Hi,

I've never had much of an interest or need for a crossover or 4x4 but recently and unexpectedly, I found myself in the position of having to look for a new car. At the weekend I tested a 1.4 TSI Yeti amongst the usual hatchback offerings. What a pleasant surprise the Yeti is and it has a lot of charisma and presence on the road. I can see why it has quite a passionate following as comes across on the pages of this forum!

I'd probably prefer a Yeti 1.6 Greenline or 2.0 140 diesel as although my mileage isn't particularly high alot of it is on the motorway.

With the aerodynamics of a slightly rounded brick, I expect that the Yeti will be less economical than a VW Golf (my other choice) at higher cruising speeds (75-80). Also, some road tests have commented on the Yeti as having a lot of wind and road noise at speed. How do people on this forum find the Yeti for motorway cruising?

Thanks in advance!

i have the 110tdi 4x4 and regularly get 43mpg on the motorway at 70 - 75mph

don't notice wind or road noise any more than a normal car and it's very comfortable to boot.

CR170 TDI 4x4. It's a great motorway cruiser (I'm taking it to the French Alps in a couple of weeks time) and no noisier than my previous Volvo V50 D or the Audi A4 Avant TDI I had before that. In fact the engine is noticeably quieter. Getting 45mpg + at a steady 80 on cruise control

i have the 110tdi 4x4 and regularly get 43mpg on the motorway at 70 - 75mph

don't notice wind or road noise any more than a normal car and it's very comfortable to boot.

I do so agree. My regular long journey is the A55 (fast dual carriageway) and the M56 to Manchester. I come out of the 240 mile round trip without any feeling of tiredness or discomfort. The Yeti is as good a long distance roadster as most saloon cars.

When I did the same trip in my previous car, an X-Trail, I usually had to take a strong drink and rest up for an hour or so - it was a draining experience. In fact I got to the stage of making excuses to reduce the number of trips we did to Manchester. Now it is not a problem.

Hi

I have found the Yeti (170 CRd) to be as good as any Audi or VW I have owned. Several trips up the M6 to Scotland and back have confirmed this. Can hear decent sounds from the Sound ~System upgrade all the time!!

Go for it.

I drove to Scotland last year. 10 hours door to door, with over 8 hours of driving, same on the way back. No aches & pains, just got on with life. Better than my previous BMW's & Octavia.

I seem to be getting around 42-45mpg on long motorway runs.

No it is not BMW 5 series quiet, if that what you want then pay £40k for it

The Yeti is far better than my previous Octavia Mk2 which suffered from road noise badly.

Not yet noticed wind noise.

Just a reminder that financially it isn't worth going for a diesel for lower milage use - higher cost to buy, higher fuel cost, not that much more economical than the 1.2tsi and no DPF issues.

I drove my CR140ish DSG today a total of 20 miles on 4 separate journeys and averaged about 25mpg.....

Mike

It's just super on the motorway. I have done several long distance trips down through Europe - cruising at 90-100 mph on that Autobahn and autoroutes in Spain and France. No fuss, plenty of power and significantly less noise than my previous Octy Combi.

Edited 22 February, 201115 yr by Agerbundsen

Noise is subjective, but from somebody who wears ear plugs for long journeys in a Nissan Micra, the motorway and autobahn cruising speed noise is a bit of an issue for me. My test drives of the Yeti at various speeds concluded the following: 60-70mph no ear plugs required but painfully slow. Above 70mph and the ear plugs have to be worn and economy drops quickly.

The areodynamics of the Yeti are not good for high speed economy or noise levels and I must admit that those issues along with the lack of a sunroof has me questioning myself on targeting the Yeti as the next car. A second hand wonderful Range Rover TDV8 at 85mph will probably do little more than 20mpg and just be inside the noise level comfort zone. A second hand Mercedes diesel will cruise at 85mph and deliver around 35mpg and be quiet.

