Subaru Outback vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz

What's the difference?

The Subaru Outback Sport Touring XT is what you get when you want a beefed-up station wagon masquerading as an SUV that can handle adventuring and haul the family around in comfort. The limited edition has all of the great features you'd expect from a top model and a reasonable price tag but its fuel thirst will turn some people off.

Fleet managers and tradies are notoriously pragmatic when it comes to shelling out on a new vehicle. In which case, the Cargo’s relationship with the charm-offensive people-mover version of the ID. Buzz counts for little.

Fortunately, there’s some real meat in the Cargo’s make-up and the powerful, torquey driveline is just part of that. The driving experience is also a refined one, with the now well-understood benefits in driver stress-levels that implies.

Never the biggest van out there, the Cargo nevertheless makes the most of what size it does boast, and there’s enough cargo space for it to be a serious contender for a lot of small and large businesses.

Finally, while it costs more than some of its competitors, it still boasts the potential for ongoing low running costs, depending on how and where it’s charged. Horses for courses, we believe it’s called.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Sport Touring XT model is only available in the exclusive Geyser Blue paintwork (you'll either love it or hate it), has green accents scattered across the body and sports sharply styled and dark 18-inch alloy wheels.

The rear gets black badging and a spoiler but the black plastic moulding that Subaru is well known for is well and truly present.

There are some small design differences between the limited edition and it's siblings but at the end of the day it looks like an Outback.

Head inside and you'll find a solid and well-built cabin. The dashboard features a flashy 11.6-inch tech screen but the instrument cluster is still mostly analogue with a small 4.2-inch screen.

There are heaps of buttons and dials to play with and you also get a proper gear-shifter. The design will make this a winner for folks who want a car to look like a car, with its controls where they expect them to be.

Overall, the cabin feels premium but isn't fussy.

As the working version of the ID. Buzz, VW has paid more attention to practicalities than extra backsides on seats. So, the Cargo is a three-seater with a conventional driver’s seat and a two-person bench for the passengers. There’s no walk-through function between the cabin and cargo area, either.

You can also forget fashion-driven stuff like alloy wheels; the Cargo proudly wears 18-inch steel rims, shod with old-school 80-inch 60 series front tyres and 8.5-inch 55 series rears.

It might sound like some kind of a backward step, but the Cargo makes use of a combination of front disc brakes and drum rear brakes. And while the latter sounds like extremely old tech, when you consider how much of an EV’s braking is done regeneratively (without the use of the friction brakes at all) the switch to simpler, cheaper drums doesn’t sound so retrograde.

But even with that philosophy of practicality over all else, those charming retro dimensions still shine through, giving the Cargo a character and personality that elevates it beyond being a mere appliance. Fleet managers won’t care; owner-operators just might.

The cabin of the Outback has always been practical but the premium features this grade comes with ensures proper comfort for all occupants.

Seat comfort is high with the powered front seats that have heat and ventilation functions but the driver benefits the most with the extendable lumbar- and under-thigh supports.

The rear row is almost as comfortable as the front where passengers feel secured by the padded side bolsters, while taller occupants will love the head and legroom on offer. The heat function for the outboards is appreciated and the directional air vents are easy to position.

The 213mm ground clearance means it's easy getting in and out of the model but access to the back row is a little annoying. The footwell lip sits high and catches unsuspecting feet but it's the doors that made my eight-year-old grumble this week because they're heavy to operate.

Storage up front isn't class-leading but you get a glovebox that fits a manual, a dual-opening middle console, two cupholders and drink bottle holders, as well as a sunglasses holder and small cubby in front of the gear-shifter (which is annoying to access).

Storage is much better in the rear with four map pockets, storage bins in each door, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders to choose from.

The boot has 522 litres of capacity available, which is plenty of room for a road trip or a big grocery haul and the level loading space makes it easy to slide things in and out. You get a proper full-size spare tyre, which is rare nowadays and the powered tailgate is always a handy feature.

Technology feels well rounded and the touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy to use. However, the portrait position makes the icons and text on the wireless Apple CarPlay look small and I may have made a few accidental calls this week because of it.

The satellite navigation is easy to use and there's also wireless Android Auto. Charging options are decent with each row getting a single USB-A and C port but the front misses out on a wireless charging pad.

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Twin sliding side doors will be popular with those making multiple deliveries into sometimes tight spots. And even though there’s power latching, the Cargo lacks the powered side doors of the people-mover version of the same vehicle.

But for many operators, manual doors are quicker to open and close and, when you’re doing it dozens of times a day, those seconds can add up. Like the side doors, the Cargo’s tailgate is a manually operated one.

The default tailgate is a single piece, top-hinged unit that forms a handy umbrella when it’s opened and is also high enough for most adults to walk under without stooping.

