Roomster ordered... spare wheel question

[freshcheese]

Have ordered a new Roomster - 1.2 TSI 105ps DSG in Regency Green with some extras including a spare wheel - and have a question I'm hoping someone can answer for me:

Does a full size spare wheel fit in the space under the carpet in the boot? Dealer seems to think it does, but I thought I read somewhere that it takes up space in the boot by raising the floor or something.

BTW, I ordered at beginning of May and have been given a build date in early June - so it's much quicker than the 16+ weeks I was told when ordering.

[Robjon]

Hi Freshcheese and welcome to Briskoda. You are wise to choose the spare wheel option.

If your Roomy is an S or an SE, the tyres will probably be 195/55 R15

Mine is a 2009 Scout.

Although the tyres on the alloy wheels are 205/45 R16, the tyre on the steel spare is 195/55 R15 (i.e. same size as yours)

The spare wheel fits the well in the boot without problem.

I have since purchased a full size, alloy spare with 205/45 R16 tyre, which also fits the well in the boot.

In short, unless Skoda has modified the shape of the well on later models (which I very much doubt) the answer to your question is "Yes".

Enjoy your Roomster.

[greenfieldboy]

My 1.2TSI 105 SE Plus has factory fitted steel spare with 195/55 R15 and as Robjon says it fits comfortably in the spare wheel well - boot floor is also flat with the spare in place - would be interested to know what trim you have ordered as Skoda have been altering/deleting spec from SE and SE Plus is (I understand) now discontinued

[freshcheese]

Thanks to you both for the confirmation - I had completely forgot to say it's an SE with the default wheels, so it sounds like they'll be 195/55 R15.

Regarding the trim levels, was a bit annoyed that the SE Plus had been discontinued, leaving nothing above the SE. Was also a bit annoyed that you can't get it without the sunroof unless you go for a Scout (and pay the premium for that) as am not too fussed about having the glass roof. Opinions on this forum seem to be that people generally love the sunroof though, so I'm hoping I'll decide I couldn't be without it once I've actually got the car!

Was also a bit perplexed as to why the cost difference of adding the DSG gearbox to the Scout is the same as adding it to the SE when the Scout already has the ESP stuff - i.e. you pay £700 to add the DSG and ESP to an SE, or you pay £700 to add just DSG to the Scout. I guess this stuff is often down to marketing decisions, rather than some logical pricing structure.

Anyway, options I went for are:

Climate Control

Cruise Control

Maxidot

3rd Rear Headrest

Black roof bars

Spare wheel

- some of these are unnecessary luxuries, but since I'd started off by seriously considering a Fabia Elegance I struggled to go back on some of the extras that comes with.

[stratosg]

Well to begin from your last statement... Nothing is unnecessary luxuries if makes you feel beautiful every time you are sitting at the driver's seat. But keep in mind that after a few years you may face a weird squeeking sound from the boot.

And as about the wheels. Mine is fitted with 195/55/15 on steels and rides like a charm. It is stiff enough to feel secure on bends but it is also very comfortable and can absorbs many of road's surface imperfections

[greenfieldboy]

Prices and specs are set by Skoda UK and there is sometimes little logic applied. My friend bought an Octavia SE Connect Estate which had MDI and bluetooth phone fitted but no MFSW. I think the Scout is expensive for what you get (although good looking) and the Greenline II is just silly money but there is a market for 'offroader styling' and 'green credentials' so they get priced accordingly. You see throughout the VW group ranges options being a fairly standard cost irrespective of the fact that half the kit is already standard.

I love the glass roof and having been lucky enough to get an SE plus also the climate control and roof rails - wish I had maxi-dot and cruise though

[Lorenzo]

Prices and specs are set by Skoda UK and there is sometimes little logic applied. My friend bought an Octavia SE Connect Estate which had MDI and bluetooth phone fitted but no MFSW. I think the Scout is expensive for what you get (although good looking) and the Greenline II is just silly money but there is a market for 'offroader styling' and 'green credentials' so they get priced accordingly. You see throughout the VW group ranges options being a fairly standard cost irrespective of the fact that half the kit is already standard.

