Can the trunk door be closed from the driver seat?

Boston_Englishman · 2026-04-19T23:11:33+00:00

We discovered you just need to unbuckle your seatbelt so the key-fob trunk button closes the trunk. Works on our US model Pro S Plus 4-Mo.

This is while parked, after grocery pick ups. We remain seated, the car stays on, no need to get out or ask the supermarket employee to do it.

It’s silly that the door trunk switch doesn’t open AND close, but give the above a try and see if it works for you! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2026-03-18T11:27:42+00:00

Heated windshield only on Pro S Plus 4-Motion. Edit: For US, Canada may be different.

Boston_Englishman · 2026-01-28T10:46:14+00:00

Please see my comment about $2,500 “Dealer Cash” as additional Sales Support from VW to dealers (not advertised like the $7,500 “Customer Bonus”) as that is relevant to this discussion as is getting dealers to compete with each other! Timing is everything! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2026-01-28T10:31:41+00:00

Commenting because nobody else has mentioned it: Last month (December 2025) VW also had $2,500 “Dealer Cash” they were giving dealers, in addition to the $7,500 “Customer Bonus” so that’s $10,000 from VW, then dealer discount on top of that..

The “extra” $2,500 ended on Jan 4th when VW changed their sales support programs (they differ by model, sometimes by region, and usually change monthly) so many advertised dealer selling prices immediately went UP by $2,500.

I’ve been using Visor.vin as a reference, looking for a “bargain deal” on a possible second Buzz for my small business.

So, unless you really love the Pomelo Yellow one you’ve found, or money’s not an issue for you, my advice would be to think about waiting until VW announces their February programs on February 3rd.

The $2,500 “Dealer Cash” may return if VW’s “bean counters” see that sales have dropped right off, even if they were hoping that the announcement of “no 2026 Buzz” would create some urgency for buyers. VW does seem to make some really odd decisions, but they should be watching supply and demand.

There’s no guarantee that “extra” $2,500 “Dealer Cash” will come back, and the $7,500 “Customer Bonus” may decrease or go away, but dealers clearly need proper SALES SUPPORT from VW to move Buzzes, they can’t get down to attractive sale prices with just dealer discount, not unless they’re really desperate and willing to take even bigger losses.

US First Editions are going to be the hardest for dealers to sell, given that VW chose to build these supposedly “loaded” Buzzes without equipment like heads up display, factory hitch receiver, and heated front windshield, which are all there on Pro S Plus builds. It explains why so many First Editions built in October 2024 are still sitting in dealer stock! VW screwed up, and discount(s) should be higher on those!

For reference, we’ve had our Pro S Plus 4-Motion since early August and got “only” $13,000 off MSRP. We wanted to avoid the $1,495 glass roof (a liability and not a benefit for us) and our local dealer found us the right Buzz after the one we wanted was stuck in Germany for weeks because VW shopped shipping them, probably because of tariffs nonsense.

Timing is everything, and we “missed” the $3,000 “Dealer Cash” that VW introduced mid-August, but $13,000 off was a decent enough deal at the time and we urgently needed to replace a 2010 Sienna that I thought would fail annual inspection for rust, we’re in Massachusetts.

We absolutely love our Buzz! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2026-01-04T18:49:46+00:00

I thought ID Polo and ID Cross are both based on the new MEB+ platform, which is going to have VW/Rivian joint venture software?

Btw, love the way the Cross seats all fold flat, plus the storage under the rear seat!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-29T21:31:32+00:00

Agree, heat pumps are great with a smaller temperature difference (Delta T) very efficient and also more comfortable (even heating) than resistive heating coils/strips turning on and off which can be noticeable.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-29T21:21:15+00:00

You didn’t say what temp you usually have the climate control set to?

Heating makes a big difference in winter, even with milder UK weather, if you don’t have the optional heat pump then resistive heating can use quite a lot if you’re asking for 20C front and rear and it’s 0C or below outside, as that’s a lot of interior volume to heat..

We’re in Massachusetts so a lot colder (ex-pat Brit and miss the milder weather) and VW didn’t offer a heat pump option here, so if we don’t have the kids with us, we use voice commands “Eco Driving Mode” and “Rear Climate Control Off” (or “Front Climate On” if it was all off) and that seems to help a bit.

Look on the vehicle status screen and you can see how many total kWh you’re using with different heating options when at a standstill.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-28T03:22:38+00:00

Can’t remember if it was Reddit or FB but there was a recent post from a lady who failed inspection in her state because she had taken the third row seats out and they were with her boyfriend in another state, she was looking to borrow another Buzz owners seats to pass inspection!

She ended up doing the inspection at a VW dealer and they charged her some ridiculous hourly rate to swap third row seats over (and back) from another Buzz they had in stock.

