I'm ordering in the UK, via a leasing company rather than a dealer. I test drove one three weeks ago - that was an Elegance, and the one I'm ordering is an SE specification.

So I'm ordering a 2.0TDI CR 140bhp 4x4 DPF SE

Looking through the catalogue, this has a six speed gearbox, and leather steering wheel and gear knob. Correct?

I am planning to order as extra the following:

Auto dimming rear view mirror with rain sensor. I have this on my current car and think the mirror is fantastic.

Driver and passenger lumbar support.

Hill hold control with ESP - as far as I can make out some of the ESP features are standard on the 140 diesel SE version, but not all of them. Will adding this option give a 'complete set' of the ESP options?

Light Assistant - am I right in thinking that this is necessary if I like to leave the lighting at the 'automatic' setting and have the lights on in daylight?

Off road Button - for added handling in ice and snow, as well as off road. Have I understood this correctly?

Rough Road Package ... I think (not 100% sure about this). I don't do serious off road driving, but do drive on unmade tracks and park on fairly rough roadsides. I also commute on a road that gets flooded two or three times a year (maybe 9 inches deep). Is it worth adding this option?

Tyre Pressure Monitor - because I have one in my current car and it's a real pain (I'm half convinced it's programmed to light up every two weeks on a Saturday afternoon!) but does make me check the tyre pressures regularly.

Looking at other options, I'm not bothered about park assist - but does this mean that the bumpers will come with blanks where the sensors would have been fitted if I'd chosen this option? Hope not!

Variable boot floor - I have no idea what this is about - can anyone tell me?

Bluetooth steering wheel - because apart from anything else I'm pretty deaf so don't use the phone much, AND the Apple iPhone isn't listed as on of the compatible phones - is the iPhone compatible?

There doesn't seem to be any options for wheels except for the standard Dolomite alloys. These are probably my least favourite of the Yeti alloys (I think the S specification Spectrum alloys look the best in the brochure). A very minor point.

That's it as far as specification questions.

One other question is to do with the DPF. I drive about 15,000 miles a year, of which 8,000 is made up of a 17 mile each way commute on B roads and country lanes, probably another 1,500 miles will be motorways, and the remainder A roads. Will this sort of mix be OK with DPF? I read about it needing a good run regularly, but know nothing else about it.

I currently drive a Golf 140 diesel. It's a great car ... except in snow and ice, when it's terrible (low profile tyres being the main problem possibly). The roads I drive on are often un-gritted and I've frightened myself stupid on occasions these past three winters. When I test drove the Yeti it felt very similar to driving a Golf, and the instruments and controls were virtually identical. I didn't drive the Yeti in ice and snow, but I'm hoping the 4x4 will give some more control (I appreciate that on an ice rink everything slides!).

I've also looked and had a test drive in a Tiguan, and that was very good also (the 140 Tiguan was a bit slower than the 140 Yeti), but I can't see the point in paying the extra money for the Tiguan over the Yeti.

So that's the background. All and any advice is really appreciated. Thanks.

If you are driving on unmade tracks regularly, then familiarity might have you travelling along at a greater speed once your used to the good handling of the Yeti. I advise the off road pack which covers most of the important bits underneath the car. Also living in the country my self, I know only too well that one must occasionally pull off the rad to allow others to pass on narrow roads. It will not help with wading, so far as water ingress is concerned but often we can not see through the water to avoid hidden obstacles, rocks, branches etc. It could well save you far more than its initial purchase price.

Would it not be better to get the Elegance. Because when you come to sell your Yeti it wil be a Yeti SE with Extras.

Most of, if not all your extras are part of the Elegance trim level (except rough road pack) plus you get the leather seats and you would be selling an Elegance.

The 4x4 has been outstanding in the recent snow on Merseyside. The Yeti goes where others fear to tread.

My daily commute is 2 x 15 miles city driving and I have been doing that since November. My DPF is fine

Hi,

sounds like your almost after my Yeti also ex Golf TDI 4motion driver as well.

