i really like the yeti but cant quite commit to it!!!!

My bike is the main problem, i bike 3-4x a week and use a roof carrier all the time at the moment (unless its a long motorway drive somewhere) as its soooo quick and easy and the car doesnt get dirty, plus i can leave all sorts of other stuff in the boot hidden away as the seats arent folded down.

Now i like the yeti, i like its spec, high driving position and i always wanted a 4x4 sort of thing even though i wont really use it off road. It'll come in handy for some places i go though where my current car scrapes bits on the ground occaisionally.

But... i'm not sure if having to fold the seats down and put the bike in the back every time will annoy me! It means folding all 3 seats flat, covering them with a dustsheet so the cup bit on the middle seat doesnt get all scratched, removing front wheel from my bike and then hefting it into the yeti trying to avoid marking the inside. Then the reverse when i get home. At the moment i just undo carrier straps and lift the bike on lock it down and drive :-)

I dont think i'll manage with a carrier on the yeti as its probably too high to lift my bike onto easily. Cant really try this out though as theres no showroom yetis with roof bars and carriers!

if i dont get a yeti i think it'll be a fiesta with a permanent roof carrier on, or an A3 sportback with the option of using the boot or roof carrier (roof rails so easy to fit + remove). A3 will probably be the same cost as a yeti.

Edited 2 February, 201016 yr by red1200

Its not really up to us to convince you. We are the converted ones.

Set yourself up a tick list. The most important requirements first and score your choice of cars against the list. For example, if your bike is number one priority, then a large estate may suit you better.

In my case a nearby dealership and 4x4 capability were my priorities.

Edited 2 February, 201016 yr by Terfyn

What about an on-the-back carrier? With numberplates and lights if otherwise obscured, of course.

I agree with Terfyn, it is not up to us to convince you that the Yeti is for you. Buying a car is a highly personal and mainly subjective thing, we all have our likes and dislikes needs etc. I try to take the subjectiveness out of buying a car and make into objective reasoning. Like Terfyn, I would use a tick list except what I would do is make a list of all the things that you need in a car and a list of things that your think are desirable obviously need take a higher priority to desire, well it does in my book. Their is plenty of Yeti worship on these pages pages if you want to be convinced by what other people have to say but you need to realise that is what they or I may think is important. While what is really important is what you think, in this instance.

Concerning the bike, have you thought about carrying the bike on a rear tow bar mounting rack. It would be at a good hight, easy to get on and off, no need to dirty the inside. The other thing is, don't they make bike covers, so that if you wanted the bike in the car all you would need to do is put some cloths on it.

If you have specific questions about the Yeti we will do our best to answer them for you so that you are better informed. I think that is the best that we can do really.

Edited 2 February, 201016 yr by Anthony 1

i've got pro's and cons for all 3 cars and they all sort of balance out!

I think i'll have to try the bike in a yeti again and maybe try and see if i can rig something up at the roof height of a yeti to see what it would be like loading the bike up there. Rear carrier is an option but then its going to be about another 500 for the towbar (although i cant really understand the brochure pricing for this... factory prep, then dealer electrics and towbar fitting?) then another 150-200 ish for a quick mounting rear carrier with lights.

i've got pro's and cons for all 3 cars and they all sort of balance out!

I think i'll have to try the bike in a yeti again and maybe try and see if i can rig something up at the roof height of a yeti to see what it would be like loading the bike up there. Rear carrier is an option but then its going to be about another 500 for the towbar (although i cant really understand the brochure pricing for this... factory prep, then dealer electrics and towbar fitting?) then another 150-200 ish for a quick mounting rear carrier with lights.

To be honest you won't fit it in a large estate either I have to take the wheels off my bit to do it. It is the height of the boot that means this... I think the Yeti personally has the best boot because the height

and the seating system. My octavia also annoys me that the seats don't fold flat and that the seat base doesn't split either... I think the boot on the Yeti is underestimated it is perfect for use being a three

people family and I can fold the other two seats when I need to...

all the best

Jerry

So do your pros and cons include price?

tom

BUY IT! Or the kitten gets it!

I presume you have tried out the Fiesta? A work colleague has one of the first new Zetec S spec, not been that impressed with it. Main grips have been underpowered and cramped: feel they should have stuck with their previous model ST.

My very biased vote would be the Monster with the internal rack or rear mounted set-up. Might be worth a chat with the dealers as to including a suitable package to meet your requirements as part of any potential deal.

Regards,

TP

Recently I had to endure 3 weeks of driving a new Fiesta whilst my Freelander was in the Bodyshop. It was a 1.4 petrol and I was most unimpressed.

Very small boot.

Cramped interior.

