Vroomster1

Some more feedback, hopefully useful. We have a 1.6 petrol Scout, 14 months old, 13.5k miles. We were initially looking at diesels and tried a 1.9 - loads of lovely torque but the 1.6 petrol demonstrator was so smoooooth! We were also keen on all the safety stuff you get in the Scout. Indicated MPG ranges from 35 urban to 43 on long runs, max 53 - this was definitely a 1-off following an easy 60 miler. Based on actual tank fills average is about 40 but again 43 on runs. Bearing in mind price differential between diesel and petrol - currently about +11% for the former - this compares pretty well. Car drives very well - close to Mondeo standards in terms of handling although can be a bit jiggly on rough roads - low profile tyres not helping I reckon. Corners flat, sticks well and with all the safety trickery it felt very poised in all the snow and ice recently. Some road/tyre noise at speed on some surfaces - tyres again! Engine quite torquey for a 1.6 petrol and adequately brisk if not exactly fast - my last personal car was an RS2000 however and you don't buy a Roomy as a hot hatch. V smooth up to 3,500 rpm - normally you can only tell it's idling by looking at the tacho. Steering, brakes, transmission all excellent. Interior space excellent, more headroom in the rear than an Octavia or Superb! Seats look fairly small in the base but fine over 3-4 hours. Definitely a 4 (adult) seater, not 5. Spacious and hugely versatile interior for size of car. Completely reliable, so far! One or two minor warranty fixes eg rattly door trim. See also separate posts re smeary h'lamp projector lenses and intermittent rattle behind fascia. Plastic trim quality a bit variable but generally the car feels well built and tough. Decent Dealer. Then there's the strong J D Power etc. survey results. Overall, recommended. And it's very individual! Why drive a Euroclone?

We have a minor and intermittent rattle from behind the n/s fascia - would qualify as a Warranty job but if I take it in to the Dealer I know it'll go all shy and hide, only to re-emerge as I drive away. We've all been there. Any easy ways in for me to have a look? With door open there's a promising looking, large-ish (inspection?) panel at the end of the dash but would like to know more before taking a screwdriver to it. Any access from the front? Has anyone been there?

We have a Scout and bought the Skoda internal bike rack last Summer. Deep breath needed as it's a bit pricey esp when you open the box and see what relatively little there is, but it's substantial and (mostly) well designed. Basically it does the job and does it well. Having used, on various cars, a roof rack (bike fork mounting - good) and a tailgate high-mount "hang on" (scary!) this is far superior. Fuel economy unaffected, stability unaffected, bikes stay clean (or mucky.....) and secure from thieving soandsos. Winter bonus - yer bikes don't get plastered in road salt. Big plus I reckon. Quick and easy to remove and reinstall in t' car too. Someone else has mentioned probs fitting the strap clamps around the saddle post (I think) - saddle posts vary in diameter! We have one bike with an oversize one and that's always a battle to fit the clamp to. Most seat posts are std sizes however so unlikely that many would pose a problem. We use the rack with mountain and road bikes - mountain bikes = big and butch, specifically long wheelbase and big chunky tyres. Clearance to front seats means the bikes go in on a slight diagonal. Road bikes no problems. In summary, pricey but does the job. Like the corporate green trimmings......

Thanks Decron - reassurance (Fabia forum - only posting once now!) appreciated and would like to leave it at that but I'm going to see about cleaning the lenses anyway - just doesn't look right to me.

I've noticed that the lenses on our Roomster headlamps, apparently the same design as the Fabia's, have a smeary "bloom" on them - looks almost like something acquired during original assembly but read on. (Not talking about the external polycarb covers by the way - I mean the inner projector lenses themselves) Car was bought new in 07 and the headlamps have never been touched bar bulb replacement a few weeks back (Philips Extremes, std. wattage, confirmed ok with dealers) and before anyone asks I had noticed the bloom before - never looked that closely however and just thought it was some condensation misting. Car doesn't get much nighttime use. Have looked at one Fabia (few months old) for comparison and this was similarly affected but not as much. Local Skoda dealers have been approached and have confirmed several Fabias showing signs but again not as bad as our car. It's difficult to see - you've got to look pretty closely with the headlights on (from the side - with care!) but it's quite apparent once spotted. Probably losing a few precent light output, hence interest. Anyone else noticed anything? (Don't all rush out at once to look) Thanks for any feedback.

I've noticed that the lenses on our headlamp units (not the external polycarb covers) have a smeary "bloom" on them - looks almost like something acquired during original assembly but read on. Car was bought new in 07 and the headlamps have never been touched bar bulb replacement a few weeks back (Philips Extremes, std. wattage, confirmed ok with dealers) and before anyone asks I had noticed the bloom before - never looked that closely however and just thought it was some condensation misting. Car doesn't get much nighttime use. Have looked at one Fabia (few months old - apparently same design headlights) for comparison and this was similarly affected but not as much. Local Skoda dealers have been approached and have confirmed several Fabias showing signs but again not as bad as our car. It's difficult to see - you've got to look pretty closely with the headlights on (from the side - with care!) but it's quite apparent once spotted. Probably losing a few precent light output, hence interest. Anyone else noticed anything? (Don't all rush out at once to look) Thanks for any feedback.