VW ID Buzz vs. Kia EV9 vs. Volvo EX90: The All-Electric Three-Rows Have Arrived

• The land of three-row electric vehicles was once barren, but competition for the Kia EV9 is finally arriving.
• These three vehicles each take a different approach to family-friendly EV ownership.
• And of course, all three have all been through the world-famous Edmunds EV Range Test.

Kia EV9

Starting price: $56,395
As-tested price: $76,585
Edmunds EV Range Test: 306 miles

The good: We think the EV9 is awesome — it has won the last two Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV awards, and for good reason. It has a top-notch interior with room across all three rows for adult passengers and a long, long list of features. And it's not just the front seat passengers who get to enjoy them; the second-row captain's chairs are also heated and ventilated. The big windows provide great visibility no matter where you're sitting, and the air vents are in the ceiling, which helps keep everyone cool (including children in car seats who are sometimes perched up too high to get direct air).

The technology is fantastic, with plentiful charging (at least two USB-C ports per row) and a pair of 12.3-inch screens up front. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and the infotainment system is simple and easy to learn. And we like that Kia has augmented its technology with physical buttons on both the steering wheel and the center console, which would prove to be important because ...

The bad: There is a small screen perched between the two larger screens that controls climate functions, but it's completely blocked by the rim of the steering wheel. Thankfully, you can adjust the temperature, fan speed, and source of the air flow using toggles below the main touchscreen. But it's a strange oversight for a vehicle that's otherwise so ergonomically sound.

Other than that, it's hard to find real faults with the EV9. The suspension could be a touch firmer, which would help prevent it feeling floaty at times. And yes, the top trim is expensive to be sure (especially for a Kia), but most of the lower trims also come with a lot of the same desirable features. And you are also getting Kia's massive warranty (not to mention free fast-charging credits on the Electrify America network).

Why you'd buy one: Because it's the most obvious choice. The EV9 is a vehicle with many strengths, few weaknesses, and a cabin that we've come to mostly adore over the course of our yearlong road test. There's a reason it wins awards, and we think that most people would be happy with one in the driveway at home. But the other two contenders still have something to say, as each of them provides something different than the Kia's across-the-board competency.

Overall Edmunds Rating: 8.6

Volvo EX90

Starting price: $81,290
As-tested price: $94,640
Edmunds EV Range Test: 310 miles

The good: This is the only real luxury vehicle in the group and the EX90's cabin reflects that. Our test vehicle came with a set of wool-upholstered seats that felt great to the touch and breathed well — an important detail given that if you want ventilated front seats, it requires the standard Nappa leather. 

Volvo has a way with front seats as well — they look very thin but are shockingly supportive and comfortable (more so than the seats on the other two vehicles). Our test vehicle came with a second-row bench seat that can't quite match the front on comfort, but for a bench it's pretty darn good. Second-row captain's chairs are available as a $500 option.

Befitting its status, the EX90 is also whisper quiet on the road. It has big wheels and thin tires, but it somehow rides well and tire noise is undetectable (same with wind noise). And despite being tuned for comfort, the Volvo still feels athletic from behind the wheel and is ready for quick changes of direction at a moment's notice. We just wish the rest of the driving experience felt so immediate.

Bad: The throttle response of the EX90 is weirdly dull. There's a clear delay between tipping in the pedal and any forward motion, which is strange because there isn't an engine that needs to spin up. Putting the EX90 into its Performance mode helps, but you don't want to be driving around in that mode all the time and hurting your range. Hopefully Volvo can fix this with a software update.

That better be one big update, because the software in this vehicle is a mess. And we're not just talking about the infotainment (though we'll get to that). In our time testing and rating the EX90 in preparation for this piece, it gave us no less than 10 different error messages, ranging from safety warnings to charging errors and even a "critical suspension error" that limited the vehicle to 60 mph on the highway. But each time, we'd turn the SUV on and off and the errors would disappear.

