Trekker

The Yeti can take three full-sized suitcases in the boot with a spare wheel and all the seats up just by having them on their ends. Four full-sized suitcases can be fitted when stacked. Why do you assume the driver of the vehicle would not strap down and make secure the stacked suitcases? ...it is, after all, common sense to make secure objects that traveling in the vehicle.

The boot of the Yeti is huge, even with a spare wheel in there. I can fit 4 full sized suitcases plus rucksacks with the rear seats up. Transporting 5 people and all their luggage and with a length of 4.2 metres to enable us to park in the city spaces makes the Yeti the perfectly compromised car. Yes, I am coming from a Micra, so I appreciate space!

mellyboy, the term 'sheep' given by Dodgy, is a common one that refers to people who don't know much about cars and buy them based on silly or ill-thought out reasoning such as the shape is nice or Clarkson likes it, therefore it must be cool or good. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just explaining the term. The 'victim mentality' made me laugh! I think he thinks you're being a tad over sensitive... The Yeti, as we all know on this forum, is quite a lot of car and appeals to pretty much everyone and there is an affordable route for around 14,500 pounds or the all singing and dancing DSG diesel Elegance for twice the price - so I think Dodgy is right: we can expect the less-inquisitive car buyers to put the Yeti on the consideration list now! And that's bad news for me, as I'll surely have to wait even longer for my Yeti when the sunroof is available again for order! :(

Top Gear since around the year 2003, has been wonderful entertainment for us all - certainly. BUT, the entertainment is completely at the expense of the crucial facts that real potential car buyers are really interested in. The original Top Gear gave us these facts and their senses of whether it was exciting or boring to drive. Clarkson does not think the nation can even be patient enough to listen to a few minutes of facts, so he doesn't give them. The balance is all the wrong way. I suggest a program that gives all the facts about the car in a few minute summary, then a few minutes of driving review, then a few minutes of ownership expectations - eg, running costs, feel-good factors etc. Fifth Gear is better in this regard, but they're all rubbish compared to the old Top Gear! And I'm only 41.... !!! People need to know:- 1. petrol or diesel with engine weight and position to help us with an idea of handling 2. normally aspirated or forced induction - and what type eg, turbo or super charged or both 3. weight of car with full tank and one person on board as weighed by the reviewer 4. the space in the boot - by using full sized suitcases and smaller ones to give us a clear idea 5. the full features of the seat options eg, if the seats recline, let's know about it, if they come out, let's see! 6. the full options for the car - if the car has the option of a heated screen/seats etc, tell us! 7. the reliability likeliness based on what parts are used eg, Yeti parts from VAG, therefore reliability should be good 8. drive the car off road, on road - but all roads eg, speed humps, park on Wycombe Hill and try reversing/driving up it... 9. brake test in dry and wet with measured distances (with graphics of what is good relative to the hghway code & other cars) 10. acceleration tests with 50-70 MPH included. 11. NVH test on different roads - with measured noise levels at 30, 60, 80 and 100 MPH (for Autobahns) 12. explain the suspension eg, independent all-round suspension rather than a fixed beam is important to know! 13. type of brakes - disc brakes with ABS latest version all round is crucial 14. crash test results 15. how much servicing, renewable items, insurance etc are going to cost and relative to other competitor cars... 16. how interesting was the car - a sense of occasion? 10 minutes would be a minimum, 15 minutes more acceptable, but 20 minutes would be perfect....with lots of good slow camera shots - we don't want to see the reviewer - just hear a nice voice. Am I right about this?

Clarkson has driven the Yeti back in 2009 when comparing it to a Mini and said this:- ".. the model I tested - a Cooper S - costs more than £22,000. And that makes it about £3,000 more than the similarly powered Skoda Yeti. Don't be a snob about this, because the Mini isn't a Mini and the Skoda isn't really a Skoda. It's just a Volkswagen. More pointedly, the Mini is terrible and the Yeti is surprisingly good." ...as reported in another thread: http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/185835-clarkson-likes-the-yeti/ I reckon Clarkson of 2011 will still report the Yeti to be a great little car that is that is well priced and will put it on the cool side of the Cool Wall. If he does not like the Yeti, then he loses his last bit of credibility!

