This coming month's edition has a two car comparison between the Yeti and the Qashqai, and much as they like the Yeti, the Qashqai is given the verdict in a very close points decision :thumbdwn:

In the same mag there are also brief reports of the facelift vRS and Scout

Thanks - it'll be interesting to read this article.

Yes read this article myself, slate Yeti for refinement; "rowdy" engine (TDI 140), road noise and wind noise.

All I can assume is this particular jurno is not a fan.

Having driven the Qashqai dci 4x4 I would rate it as OK at best, not in the same league as the Yeti in terms of quality, practicality or off-road ability. Pricey for what you get too.

I am struggling to take this seriously.

Whatcar can be patchy in quality at best (I am not just saying this because the Skoda lost) But the Yeti in most other roads tests has been praised for it's refinement and lack of road, wind and engine noise! The TDI 140 I rode in seemed quiet.

In the same issue of the magazine they have tests of the FL Octavia RS and Scout, in one they describe the interior as being "classy and comfortable" and in the other "drab"

There is also a group test of new superminis and whilst I agree with them that the Fabia could do with an update, they are saying that it is the same car which was launched in 2000 :confused: It might share largely the same platform but the car has a totally different body and interior.

I agree, I've been getting Whatcar? magazine for a few years now and for the past year it has got pretty sloppy. Most of the articles seem to have some sort of mistakes etc. I'd rather have a smaller magazine with better roadtests than the way its going seems to be more like autoexpress at the moment.

There does seem to be a real anti Skoda thing at the moment. Especially about the Fabia which they gave a real slating and yet it came 8 out of 10 and above the Yaris and Mazda 2, one of which is a fairly new design. They kept saying that the platform was over 10 yrs old etc, but it has been modified and most supermini i.e. 207 use updated old platforms.

As far as the Yeti is concerned every report I have read so far says it is the most refined in the class and Skoda have worked hard to make it like that. Then Whatcar start saying theres loads of wind noise etc. Makes you wonder how they actually drive these cars to test them.

I think the journos base their findings on how many freebies they get of the manufacturers, I bet if the makers of the Aixem gave each journo a hundred grand apiece, they would rate it as the best small car ever.......

I think the journos base their findings on how many freebies they get of the manufacturers, I bet if the makers of the Aixem gave each journo a hundred grand apiece, they would rate it as the best small car ever.......

That crossed my mind too, maybe Nissan spend more advertising budget with them.

I would actually say that recently Auto Express have been better than Whatcar. AE seem to make fewer factual errors.

A couple of years back Whatcar tested the Roomster Scout and proudly said that it was quite rolly because it had higher suspension than the standard Roomster (which it doesn't). I have a Roomster and the body roll is very controlled! The interior pic they used wasn't a Scout either.

doesn't)The interior pic they used wasn't a Scout either.

That's been their thing for years - they'd do comparisons including, for example, a Mondeo LX, and always show the interior of the Ghia X, with full leather, climate etc etc, just because they can't be arsed to take a picture of the actual car - not really a difficult task when we've got digital cameras :rotz:

I hope I made it clear that I in no way agree with the report in What Car - I was merely bringing it to people's attention

Who the hell cares if the Fabia is still on an old platform. Its one of the best built and best value cars in its class. How radically different would a car of its ilk be on a new platform anyway?. Even the original Fabia still outclasses many of its rivals.

Who the hell cares if the Fabia is still on an old platform. Its one of the best built and best value cars in its class. How radically different would a car of its ilk be on a new platform anyway?. Even the original Fabia still outclasses many of its rivals.

The version they tested was £1500-£2500 cheaper than most of the opposition too, they could have had a level 3 Fabia for £12,005 which paints the Fabia in a much better light in my opinion. The Fabia does need an update though, hopefully the facelift next year will be a fairly major one to keep it "on the pace"

Sorry to rant about the Fabia in the Yeti forum

At a risk or being burnt at the stake, I had a hire Qashqai 1.5d on hire for a week and hand on heart it was the very best 'normal' car I have ever driven.

Handled well, went well, tonnes of room and ridiculously good MPG. Coupled with the usual Jap solidness ect.

I've never even seen a Yeti so I can't compare but I'd rate the Nissan at least 9/10

The fact one magazine can rate a car on things such as handling and refinement, and another slates the same car for handling and refinement, just goes to show what a complete waste of time these reviews can be. Reviews are always going to be subjective, that's the problem. Another is most modern cars are ALL very good, so to make a review interesting they have to pick up on ridiculous negative points or criticise an otherwise good vehicle just to be "different".

When I rode in the Yeti after being in my Fabia VRS bathtub, it felt pretty smooth and quiet. But I am sure if I had just test driven a Range Rover, the Yeti would have felt crude.

I also remember when I bought my Fabia, it was not even on the radar at the time - because of reviews I had read - yet ended up being my next car after a test drive.

I couldn't really fault the Qashqai, except maybe it was lacking grunt and the panoramic sunroof was just a glass panel and would not open.

