The Dawn of the VW Eos

Of the new generation of retractable hard-tops coming to market, the sporty, refined Eos is one of the most attractive--and well-priced

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Quickness, ingenious retractable hardtop with built-in sunroof

The Bad: Cramped, hard-to-access rear seat, blind spot

The Bottom Line: A sporty, refined convertible at a (relatively) low price

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

There's a minor revolution going on right now in car design—and the new Volkswagen Eos convertible is at the forefront. Increasing numbers of cars are coming out these days with retractable hardtops, which give you the convenience and durability of a regular top during winter months and the option of al fresco driving when the weather is warm.

In addition to the Eos, General Motors' (GM) (see BusinessWeek.com, 8/16/06, "Pontiac Converts")Pontiac G6, Mazda MX5 Miata, Volvo C70 and new BMW 3-Series convertibles due out next March all have retractable hardtops (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/17/06, "BMW's Super Coupe").

The little VW, however, takes the trend a step further. The Eos' five-panel hardtop not only neatly folds back into the upper portion of the trunk at the push of a button, but also has a panoramic sunroof built into it. The sunroof is huge (the glass measures 17 in. by 38 in.), making this little car seem roomy and airy inside.

Pushing back the sunroof's cover also gives you an extra two inches of headroom up front. The only other car I've seen with this nifty combination is DaimlerChrysler's (DCX) Mercedes SL550, which costs $100,000 (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/3/06, "Fast, Fun Flashy SL550").

If you're looking for a speedy, versatile sporty car that won't break the bank, the new Eos should be at the top of your shopping list. With the smaller of the two available engines, it's relatively low-priced but still extremely quick.

It's also nice-looking, and has a refined interior with a cramped (but handy) rear seat that makes it more practical than two-seater sports cars like the Miata, the Pontiac Solstice (see BusinessWeek.com, 10/14/05, "Solstice: A Brawny Beauty") and Saturn Sky (see BusinessWeek.com, 5/31/06, "Sky High").

The Eos even gets decent mileage: My test Eos 2.0T with an automatic transmission was rated to get 23 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. In 371 miles of mainly highway driving I got 26.1 mpg—and I drove the car hard, so that's pretty good. On the downside, even with the smaller engine, the Eos uses expensive premium gasoline.

Both of the less expensive versions of the Eos, the basic 2.0 and the fancier 2.0T, come with a 2.0 liter (hence the names), 200 horsepower, turbo-charged, four-cylinder engine. The Eos 2.0 starts at just $28,620, but only comes with a stick shift and has no available options. However, it has a fair amount of standard equipment, including air conditioning, leather-like upholstery, alloy wheels, power windows, and heated outside mirrors.

The fancier 2.0T starts at $30,620 with a stick shift and $31,695 with a six-speed automatic and has some additional standard gear, including heated front seats, a power driver's seat, and a trip computer.

Major options include a sport package ($3,690) or luxury package ($3,490), either of which adds leather seats, and various upgrades such as a power-adjustable passenger seat, leather wrapped steering wheel, six-CD/eight-speaker sound system, and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters (with the sports package only). Á là carte options include a navigation system ($1,800), 18-in. alloy wheels ($400), and parking distance control ($350).

If you want even more power under the hood, the top-of-the-line Eos 3.2L, which starts at $37,480, has a 3.2 liter, 250-horsepower V6 engine. It comes with a sport-tuned suspension and 17-in. alloy wheels and has its own list of somewhat less expensive option packages.

For instance, the $1,400 technology package includes parking distance control and adaptive Xenon headlights (they pivot to follow the road through curves and turns).