Well after a few weeks of debating it I think I'm going to go and look at a roomster in the flesh and maybe even drive one.

It will be the lowest power car I've driven for nearly 10 years, and that is causing some doubt in my mind as to if I'll actually like it.

This weekend I was in the unfortunate ( )position to be in North Wales, driving between Blaenau Festinog and Llanberis, very early and late at night, more than once! This in the Octavia was an absolute blast. It really was a lot of fun and amazingly easy to forget one's self. Bear in mind 2nd in the Octy easily gives 60mph and

Why is the last paragraph relevant? Perhaps those few moments are all that is holding me back. I wandered around the car park and saw a 207SW, small car, economical and comfortable for the other 90% of my 25k a year. I've toyed with the Octy Scout, but really I cannot remember when I last had 3 or 4 people in the car...so why lug around and extra set of full sized seats

So Roomsters, I think it would have to be a 3 or scout, as before. I suspect I'll go for new and finance it, just so I know where I am for the next few months. As I'm on the border line of diesel v petrol I'll really have to think hard, I can easily do 25k a year, currently 70 a day with a each weekend around 200, but with diesel prices as they are, maybe the 1.6tip would get me...afterall how hard can I drive it...ok I forgot about the 1litre saxo's you get from insurance work!

So anybody got or know of pre-reg deals or even bto's deals for that volume discount?

Part x will be a self maintained (previous owner) euphonic mx5 1.8 with 12k on the clock (54 plate) if that's even an issue, part exing as I could do with a cash injection to pay for a new roof.

Oh and I think I'm leaning to anthracite, black or maybe the dark green, maybe with some heavy tints as I'll have at times quite a bit of gear in the car, sometimes not all in the boot, I'm sure I saw a fairly good looking one, but can't recall if it was a photo a dream or on the road.

Thanks for reading, what now feels like a mental bridge has been passed.

All I can say is you need to drive one.

The handling will surprise you and the performance is not too bad, imagine a Mk5 Golf SE either the 1.6 or the 1.9pd 105 and you will have a close approximation of where you are with a Roomy 3 or Scout with the same engine. (The handling gets even better with the Decron Anti-Roll bar mod [tm] :thumbup: )

Its a car that does everything very well although it doesn't really excel at anything. It truly is an MPV and if thats what your looking for then I don't think you will get much better, even when you look at cars out of the price range of the Roomy.

I really miss the performance of my Fabia and a few other things about it but the things I don't miss like the rattly trim, poor reliablility, white seats, small boot, only 18k max out of 4 tyres and the ability to loose my license big style make me glad I got the Roomy. It also gains compliments from everywhere you go, because it really stands out (Even more than a highly modded VRS )

You need to speak to a few dealers as see what the lie of the land is for deals as they will vary all over and there are now plenty of Ex demos going for £12k and less some with a few options on them.

Get a Scout! Looks better inside and out, the windows are already heavily tinted and you get ESP and standard.

Freeborn in Southampton did me a great pre-reg deal on a Roomster in November; I suspect that they'll still be doing them. As for diesel/petrol, with your kind of mileage, even with the diesel/petrol price difference, I reckon it's a no-brainer. You'd have to work really hard to get out-of town mpg on a 1.9TDI below the mid 40s; motorway work is 50+ whatever you do that's not outrageously and dangerously illegal. Drive a petrol hard, and you won't get near that. My 1.9TDI is loosening up gently; people say it takes 10K to get really loose, and then you have a decently sized TDI in a relatively small body. But more boot space than a Golf or even a Golf Plus.

The Roomster 2, especially with Climatronic fitted, isn't a bad spec.

Stuart

Just thought I'd drop this in, I maybe selling my Scout.

I have a test drive booked for the new Tiguan CR TDI Auto, expensive I know but we really only need one car now, so the Roomster and Smart car will be up for sale, that is if the Tiguan is a good drive, I'm sure it will be

Des

get a 1.9tdi scout. ive done 5.5k in my demo and its a great car, so useful. catches more looks than most cars ive driven too!