I am hoping to go for a demonstration drive in a yeti next week and have my heart set on a diesel Dsg, but having never driven a dsg I am a bit nervous about ordering without a proper drive in one. Does anyone know if any Yorkshire dealers have a demonstrator.

As long as you have driven a yeti just get them to give you a test drive in another dsg vehicle (octavia etc) should give you a good feel for the gearbox.

As long as you have driven a yeti just get them to give you a test drive in another dsg vehicle (octavia etc) should give you a good feel for the gearbox.

Indeed. Or go to VW as they all use this gearbox and test drive something there. Remember to do a parallel parking manoeuvre too as most test I've read say these DSG gearboxes are awful with jerks as you go from going backwards to forwards and vice versa. (I'm just quoting the tests I've read!)

Hi!

Just make sure you test a car with the 6-speed DSG, as there are two different gearboxes out there (6-speed for cars with more torque such as diesels and big petrol engines and 7-speed for the smaller engines). If I remember correctly the torque limit for the 7-speed is 250 NM, so make sure you test a car with the 2 litre TDI engine.

I doubt you'll find a Yeti CR140 DSG anywhere in UK yet, as they were only available to order from week 22 (IIRC) and any ordered then will not yet have been built; let alone delivered.

As others have advised, seek out a different car with 2.0L TDI and DSG - then test drive that.

Alternatively, if you want a Yeti (which I do) and you want/need an Automatic box (which I do); then just order/buy it (which I did) !

Good luck.

PS> Curved ball suggestion; have you though of an Octavia vRS TDI Estate with DSG? Same/better load space than Yeti, quicker as it has the CR170 engine and several £0,000 cheaper (plus bigger discount).

Thanks for the advice, today I have had a test drive in a dsg equipped Octavia while the gear box is very good for most of the time an hour spent with it on familiar roads was enough to convince me that it is not the right choice for me. Good for town driving but not so good in the open country side.

Hi Dan,

Could I ask what you didn't like about the DSG in the open countryside? Thank you.

Rob

Hobin in Salford have a DSG 140 CR Elegance in the showroom, it's been there for about 4 weeks, it was one of the first ones off theproduction line. It's not being registered until September, but you're more than welcome to drive it before hand on trade plates.

Edited 3 August, 201015 yr by Ants

Hi Rob

What I didn't like about the dsg was that although quick changing it can not change gear until after the event, ie when entering a corner with a manual you change down before the corner to keep the power on. Try keeping power on with a dsg and it kicks down upon leaving the corner. Driving uphill on a twisty road it was changing gear all the time in my Honda I would just hold 3rd all the way.

I am used to driving a hot hatch, I know a diesel yeti is not the same thing but ocasinaly I will want to have some fun with it, the dsg did not seem to allow fun.

If most of my driving was in town I would have one straight away.

I am looking forward to driving a 140 manual tomorrow on the same roads to see how that goes.

if u want fun try the 1.2 tsi....cracking motor...im in thurgoland too so just upt road

What I didn't like about the dsg was that although quick changing it can not change gear until after the event, ie when entering a corner with a manual you change down before the corner to keep the power on...

Any reason that you wouldn't just put the DSG into manual mode on the occasions when you just wanted to have fun, but leave it in Auto (either S or D) most of the rest of the time. DSG obviously does give you that option, which is what a lot of people like about it.

Any reason that you wouldn't just put the DSG into manual mode on the occasions when you just wanted to have fun, but leave it in Auto (either S or D) most of the rest of the time. DSG obviously does give you that option, which is what a lot of people like about it.

I agree, having driven a 2.0 TDi DSG Octavia for 5 years now. If you want manual control and some fun then use the Manual mode position and the gearbox will change gears a LOT faster than you can do in a manual gearbox car! Mind you once you get used to the DSG and the torque of the 2.0 TDi you will find yourself using the manual mode less and less as the car seems to "learn" your driving mode and match your needs - or is it the other way around? Anyway having had a DSG I could never go back to a simple manual. Just thinking about driving a manual in heavy traffic brings me out in a sweat and an aching left leg!!

Any reason that you wouldn't just put the DSG into manual mode on the occasions when you just wanted to have fun, but leave it in Auto (either S or D) most of the rest of the time. DSG obviously does give you that option, which is what a lot of people like about it.

