New Owners Find the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Electric Microbus Very APEAL-ing

It sounds important because it is: The J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (sm or APEAL study. This annual survey tracks how new vehicle owners are experiencing their vehicles after 90 days of ownership, and what makes them satisfied. And we didn’t find it at all surprising that the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz has a lot of satisfied new owners.

A complex matrix of qualities shapes impressions, and the study addresses various models in their unique segment of the market. One that made us at Volkswagen of Fairfield happy is the Volkswagen ID.Buzz microbus was the highest ranked in the Minivan segment, besting rivals Toyota Sienna and Kia Carnival.

What Do Consumers Like?

So what are the qualities that J.D. Power tracks in the APEAL study? Overall, it measures how well-attached emotionally new vehicle owners are, and what their level of excitement is in 10 distinct experience areas:

• Walking up to your vehicle
• Setting up and starting
• Getting in and out
• Vehicle interior
• Vehicle powertrain
• Driving feel
• Safety
• Infotainment system use
• Driving comfort
• Fuel consumption 
  

To arrive at their conclusions, the experts at J.D. Power surveyed more than 84,000 2025 model-year owners. And while the main reason for doing the study is to help automakers improve on their products, it also provides some interesting insights to consumers, which might help as we choose our next ride.

Some of the major findings include that: 

• “Premium” brands bring more emotional satisfaction for their owners than “Mass Market” brands. The VW ID.Buzz is a mass market vehicle – and it’s an electric.
• Complicated technology is a problem for new-model owners compared to carry-over models. This is especially true in the vehicle set-up/startup and infotainment areas.
• Internal combustion engines and hybrid vehicles are more satisfying.
• When owners set up personal profiles in their new vehicles, they are more satisfied with features like climate control and customizable seat positions.

How Did Volkswagen Do?

Overall, VW came in sixth in the Mass Market segment of the APEAL study, with a brand score of 845 out of 1,000 possible points – still above the segment average by five points. Volkswagen went up in fuel economy (a 36-point gain) and infotainment (9-point gain). The ID.Buzz had an overall score of 882, and was praised for exterior styling, smooth and powerful electric drivetrain (in the APEAL study, it had the top score among Mass Market models), and user-friendly interior. 

Kjell Gruner, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said, “This recognition is a signal that emotional design, thoughtful technology, and electric performance can come together in a way that truly resonates with modern drivers.”

What we say is that drivers are loving the 2025 ID.Buzz’s retro styling, including the bright two-tone paint jobs and interior color themes (a boo-hiss that there’s no “cuteness” category), large infotainment displays, 30-color ambient lighting, and IQ.DRIVE® driver assistance technology and more. 

Are you on the ID.Buzz bus? Our client advisors at VW of Fairfield can show you how satisfying owning one of these unique electric microbuses can be!