^{Happy Birthday}

My SM was born a year ago today 15th September – or at least registered, as one of the first in the UK.

He was the dealer demonstrator at Hayes of Clacton and was the star at their dealer launch party held a couple of days later. Resplendent with sticky footprints and ‘The New Yeti’ stickers plastered all over the sides, he then started life convincing buyers to be adventurous and buy something a little bit different from Skoda.

I first met him a couple of months later when I borrowed him for the day when my wife’s Roomster had its annual service. I can remember trying very hard not to like this new car as I really liked my Octavia2 and did not want to spend out on a new car. I held out for a few weeks but then started to weaken. I initially thought about ordering a brand new Yeti but was slightly daunted by the cost involved. I almost signed up for a 110 CRD SE but the cost of some desirable extras was pushing the cost quite near to the Elegance spec.

I thought about buying an ex demo but again the prices seemed a little high. At about that time the new car supermarkets such as ‘Drive the Deal’ started listing the Yeti with reasonable discounts and to be fair a couple of dealers were prepared to discount the new cost and also offered the convenience of giving a good part ex on my Octavia. After fiddling about for a few weeks I worked out what I would be prepared to pay for an ex demo in various specs and then searched the Skoda UK used car part of the website for the right car. Ignoring the prices listed, I bit the bullet and phoned Hayes and arranged to meet them. I put my offer in writing and with very little hassle came to an agreement. I think it helped that they wanted to register a Superb Estate as a dealer demonstrator at about that time and I had a popular part ex Octavia in a good colour and spec.

Being a demo car, my SM has a few little extras that I would not normally have worried about but it does make it look different to the loads of Yetis that you now see about. For the discounted new price of a 110 CRD SE I now have the top of the range with all the nice extras that this brings. My thinking is that when I come to sell, my ‘59’ Elegance will be worth more than a ‘10’ SE – time will tell.

My only doubts about buying an ex demo were the possible damage to trim and paintwork and also whether it may have been ragged by an enthusiastic potential buyer. I inspected the paintwork very thoroughly before buying and bar one tiny chip on the bonnet it was impeccable – much better than that of most vehicles that my employer buys. It was harder to check how the car had been driven but I was told that only regular service customers would have been trusted with it by themselves and any sales demos were accompanied. I have added 8,000 miles so that it has just done 12,000 miles. I changed the oil and filter myself about 1500 miles ago and have never needed to add a drop of oil myself.

I have owned some choice cars in my time but the Yeti seems to combine the best of all worlds.

• It has the luxury, equipment level and comfort of any of the three Jaguar XJs that I drove for drove for more than a total of 200,000 miles.

• It is better built than any new Ford, Vauxhall or BMW that I have ever looked at.

• It has the economy of any Peugeot or Citroen diesel hatchback.

• It is as enjoyable to drive as any of the three Peugeot 205 GTis that I have owned – but without the ‘on the limit’ edginess.

• On greasy damp roads it will out accelerate a Honda Civic Type R. You should have heard his chirping wheelspin as his traction control killed the power.

• It is spacious and can take a family of four plus dog and luggage on holiday in comfort.

• It is eye catching and only when I bought one of the first MG Metros back in 1982 have I experienced more interest from other drivers in what I am driving.

• It sticks two fingers up to pretentious chavs in their designer labelled premium branded barges. I’m looking forward to parking next to a Countryman!

The Yeti is simply the best car that I have ever owned.

And a happy birthday indeed, nice write up and heart warming read......brings a tear to your eye :'(

Well, Trevorminor, you don't really like it then?

Thank you for that write up Trevorminor, and happy birthday to you SM :party: :clap: :clap:

Happy Birthday to your Monster TrevorMinor! I concur with most of what you have to say about the vehicle. Mine is fast becoming one of my all-time favourites and I had an old friend say, just the other day, he thought it was the best car I've ever had and he has known me through quite a number of cars including the last one which was an Audi TT Mk 2.

^{Happy Birthday}

My SM was born a year ago today 15th September – or at least registered, as one of the first in the UK.

<snip>

• It is eye catching and only when I bought one of the first MG Metros back in 1982 have I experienced more interest from other drivers in what I am driving.

<snip>

The Yeti is simply the best car that I have ever owned.

... makes me think of all those Metros appearing above The White Cliffs of Dover... I hope the Yeti dates rather better.

Happy 1st Birthday anyway

Thanks for sharing your thoughts it bodes well that a year on you are still very much enjoying ownership of the SM.

For me the wait continues, which reminds me, I must telephone for my fortnightly update tomorrow, hopefully my projected week 41 build week will not have slipped.

Good to hear all is going well with your Monster

My first order (they built it to the wrong spec ) was built just over a year ago; 7th Sept and I believe is with Yonderend up in Scotland Pat will by build be a year old in a month; 14th Oct. Booked in for her first service the week before for a treat

TP

Well, not a calendar sort of birthday, but Snehvide just turned 20,000 miles (32,0000 km) today. She will not be a year old till December 11th, and by then probably have another 5000 miles on the clock.

Absolutely no regrets, the two childhood diseases, (turbo leak and Xenon controllers) have been fixed and work as intended.

Anyone partying this weekend to celebrate a whole year since the Yeti went on sale in the UK?

Just think, this time last year you could pop to your local dealer and get in at the beginning of a real success story. This year you can do the same but also go and take a look at the MINI Countryman and realise how much better the Yeti is