For a relatively powereful vehicle I was needing much more frequent gear changes on my Yeti Elegance TD 170 than I had experienced in my previous Astra and Citroen Turbo Diesels.

After changing to the Skoda brand we found the Octavia and Fabia vRS were happy to chug and pull happily.

Thinking that gear changes would be minimal we exchanged our Automatic Superb for a Yeti - mainly to cope with snow and ice.

In urban use we were finding the Yeti in sixth or fifth gear very reluctant to climb inclines often requiring quite smart changes to fourth or third.

We have found this problem accentuated when the engine is cold and wonder why the cold engine effects should be so much more noticeable for the Yeti than the other turbo diesels mentioned above.

For anyone contemplating purchase of this vehicle to cover a short school run including slight hills we would recommend waiting for the automatic version.

(Dont forget to ask for an All Season M&S tyre if and when this if offered as an option by Skoda !)

For a relatively powereful vehicle I was needing much more frequent gear changes on my Yeti Elegance TD 170 than I had experienced in my previous Astra and Citroen Turbo Diesels.

In urban use we were finding the Yeti in sixth or fifth gear very reluctant to climb inclines often requiring quite smart changes to fourth or third.

We have found this problem accentuated when the engine is cold and wonder why the cold engine effects should be so much more noticeable for the Yeti than the other turbo diesels mentioned above.

For anyone contemplating purchase of this vehicle to cover a short school run including slight hills we would recommend waiting for the automatic version.

(Dont forget to ask for an All Season M&S tyre if and when this if offered as an option by Skoda !)

Personally I wouldnt want to stress the drivetrain unnecessarily with doing inclines in fifth or sixth gear! One of my test routes was fairly hilly and I thought it proved a very flexible companion.

Has your engine even got sufficient mileage on to be considered 'run in' and fully loosened up?!

You need to adapt your driving style to the yeti and then driving will be much more rewarding. Forget 6th gear around town at all, and use 4th for 30mph limits, and 5th on the flat at 40mph, and 4th for inclines. Use 6th only on national speed limit roads with a 60mph limit and roads with a 70mph plus limit. Driving like this you are not labouring the engine, and you may actually see better fuel economy as a result.

Also dont forget your engine is still new and tight, over time it will improve as the miles get put on.

I spent 3.5 years with my octy manual commuting on the giant carpark called the M25, and I am finding driving the DSG car now that I have a little less control than I did with the manual. I would prefer the manual over the DSG. The DSG is nice, but I am still adapting to its little quirks.

In urban use we were finding the Yeti in sixth or fifth gear very reluctant to climb inclines often requiring quite smart changes to fourth or third.

(Dont forget to ask for an All Season M&S tyre if and when this if offered as an option by Skoda !)

"Urban" should mean arond 50 k or 30 mph, and 3rd and 4th are the appropriate gears. If you have a very slow entry to a rondabout, then even 2nd. 5th does well above 70 km/hr and 6th from 80 km/hr all the way up to 200. Now we have gone beyond "Urban"

On the EU motorways, basically 6th is all you need, buit a shift down to 5th shortens the reaction time a litle.

I don't really see why you would use the higher gears in an urban setting. Aiming at a rpm range from 1600 to 2500 leaves you in the sweet spot with plenty of push and according to the mpg indicator, no real penalty in fuel consumption.

You cannot really expect the longlegged 6th also to appropriate for tootling around town. 2600 rpm in 6th gives you 140 km/hr. At 50 km/hr 6th is just barely above idle rpm - not appropriate.

Agree that sixth gear is almost an overdrive and best for high speed travel on motorways etc.

Maybe the panel display of the recommended gear to use is orientated towards fuel economy as certainly the fuel use indicator shows a reduction in consumption if you follow the suggested gear on display panel.

Driving by feel for the car suggests that the gear indicator may not be taking all relevant factors into account.

Although the Yeti has cruise control the necessity for frequent gear changes negates its value.

For example with our auto system on the Superb we could set for a 30 mph speed control zone and it would stick to that speed whether going up or down hill.

To do the same thing using the Yeti cruise control you would have to select a gear that would enable descent control with maximum fuel economy but to be sufficiently low for the effective climb. That would probably entail selecting a gear lower than necessary for fuel economy.

These days an effective cruise control both protects your licence and gives you opportunity to give much more attention to the road. Just monitor how many times you check your speedo in control zone and then compare to relaxing and looking at the road ahead and around you for dangers when a good cruise control system is in charge!!!

BTW I probably used urban a little too losely to describe the country roads joining our villages that have a 50mph limit. At these speeds the gear indicator insists on 5th or 6th resulting in losing speed on starting to climb a gradient and the need to get into fourth or third. Guess it would be best to anticipate the problem and change down earlier to avoid changing down on the hill !!!! This will need more revs so not the best for fuel economy.

Edited 29 March, 201016 yr by Y4YETI

Agree that sixth gear is almost an overdrive and best for high speed travel on motorways etc.

Maybe the panel display of the recommended gear to use is orientated towards fuel economy as certainly the fuel use indicator shows a reduction in consumption if you follow the suggested gear on display panel.

Driving by feel for the car suggests that the gear indicator may not be taking all relevant factors into account.

Although the Yeti has cruise control the necessity for frequent gear changes negates its value.

