1st Mar 2016, 07:44
I'm the original reviewer from Egypt.
I've had the car for almost 7 years - 145000 KM.
This may probably be the best small family car ever, and I've looked.
1st, the negatives:
- The A/C is moderate, and in very hot Egyptian weather it is not very effective, especially for backseat passengers. This may be due to the panoramic sunroof and the car's black color.
- The radiator fan malfunctioned about a year back and even though I got it replaced in a certified service center, that has started to have a tendency to overheat (the temp gauge crosses the middle mark) when I use the A/C in start/stop traffic.
- The front headlights are SO weak!!! Only one H7 bulb is used for both high and low beams, so your low beam power is cut in half and is barely visible. I've installed an aftermarket 75W xenon kit and the light is still not as good as normal halogen from an Octavia. This also has a side effect of prematurely draining the car battery and I usually need to get a new battery every year and a half.
- The brakes are average to good. For some reason it does not really stop the car fast enough at high speeds (above 80 KM/H) when I brake suddenly. It is still very safe I admit, but my wife's Daihatsu Sirion has a much better braking distance even without ABS. I mainly attribute this to the weight of the car and small diameter of the brake discs.
- The low profile tires were causing me a lot of trouble in Egyptian moderately paved streets :). I changed them to nonstandard size 205/55 instead on 205/45 in the same 16 inch alloys. This meant that one of the front wheels was scraping the inner wheel arch, but this was fixed by the service center without even asking or knowing how!!
I have to say that none of the above negatives make the car unsafe or uncomfortable, especially after installing the xenon kit.
Now for the good part:
- Great engine and overtake ability. You can easily pull from 80 to 120 and it has very good stability till 150.
- Very good ground clearance.
- Very comfortable seats and seating position.
- Lots of storage space in the cabin.
- Very big and useful boot. Easily moved a big office chair. And in another occasion 2 bikes with all the seats up. Took the luggage of myself, the wife, 3 kids and elderly mother on a trip to the coast and just had to remove the boot shelf.
- Saved my family's life!!! While traveling 120 KM/H on Cairo-Alex road with 4 adults and 3 children in the car, the two right tires had big punctures and very big cuts. The car did not stray from its course and kept moving in straight line with full control till I parked on the side. The garage guys were amazed that the car did not roll over. The ESP really makes a difference and I will not buy any car without it.
- Very tough body, had a couple of scrapes with Hyundai cars and I was left with small dents while they had to change font bumper and a side door. :)
- Very good internal space for very compact external dimensions. Really makes a difference when parking or maneuvering in busy traffic. I thought about upgrading to a Renault Captur, but even though it had larger external dimensions, the boot was smaller, the back seats were much, much more cramped and the cabin was not much roomier.
I want to buy a new car, but can't find anything better than the Roomster. Even the Yeti has a smaller boot and you have to sacrifice the spare wheel.
I really need Skoda to release the new Roomster ASAP. I'd buy it in a heart beat.
22nd May 2011, 05:28
I'm the original poster.
I've had the car for almost two years now, so I think it is time to give you some updates. I've done 44,000 kms till date, and that car feels as fresh as new.
Very stable at high speeds and corners, and the cruise control is great on my highway travels.
I've filled the car with four adults (including me) and two kids comfortably.
The gearbox is the best I ever used, and very versatile in manual and sport modes.
The A/C is not bad, but Korean and Japanese systems are cooler.
It is a bit tight at front, but not really something to worry about, and the seats are very comfortable.
Rear space is very good, but a bit more width, especially for the middle seat, would have been nice.
The center chair does not move front and back, but the two outer seats do.
The only problem I have is with the one touch function of the rear glass, which does not work properly, but a couple of sprays of wd40 usually solves the issue.
Still feel the ride is very stiff; I may have to change my 16 inch rims with 15 inch ones and put on some wheels with more rubber.
All in all, a very good choice, and for me a better deal than the Kia Carens, which costs the same.