As mentioned in a previous thread we are finding the Yeti is needing more gear changing than we anticipated.

In the absence of an automatic 2.0 TDI 170 bhp automatic decided to see how the Freelander 2 2.TD4 6 speed automatic compared with the Superb automatic for comfort and performance.

Our impression was that the Freelander had the very quiet on road smoothness and ride of the Superb whereas with the Yeti you can certainly feel and hear the bumps of country roads.

Are we unlucky with low profile tyres? - we have had several nearly new ones side damaged and not capable of repair. Are the standard tyres and suspension of the Freelander more capable of coping with potential pothole damage than those fitted to the Yeti?

From watching the live diesel fuel consumption readings it seems that both the Superb 2.5 V6 180 bhp and the Yeti 170 bhp are both more economical but others may have more precise experiences.

Guess those who have experience of both the Freelander and Yeti will confirm the snow and ice coping difficulties of these two vehicles. How do the Freelander and Yeti compare?

Am I correct in understanding that the Freelander has greater capability of dealing with off road and seriously bad weather than the Yeti?

Both vehicles have excellent air bag and other safety features. In the event of a serious collision would the beefy looking structure of the Freelander give better survival chances than the Yeti ?

We are gradually getting to like our Yeti and its ease for parking. If it had an automatic gearbox and was a little quieter and less bumpy on country roads it would get our vote...

Y4YETI - someone made a very good point on a previous thread regarding tyre pressures. Don't take this the wrong way but have you checked your tyres to see that they are not over inflated? I know my current car is very sensitive on that front and if the tyres have too much air in then every bump is felt and passed on and the car is noticeably noisier. When I get the tyres spot on the difference is significant.

My father in law drives a diesel and has never got the hang on gear changes in one. You can not stay in the wrong gear for long in a diesel in the same way that you can in a petrol and if you have come from an automatic then it is probably disconcerting to have to change so often. Personally I found I had to change gear the same amount as on my current car and on my previous diesels so it may be just an issue of having to adapt. I don't notice now, it has just become part of natural driving. He has never managed it and it is painful to be in the same car as he kangaroos along the street muttering about something being wrong with the car.

Deep breathes and become one with the car.

Ok, we owned a Freelander not too long ago, a 2.2TD4 Manual. Can certainly vouch for its undoubted ride comfort and its off-road ability - both very good indeed. Having said that we never really did 'serious' off roading but I can say it coped exceptionally well with snow, deep, compacted, icy - whatever.

The fuel consumption on ours didn't get above 27 mpg.

Can't really compare its off-road abilities with the Yeti as have not tested the Yeti in such conditions. What I can do is say our Octavia 4x4 did just as well as the FL2 in the recent snow.

As for the ride, the Yeti's is good in my opinion but for smoothness the FL2 was better...ALTHOUGH our Yeti can cope with the twisties better that an FL2, all about trade off on the setup I guess.

Also, one time our FL2 was in for repair we had a 2.2TD4 Auto for a few days, the auto 'box was excellent and suited the engine very well.

We looked at purchasing another Freelander when considering the Yeti, basically its cost was just too high....you are talking 26k for a new GS Auto + a few essential extra's. Just couldnt justify that difference in cost when compared to the Yeti considering the basic 'on road' 4x4 ability we were looking for.

To conclude - FL2 - highly recommended, you just need deep pockets.

Edited 13 April, 201016 yr by octy888

I think that is a great answer from Octy888. You always have to factor the price into these things. I test drove a BMW X1 before choosing a Yeti. The X1 was wonderfully smooth on motorways and the boot space was great. The X1 I tried was £29k and were I doing 90% motorway driving I may have gone for it. Even then could I have justified the £10k plus that the X1 was over the Yeti I eventually went for? I don't think I could.

The Yeti is a very good car at a very good price. If you want more from a car then unfortunately you have to pay much more for it and even then you may not get all that you want. Appreciate the good value that the Yeti is.

Hi,

just had a proper drive of my dads Superb II TDI CR 170 DSG (with flappy paddle ) which runs on 225/40 R18 tyres. First impression is that its quieter and smoother than my Yeti; less noise from both engine or tyres and there was an absence of the vibration being transmitted from the road into the front foot wells that I have with my monster.

On the other hand I was less impressed with the DSG in Drive mode, acceleration didn't appear to be as good as I expected and it seemed to like being in 6th as much as possible. Sport was better but this changed the favoured gear to 4th, so I tended to put it into manual and use the paddles instead which was much better.

Also prefer some of the internal surface finishes in the Yeti and the deeper appearance of the instrument cowls. Another strange thing is the three spoke steering wheel has a plastic section in the rim, as opposed to the 4 spoke which is all leather.

