Jim here.

 

   'picking up a second hand Roomster this afternoon after my 2001 Passat died with 237,000 miles on the clock (TCO £10,300 for 5 years including purchase, MOT fees, tax, maintenance and insurance).

 

   Was looking for a workhorse that could stand up to the family and be reliable.  Ideally easy to work on, no need to be too precious (hard plastic welcome), good for kids in the back and DIY supplies.

 

   With up to £7,000 to spend it was between Focus Estate, Octavia Estate and Roomster.  I discounted the Zsara after testing it.   The Octavia was lovely but too easy to damage, the Focus was, well a just a Focus; where as the Roomster was a hearse, quirky, practical, "don't give a damn how it looks", roomy and solid.  In the end it was the 2008 Roomster for £5,300.

 

   One annoyance.  The car only has one key and apparently it's £200 to get a new one.

 

 

   Looking forward to:  Diesel, space, fun, happy kids, MP3 port, cubby holes.

   Concerned:  That under the bonnet is even more full than the 2000 Passat, service manuals don't seem to be available, talk of PD oil being hard to get hold of, whether my mechanic will know his way around the Skoda (depends how VW it is I guess).

 

 

 

 

Used Skoda Roomster Esta...wickshire _ Warwick Kia.pdf

Welcome to the roomster section, workshop manual Elsa Win a available on e bay, pd engine oil available at plenty of garages.

The style is what I like about the Roomster because it's so unusual. Am thinking about getting one myself as a daily driver to give the Superb a rest.

Congratulations on doing what most people never do -- buying a car that suits the purposes for which you'll be using it. Instead of its 'image' (whatever that is). Relatively few Skoda drivers are fashion victims...

Congratulations on doing what most people never do -- buying a car that suits the purposes for which you'll be using it. Instead of its 'image' (whatever that is). Relatively few Skoda drivers are fashion victims...

I am, that's why I bought a Skoda - it's fashionable to be different.