WhatCar are idiots, never trust them!

The great think with whatcar is the unpredicatbility, you can read the full article and be amazed at the outcome they then come too, almost as if the article and conclusion are written by two different people.

The great think with whatcar is the unpredicatbility, you can read the full article and be amazed at the outcome they then come too, almost as if the article and conclusion are written by two different people.

Topgear Magazine are a bit like that too. They can praise a car throughout the article, say it has no faults, and then give it 12/20.

I think they give bonus points though if:

a) It's a Ford

It's got at least 150BHP/Tonne

I do read road tests but I also make up my own mind what I like and whether it'll do what I want it to do.

I always thought Whatcar? was a decent magazine but the above comments shed a different light on it.

I haven't read the comparison test but I did read the original Whatcar? write up on their website which is at at:

Skoda Yeti 4x4 - Full Review - New Car Review - What Car?

In it they say:

What Car? says 4 out of 5 stars

A huge, versatile cabin makes the Yeti a great car for the family. It's smooth and quiet on the road and good fun off it. It's seriously tempting for style-conscious hatchback buyers

Ride & Handling4 out of 5 stars The range-topping four-wheel drive model is surprisingly good off-road, because it has all sorts of clever gizmos to help you along in the slippery stuff. Like every Yeti, it's great on the road, too, because the ride is supremely smooth and comfortable. There's a bit of body lean in bends, but considering the Yeti's height, it's not bad at all. Grip is strong, too.

Refinement 4 out of 5 stars Road noise is really well subdued at low speeds, and isn't much louder on the motorway. There's some wind noise at 70mph, but it's not enough to spoil the calm. You don't hear a peep from the suspension when it's doing its thing, either. The engines we've driven (the 1.8 petrol and the 138bhp 2.0 diesel) are smooth and reasonably quiet, too.

So obviously something made them change their mind! No freebies from SUK...?!

Have any of you seen the Yeti? On looks alone it loses out to the Qashqai.

It's an abhorrent piece of design.

Each to their own, been to see the Yeti twice and I personally like the styling, plus the shape much improves comfort and practicality over traditional designs.

Looked at the Qashqai a couple of years ago for my Dad, he ended up with a Kia Sorento, the lack of interior space particularly for rear seat passengers disappointed, plus the two we test drove creaked and rattled all over the place.

For those interested so far (touching wood) the Sorento has been faultless.

Noticed recently that the Qashqai is having a facelift new look arriving next year; changes include front bumper grill and headlights, rear lights, interior changes and engine upgrades.

If most people think car magazines are rubbish I hope they don’t buy any. Or at least if they read a good review of their favourite car they realise it is probably wrong! You can’t have it both ways.

I read car magazines when I research a new car and take onboard their criticisms, but then, just because they don’t rate my preferred choice, it doesn’t mean I wont test drive the model in question. My Octy was never the best car in it’s class, but it suited my personal needs at the time, similarly my Sedici is never going to be the best 4x4 in it’s class, but it has superb traction in snow and is cheaper than almost all of it’s direct competitors.

I think what I am trying to rationalise is that, it is me that determines what constitutes a rival, not a magazine. I wanted an economical 4x4 with a centre diff lock, so I looked for rivals with these features. It came down to a very small list. Similarly I compared the Nissan X Trail with my current BMW 123D and bought the BMW. Not likely bedfellows I know, but they both had many of the features I wanted and they both had many I didn’t.

So don’t be downhearted just because a Skoda got beaten in a test. It is possible that using the criterions that the magazine imposed the Cashcow was indeed the better car, but that doesn’t mean it’s the car for you. For what it’s worth I prefer the looks of the Yeti and the more Germanic look to it’s interior.

God, you have gone all sensible, I preferred the mad woman....

FWIW, I don't like the look of the Cashcow at all, and the Yeti looks like a Tonka toy, of all the similar vehicles there are, I'd get a Tiguan, but then again I don't need 4wd, or anything so big ( that probably means I'll end up with one.....)

..............

but then again I don't need...... anything so big .....

Might not need anything so big, but poor Shelagh has to live with what you’ve got already

Btw the X1 does look nice

It goes without saying that most people on a Skoda forum are going to be biased in favour of Skodas.

Personally, I think the Yeti looks better than the somewhat bland Qashqai.

Whilst in A*da yesterday I had a quick skeg through Whatcar? and thought that throughout the ramblings the Yeti won on most points: fuel consumption, emissions, interior space etc etc, only to get voted second in the verdict.

It would be a very boring world if we all liked exactly the same things in life!

Autobild in Germany disagree with What car?

The Yeti wins in all areas; you can find the test at

Vergleich Skoda Yeti vs. Nissan Qashqai - Die Aufsteiger - Allrad - autobild.de

Topgear Magazine are a bit like that too. They can praise a car throughout the article, say it has no faults, and then give it 12/20.

I think they give bonus points though if:

a) It's a Ford

It's got at least 150BHP/Tonne

c) It's a BMW

c) It's a BMW

Quite right too