Driving Impressions

The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine produces plenty of torque, good for gentle cruising or more aggressive driving. VW claims it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 130 mph. In the past, we haven't cared too much for the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired up with an automatic transmission. But Volkswagen's DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) automatic causes very little penalty in fuel consumption. EPA fuel economy ratings for the Eos are 21/31 mpg, City/Highway, for the manual and 22/29 mpg for the automatic, making the automatic very slightly better around town and the manual slightly better on the open road. VW publishes the same 0-to-60 mph acceleration time and top-speed performance numbers for either transmission. All Eos models include an electronic stabilization program (ESP), which we found to be completely unobtrusive, perhaps because we never drove the car past its limit of adhesion. We had the chance to drive a short distance on a dirt road at a slow speed and there was no drama from the car, nor any squeaks or rattles. Because of its added weight and a less-rigid body, the Eos does not handle as well as the GTI. That?s a high bar, however, as the GTI is so good it is almost in a class by itself. The electro-mechanical steering is fine; in fact, we felt it delivered a slightly better feel than in the GTI. Brakes are also more than adequate. The majority of owners will find the Eos acceptable for all driving except at high speed on winding roads. With the top up there is virtually no indication that you're in anything other than a coupe. There is little wind noise and the body feels tight. With the top down there is some cowl shake on rough roads. It's far less than in older convertibles, which indicates VW has done an excellent job of creating a stiff new frame under the svelte body. The Eos has a couple of items to help reduce wind buffeting with the top down. These include a deflector that can be raised up along the top edge of the windshield that is mostly to prevent buffeting with the sunroof open. The other is a wire mesh contraption that goes over the rear seats when there are no passengers back there; it lessens air turbulence behind the front seats. We found it helped but wonder whether most people will bother to install it unless they intend to drive some distance with the top down. We found the Eos to deliver responsive, sure handling. If not quite particularly sporty, especially for drivers who consider themselves to be more enthusiastic, it is stable and predictable, and even fun to drive. If you want a really great handling car the GTI is a much better deal and we doubt the Eos could ever match it due to the inherently less rigid body structure and added weight.

Final Word

The Volkswagen Eos is truly a car for all seasons. When the metal roof is up the Eos is sealed and you'd never know it was not a normal two-door, four-passenger coupe. On warm days it takes less than half a minute to transform the Eos into a four-seat convertible. For in-between days there's the option of a sunroof with a very wide opening. Compared to the price of other metal-hardtop four-seat convertibles, the Eos is truly one for the masses, priced about ten grand less than the Volvo C70. New Car Test Drive correspondent John Rettie filed this report after his test drive of the Volkswagen Eos with the six-speed manual in South Africa.