I am looking covetously at the Yeti, I am in line for a new car sometime in the next year; but I feel that the right engine for me is missing from the Yeti line-up.

I am not keen on diesel; I know it is more economical and offers better torque, something I need living in a hilly part of the country!

However, most of my journeys are work related and less than 5 miles; by the time the engine is warmed up I have stopped!!

I feel there is a BIG gap in the petrol engine line-up, the 1.2 is just not powerful enough for long term use in and around the hills where I live, but the 1.8 is hopelessly thirsty.

WHY cant we have the 1.4 TSI from the Superb??

Any thoughts???????

I wouldn't describe the engine as "hopelessly thirsty", especially given the power and flexibility of it.

There is a gap - albeit a tiny one - but it's not one that needs to be filled, IMHO.

You've got a 1.2 100bhp, and the 1.8 170bhp, the diesel 140 fits in below the 1.8. The 1.4 TSI would just duplicate that engine.

I am looking covetously at the Yeti, I am in line for a new car sometime in the next year; but I feel that the right engine for me is missing from the Yeti line-up.

I am not keen on diesel; I know it is more economical and offers better torque, something I need living in a hilly part of the country!

However, most of my journeys are work related and less than 5 miles; by the time the engine is warmed up I have stopped!!

I feel there is a BIG gap in the petrol engine line-up, the 1.2 is just not powerful enough for long term use in and around the hills where I live, but the 1.8 is hopelessly thirsty.

WHY cant we have the 1.4 TSI from the Superb??

Any thoughts???????

The 5 mile trips should not defer you from a Diesel. My first trip of the day most days is a 2.5 mile each way to bring SWMBO to the bus. Octy 2.0 PD 140. The 90°C operating temperature is reached by the time she gets out ast the bus terminal. The intercooler out front probably helps reducing the warm-up period. No idea what haååens to the particle filter on the Yeti - yet!

You have no option for diesels! I do not like petrol motors! Have you considered a pre heater either fuel driven or electric block heater. Why don't you walk if it is that close? :wonder:

I am looking covetously at the Yeti, I am in line for a new car sometime in the next year; but I feel that the right engine for me is missing from the Yeti line-up.

I am not keen on diesel; I know it is more economical and offers better torque, something I need living in a hilly part of the country!

However, most of my journeys are work related and less than 5 miles; by the time the engine is warmed up I have stopped!!

I feel there is a BIG gap in the petrol engine line-up, the 1.2 is just not powerful enough for long term use in and around the hills where I live, but the 1.8 is hopelessly thirsty.

WHY cant we have the 1.4 TSI from the Superb??

Any thoughts???????

Have you driven a 1.2?

Picked mine up this week, no problems with the Devon hills!

I agree the warm up time is considerable. My 140 diesel takes at least five miles to reach temperature probably because the first three miles (to any main road!!) is carried out on back lanes where only low speeds are possible. I am not as "rural" as Anthony 1 but there are only minor roads in any direction for some distance.

This is a minor problem as the diesel is a superb engine, very free revving and with plenty of torque. Oddly there is little braking effect from the engine and I have found I need to use the brakes a lot more, especially on hills. The Nissan engine could slow the X-Trail without the use of brakes but the Yeti engine has little effect on a trailing throttle.

I wonder why your Yeti has low engine breaking? Has anyone else noticed this? On my test drive I drove quickly on back-roads and B roads, I used engine braking, I tend to use it a lot and it did not strike me that it was lacking but it well may be that on a test drive one is concentrating on so much else. What I did notice was that power came in a noticeable band and although it did pull at most engine speeds it was more vivid when in the groove which was a sort of step. BMW diesel engines that I have samples just seem seamless while they obviously perform better at some speeds than others the torque curves are flattish so the all or nothing experience is less noticeable. Does the Yeti or your car lack engine braking at all revolutions, in all gears and is the engine up to temperature? I think that engine breaking is important and often that is all one needs it is good for setting the car up for bends and adjusting the attitude of the vehicle particularly through bends it is a good way to slow on downhill sections too and in slippery and icey conditions. It will be a disappointment if it is not typically strong as in most diesels. that is one of the reasons why automatics can be so unsatisfying when driving quickly on torturous roads. :(

.