I think if paddles had been an option this would have worked for me but without, just using the gear lever does not seem instinctive enough. Would probably get used to it though. It could have been partly due to the Octavia that I drove having a crap engine think it was a old pump dusse sales man said it was 105 hp. It sounded rough when reving I am sure the yeti would be a lot nicer but I need a good drive in a manual which is also cheaper and better proven mechanically, two things that also need to be taken into consideration when buying.

Any reason that you wouldn't just put the DSG into manual mode on the occasions when you just wanted to have fun, but leave it in Auto (either S or D) most of the rest of the time. DSG obviously does give you that option, which is what a lot of people like about it.

Sound advice. That's essentially what I do when driving my wife's 1.6 Tip Roomster.

I use auto for general (and lazy) driving, but will often use sport around town; that may seem daft but it holds the gears better and provides the engine braking and better 'control' that I'm used to from a manual. When out on the open road, M/Way etc., I slip the gearlever sideways to manual and use the tiptronic to change gear as required (this is particularly useful as it allows me to hold 6th on a M/way incline when the auto box would be inclined to drop to 5th with more revs than I'd want).

Having a short (less than one hour) test drive in any auto car these days is not truly representative as to how the car will be for you, as the gearbox is programmed to 'learn' your driving style and adapt gear changes accordingly. It always frustrates me when I hop into my wife's Roomster at the weekend and find the gearchanges/response sluggish.

PS> I had a quick 20 min test drive in a new Fabia vRS last Saturday and, hey, what a sweet little car plus the DSG was a delight to use; I want more!

Hobin in Salford have a DSG 140 CR Elegance in the showroom, it's been there for about 4 weeks, it was one of the first ones off theproduction line. It's not being registered until September, but you're more than welcome to drive it before hand on trade plates.

Yiphee; I'd love to; thanks.

Boo hoo; you're about 3 hours away, I'd need to take a day of work!

I use the DSG in my superb almost exclusively in manual mode, and only use auto when I am in town. When in manual mode the car behaves just like a manual, with a couple of caveats though. 1) if the revs drop to low the car will shift down to a lower gear to avoid stalling even if you don't want it to. 2) At max revs it will change up a gear, to protect the engine, again even if you don't want it to.

Thanks for the advice, today I have had a test drive in a dsg equipped Octavia while the gear box is very good for most of the time an hour spent with it on familiar roads was enough to convince me that it is not the right choice for me. Good for town driving but not so good in the open country side.

Please do not downgrade the Yeti on the basis of a drive in an Octavia. The Yeti is designed for the country and DSG or NO DSG, the Yeti is a perfect vehicle for country and open road driving.

I have now had my Yeti for 9 months and 9000 miles, through a rotten winter and this wet summer and, in my opinion, it is one of the best SUVs I have driven. (others being Land Rover and Nissan)

My criticism would be for town driving where I find the wing mirrors a bit small and the window and door pillars a bit thick to give easy viewing. Plus (after an hour in a queue on the M56) the Yeti HATES dawdling along in traffic, the fuel consumption falls and the driving becomes hard work.

If I had been a town dweller, I would have gone for an Octavia - bigger boot for a start, but for my sort of driving, the Yeti with its high(ish) ground clearance, 4x4 and the off road facility is perfect.

When it comes to gearboxes, auto or manual, just learn to "drive the box". Most autos have enough manual intervention to reduce the "automatic" to a clutch free manual operation.

Have driven both Tiptronic and DSG versions of the Superb which belonged to my Dad (he prefers 'Auto') on long trips, personally I'm yet to be convinced as I could get neither to work close enough to how I would like. This included using the 'Flappy paddle' system which he has on the current 170 DSG, although it is better than using the lever in manual mode.

As I say though this is a personal view; if you talked to my Dad he would be very negative towards manual and having been in a manual car with him driving I can see why

TP

When I ordered my Yeti in last month I had a good poke around the DSG 140 in Hobin's showroom. Currently pootling around in the wife's smart car and that's the second one we have had with flappy paddles. The gearchange is shall we say an aquired taste but I hasten to add it's nothing like a DSG.

My late lamented steed was a Selespeed equipped Alfa 156 GTA, a gearbox totally unrelated to the 4 cylinder reliability nightmare fitted to non 6 cylinder versions. It was utterly fabulous. Unfortunately I can see no point in having DSG without paddles so the option did not interest me. if Skoda had offered paddles as an option and provided they moved with the steering wheel or were so big that they could be operated while turning the wheel it would have been a no brainer for me.