1982 Mini 1.0L - light, darty, sporty, feelsome, wonderful 1984 Mini 1.3L - not as good as the 1.0L version somehow.. 1984 Ford Cortina 1.6L - comfortable, but rear bushes were bad and nearly killed me 1981 Lada Riva - tough, but driveshaft play killed it 1978 VW Golf Diesel - boring, but gave 75 MPG at 55 MPH ! 1979 VW Golf Diesel - same, but bordom made me drive at 70 MPH which killed the engine... 1984 Volvo 240 1.4L Petrol - utterly reliable, amazing turning circle, fun RWD again 1985 Volvo 240 1.4L 1989 Lotus Esprit SE - very fast, gorgeous, 8 car overtakes, servicing oscenely expensive 1994 Toyota Celica GT4 - quick, reliable, cheap to run, good to drive and feel good factors 1988 BMW 325i - best car: brilliantly involving & challenging, light, raced it for a few years 1977 Lotus Esprit - lovely looking & wonderful sound, but slow, unreliable, smelled, felt unsafe 1972 Porsche 911 T - light, nice sound, smelled, reliable, cheap to run, slow and unchallenging 2002 Nissan Micra 1.0L - light, chuckable, cheap, reliable 2005 Nissan Micra 1.6 SR - safe, reliable, comfortable, practicale, cheap - sensible money saver ...waiting for sunroof option before ordering: 2012 Skoda Yeti 140 DSG ...waiting for fuel prices to become cheap and for my personal situation to much improve before: 1997 Porsche 911 (993) - rebuilt to RS, provide my lifelong utlimate driving challenge & pleasure

Aged 41, would love to retire now, but will have work some more... I too, await the sunroof before ordering. The Yeti is what I imagine to be most-car to most-drivers: affordable, easy to get in/out, easy to park, reliable, economical, Euro NCAP 5 star safety, 4WD safety & transportability, great semi-automatic transmisson and all with acceptable comfort. From teenagers to the middle aged to granny and grandpa, there is an attractive feature combined with a cheeky characterful name: Yeti.

Still can't order a Yeti with a sunroof though can we... :(

I would suggest checking the engine mounts. Could it be possible they're all there in their proper tightly held positions? Good luck. I doubt it has anything to do with the remap.

Thanks for the progress report on the remap/reconfiguration of the engine management parameters! So, around 4 MPG improvement on top of the much improved torque and bhp performance - superb! The high speed cruising should be more economical theorectically as the higher torque is doing more with less fuel. ...but I do wonder if you need to get a higher top gear ratio to really make use of the higher low end torque eg, cruise at 80 MPH using 1500 engine revolutions. Keep the progress reports coming in. I am definitely going to be doing this remap/reconfiguration whenever I get a diesel DSG Yeti.

Is this not a simple case of tricking the Yeti into thinking computing a range that will be far more than realistic? For example: fill the Yeti up will fuel at a fuel station on a hill, reset the computer and drive down the hill for 300m whilst engine braking so the fuel usage is next to none? I am far more interested the best ACTUAL range managed with a full tank!

My 2012 Yeti model year wish list includes others wishes:- - price reduction - a clock display on the Bolero - seperate volume settings for pairing volume and speaker volume when speaking to someone - a USB charging socket in the Jumbo box - a USB charging socket (or two) in the storage area on top of the dash - a middle seat that can slide like the others - a cover to close the boot when the middle seat is used as an armrest - inertia real retractors for the parcel shelf cords when they are not attached to the hatch - a DSG gearbox with + at the back and - at the front - mirror heaters to the rear screen heater - colour coded rear bumper - LED running lights,discrete like the Fabia VRS - DAB radio - Power fold mirrors - LED rear lamps - the big SUNROOF back again - more paint colour options - option of DSG on all engine choices - RS version - with heated leather bucket seats - R32 V6 normally aspirated engine with high torque - plexiglass all round except for windscreen - active air suspension with modes: AUTO, LOW, HIGH - controllable 4WD modes: ECO, AUTO, PERMANENT 4WD 50:50 Front/Rear - 1300KG weight with liquids, half tank of fuel, no driver

A quick search via Google shows the 2005 Octavia drag coefficient to be 0.308 where as the Yeti's is 0.37 and the Greenline Yeti is 0.361.

