Hopefully picking up my new to me fabia mk2 tomorrow so have already begun the new car mooch. It's a mk2 estate tech version so has maxi dot with an Amundsen radio but I'm wondering what major difference the Columbus would offer over it? I mostly use my phone for sat nav because of tomtoms ability to detect and alter routes down to heavy traffic so don't see this changing for many routes.

Also wondering if a variable boot floor is possible to make the boot completely flat once the seats are down as on a very rare occasion I'd like to be able to kip in the back and then head off on the bike very early and make it back on the Saturday at a reasonable time.

If you have the standard Amundsen then you'll have sat nav running off the media (either a cd in the drive or an SD card in the slot) so you won't be able to use the media for music, whichever it's using. You can remove the sat nav media and use music if you wish though. The Columbus uses an internal hard drive for maps data so the complete unit can be used for music if you wish. That means you get a Dual Layer dvd drive, 32Gb sd card slot, and about 20Gb hard drive storage for all your mp3s and still have sat nav as well. On top of that you can set speed cameras to show on the screen as well. Plus the Columbus has a larger screen, can have DAB radio, and is a nicer unit overall (I think).

Cheers for that rusty, is that true of all of the Amundsen/RNS310? I'm sure I installed one in my VW T5 before the skoda's and we installed a dab aerial on the windscreen so that it worked and so the reception was better. Cheers!

The Amundsen + unit (RNS315) looks very similar to the Amundsen and can be had with DAB, but you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference looking at them from the front.

I have an Amundsen (RNS310) in my Roomster, and a Columbus (RNS510) in our Golf. 

 

PERSONALLY, I prefer the Amundsen as it's MUCH faster to find location and is dynamic in amending routes due to traffic etc.  

 

I have the navigation disc in the CD drive and 32Gb on music on the SD card. Although I have a similar amount of music on the Columbus unit, it's a pain to negotiate around the menus whilst driving. 

 

The smaller screen isn't really an issue in real life

I've definitely never had issues with the speed of my Columbus.

I prefer the look and usability of the Columbus over the Amundsen but everyone is different.

I've seen other people comment about the speed of the Amundsen being better but I just don't notice it.

As for the boot floor, I think it's pretty much flat anyway if the have the front seats farward enough for the rears to raise enough and then the backs go down flat

Nah theres still a small lip, I tried it in the new car and then got in the boot to the amusement of all concerned.

I don't think it's an option to raise the boot floor as it's just crappy cardboard basically, without the support of the actual boot under it, it just bends.

Cars with variable boots have stronger plastic? boot floors.

I can only suggest making somthing out of wood and putting it under, or if it's a small lip stick an extra blanket under that side

haha yeah tbh i think thats what I'll do, hopefully whatever thin mattress will even it out and mean it doesnt matter.

There is a false boot floor available as an accessory - http://www.skodaparts.com/product/fabia-estate-raised-boot-floor-surface-2008-2011-38224

I don't think it's an option to raise the boot floor as it's just crappy cardboard basically, without the support of the actual boot under it, it just bends.

Cars with variable boots have stronger plastic? boot floors.

I can only suggest making somthing out of wood and putting it under, or if it's a small lip stick an extra blanket under that side :D

 

The boot floors MDF i think. Mines quite thick, certainly seems sturdy. Of course it has to be though, or itd break when you put things in the boot. 

 

This isnt actually raised though... an extra floor is put in and the space between the 2 floors can be used as storage space to store things which are particularly susceptible to damage. Like a hidden storage space, if you like. 

 

As above, its an accessory from Skoda, has been for years :). 

Looks great! Somthing to put on my want list.

Interesting to read about the speeds of the Amundsen compared to the Columbus.

I like the look of the Columbus more than the Amundsen to be fair but I can't really justify the extra £ at the minute so I look at it as the Amundsen is an upgrade to the Swing I have.

Interesting to read about the speeds of the Amundsen compared to the Columbus.

I like the look of the Columbus more than the Amundsen to be fair but I can't really justify the extra £ at the minute so I look at it as the Amundsen is an upgrade to the Swing I have.

Speed?

You could drive the coastline of britain n the Columnbus will have just about turned on :D.

Cheers for that link, interesting to read it has a 76kg weight limit on it. Really quite expensive though, think I'll stick with the slight lip in the boot for that cost!

Are the older Columbus units slower?

Mine takes about 30 secs to boot up but it's only the first time if the cars been left for a while. After that it boots straight away.

The only issue with the first time boot is the pdc display doesn't work until boot is complete which can be a pain.

I find mine quite fast to turn on and load up also but mines a newer unit as well.

wow 30 secs, thats markedly slower than the Amundsen + in my car, thats gotta be more like 5 seconds if that!

Well... yeah I guess :D

The Amundsen is a lot quicker to load up.

I should have done a video of each having removed my Columbus and fitted an Amundsen+ for the past week. Now the Columbus is back in its better to see the improvement though!

The slower load up time is definitely worth it!