Compare the2025 Lexus RZVS 2025 Volkswagen ID.BUZZ

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the RZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lexus RZ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The RZ Premium/Luxury has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the RZ and the ID.BUZZ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Lexus RZ achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The ID.BUZZ has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the ID.BUZZ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the ID.BUZZ ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the ID.BUZZ’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 67 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 132 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Volkswagen is ranked 27th.

The RZ 450e’s optional electric motors produces 26 more horsepower (308 vs. 282) than the ID.BUZZ’s standard electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ electric motors:

On the EPA test cycle the RZ gets better mileage than the ID.BUZZ:

The RZ can travel longer on a full charge than the ID.BUZZ on a full charge:

The Lexus RZ has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the ID.BUZZ. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The RZ stops shorter than the ID.BUZZ:

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the ID.BUZZ’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The RZ’s turning circle is 5.9 feet tighter than the ID.BUZZ 4Motion®’s (36.8 feet vs. 42.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.BUZZ (7.9 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Lexus RZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1600 to 1700 pounds less than the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ.

The RZ is 6.2 inches shorter than the ID.BUZZ, making the RZ easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RZ is 11.8 inches shorter in height than the ID.BUZZ, making the RZ much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The front grille of the RZ uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume than the ID.BUZZ with its rear seat up (34.1 vs. 18.6 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 78% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 29th.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The RZ’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The ID.BUZZ has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus RZ, based on reliability, safety and performance.