I wonder why your Yeti has low engine breaking? Has anyone else noticed this? On my test drive I drove quickly on back-roads and B roads, I used engine braking, I tend to use it a lot and it did not strike me that it was lacking but it well may be that on a test drive one is concentrating on so much else. What I did notice was that power came in a noticeable band and although it did pull at most engine speeds it was more vivid when in the groove which was a sort of step. BMW diesel engines that I have samples just seem seamless while they obviously perform better at some speeds than others the torque curves are flattish so the all or nothing experience is less noticeable. Does the Yeti or your car lack engine braking at all revolutions, in all gears and is the engine up to temperature? I think that engine breaking is important and often that is all one needs it is good for setting the car up for bends and adjusting the attitude of the vehicle particularly through bends it is a good way to slow on downhill sections too and in slippery and icey conditions. It will be a disappointment if it is not typically strong as in most diesels. that is one of the reasons why automatics can be so unsatisfying when driving quickly on torturous roads. :(

.

It may be that I am comparing the two different engines and gear trains. The Yeti is much freer running than the X-Trail. I used to drive the X-Trail on the accelerator so I notice a greater use of the brakes with the Yeti. BUT The Yeti's handling is SO much better that difficult roads are easier to drive.

Anthony 1, I don't want to start a "my roads are worse than your roads" debate but on my drives to Tenby I do notice that the further South I go, the roads improve dramatically!!

Edited 12 December, 200916 yr by Terfyn

I hadn't really thought about it until I read this thread, but in the few days I've had my 1.2 I get the impression that engine braking is less evident than on my (similar engine sized) previous car.

Typically for flat and up-hill corners I'm using one gear higher than previously, but faster down hill bends I'm tending to take one gear lower - still getting used to the balance of the car, but that is my impression so far.

In a wider sense, have views on engine braking changed over the years? I was partly taught to drive by my dad (this is 20 odd years ago now) and he was definitely old school use the engine to slow the car where possible. Much more recently I'm sure I've read articles by some of the advanced driving chaps that say: engine is for faster, brakes are for slower.

I am aware of the arguments for engine braking, but from memory the gist was that in a modern car the sophistication of the braking system is such that it is far better suited to all slowing down situations and relying too much on the engine to do this simply causes wear where it is not needed - the phrase that stuck in my mind was that it is far cheaper to replace brakes than engines!

Whether the effects of engine braking are now being consciously designed out of modern cars would be interesting to know.

These days kids are taught to brake all the way down to a stop while in the same gear

I personally will change down as I'm slowing down, as I'm in a good gear to accelerate away if needs be.

Tenby is in Pembrokeshire, however we do have good roads in West Wales too. That is if "good roads" can be qualified and quantified I should think it depends on where one goes. Traffic is much lighter here which makes a huge difference and we don't have North Wales Constabulary harassing motorists either, though Dyfed Powys can do their impersonating when it suits them! Your in Gwynedd somewhere I can not quite remember which part? I know North Wales quite well, I have a sister living there up near to Conway. I have also lived in the Glyn Ceiriog region. As a youth I spent nearly every weekend in Snowdonia mountaineering climbing etc I only lived a short through across the border

I have never driven the X-trial, so I am unqualified to pass an opinion, other than to review what might have been written about it by others and in the media. I believe that it was thought a capable performer off road in the league table of soft roaders but know nothing about its on road abilities. That many people were happy with it etc. I would have thought that the Yeti might outperform it dynamically on the road and have an overall faster performance. The Yeti will also have a more up to date and comprehensive electronic chassis management package. Gearing obviously does have a significant effect on retardation as does weight. Perhaps the gearing is higher in the Yeti or its performance and good handling allow faster speeds. Its interesting what you say however. Compression Ratios have a bearing on engine breaking but I should not have thought their would be a whole heap of difference between them. Fueling on the other hand would. Perhaps their might be a difference in fueling when the accelerator is released.

