Well the other 2 cars I was considering as my outsiders to the Yeti have now been driven, and my opinions on the drives were as follows :

1. Hyundai IX35 top spec model

Was better drive than reviews had led to believe, albeit a tad noisy particularly at low speeds where you could really hear the engine rev up. It was very comfortable however and had a very good on board satnav system which looked very good quality. The steering was a tad vague even in comparison to my existing car. Other main let down was the quality of the interior plastics which was a bit on the cheap side, otherwise it would have been a reasonable car and better to drive than the Ford Kuga

2. Pug 3008 top spec model

Felt more like a car than the IX35 even with the same kind of height clearance, and with the massive centre console it was strangely comfortable being able to plonk your left arm on something just the right height. Here's an odd thing though - it had a lovely soft feel dash which looked nice and then this horrible plasticky satnav came popping out of the front near the windscreen and was made of cheapo plastic and looked horrid and ruined the nice quality feel of the dash. Also popping out was another horrid piece of perspex or similar for the HUD (head up display). A gimmick ?, to me yes it was and didnt see the need for it, it was just another piece of nasty plastic to pop out of the nice dash. It also oddly had huge wing mirrors like a big 4x4 but the driving mirror wasnt even big enough to see the whole of the rear window in it !! It drove well but very light steering and was comfortable and quiet.

The verdict on both £20K+ cars was that neither "felt" like a £20K car quality, whereas the Yeti for me really felt like a quality car inside, and to drive, and now I feel relieved that I have tried both and my original gut feeling was right in the Yeti as the car for me, so will now sit down with the figures and sort out my nice Candy White beast as soon as possible !

:yes:

Edited 10 April, 201016 yr by redandwhitepauly

Well the other 2 cars I was considering as my outsiders to the Yeti have now been driven, and my opinions on the drives were as follows :

1. Hyundai IX35 top spec model

Was better drive than reviews had led to believe, albeit a tad noisy particularly at low speeds where you could really hear the engine rev up. It was very comfortable however and had a very good on board satnav system which looked very good quality. The steering was a tad vague even in comparison to my existing car. Other main let down was the quality of the interior plastics which was a bit on the cheap side, otherwise it would have been a reasonable car and better to drive than the Ford Kuga

2. Pug 3008 top spec model

Felt more like a car than the IX35 even with the same kind of height clearance, and with the massive centre console it was strangely comfortable being able to plonk your left arm on something just the right height. Here's an odd thing though - it had a lovely soft feel dash which looked nice and then this horrible plasticky satnav came popping out of the front near the windscreen and was made of cheapo plastic and looked horrid and ruined the nice quality feel of the dash. Also popping out was another horrid piece of perspex or similar for the HUD (head up display). A gimmick ?, to me yes it was and didnt see the need for it, it was just another piece of nasty plastic to pop out of the nice dash. It also oddly had huge wing mirrors like a big 4x4 but the driving mirror wasnt even big enough to see the whole of the rear window in it !! It drove well but very light steering and was comfortable and quiet.

The verdict on both £20K+ cars was that neither "felt" like a £20K car quality, whereas the Yeti for me really felt like a quality car inside, and to drive, and now I feel relieved that I have tried both and my original gut feeling was right in the Yeti as the car for me, so will now sit down with the figures and sort out my nice Candy White beast as soon as possible !

:yes:

Was the IX35 you tried 4wd? The 2wd model gets a slating on handling by Honest John but the 4wd variant less so.

Pretty much identical to my views on the ix35. I was really looking forward to it, being happy with i30 (we have two in the family). I thought the quality of the cabin was a big let down and poorer quality than the i30. On the short test drive it just didnt feel right - unlike the Yeti that fitted like a glove!!

Simon

IX35 was 2WD but I seriously doubt whether it would have been better enuff to match the Yeti in my humble opinion.

:no:

Thanks for posting that, interesting read.