Talking Cars 467: Driving the Volkswagen ID. Buzz

Plus, the podcast panel discusses how to find a dealership for service and fun, cheap cars.

Jon Linkov, Consumer Reports Autos Editor.

By Jon Linkov
Autos Editor

March 12, 2025

Main theme: This week our panel discusses the 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz that we bought for our test program. Our first drive video on the all-electric van we rented from Volkswagen five months ago was so popular that we decided to dedicate this episode to our own test model. We cover the experiences each driver had with the ID. Buzz: taking it to a concert, using it to haul a mountain bike to the trailhead, and ferrying kids to and from school. This van has a steep price and a surprisingly short driving range, which prompts discussion about how road-trip-worthy the ID. Buzz really is.

Read the Volkswagen ID. Buzz first drive.

Audience Questions
• Where is the best place to take a 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander for maintenance now that the local dealer has gone out of business?
• Is there a sub-$10,000 convertible that has a manual transmission, can tow 1,500 pounds, has an abundance of budget-friendly parts for repair, and can carry two people and a dog?

Talking Cars 467 panel — “Talking Cars” panelists (from left): Jon Linkov, Maddie McCarty, and Mike Monticello.

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Recent Episodes

• 10 Top Picks of 2025, episode 466
• Driving the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, episode 465
• Electric Vehicles—Live From CR’s Auto Test Center, episode 464
• Driving the Nissan Kicks, episode 463
• The Best and Worst Cars of 2024, episode 462

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Jon Linkov

Jon Linkov is the deputy auto editor at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2002, covering varied automotive topics including buying and leasing, maintenance and repair, ownership, reliability, used cars, and electric vehicles. He manages CR’s lineup of special interest publications, hosts CR’s “Talking Cars” podcast, and writes and edits content for CR’s online and print products. An avid cyclist, Jon also enjoys driving his ’80s-era sports car and instructing at track days.