Skoda Roomster (2006-) Review

Comfort and Equipment

• Previous: Running Costs
• Next: Used Value

That vast headroom gives a very airy aura especially with the panoramic roof that's standard on the Roomster 3. There's a lot of rear legroom, too, and the rear passengers sit higher than their companions in the front for a good view out. The outer two rear seats can slide, individually, back or forward over a six-inch range, and all three seats recline.

The middle seat is narrower and you can fold its backrest down to make a table and drinks holder. Or you can fold all three backrests down, and flip the entire seats forward to create more load space. So far, so fairly normal for a compact MPV. You can also take the seats right out to create a virtual van if you're feeling strong, and replacing them is easier than with most such systems because the front mountings clamp to a bar instead of plugging into awkward holes in the floor.

This bar gives the Roomster its next bit of cleverness, which is that if you take the middle seat out, you can slide the outer two towards each other along the bar and create more space around the outboard edge. Various bars and brackets are available to hold, for example, up to three mountain bikes. There's one snag with the Roomster's seat system (dubbed VarioFlex), though, which is the gap left between the backrests and the rigid, two-position (high or low) rear shelf even with the seats pushed back and reclined. A flexible bridging piece is needed to hide luggage properly.

Nor are the facia gloveboxes capacious, despite the great slab of facia behind them. At least there are two gloveboxes, the upper one an open shelf in Roomster 1, and the door pockets have elastic straps to hold floppy road atlases in place.

We've already mentioned the Roomster's smooth riding qualities, which benefit rear passengers as much as front ones. Those rear occupants don't have to suffer road roar, either, and conversation with those in front is easy even at speed. The Roomster 3's low-profile 205/45 R16 tyres make the low-speed ride harsher without much benefit to steering and handling, but it's still better than most.

All Roomsters have electric front windows, body-colour bumpers and a single-CD player with an MP3 input. Roomster 2 adds alloy wheels (still 15in), more speakers, a remote control for the central locking and manual air-con, among other things. Roomster 3 adds bigger wheels and plusher (but less interesting) upholstery, leather for the steering wheel and gearknob, front foglights, 16in alloys and the panoramic roof with retractable blinds, while roof rails, steerable lights, electric rear windows and automatic air-con are among the options. Bizarrely, part-leather seat trim is an option on Roomster 2 but not 3. We reckon a Roomster 2 with optional panoramic roof and the leather pack - steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake - would be just about optimum.