nomdeplume

6 speed manual

140 HP diesel 4x4 top French spec LHD

Not in my experience with a 35k mile 4x4 Yeti. Sounds like you need to take it to your Skoda dealer for an investigation. Be sure to make sure that your dealings with them are well documented.

Check the the boot light is going out when you close the tailgate.

I too live in SW France (24250) and have Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons all round on my Yeti. They seem to be very good in all conditions, but have been outstanding on ice and snow. They seem to be wearing well too.

Fuel gauges are notoriously non-linear. If anything my Yeti is better than other cars I have had in the past. It is not a problem if you allow for it.

James 1 - what is TFR?

Ad in the local paper or autotrader.

So you don't think that it could possibly be this winter that has the "freak" weather.

What is a esp light?

This sort of charge is outrageous. May I suggest NFU at Stratford on Avon for car insurance? They seem to have a more mature approach to dealing with their customers and are good value and good to deal with. I have no connection with NFU.

Is this a global database or just a UK one I wonder? My Yeti (LHD and French registered) is serviced by a UK main dealer who tells me that his French counterparts will be unable to access the service history without reference to the service book. It seems a bit parochial.

Is that filler in there?

Sorry to hear about the surgery. My advice would be to wait until you are in a position to use the car before buying for 3 main reasons:- 1) You will not suffer the depreciation of having a car sitting idle for 6 months. 2) There will always be an "ex demo" car somewhere when you are ready to drive. 3) Not wishing to be negative and not knowing your condition, there might be a chance that your 6 months gets extended for unforeseen circumstances. Hang fire and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Absolutely! It would have been better to order the new car with the spare wheel kit, it's not expensive. But the gloop option is not reliable and, apparently, the gloop has a shelf life and needs to be replaced!

Don't forget to consider depreciation when making these comparisons. History would suggest that the Yeti will hold value better than any Hyundai.

Positive. A big arrow and the word "direction". Also the tread pattern is clearly a directional one.

I have 225x50x17 Vector Four Seasons on my 140 4x4 Yeti and they are excellent. In the snow and ice last winter here in SW France they were brilliant, nothing was too slippery. in rain they displace a lot more water than the previous Dunlops and in the summer they behave like ordinary tyres. They appear to be wearing well too, 11,000 miles so far and 6-7 mm of tread left. The only downside I can see is that they are directional and can't be swapped from side to side.

I didn't even know that there was a boot light so mine must gave been out since new! I'll take a look when it stops raining.

Welcome to France, where customer service has yet to be discovered. Buying tyres here is an expensive pastime, particularly if you just turn up at the tyre place. And what you want is NEVER in stock. The best way to buy tyres in France is to buy them online from someone like www.123pneu.fr (the French equivalent of mytyres) and take them to an independent dealer for fitting. I realise that in your predicament that wasn't an option. So the best solution is a spare with jack etc. As for low take up of Yeti in France, the French tend to buy only French products (particularly in rural France). There is a reasonable Skoda dealer network here but if the Yeti had a Peugeot or Renault badge they would sell. I know which I'd rather have! Glad the holiday was ok.

I fitted Goodyear Vector 4Seasons to my 4x4 Yeti and they are brilliant. In the snow and packed ice here in SW France last winter I could drive up any gradient with complete confidence. Good in rain too. It will be interesting to see how many miles I get out of them.

The word "warranty" in France causes lots of suppliers to have sleepless nights. We have bought various faulty goods here over the years and when you take stuff back they don't want to know. I'd be keen to hear how you get on with Skoda UK over the 54€.

I'm inclined to agree. There are posts from people who, for example, want to change the door handles for some reason and have problems fitting them, or others who want to fit electric seats to a model that doesn't have them. Or even add aftermarket aircon . I can't help thinking that, if you want these things, why not buy a car with them in the first place. Is this syndrome peculiar to Skoda owners?

Yes, the place Flintstone refers to in Domme is called Pizzeria des Templiers and is really a pizza and pasta family place. We ate there once, it was ok but not particularly what I want to eat in France! Btw, the little shop over the road from the campsite is very expensive, even if their cheese is good! If, as Flintstone suggests, you visit Domme, on Thursday mornings there is a quite interesting market. But beware, it will be heaving.

Sarlat has a revamped Carrefour, a brand new Lidl and a tired LeClerc. I tend to avoid Sarlat at this time of year because of the volume of tourist traffic. Having said that you can get to Lidl and LeClerc without going into the town centre. There is a reasonable Carrefour in St Cyprien which also hosts the best street market in the area on Sunday mornings. If you're going to Bergerac Airport there is a big newish Intermarche (?) on a roundabout near the airport but no good for perishables in this weather, too far from home. As for restaurants, La Petite Tonnelle in Beynac is ok. www.restaurant-petite-tonnelle.fr. A table on the terrace out the front is nice but will need to be booked. And it is walking distance from the campsite. A bit further afield in Daglan is le Petit Paris http://www.le-petit-paris.fr/ where a table on the front terrace will need to be booked and the food/wine/ambience will not disappoint. But it means driving! The best value food is to be had at lunchtime. One of our favourites is at Nabirat where there is a small bar/restaurant called Le Diabolo-Fraise. 0553 59 36 83. You can't miss it, there's nothing else in Nabirat. Here you will find a 5 course set menu lunch with wine and coffee for 13€ ! It is off the tourist track. I usually phone to check what the plat de jour is and book a table on the terrace. Arrive between 12 and 1230. It is incredible value compared to the myriads of duck and chips places in Sarlat. I'm happy to help with more info if needed!