RE: Skoda Roomster Scout | Shed of the Week

RE: Skoda Roomster Scout | Shed of the Week

Friday 5th March 2021

Skoda Roomster Scout | Shed of the Week

Never underestimate the value of a Shed that looks like an actual shed



What's in a name? Skoda has had some doozies over the years, like the Rapid (which wasn't), the Favorit (ditto), the Yeti, which wasn't at all hairy, and the good but not superb Superb. Skoda made a beautiful little coupe in 1970 which really deserved a good name, so they called it the UVMV. Today, no new-breed Skodas are allowed out of the Skoda factory unless their names end in a Q.

In 2005 Skoda came up with 'Roomster' for their new five-door mini-MPV wotsit. It was probably meant to be a roadster joke, and would doubtless have been appreciated by Radio 2 DJs who are as old as Shed, who are somehow still jockin', and who even today think it is still cool to add 'ster' to the end of someone's name. Normal folk thought that practice was twee even in 2005, but despite that, or maybe because of it, the Roomster sold pretty well, finding around 300,000 buyers in a solid 11-year run. Off topic, having noted Skoda's success with the Roomster, Hyundai tried some 'ster'ing of their own with the Veloster, but that bombed spectacularly in the UK with fewer than 2,600 sold between 2011 and 2015.

Back to the Roomster. It was meant to be succeeded by a more conventional VW Caddy-based gen-two model in 2016, but that got lost in Skoda's shift away from MPVs and into SUVs. By all accounts - especially the cost-saving post-dieselgate ones - that looks to have been a smart decision.


What was the Roomster, though? Well, it was based on the Fabia and it was billed as a Leisure Activity Vehicle, or LAV. Some pundits did wonder if Skoda's stylists had spent too much time wandering round Bathstore or B&Q's toilet department as the look was challenging to say the least. Passengers enthroned in the back had a lovely view of the gently passing countryside thanks to the high-roofed, high-windowed 'Living Room' design, but the bod up front was hemmed into an Edwardian chauffeur's low-visibility 'Driving Room' environment by an oppressive cage of clashing metal shapes.

The Scout version you see here was trumpeted as a more rugged Roomster but that was visual rather than actual ruggedness because, unlike the Scout version of the Octavia which did sit high and which did have part-time AWD, the Roomster Scout had unchanged suspension and was front-wheel drive only. The high-riding look was an optical illusion cheaply achieved by combining plastic lower body cladding with new roof rails. Still, the Scout spec did include a leather steering wheel and gear knob, aluminium pedals, a set of alloys and 'special' Scout cloth seats. You also got the neat Roomster VarioFlex seat setup in which the three rear seats were foldable in a 40-20-40 split, reclinable by up to 7 degrees, and movable not just fore and aft but also side to side if you took out the middle seat.

Believe it or not the 1.9-litre oilburner was the joint-pokiest and arguably best engine option in the Roomster range. It was quieter than the more clattery 1.4-litre diesel. Admittedly, 103hp wasn't a lot even with only 1,260kg to push along, but you did get 177lb ft at 1,800rpm and an official combined fuel consumption figure of over 55mpg. Low-cost motoring, just how Shed likes it. The ride and handling were better than you might have expected, too.


This Roomster comes with a full 12 months MOT, the only advisory being some rust on the exhaust back box. Sixty quid gets you a new one. Thankfully it doesn't have the sunroof option as this is known to leak. Some Skoda owners have reported multiple electrical failures. Shed himself had six bulbs go all at once on his own Octavia only last week. It turned out to be oxidisation on one fuse terminal, fixed in under a minute with a mouse-sized scrap of sandpaper.

We're told that that our Roomster received a new cambelt at 45,000 miles, and that's not such good news because the car has done another 90,000 miles since then and 1.9 belts are meant to be changed every 60,000 miles/four years. Shed is convinced that many motorists believe they only have to replace a cambelt once, irrespective of mileage, or they get mixed up and think they only have to do it once every 60,000 years. Either way, Shed would want to be doing the belt swap on this one sooner rather than later as these old 1.9 diesels are worth preserving. The 'your belt has snapped' array of red lights came up on the dash of a Mk 4 Golf 1.9 Shed once owned. With the finely-honed reactions of a man well accustomed to dodging flying saucepans, he quickly switched off the ignition to minimise the repair bill, only to see the recovery driver restarting the engine in order to drive the blooming thing onto the transporter because he was too lazy to use his winch. That turned a small three-figure bill into a small four-figure one.

