03 Sep 07
One of the universal truths of camping seems to be that you fill up your vehicle, whatever it is. When our Dutch neighbours packed up to go home, their Volvo 260 GLE was full to the brim. When our chums in a Skoda Felicia packed up, their car was full too. Last year, we managed to squeeze everything into a tiny Micra C+C, the boot of which is relatively massive when you've got the roof up.
But Roomster-like cars make more sense than most and on our French holiday we couldn't help noticing that there were a great many Doblos, Partners, Kangoos and earlier French oddities along the same lines. They're the automotive equivalent of those Formule 1 hotels you see next to busy roads in France: unpretentious, functional, great value.
The real hit at the moment, at least among families on a tight budget, is the estate version of the Dacia Logan, Renault's Romanian-built bargain-basement seven seater. It's big, it's basic and it makes the Roomster look rather elegant - and that's not something you find yourself saying often.
Everyone else spotted this a couple of years ago, but now it's struck me: the Roomster is a very disturbed-looking car. I'd previously regarded its styling as cheeky, quirky, functional, original, fresh, that sort of thing. Now, however, I'm inclined to think that it's just plain wrong.
