Picture Gallery: 2008 Volkswagen EOS | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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You see, I went to an auction on Saturday with the Eos and my purchase was slightly larger than I had anticipated — or the Eos was smaller than I had initially thought. For those who know Ottawa, this had me driving from St. Laurent back to Stittsville, top down, in sub-zero temperatures. It builds character, right?
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Onto the Eos itself: some dub it a feminine car, although there is nothing feminine about driving top down in the winter, let me tell you. The six-speed manual shifter in my car scratches off the feminine feel as well, and after a few days I’m liking it so far.
The EOS starts at a reasonable $35,975, while my tester comes equipped with the Comfortline package for an additional $4,300.
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The Eos is powered by Volkswagen group’s 2.0T four cylinder turbo charged engine that produces 200hp and 207 lb-ft of torque and is available with a no-charge six-speed manual gear box or a six-speed DSG gear box for an extra $1,400.
My car is fairly loaded, although honestly, looking at the features available, I would skip all the extras if it were my own money and grab a base model Eos, which is fairly well equipped. My Comfortline model also includes extras such as a skibag ($250); windblocker ($375) and park assists ($350).
The Eos is the least expensive 4-seater hardtop convertible on the market currently and fills an interesting niche. From my couple of days with the Eos I can already see how this vehicle would appeal to young couples as an everyday runabout that can be used year-round but still provide top down enjoyment for our short summers.
2008 Volkswagen EOS
MSRP as tested (including destination): $42,585
For more information on VW and the EOS visit VW Canada
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The one difference I noticed compared to other recent Volkswagens is the integrated clock in the radio. I could have just overlooked it previously but I know this was always a complaint about Volkswagen from my co-driver.
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Leg and head room in the rear are not too bad, which is surprising, assuming the front passengers are in the 5′9″ range and not any taller.
Let’s talk about the top: it really is the centerpiece of this car (no pun intended). The roof is half glass and has a rather large rear window as well. This makes visibility quite good for a convertible car. The front portion of the roof has the glass continuing on right up to the window frame, which gives the car a very open feeling and a sense you are in an open top vehicle even with the top up.
As a bonus, you can slide the front part of the roof up just like a sunroof if you do not feel like completely dropping the top. Putting the top down is pretty simple: just hold the button down and let the motors do their work. The front glass slides backwards onto the back part of the roof, the trunklid flips backwards and the rear window lifts and places itself onto the pile of glass, and it all loads itself neatly into the trunk.
Surprisingly, there is still quite a bit of room in the trunk with the top down and with it up, there is no problem using this vehicle as your everyday runabout. There is also a ski pass-through which helps when you have an extra long item to carry, and it is usable with the top up or down. The Eos really is a very well thought-out convertible that is completely practical!
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It would be silly for me to ignore the unique experience that the Eos has to offer; of course I’m talking about the roof. As mentioned on day one, I had a good drive in the cold with it down, though these past few days, I have been driving around with it up, thank you very much.
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With the top up visibility isn’t excellent but better than in most convertibles. I would liken visibility to that of many coupes on the road with a somewhat large C-pillar to hide objects in your rear blind spot.
Top down, the Eos is a little windy but surprisingly calm. With the windows up wind noise is minimal and conversation was fairly easy with the radio and fan down turned. With the top up, there is a bit of wind noise around the window frames but this is to be expected of an open top car. I did not notice any unusual rattles or creaks from the top while it was up either; it really feels like a solid piece of engineering.
I did however notice some water leaking into the car during a car wash. This was partly my fault for being inattentive with the pressure hose and pointing it at an angle towards the window. Very little got in though.
So, no complaints yet; I believe that’s a first!
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But then I did the math: I averaged 8.8L / 100km … darn that’s pretty good! I wasn’t driving conservatively, I did do a lot of highway but I did some city driving as well on the weekend. Impressive! But darn, now I really need to stretch to find something bad.
I give up — I was extremely impressed by the Eos. It is comfortable, smooth, peppy and fun to drive with the added bonus of offering open-top motoring — what more could you want? I really wanted to hate it, but I just loved it too much.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2008 Volkswagen EOS
MSRP as tested (including destination): $42,585
For more information on VW and the EOS visit VW Canada
to our site.