For example with our auto system on the Superb we could set for a 30 mph speed control zone and it would stick to that speed whether going up or down hill.

To do the same thing using the Yeti cruise control you would have to select a gear that would enable descent control with maximum fuel economy but to be sufficiently low for the effective climb. That would probably entail selecting a gear lower than necessary for fuel economy.

These days an effective cruise control both protects your licence and gives you opportunity to give much more attention to the road. Just monitor how many times you check your speedo in control zone and then compare to relaxing and looking at the road ahead and around you for dangers when a good cruise control system is in charge!!!

The change up indicator will be designed to offer the most economical changes but it sounds like you are being too reliant on the car in several areas.

Cruise control is designed for motorway/autobahn use and dual carriage way. You could certainly use it in urban driving but its not what its designed for is it? Surely you'd be cancelling it out with braking and changing gear?

Also, I feel that you shouldnt need cruise to protect your licence and it certainly shouldn't be felt that its "in charge". Surely you can tell when you are doing 30mph or 40mph without having to continuously check?

You could just use the speed warning to monitor your speed. It has the advantage over the gear shift indicator - which I also thinks is a lttle optimistic, and really anticipates a flat road and no acceleration - that it has a sound element, so you do not need to look at it, but get a BONG if you exceed the set speed.

The effect on fuel consumption from beiing in the right gear as opposed to beeing in too high a gear is really minimal. The standard advice to driving a diesel used to be to stay in the sweet spot with the high torque - not be low or above. For the 170, that means from 1650 to just under 3000 rpm.

Finally, if you were used to a PD engine, where the torque hit you like a mule at low rpm, you just have to get used to the fact that this does not happen in a CR engine. Driving style somewhere between the old diesel and a petrol engine is the way.

For the record, I get around 45 mpg in Snehvide, almost no matter how I drive. I won't officially admit to a lead foot. Our national speed limit on non-motorways is 80 km/hr. Normal progress between 95-100 is common.

I was advised to drive in 3rd gear when in a 30mph zone. The thinking being that is you are much more aware of your speed in 3rd at 30mph than 4th. In 4th you are likely to edge up to 35-40mph, especially if you are in one of the diesel Yeti's where the power is effortless, and then the fines and points start rolling in. Since I started following this advice I have found it much easier to stick to 30mph limits.

The institute of advanced motorists train their drivers to use 3rd in 30 zones as it is much easier to control your speed in that gear.

Just as a quick rule of thumb, I tend to find it simplest to drive in whichever gear corresponds to the first digit of the current speed limit (well, up to 60 anyway). So this would certainly fit in with 3rd in a 30 limit. It may not be absolutely optimal for economy but yes you do have a greater awareness of speed and better controllability of the car.

You could just use the speed warning to monitor your speed. It has the advantage over the gear shift indicator - which I also thinks is a lttle optimistic, and really anticipates a flat road and no acceleration - that it has a sound element, so you do not need to look at it, but get a BONG if you exceed the set speed.

<snip>.

On my Elegance the gear change recommendation are on top of the MFD with the clock time as a permanent display.

I run with the mpg continuous fuel consumption on the main screen but agree you could put the speed limit on instead of this.

Agree with you the gear shift indicator is in an optimistic fuel saving mode so as to keep revs to the minimum.

On my Elegance the gear change recommendation are on top of the MFD with the clock time as a permanent display.

I run with the mpg continuous fuel consumption on the main screen but agree you could put the speed limit on instead of this.

Agree with you the gear shift indicator is in an optimistic fuel saving mode so as to keep revs to the minimum.

Once you have set the speed limit on the display, you DON'T have to leave it visible - pick whatever you want to look at, the speed limit setting will still react with the bong and shift to show you what you have exceeded - and then go away again when you are below ther setting.

So, you can have your cake and eat it - visually anyway.

Clever little Monster, eh?

Don't use it mesself - all that bonging drives you crazy

Edited 29 March, 201016 yr by Agerbundsen

The institute of advanced motorists train their drivers to use 3rd in 30 zones as it is much easier to control your speed in that gear.

Very sound advice!

Have you been on any coures Octy? and would you recommend?

On my Elegance the gear change recommendation are on top of the MFD with the clock time as a permanent display.

I run with the mpg continuous fuel consumption on the main screen but agree you could put the speed limit on instead of this.

Agree with you the gear shift indicator is in an optimistic fuel saving mode so as to keep revs to the minimum.

Gear change recommendation? Speed limit warning?

Do all Yetis have these?

John

Gear change recommendation? Speed limit warning?

Do all Yetis have these?

John

Hi john,

no the early production don't have the the gear change indicator; introduced from WK45/09. Speed warning standard on Maxidot.

Regards,

TP

I find the view out of the windows absolutely splendid....

3rd gear in 30 mph zone is right. i just tried it out last night, and it is quite difficult to stay below 30 mph/50 km/h in 4th.

Just thunk you'd like to know.

Lady P, there used to be a very active IAM Group in Worcester. If you give the Road Safety Unit at County Hall a ring they will have their number.

So with the complications of a cool engine on a short hilly journey ( and folks who have not passed an advanced driving test) the Automatic might be best for nervous drivers on the school run?

Edited 30 March, 201016 yr by Y4YETI