• Cabin feels high-quality – especially in GTX trim
• New infotainment system is a vast improvement
• Touch-sensitive controls are still terrible, though

How is the quality and layout?

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz can be a very smart and luxurious place. You can have bright fabric trim woven from 90% recycled plastics, seats trimmed in synthetic, vegan-friendly leather and an ambient lighting system with up to 30 different colours. The result is an outstanding ambience that feels more like a premium car than a vehicle that’s related to a commercial vehicle.

But the Buzz is very trim-dependent. The upmarket interiors are only fitted to the top-spec models – and if you opt for the cheaper Life variant, your Buzz will look a lot more like the Cargo version with lashings of black and grey interior trim.

At least these materials are hard-wearing, so they won’t show signs of family abuse as obviously as the posher trims. We’d hate to be the ones cleaning melted chocolate or spilled juice off the Buzz’s white seats and door trims – and our long-term Buzz’s white cabin felt really grubby by the time we handed it back. If you go for the Style model (and you have young children), check out our page on the best interior cleaning products.

The GTX model feels far snugger than the standard Buzz, as its interior has even more black trim. You get a darkened headliner, black sports seats and a black dashboard. If you’re stepping out of a sporty car, like a Volkswagen Golf R, we’re sure you’ll love it.

Infotainment and tech

Volkswagen revised the Buzz’s infotainment setup for 2024. It now has the same 12.9-inch screen found in the facelifted Golf hatchback and all-new Passat estate – and it’s a vast improvement over the MPV’s old 12.0-inch unit.

It has far sharper graphics, much faster processors and a more logical menu design with larger icons. Plus, you get a brilliant hot bar at the top of the screen that allows you to jump to functions such as the drive modes and driver assistance technology.

Disengaging lane assist on the old system was downright frustrating, but it now takes just two prods. This is especially useful when your commute covers both twisty country lanes and monotonous motorway miles – as is the case for almost every member of the Parkers team.

Comfort

• Six-seat model is the most comfortable
• Rear middle seat best reserved for occasional use
• More refined than a petrol-powered Multivan

If you want the most comfortable Buzz, you should opt for the long-wheelbase, six-seat model. The extra space between the axles gives the MPV a more settled ride and the six seats are all captain’s chairs, so every passenger should be equally contented.

The second row on five- and seven-seat models is fine if you just need to use it to carry two passengers. However, we found that it was too narrow to carry three passengers, which is a disappointment for a vehicle of this size and type. You don’t get the same problem in the petrol-powered Volkswagen Multivan.

But the Buzz is far more refined than the Multivan. Engine noise is non-existent and, despite its bluff shape, there’s very little wind noise at motorway speeds. Road noise is minimal, too – even on the GTX’s massive 21-inch alloy wheels.

Our long-term Buzz had some creaky trims in its boot, but the models we’ve tried since haven’t suffered from the same issue. The only other irritation we’ve encountered is that the five-seat models are quite boomy, as to the vast amount of empty space behind the rear seats amplifies the sound of any dents in the road. The six- and seven-seat models are far quieter as the extra chairs absorb the sound.