The Yeti is a great one-car-solution to most people. I love the van-like capabilities, the 70mph economy, the reliability, the reclining and removable rear seats, but I think the depreciation cost could pay for a more comfortable car...

I suppose it's all a question of whether you want to try and avoid wearing hearing aid machinery later on in life and can bare driving like a snail or not care at all, enjoying the Yeti lifestyle and living for the moment. Or wear some ear plugs! Or choose a quieter more effecient car. Even the new Golf is supposed to be quiet at 90mph - but I have yet to test it and it has less space in the boot than a Yeti...

It seems to me that most cars are pretty noisy on our appallingly maintained British roads. My Octy Scout is immeasurably quieter driving on decent surfaces abroad (and the occasional decent surface in the UK - but even the newest stretch of the A1(M) near us is already showing signs of wear and break-up after only a few months!).

Can't disagree with any of the previous comments. Have 170 Elegance & have found it to be quiet on all journeys, even with the panoramic roof on tilt there is very little wind noise. I take regular 240 mile trips to Cornwall, about 180 of those being motorway. I find it very comfortable-I have suffered with arthritis since a fairly early age, especially in the hips and this is the most comfortable car I have ever driven. Passengers have remarked on the seating comfort & roominess as well as the quietness within the cabin. However, I recall seeing on at least two early road tests of the Yeti that the rear seating was 'cramped' - one of these tests was from the 'Which' magazine - imho the reviewers must have been seriously overwieght/obese or perhaps not realised that they had the rear seats folded forward! Happy motoring

Oi! Less of the sizeist comments. At 6 foot and 17 stone I find the Yeti very comfortable in the front. I've not spent very long in the back, so not really sure about that. Seemed OK for short journey. 95% of the time it's just me, the wife and the dog. The (big) dog seems very content on his bed in the bootspace, behind his dog guard.

Hi - I've only done about 1500 miles so far in my 140 Elegance including a couple of long motorway trips, but can definitely say that it's no noisier than my previous mondeo estate or any less comfortable, and better still fuel consumption is averaging 47mpg.

The areodynamics of the Yeti are not good for high speed economy or noise levels and I must admit that those issues along with the lack of a sunroof has me questioning myself on targeting the Yeti as the next car. A second hand wonderful Range Rover TDV8 at 85mph will probably do little more than 20mpg and just be inside the noise level comfort zone. A second hand Mercedes diesel will cruise at 85mph and deliver around 35mpg and be quiet.

The Yeti is a great one-car-solution to most people. I love the van-like capabilities, the 70mph economy, the reliability, the reclining and removable rear seats, but I think the depreciation cost could pay for a more comfortable car...

I suppose it's all a question of whether you want to try and avoid wearing hearing aid machinery later on in life and can bare driving like a snail or not care at all, enjoying the Yeti lifestyle and living for the moment.

With all due respect - this is rubbish. I get a consistent 41-43 mpg at "cruise control" speeds of 75-80 (bear in mind - we do have speed limits and a constabulary that enjoys enforcing them ) As for noise, I am the first to find excessive noise wearing and tiring, but the Yeti is not noisy at speed. Of course there are quieter cars - a Rolls for instance, but very few cars give the mix of features that the Yeti does and give value for money.

I get a consistent 41-43 mpg at "cruise control" speeds of 75-80 (bear in mind - we do have speed limits and a constabulary that enjoys enforcing them )

I did say I liked the Yeti economy around 70mph, but that is slow for me. 85mph is a minimum really and as soon as the autobahn is underneath, much higher speeds and above the 70 odd mph, the Yeti economy is not wonderful because of the high levels of air drag. Keep the Yeti under 80mph and I'm sure the mpg is better, but at 80mph we conflict on the next bit...

As for noise, I am the first to find excessive noise wearing and tiring, but the Yeti is not noisy at speed. Of course there are quieter cars - a Rolls for instance, but very few cars give the mix of features that the Yeti does and give value for money.

