When you’ve got a seat that draws praise from small- and large-build adults for its comfort and support, you know you’re onto something. Despite the varying sizes of our editors and the beefy bolsters that served to limit the seats’ width, the front buckets in our Eos allowed each staffer to find a suitable driving position. When cornering, the substantial side cushions kept bodies firmly planted, though the lower bolster could have used more padding and the center console would benefit from knee-friendly soft-touch plastics. As equipped, our drop-top VW featured 12 power adjustments for driver and passenger, the former also enjoying a nice leather-wrapped tilt and telescoping steering wheel. There’s a welcome layer of padding on the door panels and sills, and the center armrest adjusts, though it needs to lock into place – weight and pressure from a resting forearm caused it to slide back and forth. The Eos also provides adequate leg and head room (with the top raised), but tight parking can be an issue with the wide and heavy doors.

Rear Comfort
Who said VW engineers don’t have a sense of humor? Any average-size adult attempting to sit in the Eos’s rear so-called seat knows that’s not the case. The first clue comes when tilting the front seats forward, at which time one realizes they don’t also slide forward for easy entry. Finagle your way in, and if the narrow space doesn’t get to you, the upright seatback surely will. Side armrests are almost useless, but the large head restraints are a nice touch. Now if they could just be made adjustable for reasons of comfort and visibility. Front seatbacks are thankfully soft, though rear leg room is tight, as is head room.

Interior Noise
Soft-top convertibles are famous for being loud, while hard-top versions are more on the quiet side. The 2007 VW Eos keeps up the status quo in that regard, albeit not as well as other retractable hard-top models we’ve experienced. At highway speeds, the Eos’s interior is filled with a good bit of wind noise, lots of tire noise, and a somewhat muted thunk each time we encountered rough pavement. Those are the negatives. More pleasant was the muted and refined engine note, even at full throttle, with the occasional (OK, frequent) whoosh from the enticing turbocharger.

Loading Cargo
Unlike most soft-top convertibles, which offer equal amounts of trunk room with or without the top raised, hard-top models like the Eos see a drastic drop in usable space when the sunny skies are calling. With the multi-piece top up, the cargo area consists of a decent center pocket, good for maybe one large suitcase or a couple of duffle bags, and some space on the sides. However, stickers in the trunk suggest that only the center area is suitable for storage. A narrow pass-through allows for extending some items into the rear seat, but don’t even think about toting a set of clubs. Dropping the top results in all of the roof and rear glass panels being stacked in the trunk – what you’re left with is the same central storage area, though it can only be accessed through a tight six-inch gap. Clearly, it’s best to stick with the stuffable duffles. Of course, the inhospitable rear seat is perfect for packing in some extra gear.

Top Operation
A pair of switches located below the front center armrest controls the power top as well as the expansive glass sunroof. The small black switch is for the sunroof; the large silver switch lowers the roof in 24 seconds and raises it, along with all four side windows, in 30 seconds. The driver will need to .