Poor driving position, and I am a normal 5' 7" male, so "averageish"

Mediocre fuel consumption.

Twitchy on rougher roads.

Noisy.

Or one of these....

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4.php?query=AR2212&vptype=&emulate=accgen&qty=1

Do it, damnit!

Here are some bike carrying options (page 10):

http://new.skoda-auto.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Catalogue/Yeti/Yeti_Accessories_ENG.pdf

Or click on the 'accessories' download.

http://new.skoda-auto.com/com/model/yeti/accessories/Pages/accessories.aspx

You CAN'T let the kitten die. Surely!!! Or are you a dog person?

Buy the Yeti over the other cars, if they all tick similar boxes as you say, because it has a fun face and it will make you smile. When you park it in a supermarket car park it is also different so you will be able to find it again instead of buying a car that looks like all the other cars.

If the Yeti is too tall, try an Octavia Scout. They have slightly raised suspension and 4x4 and the roof is low enough to easily load bikes onto.

Alternatively if you get a Yeti and don't want the expense of a towbar mounted carrier you can get ones that fit on the back door and clamp into place without all the fabric straps. I have one on my Pctavia and it works well and is very secure.

This is the one I have

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_251029_langId_-1_categoryId_165515#dtab

Although it's a Halford's own brand one it's actually a Mont Blanc one. I got it in the sale for £90, which they seem to do fairly frequently.

Mind you there's nothing on the Mont Blanc site to say it will fit a Yeti yet.

Of course if Skoda had stuck with the rear hatch shown on the concept it wouldn't be an issue.

See the 4th picture down in this article.

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/skoda-yeti-india-launch-in-2010/

Edited 3 February, 201016 yr by BillScarab

stick a tow bar on it - and buy a bike carrier that slots on that!

I hate roof carriers - they are a complete arse ache. So are the one's with straps that hang off the rear window

I have a Passat Estate, and i cannot get my bike in it, without removing the front wheel. Even then it's a struggle.

Yeti's are so much less bland than Fiesta's and A3's. The Yeti will also be worth a lot more after 3 yrs. I don't need to convince you to buy one - we've all done our reaseach and this one of the best compact SUVs to come out in years!

I'm also an avid biker, and here are my suggestions:

1- Don't get a rear rack. They are a pain to put up and remove, you'll never feel safe with your bikes on it, you may have to get a plate/lights attachment if they obscure them, and they are not legal in some countries in the continent (I saw cars being stopped in France for using those rear racks. On the spot fines are never fun while on holiday)

2- A tow bar rack is an option, but you'll have to get a tow bar (not cheap) plus a tow bar rack (also not cheap)

3- As suggested, the Octavia Scout is an option. It has the same ground clearance as the Yeti, but a lower roof. I think it also has a much larger boot. This is what I am considering now, partly because the wife thinks the Yeti looks too goofy :p, and also because of its cavernous like boot, useful on camping trips.

4- Finally, you can do what I do now. When out with the bike(s), I always take my toolbox with me. The toolbox is large enough, and sturdy enough, to be used as a "stool" to help me put my bikes up on the roof

I only put the bikes inside the car if we go on a long trip (say from London up to the Lake District), where the saved fuel may make some sense, and only if there's space in the car. Otherwise they go up on the roof. I had one of those rear racks but got rid of it after a couple of times using it. I never felt the bikes were secure enough.

I'm also an avid biker, and here are my suggestions:

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

I only put the bikes inside the car if we go on a long trip (say from London up to the Lake District), where the saved fuel may make some sense, and only if there's space in the car. Otherwise they go up on the roof. I had one of those rear racks but got rid of it after a couple of times using it. I never felt the bikes were secure enough.

One thing that strikes me about buying cars, generally, is that we tend to buy them with different hats on. By that I mean that we sometimes forget that the main reason can be simply getting to work, or doing the shopping.

If we remember what it is that we use the car for most, and then get a car that suits that the best, then for the majority of the time we will feel at ease.

If however we buy a car for a now-and-again purpose, there's lots of other times when we could regret that decision.

That said, if you're biking with the car 3 or four times a week, you need to put that first. Buying a car is very often a compromise.

Me? I am buying it because I got trapped by the snow because our roads didn't get gritted for days, and we're above the snow line so it didn't melt either. Now, you tell me!! How often do you think I'll need my Yeti for that reason??? Grrrr.

You may not need its full skills all the tme but the great thing is the rest of the car is not a compromise in the meantime. In the past a 4 x 4 meant a really horrible road car, Suzuki or Daihatsu, or a hideously expensive massive car, Range Rover etc. Now the Yeti is a great car for day to day use with as good a drive and road manners of any car I have driven. The GGGgggrrrrrrrrr does not need to be as bad as it was in the past.