Skoda Roomster road tests and consumer car reviews

Skoda Roomster 1.9 D LEVEL 3 2007

Second skoda to own. Both good. I get 58mpg on long run and 49mpg in town. I had a fan resistor fail at 31000, used dealer garage to repair. The only negative is tyre noise(on 205/45r16 Bridgestone turanza).

Skoda Roomster 1.9 tdi 2007

We’ve had this car from new. 50k miles and only a slight fault with 2nd gear being synchromesh, fixed under warranty. Fantastically versatile car. Loved by kids because of the big windows. Nice to drive, cheap to run and feels fast. Skoda dealers very good. One of the best value cars you can buy.

Skoda Roomster 1.6 TDI 2010

Well, I don’t have many opportunities to drive a car like this one, but I got the chance. Maybe isn’t big deal as a family car, but I choose it as a van. I use it for work everyday, fighting with traffic the Roomster van is a relief, I’m happy I choose it through many Comercial Vehicles: Fiat Fiorino, Citroen Nemo, Peugeot Bipper, Opel Combo, Ford Transit connect and finally Volkswagen Caddy Van. I studied all on the road, I didn’t drive them I only saw them how they acting in different conditions: between hills, U turns (curves between 90-180 degrees), on wet roads, but this Roomster at first look doesn’t say anything, you must discover her secrets, I study it on the road....amazing because it has challenged my expectations. I never thought a Skoda could do such  good stuff, for this make this is a new, and I believe it is a very big leap. Roomster is the perfect Commercial Van for the transporters, not small at all, perfect dimensions, perfect handling, isn’t the best running vehicle, but it does its job pretty well and you’ll not be disappointed.

Skoda Roomster Roomster S 1.4 Diesel 2009

Recognisably different, yet stylistically attractive enough to avoid worrying potential purchasers reluctant to try new things, the Roomster deserves to be judged favourably. Presenting the world with a non-utilitarian appearance, it manages to look reasonable from any angle - no mean trick with a vehicle as upright as this one. The competence of its body design shines through in terms of lots of interior space with a variety of passenger/load permutations. The Roomster is really a five-seater MPV that features a most intelligently designed and flexible interior offering as much space as a two-bed roomed semi. At the front is the ’driving room’ which provides a first class environment for the driver with comfy seating and excellent visibility. Further back you’re in the ’living room’ - a big area that is ’spot on’ for keeping passengers safe, entertained and relaxed. Juggle Skodas ’Varioflex’ seating system and in an instant you have the large cargo hold of a deep-sea freighter. This is a ’Captain Sensible’ car if ever there was one. However, I knew from the start that the Roomster was going to irritate cosy suburban sensibilities. "What is it?" Squealed a sententiously skewed neighbour. "It’s... it’s... unusual." But Skoda isn’t after the approbation of people who buy vacuum-packed Granny Smith apples from Marks and Spencer. This is practical non-conformist styling that’s a little bit daring - and I like that a lot. Being different, though, won’t sustain mediocrity, so I’m pleased to be able to report that in the quality stakes, standards are high. Shut the door, run your hands over the tightly woven fabrics which feel as if they have been recycled from expensive gentlemen’s sports jackets, try out the damped action of the controls. It all inspires confidence. This sense of integrity and solidity is detectable on the road too. The Roomster feels like a car you can trust. There’s a choice of engines from three petrol and three diesel and a choice of three specification levels: S, SE and Scout. with prices starting at just £10,445. Testing the S variant with the smallest diesel engine was quite a revelation. Only 1.4 litres and just 70bhp I mused: the starter motor on my ’superbike’ is more powerful than that. ’Better not head north with a load on board’ I said to myself: ’That’s uphill.’ How wrong I was. The torquey little motor ’pulls like a train’ and without cracking the whip, I was travelling, as briskly as any chap should - secure in the knowledge that fuel was being consumed frugally. Never ones to exaggerate, Skoda are surely conservative in their claims. 53.3 mpg overall, might be the figure attained when heading into a force nine gale - but your leaden-booted correspondent got nearer 60mpg. Those who love to swoosh about, cocooned in sterile silence in the latest diesel powered palaces which pretend to be magic carpets, might comment that this variant of Roomster is not as quiet as their usual inert 5 Series BMW diesel. Well it jolly well isn’t - but it is three million pounds cheaper, gets you from A to B as quickly these days and won’t lose as much money. I found that gruff, torquey little engine a total ’living’ delight. Uphill, down dale, loaded or unloaded it serves you well - just about giving enough ’go’ to let you enjoy the unexpected nimbleness on twisty roads. You can tackle serious journeys in a Roomster. Comfortable accommodation, loads of room, excellent visibility and a wonderfully cohesive air of commonsense about the overall design, make it one of the best ’real world’ travel accessories available. So - when the Roomster crows at the break of dawn, it’s time to be up and away!