March 27, 2008, 11:25:16 am I think "Audi/VW interiors are ACES".....has become a staple of Review WRITERS
kind of like "The VETTE motor pushed all my buttons"....."The Bentley's CONNELLY leather ....."....."Falls readily to hand!!!"........."CVT trannies give me the willies"....."As I wrung it out on the twisties
March 27, 2008, 12:10:43 pm Being a VW product ASSUME numerous part failures.
some warranty problems and with 470 parts in the roof alone,
Out of full VW bumper to bumper warranty .......
March 27, 2008, 12:56:42 pm Definitely - although I love VW design and in general, German attention to detail, I wonder if that attention is at the sacrifice of quality. I've had numerous, although minor, issues that I've never had with any other vehicle. However, the convertible aspect is great and you only live once, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts. On the flip side, I've had good service from my dealer, which is contrary to most people's experience with VW.
I'm curious if sirAquaman's issues with his GTI are applicable to the Eos...were they tranny and engine issues? Or was it more about the GTI design itself?
March 27, 2008, 01:46:52 pm
Well if you take a look closely, I was comparing brands AND cars for the most part in the same ranges. Rabbit is comparable to a Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla/Matrix right? A city Golf to Fit/Yaris, A Jetta/Passat to an Accord/Camry, etc. The IS 250, Toyota Solaris, B and C class, TSX, RSX, S40/V50, etc. I'm comparing directly to the Eos since the starting price range is similar with the exception the RSX which started at about $10k cheaper than the Eos when it was still sold. I can't believe I'm saying this but even Hyundai interiors look more updated and nicer than VWs (whether they hold up or not is a different matter).
And lucid0703, you're right the Jetta 2.5 starts at $22k but the GLI Jetta starts at $30k, which I think is comparable to a Benz B Class, IS 250, and the list I mentioned above since it does start in a similar price range. The funny thing to me is that the difference in look in the interior/gauges/console between a Rabbit/Jetta 2.5 and Jetta GLI despite the $8-10k difference is negligible (granted the main difference is probably supposed to be the engine/driving dynamics, etc but you're still talking about an $8-10k difference and really a completely different class of cars).
All that withstanding, my main point is that VW interiors look so outdated and plain jane to a point where it *looks* below standard. FYI, the city Golf/Jetta's interior really really looks and feels similar to my uncle's 1986 Jetta (they have the same material and feel of the turn dials and knobs for the radio and heating/cooling!). How many interiors nowadays really breakdown, deteriorate, etc. due to quality (yes, I know, some GM/Ford/Chrysler cars still do a little bit)? The VW exterior looks very modern, hip, and good but they don't have the interiors to match.
March 27, 2008, 02:20:35 pm is 250 -> 32K
is 350 -> 44k
is F -> 66k
same interior... and hell you don't even get floor mats..
the only vehicle in your list that has a good interior would be the TSX.
The Rabbit totally owns Civics and Corollas in every aspect (except fuel economy). It's not even in the same league as those 2. The only economy car that comes close to the Rabbit's interior is the Astra. I've cross shopped a dozen cars a week ago, and chose the Rab. And fuel economy is not that bad... Toronto-Ottawa and back averaged about 8.5l/100km at 110-140km/h... oh yeah... I left Toronto with 250km on the odo, you should take that into account too.
On the other hand... have you seen a VW interior at night? It's gorgeous...
March 27, 2008, 02:30:35 pm
Considering I've done that with my Mz6-Wagon with four people, trunk full of luggage and the a/c on its not that great either.
I won't compare city mileage though.
March 27, 2008, 04:29:45 pm I have to disagree with JT816's comments - to say that VW interiors don't do it for you is one thing, but to say they are below standard is, in my view, wrong. The standard would have to be set quite high for VW (excluding the City series) interiors to be considered low-end.
I'm not an absolute VW lover, but I've sat in, looked at, and played with almost every car on the market right now. VW's have their perks, but they have their negatives, just like any car maker. To me, they are quality (in terms of long-term durability/reliability), pricing, and sometimes service. Interior material quality wouldn't be on my list.
