2007 Volkswagen Eos Reviews

Gary Cooper is very happy with his 2012 Eos 155 TSI auto. It is well finished and comfortable, and he likes the roof and the fact that it has a back seat, even though there isn't a lot of room for anyone sitting in the rear. He is happy with the 6.0 L/100 km he gets on the highway, although having to use Premium

Convertibles are great when the weather is fine and you can drop the soft-top, but they have their issues that make them a compromise for everyday useThey're not very secure, or particularly refined. It's easy for a would-be thief to slash a gaping hole in a fabric roof and make off with your mobile phone, GPS, laptop computer or any other valuable item left inside, and a soft-top simply can't provide the same noise isolation a solid steel roof can.Car designers have been trying for years to come up with a folding metal roof that could deliver the wind-in-the-hair driving experience of a convertible with the security and refinement of a coupe or sedan.As far back as the 1950s they were playing with steel roofs that could be lowered out of sight into the boot, but they were clunky mostly unreliable things that could only be lowered when the car was parked on a flat, level surface.The breakthrough really came in the 1990s when efficient folding metal roofs began to appear. At first it was only more expensive cars that had them, the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL/K sports car, which had a folding roof that worked a treat, but like all new things they have worked their way down the price scale and can be found on more affordable cars like the VW EOS.MODEL WATCHVW was producing convertibles almost since its inception. The Beetle cabriolet was a popular little soft-top, and still is with the classic crew, and the ragtop Golf was an equally popular car.  Arguably it still is, but the EOS took the VW convertible to a whole new level of sophistication with its folding metal roof.Like its soft-top forebears the EOS was a four-seater with a metal roof that delivered the security of a coupe or sedan when in the raised position, but at the touch of a button it could become an open- top car ready for that special wind-in-the-hair driving thrill.With the roof raised the EOS is a stylish coupe with pretty lines; when the roof is lowered and tucked away out of sight it becomes a sleek convertible with a rakish stance.  On the road the EOS was nicely balanced and responded quickly to steering inputs, while its ride was comfortable and compliant.VW offered the choice of two engines, a 2.0-litre FSi turbocharged four-cylinder that put out 147 kW and 280 Nm, and a 2.0-litre four- cylinder turbo diesel that boasted peaks of 103 kW and 320 Nm.The Transmission choices were a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG automated manual 'box.  The list of standard features was comprehensive, and included auto climate-control air, cruise, central locking, power windows and mirrors, six-CD sound, leather steering wheel, fog lamps and park assist.IN THE SHOP VW build quality has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and that's reflected in the relatively few complaints that come to Cars Guide.  Mechanically they are generally robust and reliable, the bodies are well finished and stand up well to the Australian conditions, and the interiors are durable.The most common complaint Cars Guide receives about VWs concerns brake wear, and owners are often shocked to find they are facing a hefty bill for new disc rotors and pads even though their cars have done relatively few kays.At this stage the earliest EOS's have clocked up less than 50,000 km and are not showing any sign of serious flaws.  Make the usual checks for dodgy crash repairs, and make sure of a regular service routine.IN A CRASH ANCAP gave the EOS a four-star rating, which is a solid result, particularly for the time it was released.  It's packed with active and passive safety systems, including ABS antilock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist and electronic stability control for crash avoidance, with the backup of dual front airbags and side front airbags for when the steel began to crumple.AT THE PUMPBoth the petrol and diesel models are quite economical. VW claimed a combined fuel economy of 8.4 L/100 km for the FSi petrol engine, and 6.9 L/100 km for the turbo diesel.LOOK FOR . Classy coupe, sassy soft-top. Coupe security. VW reliability. Fun driver. Diesel economyTHE BOTTOM LINE . VW EOS offers all the fun of a ragtop with none of the downsides.RATING80/100

Both attract glances from all angles and leave you feeling good about yourself from behind the wheel. Volkswagen's latest offering provides the best of both worlds in one package, a hard-top convertible and a coupe. And it's an affordable one at that.The new Eos has a convertible, sliding coupe roof and is priced between $47,990 and $52,290, depending on whether you want to stick to the traditional petrol or give the diesel a try. And with a 2.0-litre turbo on offer in both modes, the Eos, which is named after a goddess, is competitively priced for the segment. On a first drive, there even seems to be more on offer for your money than with the more expensive Volvo C70, which starts at $69,950 and the diesel Saab 9-3 for $67,400. The 2.0-litre turbo diesel is the entry-level model for the range, with 103kW developed at 4000rpm and 320Nm from as low as 1750rpm to 2500rpm. It's priced at $47,990 for the manual, and $50,290 for the DSG gearbox. While the DSG gearbox is impressive, and allows you to drive in three modes, manual shifting with a light touch of the gear lever, Sport or the easier Drive option, the manual is a more enjoyable drive. With tall gearing, it was a quick shift into third as we easily tackled the winding Great Ocean Road in Victoria. The diesel is a good ride and it doesn't seem to possess past diesel traits, such as a noisy engine.During our test, mother nature wasn't so kind, so unfortunately we couldn't test it with the roof down. But when driving with the roof closed, you barely notice you're in a diesel in terms of noise.The alternative is a 2.0-litre turbo petrol model, with 147kW from 5100rpm to 6000rpm and 280Nm of torque delivered at 1800rpm to 5000rpm. The petrol has a price tag of $49,990 for the six-speed manual and $52,290 for the DSG. This is a little more expensive than the Holden Astra Twin Top at $45,490 and the Peugeot 307cc at $47,990, but its performance also exceeds those models. The turbo has the benefit of responsive and smooth acceleration, the torque always on hand.The bad weather held off long enough to test the topless option in the petrol model.The car has to be stationary to remove the roof, which takes 25 seconds to retract and folds into the boot. With the roof down, there's still 205 litres capacity (enough for two bags). It has 380 litres when the roof is up.The Eos is the first car to have a sunroof fitted into a retractable hard top, so you can still pull back the inside of the roof to reveal the glass top and the beauty of the sky, storm or no storm. And the design of the car is in line with its goddess origin. She's a good-looking model, with the smooth shape and space-like encapsulated shell.The Eos borrows some attributes of other Volkswagen models, including the suspension based on the Golf and Jetta and the petrol engine, which was first deployed in the Golf GTI. But its platform is new.The back surprisingly has decent head and leg space, even with the roof up. The suspension felt light on the road when we were testing the petrol model, not quite taking the corners with the firmness you'd like. But the problem was solved when we stepped into the diesel model, fitted with the optional 18-inch wheels and sports suspension, which comes at an extra $2490. It's well worth it for that extra grip and a more dynamic ride.The Eos comes standard with a rollbar system, ABS, ESP, four airbags working as six, parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, a six-disc CD changer with eight speakers, rain-sensing wipers and that first-of-a-kind five-piece Convertible Sliding Coupe roof. Leather interior is extra.In Greek mythology, the Titan goddess of dawn, Eos, rose from the edge of the ocean to awake her brother, Helious the sun. So perhaps jumping in your Eos at dawn and stretching her legs on the road would ensure the rising of the sun, allowing the full benefits of her convertible form. It didn't really seem to work for us, but then again, there was no getting up at dawn for these journalists, even if a goddess was awaiting.