Skoda Roomster 2 1.9tdi 2007

I have now covered 93,000 miles, the only niggles are rear bearing failed at 80k and occassional issue with the radio where it is on but no sound until you turn the ignition off and on. I do a lot of long motorway runs all over the UK, it has handled family holidy in Scotland with no problems with the hills and tows my trailer for camping with the scouts easily. The economy averages about 52-55mpg, but careful driving can get 60+mpg, when around town I get 45-48mpg. Minor gripes I have about my roomster are 1:) the projector headlights are as good as candles, 2:) the lack of cover between the back seats and parcel shelf is a pain if like me you carry stuff in the boot for work. On the whole a good car, the way the back doors open wide is good for access, very comfortable on long runs but a little noisy on the motorway compared to some cars but is easy to service once the warranty has expired.

Skoda Roomster Roomster 2 TDI 80 2008

Ignore the silly fools, this is a good car, at a reasonable price which does what it is actually designed to do. Perfect for the medium family and very versatile and economical.

Skoda Roomster Scout 1.9 TDi 2009

Used the scrappage scheme to change my old faithful Volvo V70 for a Roomster Scout 1.9 TDi. Having test driven the smaller diesel engine. I opted for the 1.9 version for the extra pulling power. I’ve completed 2500 miles so far, the only problem being an occasional rattle from the passenger door. The flexibility of the rear seating means that there is more room in the back for two adult passengers than in the Volvo. Load carrying is also impressive. Build quality is good, and it is actually fun to drive!

Skoda Roomster 1.9TDI 2008

After 3 Skodas and a couple of Renaults, Roomster 3 1.9 TDI became our new family car last autumn, after a lengthy consideration. It won over its competition (C-Max, Kangoo, Octavia and new Fabia) by design, functionality and uniqueness. Well, least off all by price, but I negotiated a good deal. After remapping the engine that now boasts 140 HP, the car is about everything I had hoped for. And no, I have never bumped against the front door rim let alone hatch...

Responses to this review

How do you remap the engine? Peter Reynolds from Somerset

Skoda Roomster 2007

I had mine for all of 8 months, and having had Skoda’s ever since 1994 to present day, it was the most god awful car I have had. The sharp corners on the exaggerated front and hatch doors are lethal - a couple of head injuries and two body blows! Economy (Level 1 Roomster - petrol) was abysmal, about 38 mpg combined. Too under geared, it is the same engine as my previous (and now current) Fabia, but geared down to the van version Praktik. I would keep well clear of this car

Responses to this review

What a load of rubbish this man has written. You must be very heavy footed to get such low mpg. Ignore this and give the Roomster a test with an open mind. You will probably be agreeably suprised - Bryan Varnam from Lincolnshire

Skoda Roomster Scout with extra bits 2008

Well I got the Scout 1.9 TDi having opted out from company car schemes . As with all things one gets what one pays for . This vehicle is ideal for ’repping’ and ideal for family use . I suspect if one buys the 1.4 and more basic petrol models one could be as disappointed as the guy above. I have no problems with my Roomster and am very proud of it , especially when the usual Audi or BMW driver gets a bit of a shock when I put my foot down! Remember though - this car isn’t designed for the race track and doesn’t corner well at high speeds... then again it is a good idea to slow down you know! It does 53 MPG on a good run and about 45 in town - I can’t knock that . I would hope that Skoda adopt a six speed forward gear box in future builds and that they also develop a sporty variant. I love mine even if the Government fuel allowance is low - great little car and worth it ... if you buy the Scout 1.9 diesel TDi . Hope that’s ok... oh and to combat the weird front window styling, I bought a red car, and then had some stick on panels made to ’even up’ the sight lines - worked a treat. This car is better looking than the Citroen, Renault and Peugeot models and is much, much cheaper than buying a VW (which of course is where the engine and gear box come from). Highly recommended as far as I am concerned, both for business and family driving. Regards, John.

Skoda Roomster 2005

i have recently brought a Skoda Roomster and i was disappointed with the engines weak power output and i saw it on the web and it looked good now i have it on my drive i’m ashamed and people laugh at me as i drive past. Please take my advice and don�t buy this car!!

Responses to this review

We have the 1.4 TDI version Roomster 2 and up to date I can not fault it. There are always some fatheads who do not like something thats a bit different - Bryan Varnam from Lincolnshire

What a wimp. The idiots who laugh obviously do not understand cars one bit are Jeremy Clarkson clones. Ignore them. The Roomster is a decent car at decent price and its styling at least shows some thought rather than being like every other boring car - Bryan Varnam from Lincolnshire

Actually, Clarkson quite liked the Roomster. He said it shouldn’t be brilliant, but it is - Candida from England

Skoda Roomster 1.9 TDi 5dr

Skoda have indeed come a long way. The Roomster is a very affordable MPV, not only to buy but to run. I test drove both this model and the 1.6 petrol version but felt the diesel offers a lot more performance wise for only a fraction more money. Bags of space very enjoyable to drive and really well built. More fool you if you overlook this because of the badge name.