VW Eos lets drivers have fun all year long

BY JOHN STEIN Automotive Editor December 9, 2011 1:36PM

2012 VOLKSWAGEN EOS LUX

ENGINE: 200-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder

TRANSMISSION: six-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: front-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 22 city/30 highway

BASE PRICE: $37,250

AS TESTED: $38,020

WEBSITE: vw.com

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The 2012 Eos comes in three trim levels: Executive, Komfort and Lux. My tester was the Lux trim that has a base price of $37,250. While the new Eos has the same turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as the 2011 Eos, there is no longer a manual transmission option and the standard transmission is a six-speed automatic with a manual mode.

What makes the Eos special is this coupe’s convertible top, which is sleek and takes about 25 seconds to open by merely holding down a button on the console.

Inside the cabin, the Eos has an open feeling (even with the top up). The overhead retractable sunroof over the front seats has a unique shade that slides under the glass to shield the cabin from any sun. Visibility with the top up is surprisingly good. I did not have any blind spot issues during my weeklong test. My Eos tester offered standard parking sensors, which made some maneuvers especially easy to handle.

The Eos offers plenty of room for four adults, even with the top up, but there is a slight “coupe” challenge for entry and exit from the back seat. I found the seats to be comfortable and bolstered in just the right places in the lower back region. This is great for long road trips with the top down.

The Eos delivers the interior quality materials that have become VW’s trademark. Look for chrome-flecked window switches, quality soft-touch dash and materials, and real wood trim. I had some issues with the muffled “crash” sound that emanated from the doors when they were shut. Not sure what was making the noise in there, but it was annoying — especially for a car that lands at just slightly more than $38,000.

Great news for Chicago area residents: The Eos is a car that can be driven around the Midwest the entire year. This is not a convertible that has to be stored for four months. During the warmer months, driving the Eos with the top down is a wonderful experience. A wind deflector above the windshield kept wind turbulence to a minimum. There is also a rear deflector included that has to be installed once the roof is down.

Under the tiny hood, the direct-injection inline-four-cylinder engine puts out 200 horsepower and 207 pounds-feet of torque. This power is adequate to move the Eos around town and on the highway. My only real issues with acceleration came while trying to jump into Dan Ryan traffic on one of those wonderful left-lane ramps. There is a noticeable lag and then a huge surge as the six-speed transmission tries to make an adjustment. Sport mode was an available setting that I used the rest of the week to help with those quick entries into highway flow. It wasn’t that different than other small cars, but this is bordering on luxury class and it probably would benefit from some additional ponies.

The Eos comes with a standard electronic stability system, antilock brakes and side-impact airbags as well as frontal airbags. Eos features a rollover protection system that deploys hidden steel beams behind the rear seats in the event of a rollover. It’s a great feature that lends some peace of mind.

The Eos requires premium fuel to attain the estimated 22/30 mpg city/highway, which is not great considering the size of this vehicle. However, this is a coupe that is meant to be fun first — which it manages to do especially well when the top is down and the wind is whipping all around you.

Overall, at $38,020 this is an expensive vehicle that is not quite at the luxury level. It is an attractive and fun-to-drive coupe that offers spirited options when the top is down and great comfort when it is up.

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