Compare the2025 Volkswagen ID.BUZZVS 2025 Nissan Ariya

The ID.BUZZ’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ariya doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.BUZZ and Ariya have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.BUZZ has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ariya’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The ID.BUZZ has Car2X, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Ariya doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems

Both the ID.BUZZ and the Ariya have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Volkswagen ID.BUZZ weighs 931 to 1874 pounds more than the Nissan Ariya. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The ID.BUZZ comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire van. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The ID.BUZZ’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Ariya’s (7 vs. 5 years).

The ID.BUZZ has more powerful engines than the Ariya:

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ electric motor is faster than the Ariya Evolve+ electric motor:

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

For better stopping power the ID.BUZZ’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ariya:

The ID.BUZZ stops much shorter than the Ariya:

For better traction and acceleration, the ID.BUZZ has larger rear tires than the Ariya (265/45R20 vs. 235/55R19). The ID.BUZZ’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Ariya (265/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

The ID.BUZZ’s 235/50R20 front and 265/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ariya’s standard 55 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.BUZZ has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Ariya.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ID.BUZZ’s wheelbase is 18.2 inches longer than on the Ariya (127.5 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ID.BUZZ is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Ariya.

The design of the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ amounts to more than styling. The ID.BUZZ has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Ariya (.3 to .33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the ID.BUZZ get better fuel mileage.

The ID.BUZZ offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Ariya can only carry 5.

The ID.BUZZ has 58.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ariya (160.1 vs. 101.2).

The ID.BUZZ has 1 inch more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom, 12.3 inches more rear hip room and 5.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ariya.

The ID.BUZZ’s cargo area provides more volume than the Ariya.

The ID.BUZZ’s cargo area is larger than the Ariya’s in every dimension:

The ID.BUZZ’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ariya’s (2600 vs. 0 pounds).

The ID.BUZZ’s standard sliding doors can be opened with less than three inches side clearance. The Ariya’s standard rear swing-out doors are bulky and make loading in tight spots difficult.

The ID.BUZZ’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The Ariya doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The ID.BUZZ’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.BUZZ to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Ariya doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.BUZZ has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Ariya doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.BUZZ also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the ID.BUZZ to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Ariya doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The ID.BUZZ has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Ariya.

The ID.BUZZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the rear seat, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Ariya doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The ID.BUZZ was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025. The Ariya has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the ID.BUZZ as the 2025 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Ariya has never been chosen.