Regard viability out then the Yeti wins hands down, parking sensors all round I think are a must for the Superb. Overall though a very easy car to live with, nice drive and comfy. Think if I was on a motorway everyday than this would be the perfect machine.

Oh and the TPM works; my Dad picked up a slow puncture on the way up, triggering the warning. Popped into the local ATS who removed a very small nail from a rear tyre (thankfully repairable).

Regards,

TP

There is another point when making comparison to a Freelander. I assume due to your engine choice that performance is important to you.......well the 170 yeti will walk all over an FL2 all day long performance wise!

Thanks so much for your contributions and it seems that my initial impressions have been fairly on the ball. Of course a key element here is the price of the Freelander and what one might be expected to pay for extras. Internet discounts could be easily ate up and maybe a nearly new model is a better bet.

I do not anticipate a tremendous amount of dramatic off road use of any vehicle and so the additional capability of the Freelander will add a relatively high capital investment and depreciation factor for a relatively small off road mileage.

Some may think it worthwhile to pay this price to get the luxury, quietness and relaxing drive of the Freelander with a good off road performance too

Isn't it strange the Yeti seems to have got noisier since tryng the Freelander!!!

Our needs might best be economically met by an auto 4WD Superb fitted with Nokia All Season Snow/Ice embossed tyres

Our needs might best be economically met by an auto 4WD Superb fitted with Nokia All Season Snow/Ice embossed tyres

I thought of a Freelander but felt it too expensive. Interestingly I also considered a Superb TDI 4 x 4. My dealer had an '09 model in stock with under 10k miles but we thought that nice though it was, while it would have been a great car for the trip to Europe, it was simply too big for everyday commuting.

John

As mentioned in a previous thread we are finding the Yeti is needing more gear changing than we anticipated.

In the absence of an automatic 2.0 TDI 170 bhp automatic decided to see how the Freelander 2 2.TD4 6 speed automatic compared with the Superb automatic for comfort and performance.

Our impression was that the Freelander had the very quiet on road smoothness and ride of the Superb whereas with the Yeti you can certainly feel and hear the bumps of country roads.

Are we unlucky with low profile tyres? - we have had several nearly new ones side damaged and not capable of repair. Are the standard tyres and suspension of the Freelander more capable of coping with potential pothole damage than those fitted to the Yeti?

From watching the live diesel fuel consumption readings it seems that both the Superb 2.5 V6 180 bhp and the Yeti 170 bhp are both more economical but others may have more precise experiences.

Guess those who have experience of both the Freelander and Yeti will confirm the snow and ice coping difficulties of these two vehicles. How do the Freelander and Yeti compare?

Am I correct in understanding that the Freelander has greater capability of dealing with off road and seriously bad weather than the Yeti?

Both vehicles have excellent air bag and other safety features. In the event of a serious collision would the beefy looking structure of the Freelander give better survival chances than the Yeti ?

We are gradually getting to like our Yeti and its ease for parking. If it had an automatic gearbox and was a little quieter and less bumpy on country roads it would get our vote...

Hi all,

Another point to take into account (although may not be important for all) is driving enjoyment.

Our Yeti is my wife's car (although I do end up driving it a fair bit!). My car is a Defender 110, which in the nature of Defenders is in the dealers quite a bit to have annoying niggles sorted!!

Therefore I get a to drive a lot of Freelanders (LR dealers uses these as courtesy cars). Have driven several brand new FL2 HSEs both in manual and auto types.

Personally, while I love the comfort of the Freelander, the steering is (IMHO) horrible! Over-assisted, light and devoid of feel. Really nasty if you like to feel what your car is doing on the road.

The Yeti's steering is so much better - Lots of feel, and really allows you to have lots of fun round the twisty B roads round where I live (Cotswolds). But, there's no such thing as a free lunch, so..

....back on-topic - I also find the Yeti's ride on 17" wheels to be exceptionally hard. 50 profile tyres are not that low-profile (I used to have regular punctures in the 235/40 x 18 tyres on my R32). I have checked the tyre pressures, and dropped them from recommended pressures by a couple of psi, which helped a tiny bit. I suspect part of the problem is also the tyres themselves. I have always found Dunlop Sports to be a particularly 'harsh' tyre.

But, I suspect the Yeti's handling and ride are a compromise between a good driving experience with sharp handling, and comfort. I note that MY12 Yetis are to have increased sound insulation....

As mentioned in a previous thread we are finding the Yeti is needing more gear changing than we anticipated.

In the absence of an automatic 2.0 TDI 170 bhp automatic decided to see how the Freelander 2 2.TD4 6 speed automatic compared with the Superb automatic for comfort and performance.

Our impression was that the Freelander had the very quiet on road smoothness and ride of the Superb whereas with the Yeti you can certainly feel and hear the bumps of country roads.