You are the first amoungst who to find noise levels too high? Noise and speed are related. At 70mph, yeah, sure, the beloved Yeti is quiet enough to potter along without earplugs and the driver will feel as fresh as a daisy at the end of a long drive, I'm sure. But above that speed for me, at least, and I need the earplugs. Perhaps the OP (original poster) has more sensitive ears? He was comparing the Yeti with the current VW Golf which has superior NVH (noise vibration harshness) supression. I do not contest the Yeti has some the best mix of features and value for money - a great one car solution. It's all about priorities and if the OP has sensitive ears and low noise levels as a priority, then I think he needs to go for a long drive at a realistic cruising speed over some typical tarmac!

Choosing the next car is always tough as most of us keep the car for at least five years.... so it has to be so many things to the family.

With all due respect - this is rubbish. I get a consistent 41-43 mpg at "cruise control" speeds of 75-80 (bear in mind - we do have speed limits and a constabulary that enjoys enforcing them ) As for noise, I am the first to find excessive noise wearing and tiring, but the Yeti is not noisy at speed. Of course there are quieter cars - a Rolls for instance, but very few cars give the mix of features that the Yeti does and give value for money.

+1 .I'm also sure the Yeti is one of the lowest depreciating cars on the market at the moment.Whilst I agree that a Rangerover V8 diesel would only achieve low 20's mpg,which Mercedes 4x4 could reach 35 mpg at 85 mph?

Edited 22 February, 201115 yr by bilun777

+1 .I'm also sure the Yeti is one of the lowest depreciating cars on the market at the moment.Whilst I agree that a Rangerover V8 diesel would only achieve low 20's mpg,which Mercedes 4x4 could reach 35 mpg at 85 mph?

I didn't mention a Mercedes 4x4 - I had an E Class estate in mind... less drag, quieter and more mpg above 85mph than the Yeti.

I hope the original poster is getting a good idea of what to expect from all the posts!

I'm also sure the Yeti is one of the lowest depreciating cars on the market at the moment.

Not quite I'm afraid. In a recent test I read somewhere between the Nissan Puke and/or Cashcow and the MINI Countryman the Yeti had far higher depreciation than them by some margin. The Yeti did not even feature in this list:

http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/used-car-guide/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155232077

Once you get above 70mph economy goes out the window for all cars and if you are talking 85mph then you practically need a tanker alongside you as you drive. What car is economical at 85pmh?

If you want a quiet car at 85mph then realistically you need to spend £35-£40k on a Jaguar, Mercededs, BMW, Lexus.

The Yeti is an excellent motorway cruiser with better than many noise suppression. I am about to do a 500 mile round trip and I have no worries of doing it in a Yeti. Would it be marginally quieter in a decent level Insignia or Passat? Quite possibly but then when the snow falls you can still drive your Yeti safely whilst you can't with those cars. You need to establish what you want the car for and then work from there. If you want a high price spec you need to pay high prices.

I find it rather interesting that one poster bangs on negatively about the noise levels and fuel economy of the Yeti based on a test drive. A rather different story is told by a whole group of people who actually own and drive one of the beasts on a regular basis in all kinds of conditions.

Obviously it all depends what you are comparing with, and what your particular priorities are. I for one, however, know that my 2.0 TDI CR 170 Yeti has noise levels and fuel consumption no worse than the Volvo V50 2.0D that I recently traded in for the Yeti (and the Yeti has better seats and driving position), nor than the Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI that I owned before that. I've also recently hired a VW Golf 2.0 TDI estate (4motion) from Geneva airport for a long weekend skiing - drove from Geneva to Val D'Isere mainly by motorway - and I'd take my Yeti in preference to that anyday.

I have no worries or fears about noise, fuel economy or performance from my Yeti for my fothcoming drive across France to the Alps on my next ski trip.