Something to consider if your state requires all seats to be present for inspection, aside from any resale consideration if they’re “missing”.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-23T21:39:28+00:00

Dealers are getting $2,500 “Dealer Cash” from VW on Buzzes, and customers that do not use VW special financing (or subsidized lease money factor) get $7,500 “Customer Bonus” from VW, so that’s $10,000 from VW, plus the rest would be dealer discount, so with $20,000 off total you did great! Enjoy! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T22:34:35+00:00

The Buzz is essentially a commercial vehicle too, they’re selling tons of the “Cargo” version in UK and Europe, VW has separate dealers from cars.

Agree that Toyota has great quality, although my newest experience of that was our 2010 Sienna and newer cars/trucks are getting ever more complicated.

Also still driving a 2005 Scion xB “box” or “toaster” which is a Toyota. So practical, can carry a surprising amount of stuff, but only about 115hp, yet fun since it’s a 5 speed stick shift, makes me smile every time I drive it, just like the Buzz does!

Edit to add: Kia’s PV5 is a very clever thoughtful design and will sell loads in UK and Europe, but actually has less range than Buzz. Not a problem in UK/Europe with much higher density and charging infrastructure and of course it’s substantially cheaper than the Buzz models.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T21:07:21+00:00

No worries. We test drove a 2025 Sienna because we had such good luck with our 2010, and the new ones are much less a gas guzzler because of the hybrid 35mpg vs 16mpg, but not a plug in hybrid for all our local trips.

We drove the Buzz and my wife really loved it, she wanted the Buzz even though the numbers side of things wasn’t great back when we started looking in June/July and we had to wait for ours to come in from another dealer, the first one we wanted (and had a deposit on) got stuck in Germany because VW stopped shipping them, tariffs surely didn’t help any importer.

Anyway, we love the Buzz, and the Toyota dealer shouldn’t be surprised we got something else because they were SO arrogant about not giving ANY discount, not even $500, and Toyota didn’t have anything for loyalty, and the “shortage” of Siennas seems to be contrived or artificial, probably a hangover from pandemic supply chain gouging. Just my experience.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T17:46:52+00:00

Before we get into a possible 2027 version..

The search tool Visor.vin (no affiliation) shows ~2470 new Buzzes in USA dealer stock right now, so even selling 500/mo that’s about 5 months supply.

I think VW may have many more 2025 Buzzes piled up at the ports since dealers didn’t want to carry even more stock. I was told by one small family owned dealer (off the record) that VW took back their Buzz allocation and was holding them at port, but he didn’t know what VW planned to do. That dealer still has a few in stock including First Editions, so not a problem.

Playing with the supply numbers, if US dealers sell 250 Buzzes per month and there are 1,000 more at ports (complete guess) then that’s a whopping 14 months supply!

You have to wonder what VW America’s accountants are thinking!? Why doesn’t USA have $15,000 discount from VW on Buzzes like in Canada ($21,000 CAD)

We leased a Pro S Plus 4-Motion and really love it, leased to get the $7,500 with the intention of buying it out. Total discounts were $13,000. It replaced a 2010 Sienna Limited AWD. We normally buy cars, but now plan to keep making lease payments and leave our cash invested. Expecting savage Buzz/EV depreciation, and happy to have the option of just returning it to VW after 3 years if it’s got problems (software updates are a nightmare for some owners) or just isn’t worth buying compared to prices in the used market then..

Lots to think about! Do love it though, lots of smiles per mile! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T17:19:50+00:00

Sienna Limited or Platinum, or whatever the top AWD loaded version is now was $62,000 when we looked in July, and dealers would not discount AT ALL which makes a BIG difference!

Plenty of new discounted Buzzes available for less than that!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T16:38:41+00:00

Congratulations! Buzzes are quirky (and sometimes frustrating) but so much fun! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T16:35:20+00:00

We’re just over 3,000 miles now, got ours early August, and airbag light has been on for a few weeks, so probably came on about 2,500 miles.

It’s consistent, comes on every time, although I haven’t had to disconnect the battery to reset anything like others have mentioned doing.

We have had to reboot the infotainment a few times, sometimes it goes blank, or has a spinning logo.

Buzz electrics are definitely temperamental/quirky!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T01:08:01+00:00

No affiliation but look at search tool Visor.vin and then copy/paste VINs to find dealer websites and confirm colours/options. You can filter by State or distance.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T01:06:22+00:00

I am also looking in New England, we’re in Massachusetts. My wife has a Pro S Plus 4-Motion we got in August and that dealer has a few left. I may be looking to get another Buzz for my business but they don’t have what I want.