Are we unlucky with low profile tyres? - we have had several nearly new ones side damaged and not capable of repair. Are the standard tyres and suspension of the Freelander more capable of coping with potential pothole damage than those fitted to the Yeti?

From watching the live diesel fuel consumption readings it seems that both the Superb 2.5 V6 180 bhp and the Yeti 170 bhp are both more economical but others may have more precise experiences.

Guess those who have experience of both the Freelander and Yeti will confirm the snow and ice coping difficulties of these two vehicles. How do the Freelander and Yeti compare?

Am I correct in understanding that the Freelander has greater capability of dealing with off road and seriously bad weather than the Yeti?

Both vehicles have excellent air bag and other safety features. In the event of a serious collision would the beefy looking structure of the Freelander give better survival chances than the Yeti ?

We are gradually getting to like our Yeti and its ease for parking. If it had an automatic gearbox and was a little quieter and less bumpy on country roads it would get our vote...

Lets not forget three of the most cricial aspects of owning a car :- How reliable is it, how much will it cost to insure and how much to service!

COST

Freelander 2.2 SD4 190 HSE - £36,245. Road Tax £200. 40.4mpg Combined cycle. Group 26 Insurance. £1616 for 3 Years Servicing. Cost per mile 77.1 pence (What Car

May 2011)

RELIABILITY

What Car 2010 Reliability Survey 2010......Land Rover 32nd out of 32! http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey-2010/land-rover---renault/250839

COST

Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 170 Elegance - £23,485. Road Tax £155. 47.9mpg Combined cycle. Group 19 Insurance. £681 for 3 Years Servicing. Cost per mile 56.3 pence (What Car May 2011)

RELIABILITY

What Car 2010 Reliability Survey 2010......Skoda 8th out of 32! http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey-2010/rover---volvo/250839

This places Skoda above Audi (25th), BMW (23rd), Jaguar (17th), Mercedes (22nd), Mini (10th), Porsche (15th), VW (19th), and Volvo (16th) !!

AWARDS

Auto Express 2010 New Car Awards......Driver Power 2010 Satisfaction Survey http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255274/skoda.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Superb - Best Family Family Car. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255271/skoda_superb.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Superb - Best Estate. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255271/skoda_superb.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Yeti - Best Crossover. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255259/skoda_yeti.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Yeti - Car of The Year 2010. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255259/skoda_yeti.html

Top Gear Car of the Year 2009

Sorry to go on a bit, but I think these are important factors to consider when deciding which vehicle to invest your money in.

As mentioned in a previous thread we are finding the Yeti is needing more gear changing than we anticipated.

In the absence of an automatic 2.0 TDI 170 bhp automatic decided to see how the Freelander 2 2.TD4 6 speed automatic compared with the Superb automatic for comfort and performance.

Our impression was that the Freelander had the very quiet on road smoothness and ride of the Superb whereas with the Yeti you can certainly feel and hear the bumps of country roads.

Are we unlucky with low profile tyres? - we have had several nearly new ones side damaged and not capable of repair. Are the standard tyres and suspension of the Freelander more capable of coping with potential pothole damage than those fitted to the Yeti?

From watching the live diesel fuel consumption readings it seems that both the Superb 2.5 V6 180 bhp and the Yeti 170 bhp are both more economical but others may have more precise experiences.

Guess those who have experience of both the Freelander and Yeti will confirm the snow and ice coping difficulties of these two vehicles. How do the Freelander and Yeti compare?

Am I correct in understanding that the Freelander has greater capability of dealing with off road and seriously bad weather than the Yeti?

Both vehicles have excellent air bag and other safety features. In the event of a serious collision would the beefy looking structure of the Freelander give better survival chances than the Yeti ?

We are gradually getting to like our Yeti and its ease for parking. If it had an automatic gearbox and was a little quieter and less bumpy on country roads it would get our vote...

Edited 13 April, 201115 yr by stanjackos

Lets not forget three of the most cricial aspects of owning a car :- How reliable is it, how much will it cost to insure and how much to service!

COST

Freelander 2.2 SD4 190 HSE - £36,245. Road Tax £200. 40.4mpg Combined cycle. Group 26 Insurance. £1616 for 3 Years Servicing. Cost per mile 77.1 pence (What Car

May 2011)

RELIABILITY

What Car 2010 Reliability Survey 2010......Land Rover 32nd out of 32! http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey-2010/land-rover---renault/250839

COST

Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 170 Elegance - £23,485. Road Tax £155. 47.9mpg Combined cycle. Group 19 Insurance. £681 for 3 Years Servicing. Cost per mile 56.3 pence (What Car May 2011)

RELIABILITY

What Car 2010 Reliability Survey 2010......Skoda 8th out of 32! http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-reliability-survey-2010/rover---volvo/250839

This places Skoda above Audi (25th), BMW (23rd), Jaguar (17th), Mercedes (22nd), Mini (10th), Porsche (15th), VW (19th), and Volvo (16th) !!