Thanks for the report! Disappointed by the Yeti's drinking problem. The Yeti's shape is not very aerodynamic so I suppose economcial driving means 78mph... ...do you do much engine braking to improve the MPG? Do you drive mostly with the rear seats out to save your Yeti working so hard to accelerate? I guess you might as you mentioned the feature of seat removal... Regarding the boot space, I managed to fit a full sized suitcase upright with three further full sized suitcases on their sides stacked in the boot despite the seats being in position and there being a false floor with the spare wheel underneath! For somebody like me who parks in cities, the bootspace in a car length of only 4.2m is superb. Well done on your reporting of Yeti ownership - it gives those of us future owners a more realistic idea of what to expect!

I suppose the questions regarding warranties and VED co2 emissions are inevitable given the politically correct world we live in these years... Surely the chap having the reconfiguration of his engine electronic control unit is not going to shout about the changes made to the garage performing its next MOT nor is he likely to beg for a premium increase by informing the insurance company. The chances are the MOT test won't fail and the insurance company are hardly likely to inspect the ECU ! I reckon it's in the same area of naughtiness as fitting 195/65R16 tyres instead of 195/60R16. As long as the owner is being responsible eg, the tyre is strong enough for the load, then there is no problem. I know what some are thinking: but surely his Yeti will be faster than it was intended to go, well, yes, but not by much and at the end of the day, it could to be more effecient on fuel and point us all in the same direction. I too, am eager to hear the test results for power and fuel efficiency.

The reviews of the Dacia Duster are favourable with 4/5 star ratings. I like the independent suspension all-round on the 4x4 version and I very much like the light weight: < 1300kg for diesel 4x4 is impressive! I bet it squeaks and has much more NVH (noise vibrations harshness) than the Yeti. But if they are really about 5000 pounds cheaper, it would take a dedicated DSG high-build follower to go for the Yeti over the curvy lighter Duster! Let's see what the UK actually receives in terms of priced Dusters - I suspect it will only be a 1000 or so less than the Yeti which won't tempt many!

Yep - Autocar appeared to enjoy the sound of the engine and the pace, but to me, it seemed overkill. In any case, Mercedes-Benz won't build it... it's just a proto-type. With regards to the Yeti, I would keep the cars task to that it does best - everyday transport in comfort with superb city parking but able to transport 5 people and all their luggage over long distances and over any roads in reasonable comfort. A Golf R32 V6 n/a engine would simply offer instant throttle response, much better engine sound, better engine braking and a greater feel-good-driving factor !

This is an interesting topic! The thought of a Yeti having fast Golf parts fits is an intriguing one... The modern car manufacturer is now giving us forced induction small capacity engines in order to meet EU emission laws, but whilst this is a bit better for our environment, it lessens the enjoyment of driving the car because of the stupid turbos coming on/off giving the driver an unsmooth and short lasting power. Fitting an Golf R32 normally aspirated V6 engine into the Yeti would bring an eager rev'able engine that would probably enhance the driving experience no end... ...of course, a 6 cylinder engine would be a bit heavier at the front leading to a bit more understeer, and the MPG would be high twenties... And the insurance might not cover the conversion.... But as the contributers to this thread have suggested, the prospect is feasible...

