Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to take the Skoda Roomster out for a spin. Intent on making the most of our time around Wicklow, we decided to head for an impromptu barbeque at the waterfall in the Powerscourt estate, near Enniskerry.
The idea for an 'on the go' barbeque actually originated about three years ago when the other half bought a Bord na Mona tray BBQ from the local petrol station. It sat in either of our car boots or in the garage for all that time and finally got its outing this summer. With a few bundies and burgers from our local Dunnes Stores, we packed up with a flask of tea. Needless to say, as most of you will know an Irish BBQ is not complete without a bit of rain - and we were not disappointed.
The Roomster itself is an unusual looking car - we didn't know quite what to make of it when we first came across it. However, we quickly warmed to it. We had a 1.2 petrol version which was incredibly smooth to run (so much so that you didn't really know if the engine was running or not when stopped). We would call it a medium-to-small family car - think around the size of a VW Golf (or thereabouts), but as the name suggests it is very roomy inside - not quite sure if you'd call it an MPV but it has elements of it. It has the great build quality that you'd expect of Skoda these days.
The interior is well-equipped and tidy (at least it was when we got it!) and has some nice bells and whistles (e.g. I could play music from my iPhone through the car radio over Bluetooth, although I have to admit that I had to get himself to set this up as I just couldn't remember how to do it despite being shown when I picked the car up). Our car had rear parking sensors but not front ones, although frontal parking visibility was fine.
The rear seats can configure in all sorts of handy ways and the middle seat can even be removed and the two remaining seats moved inwards for more comfort. It is a winner for older kids and could have a positive safety aspect by moving the kids away from the windows/doors of car a bit more.
One criticism that we had of our test vehicle was the manual rear window winders (i.e. the fact that they were there). We have long become used to having rear switches that can be turned off to rear control, and - yes, you've guessed it - they were irresistable to the kids having a semblance of control in the back. We would definitely look for rear electric windows as an optional extra.
For us, the big story about the Roomster is the price: for slightly over €18,000, you really get a great car and one that can handle most family trips for those with up to three kids (see below for detail).
Looks: Quirky.
Practicality: No nonsense, good boot capacity, lots of nooks and crannies for stuff around the boot and the cabin. Good options to adjust and remove seats.
Storage: Good for the size of the car. Will fit two large family suitcases and a few smaller ones too. Pushing the rear seats forward will give extra boot space too.
Safety: The Roomster scores 5/5 for adult safety with NCAP, all you could ask for. However, it only scores 4/5 for child safety. Upon closer examination, it dropped a point by virtue of inadequate explanation of safety procedures within the cabin, e.g. indication of where the ISOFIX points are and warnings to turn off the front airbag if you have a rear-facing child seat in the passenger seat. In fact, our test car had very clear markings and an easiliy accessible airbag switch. So, all in all, if you inform yourself about the car, it's as safe as it gets.
Running Costs: Our test car runs in the B motor tax band and consumes about 7 litres of petrol for every 100km travelled. The GreenLine version runs in the A motor tax band and consumes only 4.2 litres of diesel for every 100km travelled (that's low).
Purchase Price: Slightly over €18,000 for the 1.2 petrol. Skoda offers low cost finance too. As an example of how much this car will cost you with one of Skoda's cheap finance packages, with a deposit/trade-in of €4,745 you'll be looking at a monthly payment for 5 years of €249, after which you'll own the car outright. That's a rate of 4.9% APR. However, with the difference in fuel consumption so marked, we would go for the GreenLine version if you do any kind of mileage (the GreenLine retails at €19,915). All prices and rates, are correct as at time of publication.
Peace of mind: Skoda have a great reputation for quality and, as part of the Volkswagen group, you know you're buying a car from a good stable. Unfortunately, Skoda currently only offers a two-year warranty at present :(
Kids' verdict: Loved the rear winder winders. We didn't.
MummyPages verdict: Looks are perhaps an acquired taste, but we thought this was a great small-to-medium sized car at the price. Low running costs and great build quality impressed.
Looking for a bigger car? See our 7 seater family car options here or check out the review of the Skoda Yeti.
