The Volkswagen Eos deserves more consideration than it gets. It offers the features and build quality of a more expensive luxury model, making it a smart choice for drop-top sun seekers.
Eos was the ancient Greek goddess of the dawn, known for her daily ritual of opening heaven's gates to welcome the sun. The 2012 Volkswagen Eos does much the same thing with its retractable hardtop convertible roof or unique built-in sunroof. Yet unlike its goddess namesake, the VW Eos doesn't get a lot of respect -- and we're not talking about offerings of wine and goat meat.
The Volkswagen Eos tends to be forgotten among the convertible ranks despite its many advantages. Besides its innovative roof, the Eos has a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine (shared with the GTI, among others) that delivers punchy power and high fuel economy, and a quick-shifting DSG automated manual transmission. The impeccable cabin is built to a standard that exceeds similarly priced convertibles, and offers abundant standard features that help justify its price premium over other competitors like the Chrysler 200, Ford Mustang and Mini Cooper.
With its size and front-wheel-drive layout, the Eos claims a middle ground between those cheaper models and luxury drop tops like the Audi A5 and BMW 3 Series, and is a must-look for buyers considering convertibles on either end of the price spectrum.