As for fuel economy, I agree that the Rabbit isn't that great, considering the 2.0T in the Eos gets similar mileage, but with more HP and in a heavier car.
March 27, 2008, 05:11:41 pm
NOTHING was wrong with it in the 30K I had it. Flawless. Only thing was the speedo clocked fast (had 16" winters on it at the time) which I had the dealer correct somewhat -tho the odometer and MFD were accurate, so really just saved me from speeding tickets.
My issues were just that the suspension was a little too firm for my liking (even tho most enthusiasts complain it's too soft
As to VW interiors, although today the luxury brands are forging ahead with advanced styling, think German design used to be sturdy, simple and timeless, yet very functional. I really buy into that philosophy, and believe the current VW interiors really straddle the line between simple layout, exemplary build quality, and modern design touches/detail which I find very appealing. They also happen to offer a lot of interior space to boot. Everyone's entitled to an opinion (lordy knows I express mine enough) seeing as well all have different tastes, and I really challenge the status quo sometimes to think for myself, but when enough people say something it tends to be true.
March 27, 2008, 10:55:19 pm sirAquaman - I've seen you post your longing on the Vortex for the Eos as well and I have to say, I think you would have liked the Eos a lot.
I have the 18" wheel package and to be honest, I expected the ride to be stiff and harsh, especially on Edmonton's pothole-ridden roads! However, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect the Eos to have sports car like handling (it's way too heavy to ever have that, especially with the changing weight distribution), but even with the 18s, I have never once thought the ride was harsh...it's well-damped and a good compromise. In fact, if anything, I wouldn't mind a bit more harshness in exchange for decreased body roll (in the summers, of course). Considering I'm used to driving SUVs and trucks, you'd think I'd be more sensitive to a stiffer suspension! lol...I've driven a GTI before - it's much tighter, more nimble, and to be honest, more fun (from a driving perspective...a convertible is a different animal). However, I think you are right - as a daily driver, it may have been a bit too firm for my liking as well.
I agree - VW interiors are good. Always room for improvement, of course, but definitely not low-rent or low-end by any means.
March 28, 2008, 12:04:12 pm Alrihgt, I love it when people bark about certain things in the car world. Interiors, this is usually not the topic for debate. Does your a$$ fit in the chair, does it feel comfortable, can you see, and feel comfortable doing so? What is the pick-up like, why is it that you are looking at this car? These are all valid reasons for buying a car. The interior, blah, what it wrong with people!!! If you are baahing interior lets bash one that is deserving, the Subaru WRX. WTF? My husband has the base model Impreza 2.5 which starts at a messly 24K. For an all wheel drive, this is a good starting point. But the WRX again I say WTF? You are paying over 40K for a bigger engine. If you have ever sat in one what is so impressive with this Playskool put together POS. If there are people stupid enough to pay that kind of money for that, what has this world come too. Again, this is all in muy opinion. Getting back to the topic at hand. I like the fact that VW allows you to choose what style of interior that you want. There is the little done- up and the little un-done. Lets look at the competition to the EOS before we start bashing cars. The only car, that comes close in terms of features and optiions is the Volvo convertible. They have a similar engine and saftey features, they are very similar. The only thing that stands them apart is the significant price gap. Where VW comes out cheaper. In a world where everyone is concerned with payment, the VW with its nice interior for what it is, should win out when comparing apples to apples.
March 28, 2008, 12:42:12 pm
March 28, 2008, 01:34:19 pm Yeah, who cares about interiors... it's not like that's where we spend most of our time.
March 28, 2008, 01:46:29 pm Interior fit and finish is in the top three criteria for me when considering a vehicle. As Demo says above, it's where we spend most of our time when we're in the car. However, I do acknowledge that this is less important to some people.
March 28, 2008, 02:02:09 pm When it comes down to it interior and trim are important hot buttons for consumers, however I feel that people look at things funny. You cannot compare a Chevy Cobalt to a VW GTI or in terms of this argument a Chrysler Sebring Convertible and EOS 2.0T. I feel that there isn;t a comparison.
