[FrEos]

I've had mine for 10 days now and love it, but here's my list of pet hates (I'm in a picky mood this afternoon):

• can't raise or lower the roof (or even the windows) using the key
• rear wheels somehow manage to get more brake dust on them then the front ones
• VW have skimped on the Nappa leather and only put it in the centre sections of each seat
• the OBC doesn't tell you what speed you have set the cruise control to (annoying when you want to Resume)
• the carpet mats are too thin
• the boot lining is cheap
• the front seats are too wide for me (I miss the side bolster adjustment I had on my BMW)
• the steering wheel rim is a bit thin and not very grippy (slippery leather)
• I can't change CD tracks using the wheel controls and...
• ...having to touch the RCD500 screen all the time (minimal number of 'proper' buttons) means it gets covered in fingermarks
• having to hold the roof (and all-window) control button until it's finished doing its stuff
• headrests can't be adjusted for angle
• 140hp, even with 320Nm, is adequate, but could do with the 170hp version
• having to raise the wind deflector on top of the windscreen manually every time I lower the roof/open the sun roof

Just to be fair, here's a list of the features I have been pleasantly surprised by:

• good quality paintwork (better than BMW, for example)
• manual gear shift is a treat, probably the best I have ever owned
• new common-rail TDI is significantly quieter and smoother than the old unit I had in a previous Golf Plus; you can barely tell it's a diesel, even with the roof down
• fuel mileage is already extremely good: even after only 300km, my average is 52mpg!
• fit & finish almost on a parr with considerably more expensive 330 I used to own
• ride comfort is good (17" wheels and non-sports suspension)

I could go on, but I feel you getting bored

 

[nail-z-gull]

Had mine a year now. Nothing annoys me. Not one thing.

The 'quirks' that I've learnt to live with are the lack of traction in wet/slippery conditions, plus the collection of water in the door sills after a spell of rain. Apart from that, it gets a big thumbs up from me.

 

[pacemaker1000]

wow you read my mind i actually began to start a thread on this the other night and got bored
hope VW are watching and taking notes

here are some extra of mine you covered most

biggest gripe is vw are CHEAPSKATES!!
i mean twin cimate, steering wheel controls, cruise, auto wipers/lights are not extras they are STANDARD fit on a £20000 car!!!! wake up!!!
especially the first two, i had twin climate on my previous eos and despite not working any better it LOOKED right on this price car and now i have the basic setup it looks cheap

 

[evolvingpowercat]

I must say I don't regret buying my Eos for even 1 second. Am very happy with it.

My gripes --

- getting clothes wet when getting out of car on a rainy day, but I know this is true of all hardtop convertibles. since there is no frame with a drip gutter possible around the driver and passenger windows

- frame attachment point for trailer hitch only having 100 lb tongue weight / 1000 lb trailer weight rating for towing. I wish that were 200 lb / 2000 lb rating, would give me a little more flexibility on what I could tow with my Eos.

- The straps with the snaps on the sides of the front seats to hold the seatbelts are useless - the seat belts won't stay put in them.

- Not being able to have the choice of turning the Daytime Headlights on or off myself, they were easy to disable on my Ford. To turn them off on my Eos I have to use a $300 Ross-Tech Vag-com to reprogram one of the car's electronic modules.

- Wish the standard audio had better quality speakers

- Wish the driver side power seat had 2 person memory like my dad's Caddy does.

= = = = =

Comments on other's gripes:

> can't raise or lower the top using the key

That is one you can fix for under $500 US - by adding a SmartTop module from www.mod4cars.com. It lets you remote control the top, sunroof, and windows from your key fob remote. It also adds options to enable 'one touch' operation for 'windows up', sunroof, and top functions but these can be turned off and you can stay with the very safe VW defaults if you have children and want to make sure they don't get anything pinched in a auto window up or auto top/sunroof function.

It has a "stealth" mode that totally switches everything back to the VW factory default operating mode so dealers won't give you grief about modifying your VW during the warranty period and so their procedures to Krytox the top and so forth are not impacted by the SmartTop module.

I have had this on my car for about 8 months and it was money well spent. I love starting my top going down while walking towards my Eos as soon as I am in range of the key fob transmitter. I also love being able to park, start the top going up, turn off the car and get out, all the while the top is going up and I don't have sit there for 30 seconds holding the button.

 

[adam298]

Hi Randy,

How difficult/easy is installation of said roof module?

 

[evolvingpowercat]

Here is the manual for the current version: http://www.wit-usa.com/sms/db/smarttop/ext/manuals/vw/steos/steos_v3.4/en.php

The new version should take about 2 hours max for a first time installer, 1 hour for someone who has done one before.

 

[SiJ2000]

I took mine out for service to be safe and then reinstalled it... Took me about 15 mins!!

It's just practice...

 

[GOgg]

[*]

• good quality paintwork (better than BMW, for example)
  

• 
  
  I would disagree with that one (perhaps its just mine) The paint on the plastic parts is very soft and easily damaged. The boot is especially susceptible to bird sh*t. Its abrasive resistance is poor as well. Removing it seems to remove the paint surface and leaves marks. Worst paint I have ever come accross.
  I doubt if I will buy another VW again. However much I like driving the Eos, thw beemer hard top beckons.

 

[neh321]

wow you read my mind i actually began to start a thread on this the other night and got bored
hope VW are watching and taking notes

here are some extra of mine you covered most

biggest gripe is vw are CHEAPSKATES!!
i mean twin cimate, steering wheel controls, cruise, auto wipers/lights are not extras they are STANDARD fit on a £20000 car!!!! wake up!!!
especially the first two, i had twin climate on my previous eos and despite not working any better it LOOKED right on this price car and now i have the basic setup it looks cheap

Agree with you that they are Cheapskates!
Have to say very little annoys me about my Eos except that you have to pay extra for all sorts of things that should be included considering the price. Interesting to see what you say about the auto climate control; I didn't order it because I don't really think it does much that the standard system doesn't - but it DOES look so much better!