Except, perhaps, Sydney.If ever there was a Volkswagen conceived with our country's climate (and roads, for that matter) in mind, it's the Eos — a car which, at the press of a button, reverts in 25 seconds from as chic a metal-roofed coupe as you'd wish to see to an even more chic open-top.A star of last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, where this unique CC was memorably unveiled amid a sea of sunflowers, the Eos will be a local heroine when it reaches our shores early next year.It combines the excellent engines, transmissions and chassis that have made the Mark V Golf the leader in its class and the most successful VW in this country since the old Beetle.It's a superior car in every respect to the New Beetle cabrio — more of a spiritual successor to the classic Karmann Ghia of decades past.Perhaps more important, in a segment that's hardly defined by practical requirements, the Eos is possessed of a subtle "I want" quotient.For VW Australia — which has doubled its passenger-car market share with the addition this year of the Jetta and Passat — the Eos will be something of a halo model, a glamorous figurehead on top of a range that is becoming a byword for value and quality, but hardly sexiness.It reaches Australia early next year with a two-litre turbo diesel engine (yes, an oiler-powered drop top), direct injection petrol, and a turbo version.The likely starting price will be in the mid- to high-$40K range. If that's not enough to frighten Peugeot, Renault and Saab, the 3.2-litre V6 FSI version, soon to go into production, surely will.That folding metal roof has been engineered to the nth degree and is apparently able to withstand torrents of high-pressure hosing without dampening the occupants.It's mounted on a long-wheelbase version of the Golf platform with Passat architecture — proven builds to match the aforementioned working bits. But in terms of perception and appeal, the Eos is about as departed from those cars as anything so grounded in the tried and true can be.The lid is properly known as a Convertible Sliding Coupe (CSC) roof.With top up, the front section, which is encased within glass, becomes a sun portal by sliding back a ceiling shutter. It can be opened completely or tilted upwards at the rear.In coupe mode, the Eos's stance is muscular but streamlined, sophistication oozing from its every pore.When you want to expose your own pores, the centre console-mounted button folds the roof into the boot in the time it takes to wind an old-fashioned car window down and up again.Buying a convertible is what marketing people are wont to call a "lifestyle decision", but practicality is not sacrificed at the altar of Eos.Top up, the luggage volume in the boot is a hatchback-like 380 litres. Down, it's a respectable 205, with goods and chattels protected in a covered enclave.Weighing in from around 1400kg, up to 1500-plus for the diesel and turbo petrol variants, the Eos is almost 10cm longer than the Golf.That translates to marginally better than average room in the back, although the lanky wouldn't enjoy a prolonged period there.But that, in turn, translates to a superb driving position — one that's even more malleable than in other recent VeeWees, which is saying something.Once settled in behind the wheel, you discover that no matter which powerplant is in front of you, the Eos is an assured and accomplished cruiser rather than a B-road basher.The test route took Sunday CARSguide from the outskirts of Athens through Marathon and Attica to a particularly pretty promontory on the Aegean coast.It included freeways, Australian-comparable back tracks and some uniquely Greek winding hill roads.Most of this was spent in the 2.0 TDI and 2.0 FSI. A brief exposure to the turbo petrol version confirmed our feelings that, rather than being a topless Golf GTI, it's dynamically akin to a conventionally suspended Golf or Jetta.On those narrow stretches of tarmac that have been scraped from the semi-arid Attican mountainsides, front-wheel-drive understeer came readily to the fore. With minor adjustment of stop and go pedals, and the full raft of electronic safety features providing back-up, this was easily tameable.Despite the build being extraordinarily rigid for a drop-top car, the Eos's ride was compliant and bump absorption proved to be excellent.The six-speed manuals on all models sampled (DSG autos will be available come local release) were slick-shifting and decisive in the VW manner.The Eos won't engage drivers in the fashion of a tautly toned roadster, but it's not meant to. What it does is provide comfortable open, semi-open and closed-top motoring in a stylish and comparably affordable package.And it will look even better breezing across the Harbour Bridge than passing the Parthenon.The writer flew to Athens courtesy of Volkswagen