grayson

I have a 140 and having driven a 2wd 110 for a few weeks cant say there is much between them in go department. What is more interesting is that I have always suspected the 138bhp TDI engines in VAG products to be actually a little different according to brand. My 200 kilo heavier Tiguan actually felt brawnier than the Yeti- and Autocar figures too do not suggest anything like the performance gain one would expect between the two cars given the weight difference.Wonder if Audi Q3 -is it ?- is even brawnier- must check. But whatever - cant see the point of seriously quick soft roaders- cos no matter how much power they have they are always stupidly compromised(vast thirst, brakes as big as serving plates to slow down lardy chassis etc )

I'll keep digging...

Marshalling very important yes;but biggest problem I used to have was listening to the endless droning of some of the saddos I shared posts with actually. Have experienced all the phenomena above but nothing was as bad as listening to a CSMA member bore for England about everything other than the sport we were watching...

It was acceptable when I marshalled on rallies (not races obviously )- done sensibly not at all an issue on most forest rallies. Mind you when I marshalled you felt the whole rally crowd was marsahlling too- cars came off and we'd all rush and get car back on stage.I have to say that my more recent encounters with a minority of tabard clad jobsworths makes me glad I don't have to put up with them too often now.NB - am sure you are not in that minority !

..has a track about Yetis on her new album. Fact.

Yes ,but only out of necessity rather than choice. Never could see the appeal of flogging a 4x4 around a quarry.Must be the exception- every weekend up here I see the inevitable Discoveries and Defenders, pumped up suspension, daft tyres and snorkel exhaust. Often displaying a sticker reading 'One life, live it' . I do- and I dont waste it by driving some clunky old anachronism like a Defender. ...

An acquaintaince who builds competition engines advises that running in should comprise careful warming up followed by ragging the a*se out of it. Never had the nerve to do it myself though.

No need to justify my dear chap- people should drive what they want- white Range Rover Sports excepted obviously. I have no problem in a person buying a 4wd if they dont need one - apart from, I admit it, daft suburban bimbos in X5s and Cayennes- it is just I do not see the benefit in lugging round several hundred kilos worth of extra mechanicals to do something that is rarely ,if ever done and which costs extra cash,often compromises road holding and ride and consumes more fuel for no real benefit. I am in a minority of course as 4wds sell in vast numbers and if folk want to own Yetis that is fine by me.

Yes..and it gives the impression that the Yeti drinks fuel thanks to its near linear performance. I am used to fuel gauges staying full for 100 miles, dropping very slowly to just under half and then plumetting to empty.Accuracy shouldnt be irritating but in this case it is. Illogical but true.

Interesting - as Ithink the driving postion, although comfy ,is one of the compromises of soft roader ownership. I just dont really understand why some folk buy 1500kg++ 4wds and faux 4wds when they dont really need to.

Maybe- but I do use the Yeti off road. And cannot for the life of me think why anybody would buy one if they didnt need 4wd and off road potential. Buy a Golf- faster, lighter and more economical. V pleased with Yeti but like all 4Wds one has to accept a price in 'normal ' driving.And 'sports' and Yeti is sort of oxymoronic to me.

I find it feels very well planted one up but I am a fat git so..But I do find Yeti alarmingly skittish on standing water- seems to aquaplane very easily compared to my last few cars- Tiguan and Golfs.Possibly tyres- we shall see when the winter jobs go on.

The idiotic speedo- why no 30MPH? It can tell me I am doing speeds that the Yeti would not achieve if dropped out of a bloody plane but not if I am doing the built up area speed limit. Ditto with others- not in car now but 50 and 70 missing too I think ?

Interesting comments-whilst the Yeti is not faultless it rides a zillion times better than my Tiguan did and is also far far quieter. Those who have owned these cars will understand (but others may think I am bonkers) but the Yeti reminds me partly of the lovely compliant but firm ride of my Alfasud Ti I owned in early 80s and also that effortless gait that Peugeots like the 205 and 306 had .

It does give good control at low speeds and am very impressed with it in very bad conditions. The hill descent thing is good too.But the first time you use the button you feel as though at least 70 of your 140 horses have bolted.

I was very impressed with Kia- and I think the build quality was very high indeed- probably better than VAG(had lots of warranty problems with VWs ).Looks great and hundreds of toys- but too big ,too heavy and too thirsty .

There is nothing remotely effete about MX5s- love 'em. My next soft top when my back won't tolerate Caterhams any more . Tempted to get the Brodie Brittain turbo conversion though!

I have this problem. It is caused by anything lying on the bit of the boot where the hatch closes.Doesnt need to be a big obstruction- in my case fishing socks, canvas rod bag, bit of Sainsburys carrier bag is all it needs. Bloody irritating.

Ermm... maybe because the Boxster driver just wasnt in a hurry and sort of didnt notice the Jazz? Please dont try to outbrake even a modestly driven Caterham - 500kg stops unbelievably quickly compared to the porky cars most of us drive as daily transport.Mind you - if I had a Boxster why would I crawl round bends?

I got as much fun out of my 2CV as any car except Caterhams. Fantastic ride, go anywhere ability, brilliant in snow, great fresh air ventilation and looks apart superb gearshift. Cornered superbly- only looks like will tip over but I never managed to despite trying hard. And slipstreaming coaches on motorway such fun! If you learn to overtake in a 2CV you learn a skill for life ! Another car which was about driving not travelling.Yeti great at latter - the most relaxing car I have ever owned but on the B1257 the adrenalin does not flow too hard ......

My yeti weighs 1500kg and has 140 bhp.This is why it is not fast. And neither is anybody else's compared to a 911 or 458 for example.Are people believing there is a logic behind the daft 160 mph speedo ? Cos mine wouldnt even do 140 if you dropped it out of a plane. And as for the Audi stuff- guys it's all the same oily bits anyway.How fast a car goes on the road has little to do with the speed of the car but the driver's willingness to break speed limits or take a higher level of risk. I have been left behind by very humble cars when in the R400 beacuse , for example, I dont think driving at 50 in a 30 limit is clever, nor do I rate overtaking when you cant see properly. But on a track- if you have never been in a properly quick car on sticky tyres you would not believe how fast you can go.

Just dont try to even keep a Seven in sight in the bends..'cos two wheels aren't as good as 4 on the twisty bits (as I learned when I watched the Superbikes at Croft - awesomely quick down the straights but not so good compared to slick shod racers around the bends).And I wont even dream of keeping up on the straights! But the point is well made- Yetis are great transport but don't overtax the adrenal gland. Bikes and sports cars with serious power to weight ratios are the crack cocaine of transport compared to the white sliced of everyday wheels.

There is another way of looking at this -granted a Yeti has lots of features which give the driver a feel good smugness as you sail through bad weather ensconced in warmth and comfort listening to Radio 4. But it's not driving it's travelling. My Seven has nothing with an acronym- no PAS, 4WD, ABS, ESC and the rest. It also weighs a third of a Yeti and has 70bhp more than my Yeti and it all goes through the right wheels- the back ones. It's scary in the wet, noisy, too hot or too cold but in the right conditions it can go so quickly and change direction, stop and corner with an alacrity that makes virtually anything else feel like motorised porridge. That's driving not travelling. And I bet the TR4 above is just as much fun- in a slightly less manic way.

Croft is down the road from you and as long as your car is fairly quite you can do aday there.Check out their website. Have done lots there but my car (Seven not Yeti but why would would anybody want to track a Yeti? )too noisy.