March 28, 2008, 02:18:37 pm
IMO the C70 (Volvo) is in a different league(hence the price gap).Audi cabriolet, BMW E46 3-Series convertible, BMW E92 3-Series CC, Mercedes CLK convertible
The EOS real apples to apples comparo are not offered in your neck of the woods, eg:Ford Focus CC, Peugeot 307CC, Renault Megane CC, Astra Vauxhall/Opel Twintop.
The EOS is sort of what I would call a Tweener, with the lower end vehicle Focus CC being its closest competitor.
March 28, 2008, 02:38:48 pm I agree over here there really aren't alot of comparable cars, however if you were to do a model comparison through VW, they have taken a number of the convertibles on the market and just compared them. The one thing that the EOS has that the others does not is the sunroof, which I feel puts this car in a league of there own. I also feel that the hard top convertible is better suited for Canadian weather as well as sunroof. Where I am it is better to have a hard top convertible that can close to -15 and then has a sunroof for those blah days. I really think that VW did a good thing with the EOS.
March 28, 2008, 08:33:49 pm Did you use the wind screen ?
The wind screen makes a large difference with the wifes car
March 28, 2008, 09:14:48 pm
Well if you take a look closely, I was comparing brands AND cars for the most part in the same ranges. Rabbit is comparable to a Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla/Matrix right? A city Golf to Fit/Yaris, A Jetta/Passat to an Accord/Camry, etc. The IS 250, Toyota Solaris, B and C class, TSX, RSX, S40/V50, etc. I'm comparing directly to the Eos since the starting price range is similar with the exception the RSX which started at about $10k cheaper than the Eos when it was still sold. I can't believe I'm saying this but even Hyundai interiors look more updated and nicer than VWs (whether they hold up or not is a different matter).
And lucid0703, you're right the Jetta 2.5 starts at $22k but the GLI Jetta starts at $30k, which I think is comparable to a Benz B Class, IS 250, and the list I mentioned above since it does start in a similar price range. The funny thing to me is that the difference in look in the interior/gauges/console between a Rabbit/Jetta 2.5 and Jetta GLI despite the $8-10k difference is negligible (granted the main difference is probably supposed to be the engine/driving dynamics, etc but you're still talking about an $8-10k difference and really a completely different class of cars).
All that withstanding, my main point is that VW interiors look so outdated and plain jane to a point where it *looks* below standard. FYI, the city Golf/Jetta's interior really really looks and feels similar to my uncle's 1986 Jetta (they have the same material and feel of the turn dials and knobs for the radio and heating/cooling!). How many interiors nowadays really breakdown, deteriorate, etc. due to quality (yes, I know, some GM/Ford/Chrysler cars still do a little bit)? The VW exterior looks very modern, hip, and good but they don't have the interiors to match.
Regarding your comment about Jetta 2.5 and GLI, vdk gave you a good example with IS. IS250 is $31K, IS-F is $64K. Does IS-F have anything special inside the car other than sport seats despite of the huge difference in price? Civic hybrid starts at $26K while regular Civic starts at $16K. Does the hybrid model get any special treatment on interior to cover up the $10,000 difference?
VW interiors may be boring and plain to some (or many) people, but as you mentioned, it is true that most (at least "many") professional reviewers agree that VW interior is generally top-notch and well made. If you think they *look* below standard, it is your opinion and your taste. Nothing is wrong with that. I hate some car's interiors that are praised in a lot of reviews, too.
