Whats this car like to own?

[kenfowler3966]

I am a happy Yeti owner, and my wife likes it to, but it would be out of the question at the moment to buy her one. I want to replace her 53 reg1.9tdi fabia estate, and I have been told about an 08 19000 mile black roomster 2 1.4tdi coming available next week as a part excahnge.

Any thoughts on this? Is there much difference in power, the fabia has 100bhp. How does the storage space compare to a fabia estate.

She particularly wants a higher driving position like the Yeti, does the Roomster seat go any higher than a normal car?

I haven't really had the chance to have a good look at one, and have never driven one.

I have had a look on Flea bay and second hand prices are very variable, any thoughts on the correct value of the car above from a Skoda main dealer?

[freelanderman]

Hi

I have owned a 1.4tdi Roomster for the last 4 months and i can honastly say It exceeds all my expectations, the front of the car is the same as the fabia, the drivers seat is height adjusable and I find the driving position very good.

Fuel consumtion is working out at 55mpg over the 2500 miles I have done so far,the available space that can be used in the boot along with the very easy option of fokding or removing any or all of the three seats makes this a truly very versatile vehicle.

It is the first Skoda I have owned and I am very impressed with the car

Regards

Tony

[Calomax]

Hi

I have owned a 1.4tdi Roomster for the last 4 months and i can honastly say It exceeds all my expectations, the front of the car is the same as the fabia, the drivers seat is height adjusable and I find the driving position very good.

Fuel consumtion is working out at 55mpg over the 2500 miles I have done so far,the available space that can be used in the boot along with the very easy option of fokding or removing any or all of the three seats makes this a truly very versatile vehicle.

It is the first Skoda I have owned and I am very impressed with the car

Regards

Tony

Also the vertical tailgate makes the bootspace more usable that the Fabia.

[kenfowler3966]

Are they supplied with a spare wheel as standard?

[The PM]

Yes... ('least my 58 plate was!)...

Going back to the OP, the Roomster is by far the best of the three if you want room and knocks the Yeti into touch in that respect... However, it isn't the most economical of beasts and that engine will have to work for a living...

Leading onto the engines, if your Missus is used to the 1.9PD and knows how to get the best from it she will have to change her driving style drastically to get the best from the 1.4PD... I started with the car your Missus has now and got a 1.4 PD to replace it, I did about 12k miles (taking it up to 20+k so it was nicely run in) but I have to say its not the nicest of engines when you are used to the never ending smooth torque of the 1.9... All the power comes in at just over 2000rpm, there is power below that but its not much so it has to be revved to make progress... The 1.9 is by far the better engine and not much less economical, personally I'd see if you can find a 1.9 version, that's what i did!

MPG on the 1.9, just for comparison purposes is 52/3mpg winter and 56/7 summer, though at over 70 on a motorway that'll go down, but you'll know that from your Yeti, anyhow...

Of the three cars its by far the most versatile, and if it wasn't for the fact that I do a fair bit of high speed motorway work I'd have another, which probably sums it up nicely...

Edited 5 August, 2011 by The PM

[P6bJOHN]

I've had my Roomster 1.2tsi se dsg since May. I find the seat raises higher than I need it (but I doubt your wife is 6'5"!). My wife also likes a raised driving position, she has previously driven Vitaras and a Mazda Camper van for height, she is a nervous driver and for some reason feels safer sat higher. She loves the Roomster, we have had a strange range of cars over the last 35yrs and the Roomster, A Vauxhall Senator and a mk1 Punto (heaven knows why) have been her favorite cars. She would make an excellent saleswoman for Roomsters as she tells everyone how good it is.

[Jonny5ive]

Are they supplied with a spare wheel as standard?

They should be. I would imagine facelift onwards would not be. If it doesn't have one you can pick up a spare suitably sized steelie for around £50 on the Bay, or indeed get one into the bargain with your new purchase from the dealer

[Calomax]

Are they supplied with a spare wheel as standard?

I think a spare wheel became an option in about 2009. But our local dealer automatically specifies one on every order.

I don't think it's a very expensive option so you may be able to negotiate for one.

[Robjon]

I think a spare wheel became an option in about 2009.

Yes - I bought mine in September 2009 and the goo can was standard fare. The spare wheel kit, which included jack and tools, was a £50 option. A no-brainer in my opinion.

[RapidRonnie]

The Roomster is a brilliant car, hugely practical and spacious inside but small on the outside. Together with the abundance of glass giving good visibility it makes it an easy car to park and manouever. Skoda's engineers also seem to have defied physics with the way the car handles for such a tall vehicle and I find the ride quality perfect - firm without being harsh. My only criticms are the engine (1.6 petrol) which is a bit weak and noisy and the headlights, but both of these have been cured with the facelift which is why I will think about part ex-ing for a 1.2TSI towards the end of next year before they end Roomster production.

