Overview & Reviews

The Volkswagen Eos is a four-seat, two-door convertible. Its retractable hardtop design combines the open-air experience of a traditional ragtop with the security and all-season comfort of a coupe's fixed roof. According to Greek mythology, Eos was the goddess of the sunrise, and it's an appropriate name for this smart-looking convertible.

As a new car, the Eos' price can seem hard to justify, as it's typically higher than other mainstream convertibles. But the Eos does come with a lot of standard equipment, a hardtop design and a high-quality interior. Used models may be somewhat hard to find, and you'll want to pay extra attention to model years, as VW has altered content over the years in hopes of broadening the Eos' appeal.

Current Volkswagen Eos
There are three trim levels in the Eos family: Komfort, Sport and Executive. All have front-wheel drive and are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. The sole transmission is VW's excellent six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), which offers the ease of an automatic along with most of the advantages of a manual transmission.

The highlight of the Volkswagen Eos is its retractable hardtop. VW calls it the CSC (coupe-sunroof-convertible) and it employs a unique five-panel roof that transforms the coupe's hardtop into an open-air convertible in just 25 seconds. If you don't want the full top-down experience but still want a little wind in your hair, you can leave it up and just power back the built-in sunroof.

Intended more as a boulevard cruiser than a sports car, the Volkswagen Eos excels when it comes to occupant comfort and amenities. Even the base Komfort comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, leatherette (vinyl) upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front seats, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, an eight-speaker sound system with an iPod interface and a CD changer, a navigation system and VW's Car-Net telematics service. Highlights of the Sport include 18-inch wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, bi-xenon headlights, a rear spoiler, keyless ignition and entry, and paddle shifters. The Executive model features automatic wipers, parking sensors, a power passenger seat, leather upholstery, an upgraded navigation system with larger display, a rearview camera and an upgraded sound system.

In road tests, our editors have cited the retractable roof, classy styling and high-quality cockpit furnishings as the Eos' key strengths. Downsides include mediocre handling and a tight backseat. As long as you don't expect the Eos to perform like a roadster, it should make for one of the most satisfying convertible experiences at this price point.

Used Volkswagen Eos Models
The Eos debuted for the 2007 model year, and it was initially available with either the turbocharged four or a narrow-angle 3.2-liter V6 engine good for 250 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. Trim levels then included the base Eos, the 2.0T and 3.2L. The base Eos and more luxurious 2.0T had the turbocharged four, matched to either a six-speed manual or the DSG, while the 3.2L sported the V6 matched to the DSG as well as a full array of accoutrements.

For the following year, the trim levels were Turbo, Komfort, Lux and VR6. The Turbo and Komfort were roughly analogous to the previous year's base and 2.0T, respectively, with the Lux adding extra feature content while sticking with the turbocharged-4 under the hood. The VR6 mostly mirrored the previous 3.2L model but added 18-inch wheels and sport seats. On these 2007 and '08 models, a navigation system was optional, but unlike in newer models it was DVD-based. The Turbo and VR6 trims were discontinued for '09 and that year also brought an updated touchscreen navigation system with multimedia inputs.

Things in the Eos world stood pat for a few years until 2012, when the car adopted the Jetta's front-end styling, gained the DSG transmission as standard, received a few new features (such as keyless ignition/entry) and saw updated infotainment and climate controls. The Executive trim level also debuted this year. The following year brought the Sport trim level as well as a shuffling of equipment. These latter Eos models are similar to the current lineup apart from the discontinuation of the Lux trim and the unavailability of the telematics system.

User Reviews:

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  I love this car! - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By I love this car - December 29 - 11:23 pm

  This car is fun, fun, fun! I have only had it a week and I cant remember loving any car this much. After purchasing my new Eos I left the dealer with the top down (of course!). I only got about five miles before some guy drove up and yelled, "Nice car!" to me. My daughter is seriously impressed and she has a new BMW 3 series!

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  Love My EOS - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By LoveMyEOS - December 22 - 8:23 pm

  When a 20 year old male and his 50+ mother agree that a car is perfect; it must be! Jerry, who reviewed thought the EOS was a "male" car. I disagree...its just a sophisticated vehicle for either sex. I am not normally a spur of the moment type person, but once I saw the EOS with the top down and test drove it, I knew I HAD to put a deposit on it. Mine was the first off the dealers lot. Its like owning entirely two different vechicles, one with top down and the other as a hardtop. More people than I can count in the past week have asked me about the car. It was a big hit in AC this past weekend. I have yet to find something that I would change about it from either a design or a performance point. I LOVE IT!

