Skoda Roomster...

[Piemaster]

The new one may not have been as nice as the old one anyway, the difference being the old one was based on a car, not a van as the new one was, and the likes of the Fiat Doblo are.
We've had a an 08 plate one for a couple of years now. It's currently sat outside with a windsurf board on the roof and 2 full rigs inside. Perhaps not that comfortable for 4 people like that, but they'd fit.
Ours is a 1.6 petrol with a DSG 'box. It was one of the few cars I could find at the time that fulfilled the 'smallish petrol auto estate/MPV' requirements of my wife. (She put her foot down over me wanting an Alfa Brera )
We did initially have a fault with the tyre pressure monitoring system that took a couple of places to find the fix for, and a couple of months ago there was a fault with the handbrake. It came close to having petrol poured over it and a match thrown at it with that one, after a 'bing, bing, bing, bing, etc., etc.' handbrake warning for the 1/2 hour drive in traffic to get to the dealers AAAARGH!! Otherwise it's been fine.

And as for looks, the front window shape is a pretty good copy of the Lancia Stratos.

 

[biggs682]

We looked at the Roomster when it first came out looked ideal but just couldnt convince the other half re getting a new car , dont see many 2nd hand pnes

 

[oldfatfool]

I had one for a couple of years, it was the basic 1.2 with iirc 69bhp but it was great to drive. Seats fold up and lift out and are ideal for carrying bikes and dogs. I ordered a new one but for some reason they had discontinued the model I wanted at the time so ended up with the octy. Fantastic sense of space especially if you get the pano roof. swmbo is a short arse and did find her view to the right slightly obstructed pulling out of tight junctions by the odd shaped door windows though.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Deal done on a three-year-old 1.2 TSI SE 85bhp manual from our local Skoda dealer. No glass roof thobut. And the tow bar has got to go. Do the handbrake cables hand that low on all of them? We've asked for them to be checked.

The most expensive car I've ever bought with my own money. I actually felt a bit sick.

 

[nickyboy]

Second income stream for the dealership, innit. When we bought one of our cars we said that we'd be interested in finance if he could do a better deal than 4% APR - that being our mortgage rate at the time. He shut up quickly.

If it wasn't for the fact that the CMax fits our needs so well, I'd have been looking at Skodas - basically rebadged VWs. The Roomster is jolly ugly though, isn't it? It's a van.

It's a VAT thing as well isn't it? Car dealer buys a car for £4K and sells for £5K cash. Dealer has to pay VAT of £166.67

But if he can sell at a lower ticket price with finance bolted on he pays less VAT. Happened to me once. I was happy to buy a car for cash for X but they split it into a "price" for the car plus finance. I paid the same over 3 years (so got some cashflow benefit). Dealer paid less VAT.

By "thing" I actually mean "fiddle"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[QUOTE 4271342, member: 259"]Noooooooooo!!!![/QUOTE]
Nothing to tow, nowhere to store it if we did have something to tow, and part of the logic of swapping cars is to get something that takes up less space in the resident's on-street bays.

 

[screenman]

It's a VAT thing as well isn't it? Car dealer buys a car for £4K and sells for £5K cash. Dealer has to pay VAT of £166.67

But if he can sell at a lower ticket price with finance bolted on he pays less VAT. Happened to me once. I was happy to buy a car for cash for X but they split it into a "price" for the car plus finance. I paid the same over 3 years (so got some cashflow benefit). Dealer paid less VAT.

By "thing" I actually mean "fiddle"

What! never heard of that one before. The dealer pays VAT on the difference between the purchase invoice and the sales invoice, regardless of how the vehicle is financed be it cash or HP

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Towball bike racks are very good.

I had one on my Scenic. Don't feel inclined to repeat the experience. Bikes will go in the back of the Roomster as, if all goes to plan, the only time it will carry bikes will be with one driver and one passenger, tops.

And said rack has to be stored. Then I'd need a bike rack shed.

 

[screenman]

Around this way many use the lowball as a reversing sensor.

 

[skudupnorth]

Apparently there is a new Roomster on the way, based on the VW Caddy.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/2016-skoda-roomster-first-spy-shots

Sadly not happening, I have an old VW Touran for the family but would loved to replace it with a Skoda badged version to join my 21 year old Skoda Favorit ! Skoda have gone down the big SUV route for the 7 seater market and are building a rebadged Q-5 or 7 something

 

[skudupnorth]

As a Skoda owner for over 25 years I cannot praise the brand enough ! I have owned everything from a 1977 Estelle, Rapid Coupe's, Favorit estates and now a young 21 year old Favorit hatch which has been the best £150 I have spent ! All for minor service and mot repairs,this car has lugged me,the kids and bikes around for the past three years and has not missed a beat. Roomsters were quirky when they came out and shared the Fabia front end with Octavia rear end. I worked for Skoda at the time of launch and with the seats out, they made a very usable vehicle with various internal carriers for bikes ect. The later Scout versions looked better with added trim and slightly higher ride height for getting to trails ect

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

The most raved about car we've ever had at Chez Grumpy was a Renault Kangoo. And that was all too obviously a van.

Didn't Clarkson absolutely love it, when he tested one of the first generation model on Top Gear?

 

[Saluki]

I would have a Roomster in a heartbeat. Very nearly did a goodly while back. Good job that I didn't actually as my business all but collapsed and I'd not have been able to afford it. I'd have a Yeti too.
You can get bikes in a Roomster, very happily.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I would have a Roomster in a heartbeat. Very nearly did a goodly while back. Good job that I didn't actually as my business all but collapsed and I'd not have been able to afford it. I'd have a Yeti too.
You can get bikes in a Roomster, very happily.

I've had a 3-seater settee, in my Octavia estate, granted a short one
If it had been the original shape, not the 'facelift' Octavia 2, it'd gone in even easier, as that had a more upright tailgate

[QUOTE 4272550, member: 45"]Clarkson doesn't know what cars he likes. He changes his mind like the wind.[/QUOTE]
True, but as a 'general purpose' vehicle, it struck the right note at that point

 

[PhilDawson8270]

so isvit worth getting it on finance, to keep dealer sweet and price low, and then pay finance off very quickly/early.

Only you can tell that. There's almost certainly going to be a tie-in on the finance which means that you'll be stiffed for early redemption fees. Although in the long run the dealer might get more money out of finance he'll also be interested in quick cashflow.

Negotiate the discount on the vehicle, and buy it on finance.

Once the paperwork is signed, and you pick the keys up (get the keys quickly). Call the finance company, and say you want to cancel the finance under the 14 day cooling off period. There'll only be the value of the car that the dealer sold it for after their discounts, and a small admin fee.