AWARDS

Auto Express 2010 New Car Awards......Driver Power 2010 Satisfaction Survey http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255274/skoda.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Superb - Best Family Family Car. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255271/skoda_superb.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Superb - Best Estate. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255271/skoda_superb.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Yeti - Best Crossover. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255259/skoda_yeti.html

" " " " " " ......Skoda Yeti - Car of The Year 2010. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/new_car_awards/255259/skoda_yeti.html

Top Gear Car of the Year 2009

Sorry to go on a bit, but I think these are important factors to consider when deciding which vehicle to invest your money in.

Greetings from the deserter!

Would agree about pricing and running costs although it is important to compare autos with autos - the Freelander diesel manuals are said do about 5mpg more than the autos.

After Clarkson's silly testing of the Yeti I am persuading my local Land Rover dealer to put a horsebox plus a race horse (I own it's left back hoof) on the roof of a Freelander! Hmm even more daft publicity if we could get the horse to jump off the roof and over a fence!!!

For a high mileage user obviously fuel consumption is a very important issue but the cost for a low mileage user is not really significant.

Depreciation for is not such an important factor if you intend to keep the car for at least five years.

Ease of driving the auto, comfort and quietness are key factors in favour of the Freelander.

My Freelander was fitted with Pirelli All Season M&S tyres and not the motorway superspeed ones provided by Skoda!

With pavements dangerous and uncleared roads I have been using the Freelander every day this year to take our dog a short journey to a rural area. There was a very steep incline to and from the car parking area and I trusted my Freelander completely in these conditions. When I saw a Mitsibushi 4WD skid sideways down the exit to be stopped by railings I got out to help only to find I went on my butt because the road was sheet ice. Whlst retrieve sorted out offered to take driver and dogs home.

Returned an hour later with my wife to see how things were going and the Mitsibushi had been removed. Explaining the auto descent controls and need to line up with the exit and with over confidence in the Freelander I did not follow my own instructions to line up! Thought Freelander would also end up sideways. Wonderful vehicle and tyres! Corrected skid and autodescent rescued the situation.

Thanks to the Landrover team at Ashford for their training day!!

Best wishes to all.

PS We both found the steering seemed to be oversensitive and required very little pressure We have got used to this now but at one of the Ashford days the Freelander we were using had much more feel to the steering- but it is fine for on-road use and parking. Maybe it would have been easier, on a rain drenched open day using our own Freelander, to deal with crossing a ford with narrow exit on a hill rise. Realised had to get out of deep rut to climb and failed three times. Delighted when one of the training staff took over and it took him four goes!!

Edited 13 April, 201115 yr by Y4YETI

And Skoda have walked away with the Driver Power awards again this year with the Yeti in 2nd place overall. (behind the Superb ) and in front of the Octavia, with the Jag XF in-between.

Well done Skoda.

My money is with Skoda...........

Land Rover make some good cars, it's just a shame that they are unreliable, which is why I'd never buy a new one.

Always gone for two/three years old with a full history and warranty work check before purchase.

Yet buying a new Skoda that has never worried me at all.

Spending a lot of money on a new car to then have multiple trips to the dealer for faults in the first year completely destroys the feel good factor of having a new car IMO. I'd not chance a new Land Rover for that reason.

In the DriverPower thread I posted this. Interesting reading about the two Freelanders:

Had to go and buy the rag just now. Out of the top 100 cars the Yeti (that came second) scored:

1st - Build quality (yes TOPS out of ALL cars!)

2nd - Ease of driving

4th - Reliability

4th - Handling

9th - Practicallity

9th - Comfort

11th - Braking

14th - Ride Quality

16th - Performance

25th - Running costs

That top spot for build quality is amazing!!!!!!

By comparison the Land Rover Freelander 2 (that came 16th) scored:

25th - Build quality

10th - Ease of driving

28th - Reliability

56th - Handling

21st - Practicallity

16th - Comfort

25th - Braking

3rd - Ride Quality

31st - Performance

88th - Running costs (yes 88th!)

The Freelander 1 (that came 93rd):

91st - Build quality

87th - Ease of driving

100th - Reliability (yes BOTTOM of the pile as the most unrealiable car in the country!)

95th - Handling

48st - Practicallity

41st - Comfort

87th - Braking

47th - Ride Quality

90th - Performance

99th - Running costs (yes 99th!)

So the ONLY thing the Freelander II beat the Yeti on is Ride Quality. That is a LOT of extra money to pay just to get that.