My wife has been wanting to order a Yet 170 Elegance for a while, but the fiasco with the panoramic sunroof delayed us from ordering.

She was going to order today, and wanted to order with the 'full-sized' spare. We know that this means a wheel that is smaller than on the Elegance, but at least it is a proper wheel and tyre.

We have been told that the Yeti can not NOT be ordered with any spare wheel other than a proper space-saver.

By this I mean a true skinny space saver wheel.

I contacted Skoda UK customer services and spoke to a guy called John and he confirmed this.

I said it was rediculous to sell a 4x4 without the option of a true spare tyre as how would you be expected to get out of an off-road situation with a puncture using a space-saver.

I was given the standard answer about emissions, factory decision, nothing they could do, Skoda recovery will help you blah blah blah.

I bet Skoda recovery wouldn't come off-road in a puncture situation!

I would like to know what any current or prospective owners think about the situation of selling a car advertised clearly an an off-road vehicle without the option of any proper spare wheel at all.

Hopefully, the Briskoda admins will pin this message to the top of the Yeti forum so that everyone can see what is currently avaialable.

May be ordering something other than a Yeti becasue of this stupid situation!

Edited 13 August, 201015 yr by Shadowphax

A 4x4 should definately come with a full sized spare, but the number of them that'll be used off road is very small...

Skoda assist will attend a puncture if you have no spare at all.

Hi

Not fussed one way or the other - and when I ordered mine back in the good old days (February) I made the choice NOT to have a spare at all. The reality is that any off-roading I do (and I do do some and will do more) will be minimal compared to my on-roading. Off road stuff will probably be grass car parks at shows, camping, common land and so on, and so it bothers me nothing that the car is sold without.

If I do get a puncture then ~I will deal with the situation when it arises. However, I can quite understand that if the thought of being spare-less is enough to lose sleep over, or to make you twitchy with fear whenever you are in the car, then it would make sense to buy an alternative.

If on the other hand, you really really want a YETI, then iy would be a question of just accepting the situation and getting on with it.

Hi,

find this somewhat surprising as I don't no of any other Skoda that uses skinny space-savers; would be a complete change of tack form them. VW are big users of the skinny spacesaver and I had one with the Golf 4motion mounted on the same floor layout as the Yeti and Tiguan uses one for it's spare option too.

Have you got the actual size of this spare confirmed by Skoda/SUK as they have described a smaller size standard wheel a space-saver on many occasions :wonder:

The other option would be to purchase the current spare wheel kit and have it fitted on delivery, more expensive but you get the spare you require.

TP

Edited 13 August, 201015 yr by The Plumber

So would this mean that the spare wheel compartment could be reduced in height? (But is there really much difference in height between the existing spare wheel and a skinnny one?) If so then it might not be a bad compromise for those of us who like the security of having a spare onboard.

I'm not expecting to run far on a spare - just enough to get a repair/replacement on the main tyre done - but some extra litres of storage in the back wouldn't go amiss. Presumably too late anyway for me to change my order (Bd Wk 41), unless the change has already been made at the factory without reference to the customer?

Yet another cracker from Skoda !!! Expect that will mean delivery times set back about another year then !

Class act.

Thanks for the responses guys.

I have checked and the only spare that is avaialabe is a PROPER skinny space-saver tyre like the ones VW & BMW use.

The news is worse than I thought but for other people that have already ordered.

Apparently, the Yeti was only available with the true space-saver tyre from sometime in mid-May.

How many people have ordered Yetis with what they think is a proper tyre only for it to actually turn up with a space saver?

Regarding the comments from The Plumber (hello by the way and your previous posts have been great) the spare is definitely a 'skinny'. You can buy the wheel, tyre, jack & tools and the under-carpet boxes. However, you can't buy the different carpet/floor that is needed to reach over the higher full-sized spare. As the car will be a company car, modifying it isn't an option

The wording in the Skoda brochure regarding the spare must be written by an idot. First it said there was an option for a FULL SIZED spare wheel, tools, raised floor etc. They changed that to say "Full sized 16" spare steel wheel with tools and raised floor etc. Now it says "space-saver" spare. Note the quotes. That is what Skoda UK has put. This strikes me as them trying to cover their backsides by leaving this open to interpretation.

They seem to be able to create a confusing and bad situation for their customers, realise there is a problem (eventually!) and then make the situation even more confusing by not correctly stating on their online brochures what they are actually supplying and then not telling any of their sales people what the situation is.

I was telling my local dealer that there was delivery issues with the panoramic glass sunrrof for almost 2 months before they actually realised it themselves. They had taken orders quite a few Yetis with sunroofs in that period. I even showed then a printout from Briskoda stating there was delivery issues with the sunroofs and they said it was somebody trying to scare off their customers. They just don't learn do they?

The Ford Kuga and Landrover Freelander are starting to look a lot more inviting at the moment. I'll leave any decision for a few days so that I don't let my feelings towards Skoda UK affect my decision to buy the Yeti.

