We finally got to drive the Volkswagen Eos, just in time to see it go away. The car that's named after the Greek goddess of Dawn is driving off into the sunset. VW is stopping production this year, partly because of lagging sales. Our tester was the aptly named Final Edition.
Appearance: There's certainly nothing striking about the Eos, which looks similar to the VW Jetta. The highlight is the convertible hard top, which features a unique built-in retractable sunroof. With the top down, it's an attractive droptop with a clean rear look. (The top folds flat into the trunk.) The Final Edition trim brings bi-xenon headlights with adaptive front lighting, LED running lights and 18-inch alloy wheels. Our tester had the elegant and bronzelike Black Oak Brown Metallic exterior paint.
Performance: The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder puts out 200 horsepower, which is not bad for a smaller engine. The acceleration is adequate but not sporty, maybe because of the extra weight of the convertible hard top. There's a bit of a turbo lag, but the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifts quickly. The handling is composed; the chassis felt solid, thanks to a stiffer sport-tuned suspension in the Final Edition trim. It's athletic, but definitely not a performance car. The Eos seems happiest when it's just cruising down the road, which also makes some drivers happy (Peter's wife, for one, who didn't want to give back the Eos). The safety features include automatic rollover support, intelligent crash response and an advanced safety cage.
Interior: The cabin, much like the car's design and performance, isn't anything flashy. Lyra felt some of the materials, such as those on the dash, were too plasticky and not something you'd expect in a $40K car. (Those retractable hard tops are costly.) But we both thought the fit and finish were good despite any other reservations. Our tester's two-tone partial leather seats (a Final Edition perk) were comfortable and, when matched with metallic-looking accent trim, gave the cabin a modern look. The rear seats are slightly bucketed and best suited for smaller passengers because there's not much legroom. The center touchscreen is rather small, but the interface is intuitive. (But why no USB port?) The Bluetooth phone connection is on the driver screen in the instrument cluster, not the center screen, which confounded Peter, who did not find that intuitive. As with most hardtop convertibles, the trunk space is limited when the top is down. But with the top up, Peter was able to get at least half a dozen grocery bags in the rear.
Our 3 favorites
Peter Couture
Happy marriage: My wife really liked it.
"Final" extras: The Final Edition trim includes interior, exterior and safety features, such as a rearview camera and rain-sensing automatic wipers.
Special deals? It's worth watching for lower prices as the model year drags on.
Lyra Solochek
Versatile top: Open the sunroof or open the roof.
Paint: Black Oak Brown Metallic is classy.
Seating: Limited edition two-tone partial leather seats look sharp and are comfortable.
The bottom line: This is a nice little convertible that probably deserved a longer run. If you've ever pictured yourself in an Eos, now's the time to act.
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