Volkswagen ID.Buzz - long-term review

Weight. It's something we've learned to swallow with EVs, a necessary by-product of a useable range that can often be masked (to an extent) with trick torque vectoring and bloated power figures. But it’s still an issue. A big fat one. We know the seven-seat Buzz is no ballerina, but just to be sure we stuck it on the scales where it clocked... 2,867kg.

In fact, we tried it twice just to be sure and the second time the front right scale maxed out and had a hissy fit. Must be all those Twix wrappers in the footwell. Anyway, you get the picture - it’s an absolute unit which, along with its lackadaisical approach to aero, explains its mediocre efficiency. But credit where its due, that figure is also a healthy 50kg under its claimed kerbweight. Perhaps that's from the missing seat in the second row, or perhaps VW put helium in the tyres?

As we found ourselves at Thruxton for the Valkyrie vs AMG One test, and the diva F1 cars were cooling their carbon-fibre jets, I decided to put all this mass to the test and try a few laps of the self-proclaimed ‘UK’s fastest circuit’. In the pouring rain. In an EV bus. Not one of my smartest ideas, but science must prevail, and this is the juiced-up GTX after all, surely it was developed on the Nürburgring?

Erm, no. But to give it yet more credit, the experience wasn’t as shambolic as you’d imagine. Four-wheel drive gave me a modicum of comfort accelerating through standing water, and with that shin-height centre of gravity it stays surprisingly flat in the corners. It steers crisply, and a jolt of acceleration is always available. I tried to turn the ESC off completely, because that’s the law on a wet track, but it can’t be done, fully at least. It’s almost as if this wasn’t designed to be a drift-wagon – crazy, I know.

I joke, but the truth is I’ve been trying to trip the Buzz up by taking it outside what you’d imagine was its comfort zone, but every time it keeps on smiling and comes up trumps. It’s a phenomenal family car that can take pretty much any punishment you throw at it. But I may have discovered its kryptonite… more on that soon.