DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Paula Jayne In Broomall

Q: Welcome to Defend Your Ride Philly. How would you describe your purchasing experience?

A: I bought it at Fred Beans VW in Devon. Those folks were really great. They even let me take the car home that night and leave my old car there to pick up later!

Q: Where do you live? How old are you?

A: I live in Drexel Hill, 19026. Forty-six.

Q: What's your car's main use? How much time do you spend in it?

A: I use my car for work and pleasure. I have a second car that I use when I need to carry a lot of people or stuff, but I am in the VW most of the time. I spend a lot of time in it, as you can tell, because I put 20,000 miles on it in just 16 months! I commute in only on the days that I'm in the office. My favorite part of the commute is putting the top down when it's nice out. At the end of a long day, blasting the radio, enjoying the sunshine and the breeze, and forgetting how bad it could be to be stuck in traffic.

Q: What's been your favorite day trip with the Eos?

A: The first weekend I had the car, I drove to Bensalem to pick up my friend Tony. We then drove out to Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Pennsylvania. It was a very warm day--like 90 degrees in early May and super sunny. We dropped the top and drove for hours. Tossed the GPS in the trunk and just got lost in the rural roads. We both got sunburn. It was a blast.

Q: Where's the farthest place you've driven to with this car?

A: Newport News, Virginia is the farthest I have taken it so far. My niece Elizabeth and I went together to attend her sister's graduation. That might also count as the craziest trip we ever took in this car, because we stopped in Baltimore to have brunch with a couple of friends, forgetting that this was Preakness weekend. All the traffic around Baltimore was a nightmare. Somehow, we missed all the traffic, which seemed to be gridlocked in the opposite direction no matter where we went. We kept the top down the whole time and enjoyed a lot of sunshine. Overall, about six hours of driving. But this time, we had sunscreen.

Q: Do you have any rules in your car?

A: If you are cold, bundle up. Wear your seatbelt. I am not putting the top up for you. You can change the radio station, but only if you ask me first. I have a range of stations on preset, and I work my way through them. I sing loud in the car all the time. My favorite is driving through a particularly hipster-y section of West Philly with the top down and cranking up cheesy love songs and rocking out to them. It cracks me up.

Q: Does your car have a theme song?

A: My car's theme song is obviously "Rosalita" by Bruce Springsteen, for which she is named. She's definitely playful.

Q: How long do you plan on keeping your car?

A: For at least 100,000 miles.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about your car?

A: You want one!