Edited 13 August, 201015 yr by Shadowphax

I'll be honest, the only way a company will listen is if you vote with you wallet.

I've rejected cars because they can't come with a spare at all, and certainly don't like that some only come with space savers.

Space savers are ok for most cars, but if you happen to be in an awkward situation (and to be fair you are most likely to have a puncture in 4x4 situations) then you would ideally want to have a proper spare rather than fannying around with a skinnydipper, but there ya go, we are just the customers !!

While it's easy to vote with your wallet and buy something else... if it's a deciding factor can't your dealer order in a wheel and the bits needed to cover it in the boot on an older car?

They are Skoda parts, so must be available. Get the dealer to pay for them or lose the sale, if you are set on a Yeti.

I have a sunroof and a full size spare - must be worth more 2nd hand now .... any offers ;-)

Actually as my esteemed dealership has just pointed out to me, Yeti's have never been offered with full size spares, and I still have the original brochure and he is correct, they only offered the steel 16" spare as an extra !

Shows how much attention I paid to it

Actually as my esteemed dealership has just pointed out to me, Yeti's have never been offered with full size spares, and I still have the original brochure and he is correct, they only offered the steel 16" spare as an extra !

Shows how much attention I paid to it

Just looked at both the CZ home market web site and the Skoda Germany site; both still state 16" steel spare :wonder:

Germans are usually way ahead when it comes to detail.

TP

Just looked at both the CZ home market web site and the Skoda Germany site; both still state 16" steel spare :wonder:

Germans are usually way ahead when it comes to detail.

TP

I bought a spare wheel and all the associated kit, including the replacement boot floor about May time. The spare is a 16-inch steel wheel with a narrower tyre that is stickered with a speed limit of 50kph.

Is this what they mean by space-saver?

John

Sounds like a skinnydipper to me !!

:|

The 16" steel spare I have is certainly not skinny Almost as fat as the 17" tyre on the alloys.

My spare wheel set from the tech guide My link

Not full size but a decent size.

TP

As a owner who probably will off-road more than most I really don't see what the problem is. It is most unlikely that you are going to be driving on ground that is that bad, so a skinny wheel and the clever systems will be able to cope. I would actually be more worried about how you were going to jack the car up on soft ground! I don't even have a spare in mine!!

And for information. Freelanders now don't have spares fitted either! Just jello and a pump.

Edited 13 August, 201015 yr by Llanigraham

I think and hope this is mis-information my understanding is that the spare is a 16" wheel not a skinny space saver. Im surprised how little some of the sales people actual know about the Yeti. I spoke to someone at my local dealer recently and he informed me that I seemed to know more about the car than he did. All due of course to reading this forum. Ordered mine with a spare so if not as advertised when delivered someone will be getting their ear chewed.

Thinking about the new one they had a Faintree 2 weeks ago, I'm sure that had a slightly skinny wheel not an ultra skinny.

Baffling in so many ways.

ANY car that does not have proper run flats must have an appropriate (i.e. proper spec) spare wheel in my opinion.

The emissions, CO2, weight arguments are just cop outs. In the absence of run flats no spare wheel = bad design and / or penny pinching.

My spare wheel set from the tech guide My link

Not full size but a decent size.

TP

Just as a matter of interest, we have a 2010 SE with the same spare wheel option as you, and thought the jack was missing when we got it, but found there is a moulded tray now under the spare wheel with all the tools, and the spindle coming through the centre. The old tool tray shown in your pics is still there, but empty of course.

I'd do a pic, but we are not too good with the technology yet, working on it !! Jessica

Just as a matter of interest, we have a 2010 SE with the same spare wheel option as you, and thought the jack was missing when we got it, but found there is a moulded tray now under the spare wheel with all the tools, and the spindle coming through the centre. The old tool tray shown in your pics is still there, but empty of course.

I'd do a pic, but we are not too good with the technology yet, working on it !! Jessica

Hi jessica,

thanks for the info, :wonder: why they have changed this as the original set up appears fine. For those without the spare (2011 MY) do you still have the compressor in the sub floor box?

TP

ANY car that does not have proper run flats must have an appropriate (i.e. proper spec) spare wheel in my opinion.

The emissions, CO2, weight arguments are just cop outs. In the absence of run flats no spare wheel = bad design and / or penny pinching.

Personally, I'd rather have a can of gunk than run flat tyres! They ruin the ride comfort, which is something I'd have to live with everyday.

I guess the question could also be is the Yeti a 'real' 4x4? I suspect most people who buy them won't venture far off road (as most UK 4x4 users don't, and even when they do it's rarely to travel any significant distance). And this is reflected by the summer road tyres fitted as standard.

I've driven extensively in Africa and Australia, where a flat tyre can be very serious - in Europe it's really more of an inconvenience.

If you really don't feel comfortable without a full size spare wheel, you could always fit run flat tyres to your Yeti.

Edited 14 August, 201015 yr by HKPhooey