The option tailgate is a pair of barn doors which open out and back, allowing loading via a forklift. The only catch there is that if you choose the barn doors, you lose the rear window altogether.

Inside the load area, which VW says will accommodate two standard pallets, there are rails for use as tie-down points, and a wooden cargo floor.

To be honest, though, the rails are too high to secure dense, heavy items, so there are also six beefy tie-down points around the floor’s perimeter. Protective plastic trim also extends half way to the roof on each side panel.

For safety, there’s also a partition to separate the driver’s compartment from the load, and there’s an access port for longer loads that require the full length of the interior. Under-floor storage areas are located on each side, accessed from inside the door opening.

With a load-space length of 2232mm, and a minimum cargo-bay width of 1230mm at the pinch-point (the rear wheel arches) the Cargo is pallet-friendly, and the load bay height of 1279mm means a cubic capacity of 3900 litres.

However, payload is limited a little by the vehicle’s own mass. The kerb mass of 2352kg is pretty brutal (batteries are heavy, right?) and the Gross Vehicle Mass limit means the payload tops out at 774kg.

While the batteries’ typical location under the floor makes for a flat cargo area, the electric motor between the rear (rather than the front) wheels means that the Cargo may not be quite as suitable for a rear-mounted wheelchair ramp as some of its competition.

Phone charging on the go is taken care of by four USB-C ports in the cabin. There’s a single 12-volt socket in the cargo bay and a couple of neat touches such as four coat hooks behind the seat and illuminated door handles and convex rear view mirrors, recognising the fact that many delivery vans spend a lot of time reversing into tight spots, too.

There are loads of storage nooks and cupholders around the cabin, including a full-width tray on top of the windscreen. The three-seat layout is going to work very well for some businesses, too.

The only catch there is that the fixed cargo barrier imposes a very upright backrest when the seats are moved all the way back for taller drivers. Move them forward a little and the backrest angle can be eased.

The big downside is the lack of a spare tyre of any sort. Instead, you’ll need to rely on the tyre sealant and 12-volt compressor with which VW equips the Cargo. At least there’s a tyre pressure monitoring system to give you early warning of an impending flat tyre. There’s a tool kit, as well.

The Cargo is capable of towing a 1200kg braked trailer.

With a starting price of $79,990, the ID. Buzz Cargo is hardly the cheapest of the mid-sized EV van bunch. The LDV eDeliver 7 undercuts it by plenty at $63,990 and has more payload and cargo space into the bargain.

The Peugeot e-Partner matches up with the VW more closely in space terms, but has much less range, offset by a brilliant special offer price of $49,990, right now. Ford’s E-Transit Custom will probably be much closer to the VW’s price-tag when it finally arrives Down Under.

So, what does the extra money get you? Fundamentally, the Cargo presents as a pretty classy version of a van. The twin side doors and choice of single or split tailgate are part of that, but even the timber floor in the load area suggests somebody has put a bit of thought into this car’s specification.

In the cabin, the three-across front seat is trimmed in tough cloth, and there’s a dual-zone climate-control system. A 12.9 inch touchscreen is the major interface, and the driver information is conveyed via a smaller, animated dashboard.

Volkswagen has also figured out that not all vans need to be white and plain, so there’s a range of metallic and pearl paint options, a 19-inch wheel and tyre upgrade, and the forklift-friendly wing doors are a snap at $390 extra.

You can also upgrade the side and rear doors to fully electric operation and there are upgrades to LED matrix headlights as part of the same option package.

The Sport Touring XT gets a 2.4L four-cylinder turbo-petrol boxer engine that produces a hefty 183kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

The re-tuned continuously variable transmission (CVT) system feels like it is changing gears but it's smooth and punctual, no matter the speed.

Because it’s based on the short-wheelbase version of the ID. Buzz people mover, the Cargo gets the short wheelbase body and a single electric motor driving the rear wheels. Outputs are 210kW of power and 550Nm of torque which, even on paper, promises pretty stout performance.

The electric motor is mounted between the rear wheels and there’s a single-speed transmission because that’s all the torquey electric motor needs to offer a full range of road speeds. Speaking of which, the Cargo has a top speed of 160km/h (more than adequate in Australia) and VW claims it will get from rest to 100km/h in about 8.0 seconds. Which feels about right.

Unfortunately, the turbo-petrol engine is thirsty and the official combined fuel cycle figure is 9.0L/100km.

With its 63L fuel tank, you have a theoretical driving range of up to 700km, which is best-case scenario but expect less range if you’re a city dweller.

After doing a mix of open road and city driving this week, my real-world usage came out at 9.3L, which is better than I expected.

Power comes from a 79kWh battery which, thanks to the official maximum consumption figure of 22.2kWh per 100km, gives a theoretical range of 402km.