I'd avoid the 1.4TDI though and find a 1.9TDI if you can.

[lemonvrs]

I can assure you the headlamps on the facelifts are no better than the old ones, at least mine arent :no:

[Robjon]

I will think about part ex-ing for a 1.2TSI towards the end of next year before they end Roomster production.

Sorry to hi-jack this thread but has Skoda announced a date when Roomster production will end?

Seems I will have to take the same course of action as you!

[bahnstormer vrs]

Buying a Roomster will be quite a good move and will complement your Yeti very nicely.

Generally much more spacious, greater load capacity and flexible rear seating being the benefits over a Fabia Estate.

The Roomster 2 has the 80bhp 1.4TDI (the 1 get a 70bhp version) and having driven one it is quite a lively beast with plenty of torque from its unique sounding 3-pot motor. Ok, its not got quite as much umph as a 1.9TDI but IMHO this is a soulless engine whereas the 1.4 has a lovely 3-pot warble.

Spare wheel is included.

Driving position is fractionally higher than the Fabia but is not up on the elevated status that you get in a Yeti.

Being much more Fabia sized than Yeti, a Roomster makes a great 2nd car for popping down to the shops, kids to school etc. and you can then keep Yeti for longer runs.

My best suggestion? Book a test drive with your dealer and decide from there. Good luck.

PS> I have a Yeti and my wife a Roomster; we love them both!

[bluebobx]

I am a happy Yeti owner, and my wife likes it to, but it would be out of the question at the moment to buy her one. I want to replace her 53 reg1.9tdi fabia estate, and I have been told about an 08 19000 mile black roomster 2 1.4tdi coming available next week as a part excahnge.Any thoughts on this?

Seems like a fair enough idea - but I would think that she'll notice the power drop off going from 1.9 to 1.4. Best advice would be to go to that dealer and get a good drive on A roads or motorways. We moved from the 1.25 Yamaha'd engine in the Fiesta to the Roomy's 1.4 diesel, and the Skoda's engine is better for a more laid-back style of driving, but it'll quite happily chunter along a motorway at 80+. So no complaints about the power delivery - okay the engine's a bit "diesely" on startup, but on the move it's pretty respectable.

Is there much difference in power, the fabia has 100bhp. How does the storage space compare to a fabia estate. She particularly wants a higher driving position like the Yeti, does the Roomster seat go any higher than a normal car?

Not owned a Fabstate myself, but the Roomy seems to be an excellent carry-all, especially if you're only carrying kids in car seats there's acre's of boot space. Even with two adults in the back, they've got loads of legroom and a pretty decent boot. As to seats - we'll my wife is "vertically challenged" and she's had no problem seeing out of our car - which is the same spec (although "Cappuccino" not black, and about 20k more miles). In fact, she's definitely way higher up than in the Fiesta our car replaced, and I'm pretty sure that she's higher up than when she's driving my Focus estate. One great point about the Roomy is the all-round visibility, loads of glass and really effective mirrors. Oh, and the Roomy's rear seats are a lot more comfortable than those in the 09 Fabia we looked at.

I haven't really had the chance to have a good look at one, and have never driven one. I have had a look on Flea bay and second hand prices are very variable, any thoughts on the correct value of the car above from a Skoda main dealer.

Not being Glasses, I would have said about £7,500-8,000 would have been reasonable - after all "your" Roomy is low mileage, but not in a "good" colour.

Potted review time:

Good points: excellent visibility (which is good news for people who get car sick); very flexible; excellent legroom; dead easy to park; 3 pot engine isn't noisy on motorways (gets drowned out by tyre noise or wind noise); economy pretty acceptable; ride very good (tested our one on the cobbles in Edinburgh yesterday night).

Bad points: radio absymal; manual not the best I've seen; high sides can lead to susceptibility to wind shear and a slightly "uneasy" feeling if you really push on around roundabouts (then again, it's not a Focus!)

If you're still interested in the Roomy, then I'd get down to the dealer and get a good test drive, and have a play with the seating - but I think you'll be quietly impressed.

[bluebobx]

I will think about part ex-ing for a 1.2TSI towards the end of next year before they end Roomster production.

Any information on this? Is it a true "ending" of production, or merely stopping the current version for a new one?

Personally, I'd hope for the latter, because I'd hate to see a Skoda MPV being dropped from the range, (and not just because it'd knacker the resale value of our Roomy).

[RapidRonnie]

Any information on this? Is it a true "ending" of production, or merely stopping the current version for a new one?

