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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  Remapped - 2006 Volkswagen EOS
  By GRy - March 20 - 11:10 am

  Hi I recently had my eos 2006 2.0 petrol remapped, blimey it goes fast , 240 hp and 361 toque it’s flyes and leaves most cars behind well worth getting done

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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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  Worst Car Ever - 2009 Volkswagen EOS
  By jlmurray81 - December 16 - 1:07 am

  I leased this car back in August on 2008 and have had nothing but problems with it and the dealership ever since. Four weeks after I leased the car, a transmission valve had to be replaced. I learned about his problem only after nearly being killed on the freeway because my car lost all forward momentum. To add insult to injury the dealership insisted it was my starter that caused this issue. Only after speaking to a mechanic was this issue actually addressed. The dealership had my car for over three weeks and tried to charge me for the rental car. Approximately a year later the manufacture issued a recall for this transmission value issue.

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  Beware of Defective Water pumps - 2012 Volkswagen EOS
  By susanb122 - November 27 - 10:42 pm

  I bought a 2012 EOS in April of 2011. As of this writing 12/24/11, I only have 3,100 miles on the car and it has had 3 water pumps put in. Fortunately, the car has not broken down yet, but the water pumps build up pressure after the cars warm up and a screeching noise can be heard from under the hood. My first was found by accident. With only 400 miles on the car, I had gotten out to run back into the house to retireve something and I heard the noise. I brought it back to the dealer and was told VW had a batch of defective water pumps and they would put another one in, which they did. Stand outside your EOS and listen for the noise! My car is being replaced.

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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