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  VW should rename the Eos to "ET 2.0" - 2007 Volkswagen EOS
  By Oasis - November 6 - 2:23 pm

  Driving the VW Eos 2.0T DSG 6 sp is a lot of fun. The first thing I liked was the sun roof day or night I could look out at the stars or the clouds and trees. I was surprised that my Eos got 32 mpg and the passing power was so brisk I never experienced that type of passing power before. I also enjoy the fact I can listen to MP3s and the compass is a plus. Electric seats especially the height adjustment made me happy. The roof, what can I say I live in Florida and have the roof down most of the time just turn on the air conditioner for comfort. Last of all some advice. The Eos needs to have a home, a garage, be washed every other week and always use premium gas.

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  Enjoying the Eos - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By loudounman - October 25 - 4:46 am

  Purchased base model w/ 17 inch wheels. Great fun to drive. Plenty of pick-up with turbo. Slight hesitation but then it really moves. Compared with BMW 328 but glad I went with Eos. Saved alot of money and enjoying the car. Give this car a try and dealers are willing to deal right now.

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  Great fun car and economical - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By JD - October 23 - 8:06 am

  I have only owned the EOS for three weeks, but I am impressed. I traded an Audi A4 and the EOS is superior for much less money. Convertible/sunroof combination provide great flexibility in Florida. Acceleration and handling are outstanding and build quality is nearly perfect. I would only add the Homelink feature to open garage door and allow some more aggressive accessories to improve sporty appearance.

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  1 year so far no issues - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By Paul - October 10 - 7:16 pm

  I put 13k on it so far so good. Absolutely no-issues. I was driving a VW passat earlier and wanted to get a convertible, SAAB, VOLVO and EOS was in my list. With the price , quality , handling and look we decided to go with EOS. Excellent gas mileage Highway I even got 35MPG.

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  Great and fun car - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By roger - October 3 - 11:56 pm

  I have owned a 2002 Jetta great car now I own a the best looking car on the road today . 2008 conv. Eos light blue, every one stares when I put the top down. Its so fun to drive I put 5000 miles on it the first month fast to watch out v-8s

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  Fun to drive - 2008 Volkswagen EOS
  By Nancy - October 2 - 5:16 pm

  Initially the DSG transmission took some getting used. Its a fun car to drive and surprisingly quiet even on the worst roads. Ive had my car for over a year and am having a few problems with the convertible top. It doesnt seem to go thru the down process all the way. Then when I try to put the top up, I have to press the button down to complete the cycle and then pull the button up for the top to close. Im working with my dealer to get it squared away because the hard top convertible is the main reason I bought this car. All that said, I still love my EOS!!

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  Nice car with a few hiccups - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By drspoon - September 21 - 11:36 am

  This fun car is a dream to drive. The turbo engine really gets up and goes. We have taken the car on long trips and it is really very comfortable. Now after having it for a year we find out the hard way that the engine is an oil burner after total 20k mileage. Just got it back from the dealer where the oil consumption is one half quart per 1000 miles-- an amount that Volks says is acceptable. I asked how I can make the 10,000 mile factory suggested oil change interval and the dealership simply says I cannot. For the price of this car and the supposed quality of Volks engineering this is simply unacceptable. No more Volkswagens for me!!!!!!!

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  Compare to WHAT?? - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By 50something - September 14 - 10:23 am

  We wanted a convertible for years. We considered and drove the BMW 128i, Porsche Boxster, and Mercedes 350 CLK. On vacations we rented Sebring and Mustang Shelby convertibles. When we discovered the EOS on a trip to Arkansas, we bought it on the spot and left our Acura RDX at the dealer. We continued our vacation in our brand new EOS and had a blast. Consider it a 1200 mile test drive! The person who wrote Edmunds review saying the car could not handle the twisties must be faking his reviews in my opinion. I also own a 1985 Porsche 911; the new EOS driven in Sport mode with the DSG handled every bit as well as my Porsche. The car definitely has German DNA and was FUN, FUN, FUN!!