>> The new VW Eos is a Golf Passat-derived vehicle and that in itself might not be a big headline. So why do they make another car, another little coupe like this? Because it does a whole lot more than meets the eye. First of all, you hit one button here in the console and you open up what is one of widest glass sunroofs in the business. But that's just the beginning. Hit the big button near it and we start to lower the top. Full metal hard top coupe or sunroof coupe, or, as you're about to see, a full drop-top convertible. It's entirely automatic, one button does it all. The whole rear trunk section lifts up and away. The top drops down, including its integrative sunroof mechanism, and it seals away underneath hard surfaces that's fully finished, no nasty claw sticking up. And when it's done, it's one of the most open little cars that is also a full weather hard top. The base audio system in this car is AM-FM, single disk CD with MP3 CD ability, and it also includes an auxiliary input jack, which is in the glove box way over on the right, so if you're driving, you're not going to get there; plug it in before you start. You can add an iPod adaptor, ala carte, for about 200 bucks. That would live here in the console, or you can start to upgrade the actual system in the dash. Our car went that route. We have an upgraded system with a Nav unit, so GPS to satellite navigation with a DVD information slot on the top, and then we have a six-disk audio CD changer here in the glove box. There's another Nav unit that, instead of the six-disk changer, opts for an iPod unit here in the glove box as an alternate, so you've got to make a choice there on the two Nav units you've got. You might just want to go for an upgraded audio system alone and here's why: I'm not crazy about the Nav system. I find this one to be rather poorly rendered. The screen is pretty good and it's a good size, but it does pick up an awful lot of daylight so it washes out like that [ snaps finger ] and I don't think the actual rendering of their font and graphic engine is very good. This is a coarse looking screen, it's very last generation. It's not a touch screen, so you rely a lot on these buttons here on the side. I'm not a big fan of this Nav system. The base gearbox in an Eos 2.0T is a six-feed manual, but our car is equipped with an optional direct shift gear box, six-speed Tiptronic over to the right to influence the gears up and down or put it back in drive for standard automatic. Now, the 2.0T version of the Eos has some nice climate touches to it. Standard dual climatronics, which means you've got dual zones, even the convertible -- I know it seems a little wacky. You also have heated seats. Here are the little rolling knobs that turn that up or down. And the car will memorize different heating and cool settings depending on whether the top is up or down. That's unique on the 2.0T version, so it has different preferences understanding if the top's up or down. That's kind of nice. Now, here's an option you want you to consider if you get one of these Eos 2.0Ts. Park distance control and trunk lid assistance. Park distance control will keep you from backing into something, you know that, but trunk lid assistant uses the same sensors to let you know if you have at least 20 inches before lowering the top. Otherwise your pretty painted trunk lid goes crunch against a wall, not pretty. Okay, let's price our little topless friend. We start off at $29,900 for a basic Eos 2.0 turbo, but then we add a luxury package, $35,000. That includes leather seats, leather wheel, faux or maybe real wood trim, rain-sensing wipers, better alloy road wheels, and a six-disk CD changer upgraded stereo. But notice this: The next line item is the DVD Nav system, also with a six-disk CD changer. Did I just buy two CD changers and just get one? Seems that way. On top of that, $1,000 for that DFG six-feet automatic. All in, about $37,000. What happened to our little affordable car?
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