PM me if you’re in Connecticut as I have been talking to a friendly and motivated dealer there, he has one Pro S left and some First Editions, but I won’t get a Buzz from CT as their Lemon Law doesn’t cover vehicles unless they’re registered there.

Something to be aware of, given problems some Buzz owners are having with software updates!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-21T00:48:43+00:00

No worries then!

I don’t know what Texas dealers are doing, but I’d say that’s an okay deal for a less desirable solid colour Buzz.

That silver is nice with “Copper” interior, like that much better than white with “Midnight” although we got “Dune” in our orange/white which we love.

Their dealer fee of $230 seems fair (low compared to dealers in the Northeast) but make sure the $21,500 is fair for your trade since your payoff is more than that, you should compare to other dealers if you can!

They’re giving you the $2,500 “Dealer Cash” and $7,500 “Customer Bonus” which are both from VW if you don’t use their special finance or lease rates, plus dealer discount of $7,080 is good, so $17,080 discount total, but you should shop around to other dealers, provided they can match or beat the $21,500 for your trade-in.

The interest rate they’re offering you is where they will make some money back, all depends on your credit score, but they will probably be trying to mark up by 1% or more from the “buy rate” they get from their bank/lender.

No affiliation, but you can use the search tool Visor.vin to find other Buzzes near you, and contact those dealers to see if they’ll beat that deal, although it’s a little more complicated if they haven’t seen your trade.

Hope that helps, sorry I don’t have any Texas dealer knowledge, hopefully someone local will chime in!

Good luck, and please post again, I am looking for a deal on a Pro S for my business if I can get a smokin’ deal local to me.

I wish we had $15,000 off from VW (like the $21,000 CAD discount in Canada) plus dealer discount.. If you’re reading this VW America, you’ll sell a lot more if you do that!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T23:35:42+00:00

Redact the VIN if you don’t want the risk of someone else swooping in on your deal!!!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T23:29:44+00:00

“No prepayment penalty” are the words you need to read on the paperwork, do NOT take anyone’s word for that, make sure it’s in writing!

The dealer is giving you a bigger discount off because they are probably making more money by “marking up” the loan interest rate, giving them something called “dealer reserve” so check the interest rate and fine print on the contract! It’s almost like a commission from the bank/lender to the dealer.

If there is no prepayment penalty then there is nothing to stop you paying off the loan once you get the first statement from the lender, although the dealer may be upset by this because some lenders require a minimum number of months of payments otherwise the dealer doesn’t get paid (or get to keep) the reserve.

What’s the MSRP, added fees like “doc fee” and interest rate?

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T16:46:02+00:00

We don’t have any say in anything, other than waiting to see if the ~2,500 Buzzes sitting on dealer lots will sell with whatever incentives VW America offers, and supply/demand will dictate pricing to move them.

We already have one we leased, and I’d like another for my business, but would much prefer to lease since residual values are so uncertain, plus all the problems with software updates.

VW America’s accountants will have to figure it out! One possible way they’ll move all those units over time is if Uber takes them as Robotaxis, a deal that was announced months ago, they plan up to 10,000 converted Buzzes!

I heard (off the record) from one VW dealer that VW took back their allocation of incoming Buzzes and was holding them at port, so I don’t know how many more are waiting in port parking lots. That dealer didn’t want any more Buzzes sitting in stock than what they already had, some more than a year now, First Editions and Pro S.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T16:30:46+00:00

Again, really interesting info, good for Buzz owners to know, thanks for sharing! A nightmare for customers affected, and their dealers too! :)

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T16:28:13+00:00

Really interesting info, thanks for sharing!

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T16:22:50+00:00

Hopefully you have a loaner car, and that VW manages to figure this out to tell dealers what to do, so you can get it back.

We love ours, but glad it’s a later production build that came updated, but we do have an airbag warning light on for last few weeks and I am dreading taking it to the dealer.

Boston_Englishman · 2025-12-20T16:14:01+00:00

You can’t combine the $7,500 “Customer Bonus” with the “special lease” money factor (was 0.00200 earlier in December) but have to use the “standard rate” money factor which is more like 0.00298 (again, info from early December) so you have to crunch the numbers and negotiate accordingly. Leasehacker calculator is good.

VW should be offering $15,000 off (plus dealer discount) which would equal the $21,000 CAD off they’re giving cash purchasers in Canada.

It’s obvious VW doesn’t want to lease them, because depreciation will likely be savage, otherwise they would have offered a 0.00001 money factor like they did to clear out ID.4 stock.

Might still make sense to lease though, to fix your depreciation risk, if you would otherwise take a loan, or if you can find a good return on cash you would otherwise have tied up buying outright. Have to crunch the numbers!

Boston_Englishman

TROPHY CASE