costs you quote comes out at about 27ppm so either the Buzz is much less efficient than my Model Y (probably true) or you were paying top whack for charging (probably also true). The most expensive public charger I’ve seen is a Shell Recharge at 85p/kWh (or 21ppm, and which I’ve never used because of that huge price). Tesla Superchargers are more like 40-45p/kWh.
The Buzz is definitely less efficient than my old Model 3 which would average in excess of 4 miles/kwh without even trying. I've averaged 2.9 to date over 16k miles.When charging at home, I reckon about 2ppm (7.5p/kWh and 4miles per kWH). An ICE car at 40mpg is about 17ppm.
The costs you quote comes out at about 27ppm so either the Buzz is much less efficient than my Model Y (probably true) or you were paying top whack for charging (probably also true). The most expensive public charger I’ve seen is a Shell Recharge at 85p/kWh (or 21ppm, and which I’ve never used because of that huge price). Tesla Superchargers are more like 40-45p/kWh.
The VW charging plans with IONITY are 53p/kwh with a £5.99 monthly sub which takes some of the pain out but I wouldn't be running an EV if I didn't have a charger at home.
I have just had one of these ordered as a replacement for an outgoing Tesla Model 3 LR Dual Motor.
I couldn't get a test drive of a Short Wheebase (SWB) 6-seater, I think as this configuration is so new. Given the tiny cost difference between the LWB and SWB, I have gone ahead and ordered a LWB 6-seat but now I'm getting cold feet. My logic was -
- I'll never regret having too much space (whereas I could easily be annoyed the other way around)
- It's "only" 250mm longer, and that is entirely in-between the axles, the overhangs are the same
- Larger battery. A tiny bit better range
However; it's quite a bit bigger than my Model 3 at 4962mm. I've been spending a lot of time on Carsized.com comparing it to other cars (ignore the graphic, the numbers tell the full picture):
Will this be horrible to live with? I have 3 kids and they loved the 7-seat LWB version we had a long test drive in (90 minutes) but the test drive was around Milton Keynes which is probably easy to navigate compared to most towns.
75% of the time (or more) it will just be me in the car travelling up and down the country. But this is the only way I could afford such a car and it's just about the only "Interesting" EV on the market, the rest just leave me feeling a bit cold.
Interested in other peoples' opinions, even those who have just gone from a regular car to a 'van' or mininvan.
There's probably still time to change my order to the SWB.
And no, VW couldn't find me a 6-seater SWB anywhere in the South East that I could look at / test drive. It seems they are that new.
I couldn't get a test drive of a Short Wheebase (SWB) 6-seater, I think as this configuration is so new. Given the tiny cost difference between the LWB and SWB, I have gone ahead and ordered a LWB 6-seat but now I'm getting cold feet. My logic was -
- I'll never regret having too much space (whereas I could easily be annoyed the other way around)
- It's "only" 250mm longer, and that is entirely in-between the axles, the overhangs are the same
- Larger battery. A tiny bit better range
However; it's quite a bit bigger than my Model 3 at 4962mm. I've been spending a lot of time on Carsized.com comparing it to other cars (ignore the graphic, the numbers tell the full picture):
Will this be horrible to live with? I have 3 kids and they loved the 7-seat LWB version we had a long test drive in (90 minutes) but the test drive was around Milton Keynes which is probably easy to navigate compared to most towns.
75% of the time (or more) it will just be me in the car travelling up and down the country. But this is the only way I could afford such a car and it's just about the only "Interesting" EV on the market, the rest just leave me feeling a bit cold.
Interested in other peoples' opinions, even those who have just gone from a regular car to a 'van' or mininvan.
There's probably still time to change my order to the SWB.
And no, VW couldn't find me a 6-seater SWB anywhere in the South East that I could look at / test drive. It seems they are that new.
We are literally looking at doing the same. Replacing my Model 3 Perf with a LWB 7-seater. My thoughts are that I can keep the back row seats in the garage most of the time and enjoy more cargo space the rest of the time.
I’m not worried about the extra length in the slightest.
Interestingly I saw a 6 seat SWB in the flesh (Manchester) and couldn’t see the point in going SWB.
I’m not worried about the extra length in the slightest.
Interestingly I saw a 6 seat SWB in the flesh (Manchester) and couldn’t see the point in going SWB.
I test drove a LWB 7-seater and it felt agile enough and easy to place on the road, but like my last post, these were the roads around Milton Keynes so nice and wide and modern!
The width is a slight concern - 198cm (excl. Mirrors). This puts it perilously close to those inner-M25 width restrictors without much room to spare. The wheelbase obviously makes no difference to the width.
I guess the SWB won't have the flexibility of moving the seats back and forth quite so far. I'd like to see what space in a SWB is like with both rows pushed all the way forwards.
The width is a slight concern - 198cm (excl. Mirrors). This puts it perilously close to those inner-M25 width restrictors without much room to spare. The wheelbase obviously makes no difference to the width.
I guess the SWB won't have the flexibility of moving the seats back and forth quite so far. I'd like to see what space in a SWB is like with both rows pushed all the way forwards.
So I’m two years into the Buzz and to echo a previous poster, it’s the width which takes getting used to.