I absolutely agree! Selecting the correct gear for a particular situation, corner, hazard etc or in anticipation, gives far better control of a car. Instead of a car just flopping around in the least suited ratio it allows control of attitude, pitch, lean, over and understeer. As you have said it allows faster response to any situation and a faster pull away. Their is no hasty after the event shuffling for gears, it is a more proactive way of driving. The modern trends are not proactive in my view but reactive. Sophisticated electronic packages lure people into a sense of false security. They allow people to drive beyond their normal capability. What are they going to do if they drive outside of the programed envelope or the electronic trickery fails to cope with any given situation for what ever reason?

These days kids are taught to brake all the way down to a stop while in the same gear

I personally will change down as I'm slowing down, as I'm in a good gear to accelerate away if needs be.

After many years of being stuck with a people carrier my "boss" Mum, it is a family business!!), is considering letting me have something a bit smaller. The vehicle will be used for work, which is a Kindergarten, Nursery and After-School club, so I trawl around all the local Primary schools, dropping off and collecting children; hence the short trips. TBH 5 miles is about the maximum I do in a single uninterrupted drive, and then not all the time; most of the schools are less than 1 mile apart, so it is constant starting and stopping.

The roads I use include several very narrow and very steep ones, the main road down to Ilfracombe is a gentle slope in comparison!! No joke, I managed to rip out the handbrake trying to hold my Toyota on the hill at one junction!!

Yes I prefer petrol; I know that there is a 140bhp Diesel engine available, but I think that a near equivalent petrol would be cheaper to run for the type of journeys I expect to cover, given the difference in fuel price and servicing costs.

As for the divergence about engine braking, most modern engines turn off the fuel supply if the engine is above about 1800 rpm and the throttle is at idle; so it can save a lot of fuel when running down a hill; and I also agree, keeping in a suitable gear allows for faster responses if you need to pull away suddenly, or take avoiding action.

So anyway; fess up, who voted for the 4.2 ??

As for the divergence about engine braking, most modern engines turn off the fuel supply if the engine is above about 1800 rpm and the throttle is at idle; so it can save a lot of fuel when running down a hill; and I also agree, keeping in a suitable gear allows for faster responses if you need to pull away suddenly, or take avoiding action.

That's interesting - hadn't heard that before.

I've been keeping an eye on the gear change indicator on the display (don't know if it's the same on the upper levels of info display, just shows the current gear and an up/down arrow when it thinks a change is due).

I assume it's not a particularly sophisticated thing and is simply saying: for this speed and this rpm you should change up/down.The obvious one where I ignore it is approaching a bend or an incline where I can see I'm in the right gear but clearly it can't - it doesn't know what's coming. The one a find slightly odd is a pretty steep but not initially fast down-hill section on my homeward route, I put it in sixth at not much over 1000rpm and 35 ish mph and just let the speed pick up as the hill progresses, it's not until close to 50 mph that it stops telling me I should change down, even though there is no strain on the engine at all.

The mpg read-out also gets to something over 200 before giving up; that starts to make sense with what gentlgiant says above

Edited 13 December, 200916 yr by weaver

I absolutely agree! Selecting the correct gear for a particular situation, corner, hazard etc or in anticipation, gives far better control of a car. Instead of a car just flopping around in the least suited ratio it allows control of attitude, pitch, lean, over and understeer. As you have said it allows faster response to any situation and a faster pull away. Their is no hasty after the event shuffling for gears, it is a more proactive way of driving. The modern trends are not proactive in my view but reactive. Sophisticated electronic packages lure people into a sense of false security. They allow people to drive beyond their normal capability. What are they going to do if they drive outside of the programed envelope or the electronic trickery fails to cope with any given situation for what ever reason?