I think after 4 years of cars with paddles I will be stalling quite a bit at first when my SM finally arrives! :S

When I ordered my Yeti in last month I had a good poke around the DSG 140 in Hobin's showroom. ......... if Skoda had offered paddles as an option and provided they moved with the steering wheel or were so big that they could be operated while turning the wheel it would have been a no brainer for me.

I think after 4 years of cars with paddles I will be stalling quite a bit at first when my SM finally arrives! :S

So no 'paddles' on the DSG Yeti; tiptronic gearstick only. Correct?

So no 'paddles' on the DSG Yeti; tiptronic gearstick only. Correct?

Correct! The paddles are not available for the Yeti.

When I ordered my Yeti in last month I had a good poke around the DSG 140 in Hobin's showroom. Currently pootling around in the wife's smart car and that's the second one we have had with flappy paddles. The gearchange is shall we say an aquired taste but I hasten to add it's nothing like a DSG.

My late lamented steed was a Selespeed equipped Alfa 156 GTA, a gearbox totally unrelated to the 4 cylinder reliability nightmare fitted to non 6 cylinder versions. It was utterly fabulous. Unfortunately I can see no point in having DSG without paddles so the option did not interest me. if Skoda had offered paddles as an option and provided they moved with the steering wheel or were so big that they could be operated while turning the wheel it would have been a no brainer for me.

I think after 4 years of cars with paddles I will be stalling quite a bit at first when my SM finally arrives! :S

I remain confused. (my normal state) What is it about "flappy paddles" that makes or breaks a car? :think: The Yeti is, in the main, a good mix of quality engineering and good design. Like most cars it is a bit of a compromise in some areas.

I thought "flappy paddles" were for people who, for some reason, could not let go of the wheel. For me, there is nothing like the feel of a slick gearbox such as the Ford one in my TVR. Why mess with other peoples idea of when a gear should be changed whe you can do it yourself. :clap:

Unless your Ayrton Senna the correct place for your paws is on the wheel at ten to two, it stands to reason that at higher speeds control is better maintained during gearchanges if you can do so without moving your hands off the wheel. Ideally you also need high geared steering. my GTA certainly had that - I could go from lock to lock without crossing arms. Of course you could just leave it in auto but at least you can still change gear when you want to with a mere finger flick should you want to.

I have had 38 cars in my lifetime and only two (a 1750 Alfa Spider and a Honda Civic Type R) had gearchanges of sufficient tactile quality that I would prefer over a flappy paddle, the rest gave no involvement or feel whatsoever and even if they did had pedals poorly placed to facilitate heel and toe gearchanges - something a good DSG box will do brilliantly.

We all best get used to it, DSG and the hordes that are following will replace manuals entirely in the not to distant future as in Auto mode the ECU can change gear far 'Greener' than a mere mortal - though amusingly not in the DSG Yeti's case.

Some may prefer to hit the 'substitute' gearstick back and forth to change manually on a twin clutch I prefer the paddles at the end of the day it's what suits you.

Don't forget that specifying DSG is a considerable extra cost on the new price.In a recent Autocar article VW group DSG gearboxes are now experiencing very ex pensive failures now they are out of Warranty,and on the economy front I believe some fitments are less economical than the manual gearbox.

Don't forget that specifying DSG is a considerable extra cost on the new price.In a recent Autocar article VW group DSG gearboxes are now experiencing very ex pensive failures now they are out of Warranty,and on the economy front I believe some fitments are less economical than the manual gearbox.

This is true, mostly refers to those DSG's with gearbox mounted ECU's rather than 'accessable' remote ones. Toyota have publicly stated that by 2012 they will be switching to twin clutch or equivalent for 'Green' reasons. for the majority of their cars. It's a little strange that some DSG fitments result in in a faster more economical car and others (Yeti 1.2 DSG) do not. Presume there is a good techy reason. I think Yeti owners are fortunate, with the possible exception of the twin clutch boxes used by BMW/Ferrari (they are the same) and the PDK in a Porsche you have a state of the art relatively economical way of changing gear automatically with a damned fine manual overide. Try speccing that on a Freelander or an IX35/Sportage etc.