The only thing that consistently annoys me is that I don't have heated screen-washer jets, which I find inexcusable on a car costing over £26000. It's not as though they haven't developed them for the Eos, and they must cost all of a couple of pounds to include, yet now on motorway journeys in sub-zero temperatures (which fortunately are not very often!) I have to keep stopping to squirt water on to the screen to clean off the crap thrown up by trucks.

UK law states that a car must have working screen washers AT ALL TIMES but if they don't work below zero then they are illegal; so how do VW get away without fitting them? Or any other manufacturer for that matter?

(I did try to get them but there is some sort of conflict if you order leather, which includes heated seats in the UK. Still if you go to the Eos configurator on VW's website and choose leather then go for the winter pack it tells you there is a conflict and you have to go back and change one of them. Stupid or what?)

 

[SiJ2000]

Indeed.... I love my EOS, didn't like the rattle, but I fixed that... All else is fine by me.. I just have the normal aircon and it looks OK to me... Wifey has the same on in her Golf Plus, but at least mine has the heated seats instead of 2 lumps of plastic over where the switches go!!

I'll have to think of something to put in those... Perhaps some flasing LEDs or something! lol

 

[pacemaker1000]

agree with gogg about the paint, especially as mine has every plastic body panel a different colour to the metal bits

as for being cheapskates my experience in retrofitting cruise proved that the extra cost to VW to fit this to every eos was literally pence as its there anyway they just turn it off in software

 

[tortoise]

The EOS is cool to drive and quite economical on the fuel. I just hate the squeaks and rattles when I'm tired on a bad working day. Else just raise the music volume and go topless, the rattles cant be heard of then.

In particular, my No. 1 pet hate on the rattle is the funny tick tick tick at the rear C pillar whahahhaaaa

 

[Fliernoel]

That cupholder

Cured hood squeaks with occasional Krytox applications, so no complaints there, but hate the cupholder! All the rest of the car is so well designed that it seems a shame that they couldn't have provided something more intelligent. On the right-hand drive models anything sticking out of it gets in the way of the handbrake. It is a magnet for small items such as the odd coin, which are hard to extract, plus the grippy surface of its interior hangs on to dust and small insects to the extent that they defy a vacuum cleaner.
Otherwise I'm very happy with everything. Guess I'm easily pleased...

Noel

 

[SiJ2000]

Thats easy to resolve... Get the Auto, then you don't need the hadbrake whilst driving!

Regarding rattles, please see my "Rattle Fix" thread... It has a couple of pointers... Towards the end of the thread, I put some felt pads on the bottom plastic trim on the C Segment.

 

[walkert]

My annoyances:
1. Window sills still leak when going through a high-pressure car wash. It does not leak with rain and such, but the car wash is annoying.
2. DSG delay - ughhh! Take off has to be slow to NOT spin the tires.
3. A/C is not cold enough - I want the top down with our high humidity heat waves (e.g. 112 degrees F) and it is not really cold comming out - just "cool"
4. Standard Audio speakers - with the top down cruising along, it can be hard to hear the radio - I blare it and you can't hear it enough.
5. Scratches on the inside "plastic" of the door and the bottom seat. I have noticed when people have gotten in and out that the plastic parts of the door and seat already have scuff marks. it annoys me tremendously.


I didn't get the trim model with the dual climate control since it is a convertible, it kinda sounded like fluff to me. How does it operate??????



Okay I have to say that there are some things that can be done to help with these annoyances.

1. The roof raise with the key fob can be done with a SmartTop module. FrEOS actually had one for sell - but sounds like should have installed it. As well, this will also allow you to do one button top up or down instead of holding it. You can always still site the maximum speed to 5 so it will not injure the roof during movement of the car. Word to the Wise: some have said this module can malfunction and accidentally open your roof on its own - so watch it carefully for a few weeks after installation. Also, driving while the roof is operating (which these modules permit) can cause the roof pieces to bend. Be carefull out there!
2. Brake dust can be minimized by having your calipers painted. This will assist in keeping the dust to a minimum. You might want to look at Brembo brakes too.
3. Cruise control I agree. I have to remember what the speed was set at when resuming. I wish the MFC would tell you.
4. I upgraded my front mats to something that was thicker (and nicer).
http://www.patrickaccessories.com/productdetail.asp?ProdId=3419&mcid=1&cid=432&scid=436
5. My steering wheel is not slippery at all, do you wipe it down with a cleaner that makes it slippery????
6. Agree with the headrests - VW needs to address this.
7. My straps that hold my seat belts work like a champ - I really enjoy them to hold it in place and it also stops too much vibration from the wind while driving with the top down on the seat belt.

 

[walkert]

To SiJ2000:

Can you post a link to that thread about stopping noises in the roof operation?

 

[FrEos]

2. Brake dust can be minimized by having your calipers painted. This will assist in keeping the dust to a minimum.

This is a new one on me: how does having painted calipers limit the dust produced by the pads underneath?

 

[SiJ2000]

Hi,

This is the whole thread: http://www.vweosclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=916

I would imagine your rattle is covered by page 3...

 

[pacemaker1000]

i forgot the ride height not being lowered with the chicargos

dont get me wrong though i love the car, thats why i bought a second one, and all cars will have have gripes.

 

[johnnyboyvan]

Well if you must know...

I am so tired of trying to keep the beige leather interior clean and new. It is a weekly challenge if the top is down. On the bright side we have had lots of sunshine here in Vancouver, Canada to have the top down. I wonder if anyone with the beige interior is as frustrated as I am. Methinks thou might agree.