Again, that’s plenty for a last-mile van. And in the real world, we recorded a figure of just under 20kWh/100km, so you’ll get closer to the claim than most EVs out there.

Charging from an 11kW socket should take about seven-and-a-half hours to get the Cargo from 0 to 100 per cent charge while the VW will also charge at a maximum of 185kW from a commercial DC fast-charger. In that instance, charging from five to 80 per cent should take about 30 minutes.

VW equips the Cargo with a Mode 2, Type 2 charging cable and there’s also a DC to DC converter. A CCS Type 2 charge port is included as standard as is a household power-point-friendly charge cable which should take the Cargo to full charge in just under 23 hours.

The Sport Touring XT model is nice to drive. The best word to describe the on-road experience is ‘smooth’.

Power delivery is prompt and getting up to speed feels effortless. It's a great open roader but also feels spritely in the city.

The ride comfort is excellent and it’s only when you hit the highway that the wind noise starts to creep up, otherwise, the cabin is quiet and you can chat with back passengers without raising your voice.

The higher ride doesn’t translate to a bumpy suspension and while you’re aware of the road, you’re never bothered by it.

The steering is on the right side of firm for it to feel agile and competent no matter what you’re throwing at it. Visibility is also pretty good but the headrests in the back seat, when up, can hinder your rear-view vision.

The Outback sits at 4870mm long and 1875mm wide, so it fills out a car space but the higher ground clearance means you’re not worried about scraping on ramps and it’s relatively easy to park.

However, it feels cheeky to not have a 360-degree view camera system at this grade level. The reversing camera it comes with is sufficient, but you miss out on front parking sensors.

First impression of the ID. Buzz Cargo is that it’s a very sophisticated piece of equipment for a tradie van. That’s largely down to the silent operation of the electric powertrain, but also because we suspect the suspension has been tuned for a little more comfort than some of the competition.

The upshot of that is that when it's relatively heavily loaded, you can feel the difference, and while the Cargo absolutely coped with the 500kg of breeze blocks we drove it with, there’s no doubt there was a load on board.

Even walking up to the loaded Cargo revealed the ride height had dropped a few millimetres, and speed humps could be felt making the rear multi-link suspension earning its keep.

However, there was never any bottoming out, the steering never lost its accuracy and that stonking driveline was more than capable of getting it all rolling in a fair hurry.

Forward vision is great with that huge, deep windscreen framing the view, and even though there are two A-pillars on each side, they don’t contribute to a terrible blind spot thanks to clever placement.

The Cargo’s steering is sharp and pleasantly accurate without being hyper-active and its fair to say driver stress levels would be a lot lower in this van than many of the diesel-burning, hard-riding alternatives. Owner-operators are likely to love it.

Commercial vehicles have come a long way in this department in a few short years, so the ID. Buzz Cargo needs to be up there with the best of them in this age of OH&S compliance.

As such, there’s standard autonomous emergency braking that works at all speeds and also incorporates pedestrian and cyclist identification. This has all been made possible because the Cargo shares the same current-gen platform as the rest of the ID. Buzz range, and is not an afterthought model spun off last year’s platform.

Other drive-assistance gear includes lane-keeping assist, rear-traffic alert and an exit warning system. Combined with emergency assist, swerve-support and oncoming vehicle braking (when turning) VW calls its driver-aids package a "semi-automated driving assistance system" (their words, not ours). There’s a rear view camera as well as multi-function camera set-up.

The usual front airbags are also standard, as well as side-curtain airbags in the front compartment, although there’s no centre-front airbag thanks to the three-seater arrangement.

The passenger’s front bag can be disabled in the case of the front seat being used for extra luggage space. And while the front seat consists of a driver’s pew and a bench for two passengers, the central seating position gets a proper three-point seat-belt. All three belts also feature pretensioners.

You also get adaptive cruise-control, multi-collision braking, a driver fatigue monitoring system and even tyre pressure monitoring.

Volkswagen Australia has no intention of crash-testing an ID. Buzz or Cargo locally, and is instead relying on the car’s Euro NCAP score of a maximum five safety stars.

Subaru offers the Sport Touring XT model with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty but it’s becoming more common to see longer warranty periods being offered now.

You can pre-purchase a three- or five-year servicing program and the three-year program costs $1406.57 (average of $469).

The five-year option costs $2646.17 (average $529 per service) which is reasonable for the class.

Servicing intervals are good at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

VW offers its five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty on the ID.
Buzz Cargo, as well as an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the batteries.

Down-time is a dirty word in the transport industry, so fleet operators should appreciate the 24-month/30,000km service intervals which reflect the relative simplicity of the BEV platform.

Also of interest to fleet managers will be VW’s offer to bundle the lease repayments, charging infrastructure and charging costs into a single monthly payment.

There’s also up to 10 years of capped price servicing on the ID. Buzz Cargo.