Classified ad phrases like 'trade sale only' are meant to protect the vendor in some way but they are also absolutely guaranteed to a) give any potential buyer the heebie-jeebies and b) generate a sticky wave of forum spittle, so make sure you've got a towel handy if you go on there. The legal implications of the engine falling out of a 'trade sale only' car on your way home from the dealership can be discussed on another forum. Here's one.


See the full ad here


Author
Discussion

Rob 131 Sport

Original Poster:

2,476 posts

51 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
I love Skoda’s from this era. They always struck me as well made, practical and sensible cars with a sense of desirability. Top shed.

Hugo Stiglitz

36,999 posts

210 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
I remember bring given a new one of these on holiday in Ibiza. My first experience of LHD. I got 500m and took it straight back. Hated how vague it was. They gave me a bashed up Panda and I was sooo happy compared

Numeric

1,393 posts

150 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Skoda had a sweet spot - take the first Yeti - really distinctive and seemed good quality while the Superb really was. Even this - had a purpose and went for it, good value transport and I sometimes think of one for garden and bike duties.

The Skoda range now is just so vague - maybe I do see the odd new Yeti if their is one - but I wouldn't notice, while pricing seems almost in VW territory. My suspicion is it became too successful and threatened VW sales which perhaps had higher margins.

Uncle John

4,268 posts

190 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
No, just no.

You need to be over 70 to drive one for a start.

Not even reading it.

Snubs

1,166 posts

138 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Uncle John said:
No, just no.

You need to be over 70 to drive one for a start.

Not even reading it.
Agreed!

Helicon

5 posts

40 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
We've got a '63 plate petrol roomster. Similar spec to this one except is has a largely glass roof which makes the interior pleasantly light.

Most panels have a dent from station / supermarket parking but the interior has held up very well to children / dogs/ tip runs / DIY materials. Huge load space, especially when seats are removed.

Not particularly fast, no "image", very boring but totally reliable, zero costs except servicing and tyres. It will run on for years to come. Only regret is I didn't get a black edition when they came out.

WonkeyDonkey

2,333 posts

102 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
For a VW brand thats whole purpose is to build ugly VW's they really hit the ugly nail on its ugly head with this one.

cptsideways

13,535 posts

251 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Good timing been looking for a dog bus this week, it's the sort of ugly you never have to wash smile

AlecT

182 posts

208 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
These Roomsters drive surprisingly well, the floorpan is actually a hybrid of the Fabia and Octavia so unusually for a Fabia based vehicle it has disc rear brakes.
The Scout was just a cosmetic package, there was no part time AWD as reffered to in this article.
All in all a strange looking car but a good driving very useful one.

The VW Scirrocco, was I believe, originally a Skoda design proposal called the Joyster...... VW ended up with it as the new Scirroco.

Tin Hat

1,370 posts

208 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Too sandals with socks on for me

oilit

2,618 posts

177 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
ideal for the wife to abuse with horse and dog crap

apieceof

4 posts

82 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Are they big enough to convert to a mini camper?


I must be Watching too many episodes of Amazing Spaces in lockdown!!!

Narcisus

8,054 posts

279 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Haters will hate I guess ....

BeastieBoy73

633 posts

111 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
I like these.

During lockdown last year my teenage daughter and I picked up an old Kangoo 4x4 to build into a micro campervan.

It comfortably slept 2 and had a kitchen, toilet and shower. Once completed we ended up selling it for a hefty profit.

Tempted to do the same with this.

Jaguar steve

9,232 posts

209 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
My Roomster blends everything you need in a shed together perfectly, including the wonderful sense of liberation that comes with a zero fkucks given mindset regarding status and image and damage and dirt.

It's a significant additional bonus aspirational badge snobs detest it.biggrin

ballans

788 posts

104 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
There used to be one of these in the family used as the dog/child/bike/ beach wagon. I really liked it as was immensely practical and surprisingly good to drive. The “challenging” looks must have offended someone as it was eventually killed by vandals who took a crow bar to it.
Shame as it was a great shed.

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
I was looking to get one for the wife but we went for a Nissan Note in the end.

Quite like a Berlingo Multispace though.

alorotom

11,907 posts

186 months

Friday 5th March 2021
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I’ve been wondering about if I could live with a cheap Yeti to replace the current lease ... I’d forgotten all about these.

Halo in reverse

147 posts

106 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
Looks like a complete 5H1TBOX but that's the appeal.

Treat it like you stole it, park it anywhere, carry all sorts of carp - very practical yada yada, loads of life left in the 1.9 TDi too

Im in !

sjabrown

1,909 posts

159 months

Friday 5th March 2021
quotequote all
These remind me a bit of the Austin Metro Chairman in the looks. To be found in Dobbies car parks nationwide driven by people that smell slightly of wee.

Looks are too challenging for my next shed even if these are economical and fairly robust.