Depreciation? I would argue it is too early to tell. Any figures at the moment can only be guesses/estimates based on the average performance of Skoda cars over recent years. The Yeti may perform differently in reality. I bought mine in January 2011. Because I wasn't prepared to join the waiting list I bought a 9 month old car, that the dealership manager had been running, with 7k miles on the clock. A couple of weeks later Clarkson did his bit on Top Gear. Just out of interest, a couple of weeks further on, I searched for used Yetis on the Skoda website (same place I'd originally found my car). Found the identical model (no more 'extras' than I have) at similar mileage advertised for £3k more than I paid (way above list for a new one). In fact there were a number of cars there for prices that all seemed on the high side to me. Second hand cars at a premium over new prices because of scarcity? That usually only happens in the Porsche/Ferrari markets!

Depreciation? I would argue it is too early to tell. Any figures at the moment can only be guesses/estimates based on the average performance of Skoda cars over recent years. The Yeti may perform differently in reality. I bought mine in January 2011. Because I wasn't prepared to join the waiting list I bought a 9 month old car, that the dealership manager had been running, with 7k miles on the clock. A couple of weeks later Clarkson did his bit on Top Gear. Just out of interest, a couple of weeks further on, I searched for used Yetis on the Skoda website (same place I'd originally found my car). Found the identical model (no more 'extras' than I have) at similar mileage advertised for £3k more than I paid (way above list for a new one). In fact there were a number of cars there for prices that all seemed on the high side to me. Second hand cars at a premium over new prices because of scarcity? That usually only happens in the Porsche/Ferrari markets!

It certainly would be interesting to know if buyers are actually paying these above-new-list-price sums for second-hand Yetis. If so, they are clearly a better investment than building societies, banks or ISAs at the moment!

Trekker,

I'm sorry I do not understand why you need ear defence systems in a Yeti at speeds over 70mph, to the extent that it is detrimental to your health! Have you actually taken a decibel reading? (and yes I do understand them!) Please explain?

The Yeti is quieter that the Freelander 2 at comparable speeds, and far quieter than the Freelander 1. It is also much quieter than a neighbours 2 year old Zafira.

Trekker,

I'm sorry I do not understand why you need ear defence systems in a Yeti at speeds over 70mph, to the extent that it is detrimental to your health! Have you actually taken a decibel reading? (and yes I do understand them!) Please explain?

The Yeti is quieter that the Freelander 2 at comparable speeds, and far quieter than the Freelander 1. It is also much quieter than a neighbours 2 year old Zafira.

No, I have not recorded a decibel reading - just going my hearing during two road tests of the Yeti at speeds of 70, 80 and 90mph. Whilst I love most aspects of the Yeti, I am under no illusions that for long drives around 80mph+, I would still have to wear ear plugs - which is a pain. I am quite sensitive when it comes to cabin noise and I suppose doubled glazed Mercedes/Phaeton/Range Rover would be the no-ear-plugs-at-95mph solution (autobahn by the way). Consider me a bit exceptional in this respect.

The original poster mentioned a comparison with the Golf which has apparently great sound insulation, so I suggest he/she needs to drive at their realistic speeds on some poor surfaces. Funnily enough, according to AutoCar, the Yeti has a noise level of 68dB compared to the Golf's 69dB. I've not even considered the Golf as the boot is too small, so can't comment further.

Not quite I'm afraid. In a recent test I read somewhere between the Nissan Puke and/or Cashcow and the MINI Countryman the Yeti had far higher depreciation than them by some margin. The Yeti did not even feature in this list:

http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/used-car-guide/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155232077

Interesting, on this site Yeti is in the top 10 cars that held their value. linky

Interesting, on this site Yeti is in the top 10 cars that held their value. linky

Well that seems to back up what some people have said. I know of a couple of owners who have sold/are selling their SM's and been very pleasantly surprised at what they have been offered by a dealer....

Depreciation?.......not much yet.

Mike

It must have been the rag that is the Autoexpress I read it in... I was dumb founded by them stating the Yeti's depreciation as the worst too. But then they are using CAP's figures which are based on your return after THREE YEARS. And not just after Clarkson said something and the car has barely been on the market... Though even in saying that limited supply and a huge demand can only mean one thing!