I love the glass roof and having been lucky enough to get an SE plus also the climate control and roof rails - wish I had maxi-dot and cruise though

As to the marketing matter, I completely agree. I am very happy curtain airbags are stock in the UK starting from the S trim. It means Skoda UK thinks of you Britons as adult and informed buyers. They suppose you are able to appreciate the value of valid safety equipment when buying a car.

Here in Italy curtain airbags are optional for the Roomster, even on the highest (SE equivalent) trim. According to Skoda Italy Marketing Dept. the most part of Italian Roomster (potential) buyers are more attracted by practically useless things like big alloy rims, leather details or metal paint. Or, when instinctively choosing an option between technological novelties like Amundsen Navigation System and ESP or curtain airbags, they would prefer the first.

At the time I bought my car, I did not find any 'off the shelf' offer equipped with curtain airbags (but you must be certain metal paint and alloy wheels were always part of the various bouquets).

The moral is I had to go for a lesser discount and wait for a built-to-order model, but I am happy nonetheless. I know curtain airbags are there and ready to work in case of (touch wood ) an accident.

Back to the UK, I think the glass roof is more fit for your climate. It is very scenic, but in mediterranean countries sunlight can be very intense in summertime and a glass roof can change the interior into a hot greenhouse. I read a bunch of reports about AC being not able to keep decent temperatures under curtained glass roofs.

Cruise control is also very useful on motorways and A roads.

Edited 24 May, 2013 by Lorenzo

[greenfieldboy]

People won't usually pay for safety as it's invisible (until you need it). Those (like me) who had their life saved by a seat belt in 1974 before they were compulsory in UK think differently.

I couldn't imagine driving my car with glass roof in Spain, Portugal or Greece in summer - you would be able to bake cakes on the back seats!

[freshcheese]

I was quite surprised about how few options had been added to the "in stock" models that were available - mostly either a spare wheel or passenger airbag disable switch (why isn't that standard or at least software controlled?). I did wonder whether they deliberately configure the trim levels to make you want to add options, but then I'm quite a cynical person.

Regarding the safety stuff - I'm surprised more of these features haven't already been made mandatory by legislation.

At the moment it feels like it's never going to be hot & sunny in the UK again, so no need to worry about the car turning into an oven...

[Tyreman]

New to this forum. In reference to a previous comment in this thread about not wanting the glass roof. Just bought a dealer new stock Roomster SE spec no glass roof. Apparently dealers are receiving cars in this unpublished spec as the glass roofs are short at the factory. My new car that I am collecting in 2 weeks is a 1.2 TSI DSG.

[greenfieldboy]

Tyreman - You need to check the spec of the "SE" you are getting very carefully as it may effectively be what is being unofficially termed an "S plus". Around January Skoda stopped accepting orders for the SE Plus model (which has subsequently been dropped completely) alleging a) Shortage of panoramic roofs and/or A production line move to a different factory. In addition SE spec Roomsters were to be built for several weeks on the S production line and as a result panoramic roof, rear electric windows and rear parking sensors were being deleted from the SE spec and the list price reduced by a paltry £400 to compensate. (These 3 items are worth £1040 at factory option prices so £400 off hardly compensates).

I can imagine all sorts of problems arising in the future as these "unpublished spec" cars get on the used market without supposedly standard items

[greenfieldboy]

Sorry, just remembered that sunset glass was something else they deleted from the SE

[Tyreman]

Interesting points you raise. Probably an S plus was the car I was looking for as my first shot at pricing the Roomster was an S with the extras I wanted like air con and metallic paint just those 2 closed the gap to the SE considerably. So the £400 extra discount to lose the glass roof that I didn't want was a plus. I must confess I didn't notice if the other bits were gone as well! As I intend to keep the car for 4/5 years the value of missing extras at that point in a car that has cost .£11800.00 OTR new must be comparatively minor. This does mean I will have to do another trip to dealers to ensure the other bits are definetly missing!

[greenfieldboy]

Or definitely there of course! Some people have reported that theirs would not have glass roof etc and when the car arrived it did have so all very confused at the moment - all I'm saying is that you should get the salesman to go through the SE spec with you and assure you as to exactly what you're getting (or not getting) and ensure the deal is priced accordingly - if glass roof is £595 then they should discount by same amount etc - how it would work really depends on what discount you have negotiated but, as I said previously, you should anticipate problems at resale time.