I DON'T find the offset window height on the sides of the Skoda Roomster very appealing.
But if you can put up with that the rest of the car is excellent and in the mould of all recent Skodas, it's just as well built as the VW range.
Engines are 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrols, with 70, 85 and 105bhp and then there are also three diesels – two 1.4s with either 70 or 80bhp and a 1.9 with 105bhp.
The 1.2 petrol is slow and gutless and all the diesels are pretty noisy with the 1.4s also pretty slow.
All are comfortable to ride in and easy to drive and they have excellent interior space.
The power steering has plenty of feel and the handling and road holding are very good – almost up to the Fabia on which the model is based.
The controls are light, the gearchange easy and the brakes superb.
Interior
The driving position is excellent for all sizes and visibilty is marvellous all round apart from the quite thick pillars now common for rollover safety.
The inside is huge and very versatile in the MPV style, the boot is vast, rear legroom is also good and equipment is reasonable even in cheapest versions.
FAST FACTS
Skoda Roomster
Price: At an independent dealer, pay around £4,700 for an ’07 07-reg Roomster 2, or £6,500 for an ’09 09-reg SE
Mechanical: 85bhp, 1,390cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 106mph
0-62mph: 12.6 seconds
Combined mpg: 41
Insurance group: 3
CO2 emissions: 162g/km
Marks: 9/10
Main rival: Citroen C3 Picasso