Skoda Roomster 1.4 TDI in the test

D a car developers drive to the North Cape, to Death Valley, do a thousand laps on the Nordschleife and ignore the enormous potential for testing and destruction of families with small children. All the tests are just a humorous banter compared to what the journey to the supermarket demands of a car alone - with mom on the steering wheel and the child in the child seat. After that, our own car looks like a bar where two rival rocker gangs have fought.

Navigation device of the Roomster is a permanent server

A car that is intended for families, cannot be stable, robust and washable enough. As the Skoda Roomster in summer 2007 for the first time stands in the underground car park, he seems a bit delicate for his grueling task. He's made himself pretty as a Comfort with aluminum wheels that don't yet suspect the hardness of curbs, and partial leather seats that don't know little fingers smeared with chocolate. Extras such as a glass roof, automatic air conditioning, cornering lights and a little Klimbim increase its price from 17,090 at the time to 21,785 euros. It would have been better not to include the 990 euros for the navigation system. Nuclear power plants are probably easier to operate and work more intuitively. Hopefully more reliable than this sat nav, which sometimes got lost. In Chur it proudly states that they have now arrived in Arosa. One of the two permanent servers remains over the entire distance.

Skoda Roomster 1.4 liter lacks pulling power

The other is the engine. 86 hp for just under 1.3 tons Skoda Roomster would have to be sufficient for adequate progress. The pure driving performance, which improves significantly over time, does not indicate any deficits. But the easy-revving 1.4-liter lacks pulling power - what the short-geared five-speed gearbox should compensate for. The engine spins at 135 km /h in fifth gear at 4,000 rpm. The poor noise isolation has little to do with the resulting Krakeelento counter what the long-distance suitability of the Skoda Roomster limited.

8.7 liters average consumption in the endurance test

Because there is still a lack of power despite the short gear ratio, the smooth, precise transmission has to shift so much that it looks a bit worn out at the end of the test. The high speed level drives consumption up: The engine taps 8.7 L /100 km on average from the tank - a lot in view of the moderate temperament. But think positively, at least one advantage of the weak drive opens up: the tires last a long time.

With reliability in the top of the class

Even with other wear parts the Skoda Roomster carefully. A light bulb and a set of windshield wipers add up to 52 euros. With one liter, the need for top-up oil between inspections is minimal. Only every 30,000 km does the maintenance display ask for service, which costs an average of 288 euros - comparatively little, at Renault Clio it was an average of 20 euros more. Not much is done in terms of repairs, and the little thing that happens is covered by the guarantee: A loosened door strap, a turn signal lever and a new window regulator motor would otherwise have resulted in undramatic repair costs of 260 euros, and the workshop replaces the phone as part of a service campaign. With two unscheduled workshop visits, the Skoda Roomster is at the top of the reliability list. He shows robust health and impressive immunity to the stress of the long-term test.

Winter garden feeling in the rear

After the full distance, the soberly designed interior looks unpopulated . Only the rear right window regulator is weak again, on bad roads it chirps and crackles slightly in the area of ​​the large panoramic glass roof. It cannot be opened and, despite the roller blinds, ensures that the interior heats up considerably in summer, which pushes the air conditioning to the limits of its capabilities. That the Skoda Roomster on the Skoda Fabia based, shows not only in the very good handiness, but also in the small car-like space at the front. In contrast to other high-roof station wagons, the Skoda Roomster Pilot and Co. is placed low on the comfortable seats. So the bonnet is out of sight. This restricts the all-round view as does the B-pillar, which is unnecessarily widened by the window frame. The best prospects, howeverin the spacious rear. Because of the large windows and the glass roof, it feels like a winter garden. The greatest advantages of the Skoda Roomster are its generous rear seat and the high degree of variability, in which it outperforms the high-roof combination competition.

Skoda Roomster relies on agility

The three individual seats at the rear can be moved, folded and expanded separately. If the narrow, hard center seat is outside, the two outer armchairs can slide inwards for better elbow room - an often used, somewhat cumbersome do-it-yourself job, which, however, works without any problems right up to the end, except for the slightly hooking locking bolts. The trunk volume is a bit tight - a Renault Kangoo of the same length packs a maximum of one cubic meter more. But the Skoda Roomster doesn't want to be a Kangoo competitor either, as it lacks the extremely practical sliding doors. The Skoda Roomster relies on other qualities - high agility, for example. He doesn't drive in the least daring. For a car with the sex appeal of a pack of easy-up diapers, it steers pleasantly precisely, curves fluffy and neutrally around bends - also a consequence of the tight, not very comfort-oriented chassis setup.

Simply equipped roomsters a small loss of value

Again about the money: the Skoda loses 12,500 euros in value. Sounds drastic, but it's mainly due to the many extras. More simply equipped models hold their value much better. Another plus point of the Skoda Roomster, which doesn't have to fear the North Cape, Death Valley or the Nürburgring - and neither does the trip to the supermarket.