March 28, 2008, 10:10:43 pm
re interior, I like everything about the Eos, especially the simply and effective Bauhaus finish, yet won't buy one because of the silly - for me - interior colour choices. Drab black, grey and an almost white. What the heck is wrong with VW, why isn't there a nice tan with bright colours... it's supposed to be a fun car yet what do we get on the exterior, black other shades of almost black silver (of course) a funny red and white. the only exception is the nice icemeer blue.
cheers
March 28, 2008, 10:46:51 pm
re interior, I like everything about the Eos, especially the simply and effective Bauhaus finish, yet won't buy one because of the silly - for me - interior colour choices. Drab black, grey and an almost white. What the heck is wrong with VW, why isn't there a nice tan with bright colours... it's supposed to be a fun car yet what do we get on the exterior, black other shades of almost black silver (of course) a funny red and white. the only exception is the nice icemeer blue.
cheers
VW interiors are the automotive equivalent of a well-tailored navy two-button suit. It's either timeless and classy, or old-fashioned and boring, depending on your tastes. On the other hand, Edmunds said it best with the new Civic interior: "there's not much to say. You either like Battlestar Galactica or you don't.
March 29, 2008, 07:06:12 am The ratings given out of 5 seem too low, they just don't match up with the words in the review?
March 29, 2008, 09:23:24 am 4's are high
April 01, 2008, 01:12:01 pm
Well if you take a look closely, I was comparing brands AND cars for the most part in the same ranges. Rabbit is comparable to a Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla/Matrix right? A city Golf to Fit/Yaris, A Jetta/Passat to an Accord/Camry, etc. The IS 250, Toyota Solaris, B and C class, TSX, RSX, S40/V50, etc. I'm comparing directly to the Eos since the starting price range is similar with the exception the RSX which started at about $10k cheaper than the Eos when it was still sold. I can't believe I'm saying this but even Hyundai interiors look more updated and nicer than VWs (whether they hold up or not is a different matter).
And lucid0703, you're right the Jetta 2.5 starts at $22k but the GLI Jetta starts at $30k, which I think is comparable to a Benz B Class, IS 250, and the list I mentioned above since it does start in a similar price range. The funny thing to me is that the difference in look in the interior/gauges/console between a Rabbit/Jetta 2.5 and Jetta GLI despite the $8-10k difference is negligible (granted the main difference is probably supposed to be the engine/driving dynamics, etc but you're still talking about an $8-10k difference and really a completely different class of cars).
All that withstanding, my main point is that VW interiors look so outdated and plain jane to a point where it *looks* below standard. FYI, the city Golf/Jetta's interior really really looks and feels similar to my uncle's 1986 Jetta (they have the same material and feel of the turn dials and knobs for the radio and heating/cooling!). How many interiors nowadays really breakdown, deteriorate, etc. due to quality (yes, I know, some GM/Ford/Chrysler cars still do a little bit)? The VW exterior looks very modern, hip, and good but they don't have the interiors to match.
Regarding your comment about Jetta 2.5 and GLI, vdk gave you a good example with IS. IS250 is $31K, IS-F is $64K. Does IS-F have anything special inside the car other than sport seats despite of the huge difference in price? Civic hybrid starts at $26K while regular Civic starts at $16K. Does the hybrid model get any special treatment on interior to cover up the $10,000 difference?
VW interiors may be boring and plain to some (or many) people, but as you mentioned, it is true that most (at least "many") professional reviewers agree that VW interior is generally top-notch and well made. If you think they *look* below standard, it is your opinion and your taste. Nothing is wrong with that. I hate some car's interiors that are praised in a lot of reviews, too.
Quite true about the IS comparisons, now that's a huge gap! But I think the difference between the IS and the Jetta is that the IS is more luxurious, upscale, enthusiast vehicle and by no means is it a mainstream volume sales car like the Jetta (you can really say the same thing about a BMW 3 series with the 323 and the M3 which has an even larger gap). The Civic hybrid to me isn't a great example because it completely targets a different group of people and we know hybrids still carry a several thousand dollar premium over their comparable equivalents. At the same time, the Civic (non-hybrid and hybrid) have many different parts where the hybrid are made of "greener" materials so while the look isn't majorly different but the feel (material) is. I can't say the same for the Jettas where it all looks/feels extrememly similar and many parts are exactly the same.
April 08, 2008, 04:55:33 pm Consumer Reports Ranks Eos Best In Its Tests of Seven Convertibles...
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/volkswagen_news/article_2264.shtml
April 09, 2008, 08:25:02 am Have you used the back seat yet?
If not why not just get a Miata, it doesn't leak and is far better to drive