federalexpress

Hi Troutfisher I didn't include a satnav with mine, so couldn't comment. With regard to the V5 form, I also read up about this but in the end, accepted Nationwide's version, that I would be regarded as the first real owner (it is initially registered to their address but apparently in my name) and I certainly don't think this would outweigh the very large discount- I can tell you, my local Skoda dealer wasn't within 10% of the price I paid. That said, you have reminded me that I still haven't got my V5 and I should have done by now, so will follow this up.

Message to troutfisher re your post 1) I also used Nationwide. Everything went smoothly. It's a bit of a leap of faith transferring £20k plus if you are buying for cash, but the car turned up as advertised, 8 miles on the clock, all handed over very professionally. Mine was a car already being shipped so can't comment on the delivery time, but I was also told 12-14 weeks for a factory order. I don't think Nationwide can do much to speed that up. The consolation is, like me, you presumably got c £4500 off the list price? 2) I have that colour/wheel combination. It looks good. Maybe a bit safe but I'd prefer classic to a bit racy/left field! 3) Don't know, why not ask them. But be quick it will be being built imminently I suspect. 4) Haven't driven a Sportage but my 140 Diesel is quiet, at least as much as my previous car (a Merc diesel) and probably more so

Thanks for the replies to date. Looks like it is a bit of an issue. The car is brand new and bought from recent deleivery stock via an online dealer, so fresh off the boat. I'll try opening a window and using the de-humidifier crystals- and maybe some patience also...

Have had my 140 4x4 Elegance for about a week now and v happy with it, but one problem I had today was with de-misting the windscreen (just normal de-mister button, not the heated windscreen). Granted there was a fair bit of condensation, maybe worse because I live about 600ft up a hill, but when I put the de-mister on, it took an age to clear it, probably 10 mins or more to do it fully, way longer than the Merc I used to have. It seemed to clear the centre part a bit quicker, the drivers side took an age and I spent a fair amount of time craning my neck to look out of the centre. I won't do that next time because it isn't really safe, but I just assumed my side would clear much quicker than it did. Tried it with aircon (which probably won't work in near 0C temperatures anyway?) and without but neither worked. Is this just the way it is and I need to give the windscreen a wipe next time, or is there something I could do to de-mist it quicker?

Just to say a big thank you to everyone who has posted on here. Much food for thought. My car arrives next week and I think I'm persuaded about the winter tyre argument. Better safe than sorry. Happy New Year!

A big thank you to replies so far. Food for thought. I've excluded the idea of two tyres on the basis of two replies here and I take the point that if your have a second set of tyres, the whole lasts twice as long. I guess you could then argue that the price of winter tyres is the annual fitting (s), so about £80 or so, plus the hassle of storage and the fact you are paying upfront for your second set of tyres. Beginning to wonder if I should have just gone for a FWD and stuck the winter tyres on. If all I get otherwise is what I would get from a (rear) 2wd like a Merc, it begs the question, why have 4WD in the first place?

Just bought a 4x4 140 elegance (manual). Am not a natural 4x4 person but am in a rural setting with on top of a plateau with hills on 3 sides and apparently the winter round here (Gloucestershire) tends to be a bit worse than what I'm used to in London, hence getting rid of my rear wheel drive Merc and getting a Yeti. My question is one that I know doesn't have a simple answer but how good is this car on the supplied tyres in dealing with snow and ice? I appreciate all bets are off if we get a foot of snow, but that is unlikely where I am, I just wanted to get some kind of understanding of how possible it will be to drive if we get a normal dose of snow and cold weather. We have 11 degree hills round here that I would avoid in snow and ice, but how will I fare on smaller hills and dips in the road? Am really just interested in people's experiences. Am also contemplating winter tyres which I gather would solve pretty much anything I'd be likely to face but obviously these are expensive. There is also the pain of finding somewhere to store the summer ones (and vice versa in summer). But if anyone out there does change in winter, do you just change tyres or change the whole wheel? Is it worth the extra expense of the latter? At the moment, it seems I need to pay someone to do two changes each year, carry the tyres back home in the Yeti and store the ones out of action in the shed till next needed. Is it possible to just use two winter tyres (presumable fronts) to save money and storage space or is that a bad idea? All input and experiences appreciated.