Part of the fun of buying a new car is the research and analysis that we do before signing on the dotted line and given that this forum has helped me in my Skoda Yeti deliberations I thought that some of you might benefit from my early initial impressions of owning and driving a Yeti.

I was originally looking for a basic 1.2 TSI SE in Muscovado with the ‘missing’ ESP and TPM safety items. I prefer to change gear myself and I believe that petrol engines are better around town - also living in SW London means there is little real need for four-wheel drive. To cut a long story (and waiting time) very short, the dealer managed to source me a 1.2 Elegance in Muscovado with a panoramic sunroof. The choice of colour was a risk because I had not seen the colour in real-life; however it looks fantastic on the car and suits the design very well.

The main reasons for choosing the Yeti included the need for a little more space, the raised ride-height is useful around town and I have liked the Yeti design since seeing the concept car a few years ago.

I have spent a few days with the car having driven in town and on the motorway, most of my driving is now around town and the suburbs and for this the 1.2 engine seems to suit the car perfectly well (as many car magazines state). I would say that you are never in doubt there is a small engine under the bonnet but if you drive smoothly then it gives a very satisfying performance with lots of torque in third and forth gears. First gear seems a little short but when you get into second and the turbo comes in then you definitely feel the performance boost with a nice sound track to go with it. There is no problem keeping up with traffic and let’s face the fact that fast cars are more or less useless nowadays anyway. I am sure that DSG would work well but I prefer the manual option.

The ride height, steering and body control are very good and it is a real pleasure to drive. The seats are extremely comfortable and the steering wheel and gear knob are the right size and shape.

The real and perceived quality of the car is excellent and the fit, finish and specification is also excellent.

Other positives include the Bolero sound system which has very good sound quality and I like the SD cards – it’s a rigmarole converting music to MP3 format but I can live with that and it more or less makes up for the lack of MDI in my mind. It’s also worth noting that both my iPhone and BlackBerry work with the Bluetooth system as these are not listed in the Yeti brochure and the dealer was unsure if they would actually work with the Bluetooth system.

The negatives are a large and heavy hatch which needs to be closed with assertion and the spare wheel takes up a large proportion of the boot area.

Having driven the 1.2 I can appreciate that differing usage situations such as high motorway miles, serious off-road use and the wish to cater for isolated out of town areas and extreme weather events could suit the bigger petrol and diesel engines with four-wheel drive. However, I am 100% convinced that the two wheel drive 1.2 is the best choice for my urban jungle environment.

Whilst my initial plans were for an SE, I am extremely pleased with the Elegance specification and panoramic sunroof and would not hesitate to recommend them if you can justify the price.

I hope that the above helps and please let me know if you would like to hear more.

Your very first post and a good one. Thanks for sharing. Sounds as if you have made a perfect choice for you needs. Enjoy.

Nice post!

For all the reasons you cite I need a 4x4! Good choice for you though and I wish you all the best with it.

Great post and thanks for the info.

I have driven the 1.2 and the 2.0l 110bhp diesel and I too noticed the very short 1st gear on the 1.2, so decided to go for the diesel instead. I know it's a fair bit of extra money but our current car is a small corsa and is now 11 years old and in very good nick. I intend to keep the Yeti one for between 10 and 15 years and we do pretty low mileage so shouldn't have an issue.

I'm likely order it within the next few days in the Elegance trim but really can't decide on a colour. I think I need to see the Muscovado in the "flesh" as it were but I've heard several people say it's grown on them.

We saw the Tangerine on a Fabia2 but thought it was more "copper" so have gone off it a bit.

The last dealer I went to commented on the space the spare wheel takes up and his rgument against having it was, that the RAC are with you within 30 minutes with the correct tyre, which is the time it would have taken you to change the wheel anyway, so we will opt for the repair kit and the extra boot space instead!

With regard to our low mileage, what is the recommended method of running it in? I don't even remember thinking about it with the Corsa!

Thanks for your advice and I'm very pleased I came across this forum BEFORE buying the Yeti

Dave

The last dealer I went to commented on the space the spare wheel takes up and his rgument against having it was, that the RAC are with you within 30 minutes with the correct tyre,

Is this really true Dave? 30 mins AND the correct tyre which they presumably fit for you then and there? I would be surprised but I am open minded if someone can verify this.

Is this really true Dave? 30 mins AND the correct tyre which they presumably fit for you then and there? I would be surprised but I am open minded if someone can verify this.

Not in my experience. Took wheel off, left vehicle, took the wheel, wife and kid to local National Tyres / Kwik Fit (is a few years ago, but one of these) where a new tyre was purchased / fitted. RAC man advised my mrs to get a continental - luckily she rang me and I got a Michelin fitted.

Got another Michelin fitted to the same axle locally a couple of days later - for a good £30 cheaper.

Little girl found it exciting to have a ride in the van - and proceeded to wave at every RAC driver afterwards.