Volvo has also gone for a very minimalistic cabin, and buttons have for the most part disappeared. That means nearly all of the cabin controls are routed through the screen and while it is big, responsive, and pretty, the layout is not as intuitive as it needs to be for something you'll use so often. For example, turning on the headlights during the day (as you need to do on some roads) takes digging down through several menus and in that time you're also not looking at the road. We'll see how the vehicle (and its infotainment) evolves over the next year as Volvo has told us that some big updates are on the way, including one that will add Android Auto. However, what's there now feels a bit haphazard.

What software can't fix is the EX90's size. It's significantly smaller than both the EV9 and especially the cavernous ID Buzz, with a third row that is difficult to both access and fit in comfortably. I'm just under 6 feet tall and there was no way I could cram myself back there for more than few minutes. If you plan on using the third row frequently or just need plenty of passenger and cargo space, this is probably not the way to go.

Why you'd buy one: It's undeniably stylish and its cabin provides the look and feel of real luxury. And you might have faith that Volvo can turn around the software issues that have plagued the EX90 in our time with it. But for now, buyer beware.

Overall Edmunds Rating: 8.1

Volkswagen ID Buzz

Starting price: $61,545
As-tested price: $70,540
Edmunds EV Range Test: 262 miles

The good: If you want to start each drive with a smile, then allow the ID Buzz to saunter into your life. This thing draws stares everywhere it goes but not the kind that engender any self-consciousness because backing them up is usually a positive comment or a thumbs-up. Bringing back the bus has had the intended effect of blending past and present, infusing this electric vehicle with nostalgia.

This shape also has practical benefits, giving the ID Buzz a cavernous interior. Its low step-in height and high ceiling give it even more vertical space than you'd find in a minivan, and there's enough passenger room that you could probably fit three 7-footers in a row. (I wish we had a visit from Shaq to test this out.) And those sliding doors make it easy to hop in and out of any part of the big VW. If you need to carry a lot of stuff or a bunch of people, the ID Buzz will give you the most room in this test by a big, big margin.

From behind the wheel, this is the slowest vehicle here, but at 5.7 seconds from 0 to 60 mph (4.7 seconds in the EV9; 4.5 seconds in the EX90), it's still 2 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the fastest minivan. And we like the excellent visibility from those big windows that surround the whole cabin, along with the available surround-view camera system.

The bad: There are some weird choices when it comes to controls. Volkswagen hasn't gone the full minimalism route like the Volvo, but instead of knobs to adjust the temperature you get haptic sliders below the screen that can be tough to use. At least in the ID Buzz, unlike some of Volkswagen's other models, they are illuminated so you can see them at night. 

And for such a family-friendly-sized cabin, it's weirdly lacking in stuff that parents and kids alike would appreciate. For example, there are zero cupholders for the second row. You'll have to take that movable center console and tuck it between the rear seats to get one (and only one). Small-item storage is an issue for the whole cabin, and the third-row seats might get a cupholder, but it's oddly square-shaped and too small to fit even a medium-sized water bottle.

It's also a bit strange trying to get a flat load floor since the second-row seats can't be removed. The third-row seats slide out really easily, they come on small wheels actually, but to make a flat floor you have to keep the cargo shelf in and fold down both rows. We wish there was a way to completely clear out the back area of the ID Buzz — it might be able to even swallow a whole couch. 

There's one other big issue we have to discuss: range. On our Edmunds EV Range Test route, the ID Buzz beat its EPA estimate slightly and covered 262 miles. But that's well behind most other newly introduced EVs, including the other two vehicles here, with the EV9 traveling 306 miles and the EX90 going 310 miles. The VW will still have plenty of range for anything day-to-day, but its limited range makes it less practical for longer road trips than you might think.

Why you'd buy one: You can hear Bobby McFerrin saying, "Don't worry, be happy" on a loop in the back of your mind. And you can stomach the price tag, because this thing is not cheap. But it's also not a novelty, as its cute exterior might suggest. There's real deal utility to its shape, and if you plan on using the third row regularly, then this just might be the one to get.

Overall Edmunds Rating: 8.3