Personally, I'd hope for the latter, because I'd hate to see a Skoda MPV being dropped from the range, (and not just because it'd knacker the resale value of our Roomy).

As far as I know the current Roomster will stop production at the end of 2012. I think there will be a new one but there may be a gap before the new one appears. What I love about the current Roomster is its uniqueness. I fear the new one might be more of a VAG-clone.

[bluebobx]

As far as I know the current Roomster will stop production at the end of 2012. I think there will be a new one but there may be a gap before the new one appears. What I love about the current Roomster is its uniqueness. I fear the new one might be more of a VAG-clone.

Thanks for that info - although we'd not be replacing our's until 2015 at the earliest. I think you're right about the "VAG-clone" bit - instead of a Roomster, we'll get offered a "Fabia+" :( Maybe the Roomster fans around the world could club together and get the Skoda design team a weekend in Amsterdam - although, on reflection, maybe having a hangover isn't necessarily conducive to good design.

My wife tells me that there's a certain elegance to the styling and it's grown on her - me, I just think it looks plain weird. Agree also that the current model's distinctiveness is a plus point - hopefully some manager in Skoda will see sense and allow the weirdness to continue...

[keystonedriving]

The word which probably sums up the Roomster best is 'practical'. Lots of usable space, by modern standards it has exceptionally good all round visibility and it's different. I would certainly go along with the oft expressed view that it's a bit of a 'marmite' car, you love it or you hate it.

I've had a 1.4 TDi for about six months now and am pretty pleased with it. It has enough power for any normal purposes, it isn't the quuickest tthing on wheels but it keeps up with the traffic quite happily. It may not be the most economical vehicle on the road, I'm struggling to get the fuel consumption over about 52 to the gallon overall but it is pretty hilly round here and that doesn't help.

I would also say that they look great in black. My last two cars (a Fabia and a Polo) have both been black and if I had come up with a black Roomster I'd have had it like a shot.

You could do a lot worse!

Rob.

[RapidRonnie]

My wife tells me that there's a certain elegance to the styling and it's grown on her - me, I just think it looks plain weird.

Believe it or not the looks were one of the reasons I bought the Roomster! I just say that anyone who doesn't like it is looking at it wrong

[dibujo]

I am a happy Yeti owner, and my wife likes it to, but it would be out of the question at the moment to buy her one. I want to replace her 53 reg1.9tdi fabia estate, and I have been told about an 08 19000 mile black roomster 2 1.4tdi coming available next week as a part excahnge.

Any thoughts on this? Is there much difference in power, the fabia has 100bhp. How does the storage space compare to a fabia estate.

She particularly wants a higher driving position like the Yeti, does the Roomster seat go any higher than a normal car?

I haven't really had the chance to have a good look at one, and have never driven one.

I have had a look on Flea bay and second hand prices are very variable, any thoughts on the correct value of the car above from a Skoda main dealer?

Had my Roomster 3 1.9tdi from new - 2008 58 plate brilliant silver just under 22000 miles 3rd service just done along with MOT and 2 new front tyres. Thinking of selling soon and will ask £8500.

[Calomax]

I have had a look on Flea bay and second hand prices are very variable, any thoughts on the correct value of the car above from a Skoda main dealer?

Have a look at used Roomsters on the Skoda website. You'll get a good idea of values there.

[loadswine]

Well, I'm loving all the positive comments on ownership, having just put a deposit on an 08 1.9 tdi Roomy yesterday. I did have a Yeti for a few months, but couldn't afford to hang onto it, so this gets me back in the fold. I did notice the slight leaning on taking roundabouts, so an ARB will be on the menu later. ( thanks johnny5ive).

I loved the Yeti and am hoping for more of the same with the Roomster, so it looks as if I've just shuffled across forum areas!

[The PM]

How will the Roomie be cheaper to run than the Yeti? I'd have thought running costs would be pretty much the same...

Not had much leaning on roundabouts... Though you do have to be careful when taking a corner tight as the track on the rear axle is wider than the front so you can end up clipping the rear inside wheel... Both my daughter and I have done it, but not seriously!

[loadswine]

I didn't think I said anything about being cheaper to run at all. I had a new Yeti and the Roomy is 3 years old. Its about repayments and personal finances, purely a personal issue and nothing to do with the day to day running costs of either car.

Thanks for the info on the track width, I shall watch out for that. I thought it had a bit more lean on cornering than my current everyday car, that was all. Probably wouldn't notice as much once I got used to it.

[The PM]

Its about repayments and personal finances

I've always put finance costs as part of running costs, but everyone's interpretation of such things are different... People seem quite happy to ignore the costs of depreciation when looking at their running costs, for instance! But yes, it would be cheaper in that respect... and you get a better car for your money as well!