2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Jil McIntosh

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2009 Volkswagen Eos

Oshawa, Ontario – Back when Volkswagen introduced the Eos for 2007, it had an unusual problem. According to Media In Canada, the Canadian office was planning a marketing campaign for its all-new retractable hardtop, but had to drop the program. It seems that word-of-mouth travelled so quickly from the earliest buyers that the showrooms were almost picked clean, and there wasn’t much sense in advertising a car that was all but sold out.

It’s certainly understandable. There really are no bad convertibles on a sunny summer day (or even better, on a hot summer night), but some are better than others, and the Eos is a pretty good one.

I’ve found that many journalists tend to look at the Eos’ relatively hefty price tag, and tell readers that they’re better off with sportier, less expensive and more cargo-friendly models from Volkswagen’s stable, but that makes absolutely no sense. You want to carve corners or bring home a sofa, buy a GTI or a Jetta Wagon. You’re getting the Eos solely because the roof goes away, and if that’s what you want, you will have to open your wallet. It comes only with the retractable hardtop; a soft top requires that you look at a New Beetle Convertible.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

At a base price of $35,975 for the Trendline, the Eos isn’t cheap, and it moves up to $40,275 for the Comfortline, and a considerable $44,575 for my tester, the Silver-Red Edition. But retractable hardtops always cost more than their soft-top siblings, and if you want the weather-tightness and security, you’re going to have to pay for it. You can get the Chrysler Sebring for as low as $27,445: it’s roomier, and definitely a viable contender if your main concern is toplessness alone, but it’s a slushy-riding cruiser. The Pontiac G6 is $36,995, but it’s not an impressive vehicle – the ride will jar your fillings loose, the last one I drove had a squeaky roof over bumps, and the model probably won’t be in GM’s stable much longer once Pontiac is retired. The Mazda MX-5 (formerly the Miata) starts at $35,790 with a retractable hardtop, and while it’s a fantastic driver, it holds only two people to the four that can fit into the Eos, Sebring and G6. Everything else with a retractable hardtop starts above fifty grand: the four-chair Volvo C70 is $52,095, while the two-seater BMW Z4 starts at $53,900, and the likewise-configured Mercedes-Benz SLK will set you back an initial $57,500.

Based on the Rabbit platform, the Eos comes solely with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. The Trendline and Comfortline trims start with a six-speed manual transmission that can be optioned to a six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) automatic, but the autobox is the sole unit on the Silver-Red Edition.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

The Silver-Red is the top line, and comes – no surprise – solely with silver paint and red seats. The Trendline includes the expected items such as a/c, cruise control, automatic locks, CD/MP3 with input jack, and “leatherette” seats, along with goodies such as 17-inch alloys, heated seats, garage door opener, and heated mirrors. Standard safety items include airbags that incorporate side and thorax protection (since curtain airbags aren’t part of the roof), a rollover protection system, ABS with brake pressure distribution and brake assist, and electronic stability program. The Comfortline adds leather seats with power driver’s adjustment, automatic headlamps, park distance control, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, trip computer, foot well lighting, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and premium six-CD with satellite radio.

Moving up to the Silver-Red gives you the automatic transmission – it’s an extra $1,400 on the others – along with automatic and adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, spiffy 18-inch wheels, the red leather seats, a removable wind blocker for the rear seats, brushed aluminum accents and pedals, and a ski bag. Oddly, a Technology Package of navigation, 20-GB music drive, satellite radio and Dynaudio system with ten speakers can be added to the Trendline and Comfortline, but not the Silver-Red. You’ll have to buy a colour-coordinated map.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

The top is the Eos’ main reason for being, of course, and it puts on quite a show, although it’s so complicated that I’d probably be thinking about an extended warranty if my plans included long-term ownership. There are seven moving parts when putting it up or down: the trunk lid, the two-piece roof, and four pieces of trim, two on the car and two on the trunk lid, which fold up and down like wings. The entire operation takes 30 seconds, but five seconds of that is waiting for something to happen after you’ve hit the switch, which always left me questioning whether I should have pulled or pushed instead, since the direction isn’t indicated on it.