Don't have the dimming mirror as I am not a fan of auto wipers. Went for the auto lights instead, which will come on automatically in changing light conditions. although in fog you need to select lights manually to dipped beam to get the fog lights. Daylight running lights (DRL) are standard anyway.

Lumber support no; broke on the Golf and they claimed that it was a wear and tear item no warranty so left that off. Hill hold, and off-road (and I think rain sensor; applies the brakes slightly every so often when it's raining to keep the discs dry) will give you the full ESP system. Off-road works well in snow but you need the correct tyres for the full effect, switched to 205/55 R16 winters on steel rim's myself. Dolomites will go back on sometime late March.

The rough road pack replaces the plastic engine under-tray with a steel one and includes thicker plastic floor pan covers and adds rear axial beam protectors. Recommended if your driving through water as the plastic under-tray can get pulled off by the water. So far so good with the TPM (fingers X)

There are no blanking covers to worry about with the front bumper there are no unwanted holes for front sensors. Variable boot floor gives you an option to raise the boot floor up about 6" giving space to store oddments underneath. Not available with the spare wheel option or so I understand anyway. Been a lot of debate regard the spare as the standard Yeti only comes with tyre weld but opting for a spare reduces boot space.

I have corner fog, only works up to 40Kph but been very pleased with it for narrow twisty lanes were your having to negotiate bends at low speed.

Phones not my area I'm afraid don't often use a mobile.

Hope that's of help,

TP

oh PS DPF will be fine for your type of driving, stuck in town most of the time should be avoided though.

edit typo

Edited 22 February, 201016 yr by The Plumber

Would it not be better to get the Elegance. Because when you come to sell your Yeti it wil be a Yeti SE with Extras.

Most of, if not all your extras are part of the Elegance trim level (except rough road pack) plus you get the leather seats and you would be selling an Elegance.

The 4x4 has been outstanding in the recent snow on Merseyside. The Yeti goes where others fear to tread.

My daily commute is 2 x 15 miles city driving and I have been doing that since November. My DPF is fine

Hi Ray. It's a good point and I thought about this, but the leasing costs are some £70 a month more (for the Elegance), and in any case I'm not that fussed about leather seats etc. With it being a leased car I don't have to worry about how to sell it at the end of the lease.

Thanks Anthony and The Plumber.

Think I have all the information I need there ... and I agree about the auto wipers - I dislike them also - especially when the car in front decides to clean their windscreen on a bright sunny day, and that's enough to set my auto wipers going, streaking insect guts across the windscreen! I do like the auto dimming mirror though. I don't know why these two options are put together though.

The information on switching to steel rims and winter tyres is useful, and I had this in mind - presumably the steel wheel sets costs about £200, and should I be budgeting another £200 for the tyres? Does the Skoda garage do this for you, and do you put wheel trims on the steel wheels?

Thanks Anthony and The Plumber.

Think I have all the information I need there ... and I agree about the auto wipers - I dislike them also - especially when the car in front decides to clean their windscreen on a bright sunny day, and that's enough to set my auto wipers going, streaking insect guts across the windscreen! I do like the auto dimming mirror though. I don't know why these two options are put together though.

The information on switching to steel rims and winter tyres is useful, and I had this in mind - presumably the steel wheel sets costs about £200, and should I be budgeting another £200 for the tyres? Does the Skoda garage do this for you, and do you put wheel trims on the steel wheels?

Hi,

slightly more than that for decent winters fitted. Rim's at the end of last year were £41. Wheel trims are available if you opt for 7J 16 rim's from the Yeti E, expensive at about £25 each although they are very good quality and look quite effective.

Dealer might prove to be an expensive option to supply and fit, just got the rim's and trim's from the dealer myself, tyres through an internet supplier and fitted by the local tyre place. You can also get tyre and rim packages from mytyres My link

Also have a Yeti tyre guide My link

Regards,

TP

So that's the background. All and any advice is really appreciated. Thanks.

Xenon?

170 TDI?

I have found the auto wipers on the Yeti very good - and before the SM came along I was firmly in the 'don't like them' camp. They don't seem to over react at all and can be fine tuned as to the sweep frequency through the intermittent wipe setting switch.