I've had many a "heated discussion" with driving instructors about this. It's fine teaching it in their new Fiat 500 or Vauxhall Corsa with ABS, TC, and ESP etc. But what happens when they're out on their own in a £500 Pug 105 that doesn't have any of these modern safety features?

The one I REALLY hate is teaching them to drive quickly up to a junction.

What happens if they misjudge it, or if the road is icy, or oil has been dropped??

Yeah, BAM!! Another learner/"P" plater bites the dust.

The one I REALLY hate is teaching them to drive quickly up to a junction.

What happens if they misjudge it, or if the road is icy, or oil has been dropped??

Yeah, BAM!! Another learner/"P" plater bites the dust.

It's ok, ABS will save them.

Well, despite all the talk of it not being needed, the proof is in the results; and so far twice as many people think the Yeti needs the 1.4 than any other engine.

There also seem to be a lot of petrol heads who want the 4.2 from the A8, so who will be the first to try and shoe-horn it into a Yeti and post the photos/road tests??

Incidentally, I noticed my reply to "why don't you walk?" never appeared when I pressed "Post"; so here it is again.

I work for my family nursery business; most of my mileage is travelling around the local school dropping off and collecting children, with regular shopping trips to the C&C, educational stores and supermarket thrown in.

The area I live and work in is very hilly, lots of tight narrow roads and junctions to get up and down to reach some of the schools; and not helped by the insane driving habits of some of the parents!!

(I turned into a narrow cul-de-sac a few years ago and found traffic 4 abreast coming towards me!!!!)

It s definitely a liability being involved in the school run or being around anywhere near one. Bad driving, bad parking, including on hatched and zig zags, blocking driveways, entrances, inconsideration to other road users, including children. I live over 6 miles away from my daughters school but the majority of the cars come from the local estate which is only a few hundreds of yards away at most. It is all very unbelievable really. If they said that I had to park a mile away it would not put me off but their would be a huge protest from all the other lazy bones.

The shortest journey I have seen was from one side of the road to the other!!

SERIOUSLY!!

She strapped the child into its seat, pulled out, signalled right, pulled in on the other side of the road, stopped and got the child out again!!!!!

Total distance travelled, perhaps 65ft.

At least it was her own car, Preston council recently hired a 3.5T truck to carry boxes from one side of the road to the other....

Not quite in the same league but..

I worked for GUS many years ago, all the vans doing local deliveries were diesel, but the ONE van (LWB HiTop transit) that made the run up to the Bradford office and back to Worcester every day carrying clothes samples, was petrol!!

Interesting note, ALL GUS vehicles, including the Chairman's Jag are only insured 3rd Party.

This is through an insurance company owned by GUS, which is underwritten by a bank owned by GUS!!!

(GUS = Great Universal Stores)

Edited 21 December, 200916 yr by GentleGiant

Sounds dodgy to me!

Wierdly coincidental with the previous couple of posts, but way off topic....

My Dad worked for a different company in the office space under GUS offices in Preston !

They ran the IT for National Bus Company.

My Dad came home from work with a file one night, chuckling away. It was a disciplinary. The night shift operators were allowed to use GUS socail facilities (pool tables etc), however this one bloke had been found in GUS office space.... which was bad anough, but he was trying ladies shoes on.... !

Not quite in the same league but..

I worked for GUS many years ago, all the vans doing local deliveries were diesel, but the ONE van (LWB HiTop transit) that made the run up to the Bradford office and back to Worcester every day carrying clothes samples, was petrol!!

Interesting note, ALL GUS vehicles, including the Chairman's Jag are only insured 3rd Party.

This is through an insurance company owned by GUS, which is underwritten by a bank owned by GUS!!!

(GUS = Great Universal Stores)

It's quite common for company cars to be third party. I know our fleet cars are. It works out cheaper for the company to pay for any repairs that are not covered by the third party insurance than to pay for fully comprehensive cover.