The roof is even nicer thanks to an unusual integrated sunroof, which makes up the front panel. Not only does it give the cozy interior a more spacious feel, but it slides open, and there’s a pop-up windscreen to reduce damage to the coiffure. Be careful, though, as it’s very easy to pinch one’s fingers in it.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

The Eos’ turbocharged 2.0-litre makes 200 horsepower, while it starts cranking out its peak 207 lb-ft of torque at 1,700 rpm, giving it quick acceleration that makes the powerplant feel stronger than its size. Premium fuel is recommended, and by the official published numbers, Eos returns 9.2 L/100 km in the city and 6.6 on the highway with the automatic transmission. I obviously like acceleration, since I averaged a combined 11.2 L/100 km.

The Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is also known as a dual-clutch transmission, and overall, it’s probably one of the best developments since transmissions first learned how to shift themselves. In a simplified nutshell, the unit contains two gearboxes with clutches between them. One side has the even-numbered gears, the other the odd-numbered. As soon as you’re in first gear, the other side is getting second gear ready, and when it’s time, the clutches switch over. Once that’s done, the odd side is serving up third gear, and so on. There’s also a manual shift mode, which can be done either via the gearshift lever or by wheel-mounted paddles. Double-clutch units (the DSG name is specific to Volkswagen; other companies have their own names for their transmissions) are a joy to drive: silky-smooth and all but seamless, along with increased fuel economy since they don’t interrupt the engine’s power flow. If there’s anything wrong with them, it’s that their keeping the next gear ready and waiting can work against them if something happens that the computers weren’t expecting. On a couple of occasions, when I had to brake suddenly and then get right back on the throttle, the transmission had already set itself up, and it briefly stumbled until it figured out what it had to do.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

But that was just a minor blip on an otherwise fine-driving vehicle. Power comes on smoothly, and torque-steer is well managed. It naturally feels somewhat heavier than its Jetta or GTI cousins, but it’s still a pleasure to point it around: handling is accurate, and the steering is very nicely weighted. Even when the top is down, it’s a very tight package, exhibiting no rattles, virtually no cowl shake, and with a confident feeling of being planted on the road.

A couple of years ago, I took a 6,700-km trip in a New Beetle Convertible, and while I fully expected to return with a permanent crimp in my spine, the seats proved so comfortable that they are now my benchmark at almost any price point. I didn’t take the Eos quite as far, but I could have. They may seem firmer than some when you first sit down, but that translates into long-distance support that’s easy on your back. There’s plenty of room in the front seat; the back seat isn’t too bad, and there’s more headroom than you’d expect with the roof up, but it’s a tight squeeze to get back there, and the two rear seats are narrow.

2009 Volkswagen Eos Silver-Red Edition. Click image to enlarge

The roof folds away into the trunk, which is 83-cm deep, 80-cm wide, and 35-cm high. A panel can be pushed up and out of the way to give you extra cargo space when the roof is up, but it has to be pressed back into place, or the roof won’t operate. As with those metal racks at the airport that determine if your bag is small enough for carry-on, your goods must fit within the panel, or you’re not going to feel the wind in your hair this time around. The rear seat doesn’t fold, but there’s a pass-through for longer items, such as skis, which can go into the ski bag that’s standard equipment on the Silver-Red Edition.

The interior is standard Volkswagen fare, fitted with precision: lots of soft-touch plastics, matt finishes, and just enough metallic trim to look good but not garish. Climate control is dual-zone automatic in the Silver-Red, but it’s no trouble for those who like to continually adjust everything (read: my husband), given that they’re large dials that both push and turn. All controls are simple and straightforward, as they should be on every vehicle. I especially like that the stereo’s tone controls are a row of dials that you turn to adjust bass, treble and other factors, without having to find which button pages you through each one on the screen, and then what switch you need to push or pull to make something happen. Each power window can be operated individually, or a single button on the driver’s door opens or closes them all simultaneously. As well, every switch and button is backlit at night, and I’m very impressed by the thinking that went into the headlight switch. When the headlights are off, the switch lights up. If you’ve ever fumbled for a headlight switch in the dark, you’ll know just how brilliant that simple idea actually is.

The Eos isn’t an inexpensive vehicle, but it offers the fun of a topless vehicle, and with more weather resistance than a cloth top, and compared with other retractable hardtops, it’s the best bet for the price. Drop that roof, and let the sun shine in.

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