Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo Test: How Much Fits Behind the Third Row?

• The VW ID Buzz specs say it has 18.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row.
• Ignore that number; the sliding rear seats make it almost irrelevant.
• Our real-world test shows how much you can really fit in the back.

I'm going to be methodical here and go from minimum to maximum. This is the VW ID Buzz's cargo area with the third row in its rearmost position. It also has in place the hydraulically hinged cargo floor that's there to provide a perfectly flat load floor when the third row is lowered.

This is quite different from what you'd find in a minivan. All of their third rows disappear into the floor. I would imagine this capability results in a taller overall space behind the second row, but the Buzz is also taller than the typical minivan, so I'm hesitant to say the difference would be great.

You can actually remove the third-row seats from the van entirely, in which case I'm pretty confident in saying the Buzz would be better than the typical minivan.

I couldn't fit any of my bags under this platform, but these two collapsible storage bins are quite handy. I brought groceries into the house with them and prevented baseball equipment from sliding around.

OK, let's get to the bags. Here's some nice boilerplate information about the bags I use and their dimensions. There are two bags you'd definitely have to check at the airport: Big Gray (26 inches long x 16.5 inches wide x 12 inches deep) and Big Blue (26 x 16.5 x 10). There are three roll-aboards that usually fit as carry-on: Medium Tall (24 x 14 x 9), Medium Wide (23 x 15 x 9) and the smaller Green Bag (21 x 14 x 9.5). Finally, there's everyone's favorite Fancy Bag (21 x 12 x 11), a medium-size duffle.

Step 1: All seats back, platform in place

Indeed, this result is quite meh. It's consistent with what I could fit inside the 18-cubic-foot Hyundai Palisade.

I'd say this is the worst-case result, but you could actually recline the third row and make it even worse. I didn't test for that, though. You'll just need to use your imagination.

Now making a cameo appearance as a human analog: me!

I'm 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and this is what it looks like when I sit in the third row slid all the way back. The second row is also slid all the way back and I even reclined the third row to a comfortable position. This is the most comfortable I've ever been in a third row.

Now, I do not need this much space. And if someone my size doesn't need the Buzz's maximum third-row space, it seems safe to assume that most occupants won't either.

So, here I am again with the third row slid forward with maybe two hands of space between my knees and the second row that's still slid all the way back.

Got that? Third row forward a bit, second row all the way back.

OK, now let's return to the cargo area to see what will fit now.

Step 2: Third row slid forward, second row still back, platform in place

This is all the bags minus the Fancy Bag, which is a result equal to the Honda Pilot TrailSport. Of course, there are still the bins under the platform, so I guess this is technically better than the Honda.

OK, time to move the second row.

Per usual in three-row vehicles, the second row slides fore and aft. Above left is the seat in its farthest-forward position. The driver's seat, meanwhile, is all the way back to accommodate a 6-foot, 3-inch driver. The resulting space for me (again, a tough test) was comparable to my legroom in the above third row photo.

With the second row forward, I then slid the third row forward again, leaving the same amount of legroom for myself.

In other words, we are now testing with 6-foot, 3-inch passengers having sufficient legroom in all three rows. When we started, there was sprawl-out space for all three of me.

Step 3: Both rear rows forward, platform in place

Voilà! All of the bags fit with room to spare (I could fit two duffle bags in the remaining space). We're now in rarefied air here. This is better than every three-row SUV I've tested except the Chevrolet Suburban. It is not, however, better than the Honda Odyssey.

Oh, but we're not done. That platform is removable.

To remove the platform, twist the plastic handle until the lengthy screw comes out. Repeat on the other side: Lift platform out, put it someplace, carry on with cargo test.

Step 4: Both rear rows forward, platform removed

Here are the same bags in the same space now minus the cargo floor. It's quite the difference.

Now let's break out the cargo test bonus items to finish this sucker off.

I could've turned to the usual duffle bags, but I thought this was a better demonstration of the total space remaining. The split photo shows that I could've fit an extra Big Blue and Medium Wide bag if they existed. So, that's seven suitcases (no Fancy Bag) and a 38-quart cooler.

The Suburban could hold the Fancy Bag and three cloned suitcases, so the Buzz isn't touching that. I also can't be quite sure how this compares to the Odyssey, but it would be close. I am sure, however, that I would be more comfortable in every seat inside the Buzz with this much stuff is aboard than I would be in the Suburban or Odyssey. That's a key point to be made here, the balance between cargo and passenger space.

Step 5: Both rear rows slid back, no platform

To close things out, I slid the rear rows back to maximize comfort and kept the platform in the garage. All the bags fit. The Fancy Bag is pretty high, but the head restraint keeps it from flying forward. It's also at the same height as the head restraint so it's not reducing rear visibility any more than a passenger's head would be.

This result makes me think the 18.6-cubic-feet measurement stopped at the top of the rear seatback or includes the platform. Either way, this is much better than 18.6 would normally indicate.

Admittedly, this is a lot of results. If there was ever an example of cargo volume figures not telling the whole story, the VW ID Buzz is it.