Hi.

We're thinking about buying a used Roomster 1,4 TDi from 2007.

We have one child aged 2 and there should probably be one more in a few years.

I've heard much about the space in the trunk of the car - but we've tested it the other day with our pram for our child - and when it was packed in the trunk there wasn't actually room for anymore!

We didn't take of the wheels of the pram as we don't have to to this today in our Opel/Holden Astra wagon - but if we should add more luggage to the trunk it would top the headrest meaning there would be danger of luggage falling into the cabin if breaking hard.

How do you other guys manage to have all 'gear' (prams, stroller, bags etc) for you and your two childen in the Roomster? It seems to be build to fit a family with two children - we just cannot see the the logic.

Regards,

Kenneth

We put a folding wheelchair into the boot and still have half of it free to add more stuff... When you say "pram" go you actually mean a proper pram?

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/images/image/17249-popup.html

When ours were that age we used folding buggies which easily fitted into the boot of a Nova saloon, you must remember that the Astra is a bigger car than the Roomster (its in the next size up) and I suspect you have an estate version of it which has a larger boot as well...

Hi Kenneth,

I'll be facing this dilema in October. 1st child will be 3 and second due in October. We have one of these as a pushchair.

and this eats up almost all of the boot space.

I have found that I can still utilise the space with the middle seat folded down or indeed removed completely and the seat wells are also quite volumous for stashing baby/child stuff/shopping etc.

Best of luck.

Hi

We have one of these for our son:

http://www.emmaljunga.com/dk/Barnevogn/Vaelg_din_Emmaljunga_vogn/Big_Star_UniQ-556.html

Don't know if pram is the right translation

For a stroller we have this:

http://www.babyjogger.com/city_elite_lp.aspx

This is, however, extremely clever made, as you just grap the handle in the middle of the seat and the stroller is completely flat! Off with the wheels and it doesn't take up much space!

However - the Emmaljunga takes up all space - do you have a "dog/luggage grid" like this one?

http://www.kofferraumwannen.de/Hundegitter/Trenngitter/Skoda/Roomster/Hundegitter_Skoda_Roomster_ab_2006_bis_heute_i253_1307.htm

I'm still to decide if it has room enough in the back as our current Astra wagon (Stationcar) is quite big.

Pram is probably the right word for it, it's near enough! I can see why you have the problem... Twenty years ago there were either the really big ones or much smaller folders. TBH I don't think that manufacturers of these things put any thought into whether they will fit into cars, and, more importantly, whether parents can get any other stuff in as well! Common sense seems to have disappeared out of the window...

I'd suggest that its a question of looking for something smaller or sticking with a bigger car, as i mentioned earlier you are, in effect, downsizing cars! If you think the Roomie is tight, you should look at a Meriva, its even smaller, and they advertise it as suitable for young families!!

Thanks for the replies.

You might be right. The Meriva I won't buy. I'm working in the cars business and this one rusts - sadly enough for a new car i 2011!

I'll try to test the Roomster trunk again. When other families with 2 children can do it - then we should be able to do it aswell

We can pull of the wheels of the pram and the stroller doesn't take up much space with wheels of - but I didn't think about removing the seat in the middle...

We also consider waiting and buying the new Renault Scenic III - it should come with a campaign price soon - and will actually be the only car for sale in Denmark that is cheaper in other European countries (since we have 180% car registration tax) because of Renault supporting the campaign themselves.

If any other 2-children-families read this post - please post your experience (And whether you have this hence separating trunk from seats).

/Kenneth

Dear NumZie, I am a father of two boys 4 and 1 1/2 years old. Our stroller was one like this .

Every time we wanted to travel I used to fold it and placed it vertically along the rear passengers seat. Folded looks like this one

By saying vertically I mean that i lifted 90 degrees and the narrow sides are at the top (air) and the bottom (trunk's carpet) and the wide sides are facing rear seats and trunk's door, so there is a good amount of space to use for other luggages. Many times i fold the middle seat and place luggages there.

Dear NumZie, I am a father of two boys 4 and 1 1/2 years old. Our stroller was one like this .

Every time we wanted to travel I used to fold it and placed it vertically along the rear passengers seat. Folded looks like this one

By saying vertically I mean that i lifted 90 degrees and the narrow sides are at the top (air) and the bottom (trunk's carpet) and the wide sides are facing rear seats and trunk's door, so there is a good amount of space to use for other luggages. Many times i fold the middle seat and place luggages there.

And don't forget that 2 of the 3 rear seats can slide forward.

Stuart

I usually fit a big Maxicosi Priorifix car seat (it means the right backseat has to be permanently slided backward by a pair of positions) and one of these in the boot:

http://global.pegper...Compact+Modular

When it is umbrella-folded it lies practically horizontally in the boot and leaves a good 3/4 of available space. As to my opinion, not bad. It depends on the kind of stroller you have. Those 3-big wheeled devices require no less than a Volvo Estate, if you need additional space

Edited 27 July, 201114 yr by Lorenzo

I had the exact same setup as your's. One Emmaljunga and on Elite. The Emmaljunga is among the largest you can get. When we got our roomster we had too sell it and just use the elite (one child). We went from a Avensis estate 2008 where the emmaljunga could be folded and then put straight in taking half of the trunk.

Also have the fabia estate where the emmaljunga used the whole trunk.

So my advice is too buy something a little bit bigger than the roomster and then buy one when you sell the emmaljunga =)

Edited 28 July, 201114 yr by Javerhammar

I had the exact same setup as your's. One Emmaljunga and on Elite. The Emmaljunga is among the largest you can get. When we got our roomster we had too sell it and just use the elite (one child). We went from a Avensis estate 2008 where the emmaljunga could be folded and then put straight in taking half of the trunk.

Also have the fabia estate where the emmaljunga used the whole trunk.

So my advice is too buy something a little bit bigger than the roomster and then buy one when you sell the emmaljunga =)

I find old style prams (like Emmaljunga's) very charming but very unpractical. They gobble up a lot of space everywhere (at home, in the car, non mentioning trying to put them on a bus or train) and are nowhere as practical as modern modular and foldable systems. Actually, the roomster is a fair priced car, which offers big space for medium car dimensions (it is roughly as long as a Golf, which offers far less trunk space and modularity). Also, it is cheap to run and maintain.

Well, if you can afford a more expensive car, go for a bigger MPV like Touran, S-Max, etc. But if you are on a budget or lacking space at home, in the garage or in the parking lot....you would better buy a new compact pram instead of a bigger car .

Edited 29 July, 201114 yr by Lorenzo