I have been driving lots recently in my SnowTrac3 tyre'd Micra on ice and snow and for 99% of the time, can go everywhere on roads - even on crazy ice-rink-like roads. Only a 40% gradient hill stopped the Micra. So, on that evidence, you might think a 2WD Yeti would be just as good, but it won't be because it weighs hundreds of kilograms more than a Micra and physics will dictate your grip will be lost sooner eg, a bend or a hill. So instead of 99% of the time being perftectly mobile in a winter tyre'd 2WD Yeti, I would guess it would be down to 90%, which is fine unless you're thinking of driving around some hill like High Wycombe or intend to drive around snowy bends at 60mph... 4WD delivers more grip and therefore more safety and less chance of being stuck or having an accident. You sound like you've already made up your mind for the 2WD Yeti with snow tyres - which is fine; everybody buys on needs and compromises. But I will be ordering a 4WD Yeti hopefully soon - with SnowTrac3 tyres because I will slide less and be more safe. Plus, 4WD gives the option of towing later on in the cars life.

An interesting comparision - thanks for the link! My first impressions of exteriors were that the Tiguan looked more up market, but then I think the metallic paint had a part to play in that impression. But the body is not as nice as that of the slightly querky Yeti and looks somewhat big and heavy even though it's not actually that much bigger or heavier.. But Tiguan interior is awful ! Those double ventilation holes in the dash are hideous as is the center oval silver section. The Yeti looks so much better...thank goodness. I love the Yeti in white, but I think it needs some extra bits of colour to give him a bit of character.... painted Yeti fur ?! That would be cool!

Can somebody make a little movie clip of the Yeti losing traction in snow/ice so we can see how soon the rear wheels get driven? It sounds like the 4WD computer program is in Blue mode for the Yeti - ie, running pre-emptively which would be better than reactively... I was thinking of I would get the Blue/Orange change to the 4WD computer software somebody mentioned to ensure 4WD was always active when driving in winter, but perhaps that's not even necessary! --somebody post a clip of their Yeti 4WD operating in snow please - we need a definitive answer on this one!

Thanks erikiri for reporting your interesting test results. Knowing which fuse to unplug to disable the intrusive computers from interfering with the fun-driving. Switching off traction control in snow making the 4WD work more effectively was also useful to know! I wonder if the Yeti 4WD system is really running pre-emptively or if the response times are just much lower than the Haldex 2 system...

Just over 42 MPG on a long run and an average of around 35 MPG for the diesel DSG Yeti is disappointing! :( This makes me seriously consider getting a 1.2 DSG and then swap the engine with a 1.8 (as somebody on this forum suggested) as the fuel economy won't be much worse and petrol 1.8 litre engine will be much nicer to drive...especially when not having to worry about winter warm up times and the rubbish DFP. Why is the heated windscreen not available for the 1.2 Yeti? SUK is a pain: no sunroof, no heated windscreen on a 1.2 and no 1.8 DSG!

The Audi Q7 is a permanent 4WD car using a Torsen type differential, whereas the Skoda Yeti uses a Haldex traction system that is reactive rather than the preventative Torsen type 4WD system. That should mean Audi's permanent 4WD will make wheelspin less likely to start whereas the Skoda is having to try to regain traction after it's lost. The Skoda will have better MPG and the reactive 4WD system is more than enough for 99% of people driving on slidey roads. As for the Q7 on summer tyres - well, no 4WD system can be expected to perform miracles; the car needs some grip to start with and driving on summer tyres in wintery conditions is irresponsible in my opinion.

It strikes me that us poor Brits would struggle to achieve 39 MPG in 1.2L engined Yetis at 80+MPH on our motorways mainly because Britain has so many hills! I reckon diesel engines offer more economy thanks to their high levels of low-row power (torque) - but wouldn't it be great if we could control the stupid turbo activation so that we didn't lose our fuel effeciency as soon as we went up a hill.... I remember the mark two version of the Toyota Celica GT4 with fondness in this regard as I could drive with gentle throttle at any speed and not allow the turbo to spin and thus maintain higher MPG, but these modern turbo'd engines are a pain as the turbos kick in on gentle throttle as well... :( Anyway, I would go for the Greenline version rather than the 1.2, but when the sunroofs return, a diesel DSG version will be my choice...