My SWB is the same length as the Model 3 it replaced which in turn replaced a T6 California. I never had issues with the length of the T6.
Most people on the Buzz facebook group report that they’ve curbed a wheel. With this in mind I’d always opt for a smaller alloy or steelie if you have a choice.
When I first got it there was a bit of buyers remorse but I’ve really grown into it now. The SWB 6 seater would probably be my ideal spec but it’s not worth the cost to change.
The tech is a bit basic compared to the Korean stuff and the range isn’t the best but it charges fast enough. When it’s time to change I might look at the Kia PV5 and if we get it the Hyundai Staria as the van format works for me.
My SWB is the same length as the Model 3 it replaced which in turn replaced a T6 California. I never had issues with the length of the T6.
Most people on the Buzz facebook group report that they’ve curbed a wheel. With this in mind I’d always opt for a smaller alloy or steelie if you have a choice.
When I first got it there was a bit of buyers remorse but I’ve really grown into it now. The SWB 6 seater would probably be my ideal spec but it’s not worth the cost to change.
The tech is a bit basic compared to the Korean stuff and the range isn’t the best but it charges fast enough. When it’s time to change I might look at the Kia PV5 and if we get it the Hyundai Staria as the van format works for me.
Benny Saltstein said:
So I’m two years into the Buzz and to echo a previous poster, it’s the width which takes getting used to.
My SWB is the same length as the Model 3 it replaced which in turn replaced a T6 California. I never had issues with the length of the T6.
Most people on the Buzz facebook group report that they’ve curbed a wheel. With this in mind I’d always opt for a smaller alloy or steelie if you have a choice.
When I first got it there was a bit of buyers remorse but I’ve really grown into it now. The SWB 6 seater would probably be my ideal spec but it’s not worth the cost to change.
The tech is a bit basic compared to the Korean stuff and the range isn’t the best but it charges fast enough. When it’s time to change I might look at the Kia PV5 and if we get it the Hyundai Staria as the van format works for me.
Good to hear. The infotainment seemed fine - I understand that the 2024+ models have been updated from those earlier ones anyway, and ultimately I'll just be using Carplay / Android Auto. They also have 286PS and charge quicker (?) so they feel quite spritely and it's good to hear that you haven't had any issues with charging it. My SWB is the same length as the Model 3 it replaced which in turn replaced a T6 California. I never had issues with the length of the T6.
Most people on the Buzz facebook group report that they’ve curbed a wheel. With this in mind I’d always opt for a smaller alloy or steelie if you have a choice.
When I first got it there was a bit of buyers remorse but I’ve really grown into it now. The SWB 6 seater would probably be my ideal spec but it’s not worth the cost to change.
The tech is a bit basic compared to the Korean stuff and the range isn’t the best but it charges fast enough. When it’s time to change I might look at the Kia PV5 and if we get it the Hyundai Staria as the van format works for me.
I've ticked every option - I liked the idea of the big glass roof and the comfort / massage seats. I've also selected the 21" wheels, the car we tested had them and it rode well. Kerbing does worry me a bit, but ultimately it's not 'my' car.
Have you encountered any of those 6' 6" width restrictions?
I've had a 77kwh SWB since Jan and I love it. I have two older teenagers so didn't need the 7 seats. It has the standard Solna 20" rims.
I work from home but I am also mountain rescue. I mention this for context and to hopefully allay some of your fears. You can imagine that I have to carry quite a bit of gear around with me from numerous back packs of various sizes, all sorts of clothing, radios, water, sweets etc.
All of that gear fits into two under bed storage boxes that I slide under the buzz deck in the back, leaving the whole boot empty all of the time.
I have to drive to lots of very remote locations, occasionally off road and often through gates, over small bridges, single lane tracks etc. Basically the countryside.
I've never had a problem with any of this width wise. If anything the large amount of sidewall (on the 20") means that I'm nowhere near kerbs or rocks.
I've slept in the back of it, I've fitted swivel seats and have a demountabe table so I can plan/work in it if I'm out and about.
All of that with EV comfort and 'command position' seating (as JLR like to say).
Size wise, the LWB is smaller than a Ranger Rover Sport and you see enough of them around.
You won't regret it, they're fab cars.
I work from home but I am also mountain rescue. I mention this for context and to hopefully allay some of your fears. You can imagine that I have to carry quite a bit of gear around with me from numerous back packs of various sizes, all sorts of clothing, radios, water, sweets etc.
All of that gear fits into two under bed storage boxes that I slide under the buzz deck in the back, leaving the whole boot empty all of the time.
I have to drive to lots of very remote locations, occasionally off road and often through gates, over small bridges, single lane tracks etc. Basically the countryside.
I've never had a problem with any of this width wise. If anything the large amount of sidewall (on the 20") means that I'm nowhere near kerbs or rocks.
I've slept in the back of it, I've fitted swivel seats and have a demountabe table so I can plan/work in it if I'm out and about.
All of that with EV comfort and 'command position' seating (as JLR like to say).
Size wise, the LWB is smaller than a Ranger Rover Sport and you see enough of them around.
You won't regret it, they're fab cars.
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