Compare the2026 Mazda CX-90VS 2025 Volkswagen ID.BUZZ

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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 CX-90 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 Mazda CX-90 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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.

With its standard Smart Brake Support, the Mazda CX-90 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mazda CX-90 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volkswagen ID.BUZZ has not been tested.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-90. But it costs extra on the ID.BUZZ.

Both the CX-90 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 Mazda CX-90 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The ID.BUZZ has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the CX-90 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the ID.BUZZ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the ID.BUZZ ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The CX-90’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the ID.BUZZ’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 124 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 35th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 2 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The CX-90 has more powerful engines than the ID.BUZZ:

As tested in Car and Driver the CX-90 PHEV 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ electric motor:

The CX-90 PHEV’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 527 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The ID.BUZZ’s range is only 231 to 234 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 26 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 94 hours.

The Mazda CX-90 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 CX-90 stops shorter than the ID.BUZZ:

For better traction, the CX-90 has larger standard tires than the ID.BUZZ (265/55R19 vs. 235/50R20). The CX-90 Preferred/Premium/Turbo S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ID.BUZZ (275/45R21 vs. 235/50R20).

The CX-90 Preferred/Premium/Turbo S’ tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.BUZZ’s 50 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CX-90 Preferred/Premium/Turbo S has standard 21-inch wheels. The ID.BUZZ’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The CX-90 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the ID.BUZZ; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-90 is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the ID.BUZZ.

For greater off-road capability the CX-90 has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the ID.BUZZ (8 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the CX-90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-90 PHEV Premium/Turbo S’ minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the ID.BUZZ (8.1 vs. 6.3 inches).

The Mazda CX-90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 to 1150 pounds less than the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ.

The CX-90 is 7.9 inches shorter in height than the ID.BUZZ, making the CX-90 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The CX-90 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the ID.BUZZ can only carry up to 7.

The CX-90 has 4.2 inches more front legroom and 1.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the ID.BUZZ.

The CX-90’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the ID.BUZZ’s (3500 vs. 2600 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ 4Motion® is only 3500 pounds. The CX-90 offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The CX-90’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the ID.BUZZ’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The CX-90’s optional 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.

The CX-90 Preferred/Premium has standard front air conditioned seats and the CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The ID.BUZZ doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Compared to the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ, the Mazda CX-90 Premium eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The CX-90 is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the ID.BUZZ, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the CX-90 offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the ID.BUZZ.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the CX-90 equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The ID.BUZZ, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Mazda CX-90 empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Mazda CX-90 outsold the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ by almost 9 to one during 2025.