2009 VOLKSWAGEN EOS: Stress-free ride

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/08/2009 (5953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It doesn’t have the sleek, feline shape of a classic roadster; nor does it have the hair-raising performance of a sports car. Still, the Volkswagen Eos hardtop convertible is one of those cars that is just meant for cruising.

Pick a sunny afternoon with no particular destination in mind and the Eos will deliver a stress-relieving ride that ranks right up there among droptops.

Case in point: Not 30 minutes after arriving home, worn out from writing the final exam that would complete her third year of university, my daughter announced she was bored.

"Let’s go for a drive," she said, tossing me the keys.

Less than 10 minutes later, we were on a rural road heading north into farm country, soaking up the sunshine and revelling in the sights and smells that cannot be experienced in a closed car. Twenty minutes after that, she was fast asleep. I kept driving for another hour, happy as a clam in the sand, music softly playing and daughter snoozing. At that moment, all was right in the world.

So the Eos is no BMW Z4 or Honda S2000 in looks or power. Big deal! It’s a more mature car, as reflected in its profile, which is a little thick around the middle but still stylish. What makes up for any lack of youthful exuberance are two things, the first being VW’s ubiquitous turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, an absolute gem of an engine. Mated to a six-speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) manumatic, the 200-horsepower motor displays more than enough scoot — especially in manual mode — to provide entertainment.

When called for, the 1,620-kilogram Eos will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.9 seconds and scamper to 120 km/h from 80 in a quick 5.8 seconds — think a heavier version of the VW GTI in the way it moves. Equally impressive as its usable power is the engine’s smoothness and near-total silence when running at a steady speed. Fuel economy isn’t bad, either. I averaged 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres during my week with the tester, which included a couple more serene trips to nowhere. Premium unleaded is required, however, to extract maximum power from the turbo four.

The second noteworthy thing is the sheer brilliance of the car’s CSC (coupe-sunroof-convertible) folding hardtop roof. Talk about the best of all possible worlds — a glass sunroof in the middle of a convertible top.

Introverts can power back the sunroof for a little sunshine and fresh air while the extroverts can take in the whole al fresco driving experience. No wonder the Eos took the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s Best New Convertible award when the car debuted a couple of years back.

It should be noted that the structural rigidity of the Eos with the roof in place is far superior to that of soft-top convertibles. It’s quieter, too.

Yet, with the top down, cowl shake is just as pronounced when travelling over rough surfaces such as train tracks.

Now, this particular Eos is not a run-of-the-mill model. The Silver-Red is a genuine limited-edition car (only 130 units). The name refers to the Eos’s livery — metallic silver exterior and deep red leather interior. It’s all very stylish and upscale and far more vibrant than boring black cabins. And, to justify the Silver-Red’s equally upscale price of $44,575, Volkswagen has taken just about every standard feature and option found in the lower-priced Eos Standardline ($35,975) and Comfortline ($40,275) models and thrown it in. The list is long, but the unique highlights include 18-inch Chicago alloy wheels, a sport suspension, red leather sport seats, a wind blocker and brushed aluminum sport pedals and trim. The only item the Silver-Red tester seemed to be lacking was a navigation system.

It all makes for a rather pleasant driving experience for two. Though the Eos is a four-seater, it functions best as a 2+2. Unless the back passengers are very small and flexible, the rear seats are suitable only as a leather-lined supplementary cargo area. Speaking of which, with the top up, the trunk area is a reasonably usable 10.5 cubic feet. Stow the top, though, and capacity shrinks to 6.6 cu. ft., which puts the groceries in the aforementioned back seats.

No matter what the model, every Eos comes complete with a full suite of active and passive safety features. As a convertible, though, it is also equipped with an anti-rollover protection system — located behind the rear seats — should things go completely wrong.

While I don’t know if I would spring for the Silver-Red Edition — it’s a little on the dear side considering the difference in price between it and the already well-contented Comfortline — I found the Eos a car I could easily warm up to; this from a diehard roadster lover.

Thoroughly pleasant to drive, the Eos is also less of a toy when it comes to droptops — it’s a full 12-months-a-year vehicle. The closer is the CSC roof, which allows far greater flexibility when it comes to exposing oneself to the elements.

— Canwest News Service

THE SPECS:

TYPE OF VEHICLE: Front-wheel-drive hardtop convertible

ENGINE: Turbocharged 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder

POWER: 200 hp 5,100 rpm; 207 lb-ft of torque 1,800 rpm

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manumatic

BRAKES: Four-wheel disc with ABS

TIRES: P235/40R18

PRICE: base/as tested: $44,575/same

DESTINATION CHARGE: $1,360

TRANSPORT CANADA FUEL ECONOMY L/100 KM: 9.7 city, 6.6 hwy.

STANDARD FEATURES: Bi-xenon automatic headlights, Park Distance Control, power glass sunroof, Rollover Protection System, removable wind blocker, dual-zone electric climate control, anti-theft alarm system, cruise control, multi-function trip computer, central power locking system, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated windshield nozzles, AM/FM audio sound system with six-disc changer, MP3 capability and eight speakers, Sirius satellite radio, 12-way power-adjustable driver seat with power lumbar support, eight-way manually adjustable passenger seat, heated front seats, power "easy-entry" function on driver’s seat, heated front seats, rear centre pass-through, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel