To Provence and back

[hmibennett]

My trip to Provence is sadly over, but the Yeti performed excellently for some 2,600 miles on a variety of English and French motorways, rural roads and the occasional track in France. No oil was consumed, and the Maxidot recorded 45.1 mpg for the whole trip - so even if it's 10% optimistic (and I don't think it is anywhere near that far out from my rough calculations after refuellings), an overall figure of 40-41 mpg for a very new engine (still only 2,850 miles in total on the clock), and a lot of motorway driving at 130 kph/80 mph in France, is not bad at all. For the middle week, my wife's sister and husband were with us too, so the SM was carting four adults around, and for the return journey the wine supplies probably equated to the weight of a third adult!

What have I grown to like especially about the SM? First and foremost, it is very comfortable (glad I splashed out on the electic seat) and pretty quiet: there is tyre roar on poor road surfaces, but that's much less of a problem in France than in the UK. The pulling power of the 170 diesel is terrific - from as low as 40 mph in 6th gear! I found the boot perfectly adequate for the two us, our luggage, and a substantial amount of wine - the varaible boot floor provided a reassuringly safe place to leave valuable objects while travelling or when parked for short periods. On previous trips to France, I found the length of my Octavia Scout an occasional problem when manoeuvring around tight corners in narrow streets with cars parked somewhat haphazardly, as the French love to do: the compact nature of the Yeti made life much simpler, and I was able to get it in , out and around some places where I would not have taken the Scout. Park assist again proved to be money well spent: awesome the first time you use it (my wife had her eyes shut, as she was convinced it would all end in tears!).

Anything I don't like? Sad as it seems, the only thing I can really think of is the dreadful boot light, as commented on frequently elsewhere in this forum! In my subterranean French garage it was all but impossible to see anything at all inside the boot, and so I shall be taking steps to improve that before long either by replacing the exisiting light or (more likely) by adding a cheap, self-adhesive LED light. Oh, and as mentioned in an earlier post today, the front cover of the nearside roof rail disappeared somewhere on a French motorway last Friday, which is a bit of a pain, but hardly a criticism of the car as such. Columbus had a brief nervous breakdown when emerging from an underground car park in Aix - for a short while, the poor lady thought she was in Frankfurt (no, I don't understand it either) but she recovered within seconds. V7 of the Columbus seems pretty much up to date, although there is a new section of motorway ring road around Reims which it does not recognise.

I saw two other Yetis in Aix-en-Provence: one black and one silver, both French and both drivers doing a double-take at a brown British monster! On the way down, while buying supplies at Ashford (Kent) Tesco, I found an Aqua SM parked behind mine when I came out of the store. Anyone on here (it was late morning on Sunday 20 March)? Driving away from Calais later that day, I passed two SMs on the other (northbound) carriageway of the A26, one probably Steel Grey and the other a Muscovado twin, but I couldn't tell if they were French, or UK exiles heading for Eurotunnel. Yesterday, mid-morning on the M25 between the Dartford crossing and the M1, I was passed by a red SM. So, overall, my spotting rate has increased considerably - I still haven't seen many in this part of the world.

I have a couple of photos which I'll post when I overcome my technophobia sufficiently to retrieve them from the SD card in the camera and then to get them onto here. But in the meantime, I'll just repeat how very glad I am to have a SM and how worthwhile the wait turned out to be!

[rockhopper]

Great write up. My CR140 DSG fuel consumption is getting much better in the warmer weather.There is a section of the A2 around New Cross where they have just changed the road layout and the v7 maps don't know what to do either.

[Allams Skoda]

Looking forward to seeing the photos. Glad you had a nice holiday.

[The Plumber]

Thanks Andrew,

interesting review much appreciated and I'm glad you had a good break. Look forward to the photos

Regards,

TP

[Merlinman]

Very interesting account - also looking forward to the pictures!

Have you sorted your little scrape out yet?

Best wishes,

MM

[Bobdog]

Your French experience echoes my trip to the Alps last month ... what a great car eh?

[hmibennett]

Very interesting account - also looking forward to the pictures!

Have you sorted your little scrape out yet?

Best wishes,

MM

Scrape sorting arranged for next Monday/Tuesday! Hopefully then by the middle of next week with that done and a new front cover on the roof rail, Musky will be returned to showroom condition (and after a good clean, of course).

[hmibennett]

A couple of points I forgot to put in my report yesterday.

(1) Interest in the Yeti: on the Eurotunnel train going out, a Belgian-registered Fabia was right behind me - its lady driver (also Belgian, but with perfect English, naturally) asked lots of questions as she had been considering buying a Yeti and took this meeting as a sign from above that she should go ahead! Also, when we were parked at a motorway services in the Auvergne and were a little distance away, admiring the distant volcanic skyline from a viewing point, we could see a fairly steady stream of people walking up to the SM and having a good look around it.

(2) The styling: like many, I suspect, I was not sure I liked the Yeti when I first saw it. However, it has grown on me and, in rural France, where there are many more ancient cars about than we are used to seeing in the UK, I suddenly realised why I felt somewhat nostalgic about the SM's styling - it's because it resembles (in outline, at least) the old Renault 4, which was the first new car I ever owned, back in the early 70s.

[EdmundBlackadder]

I know the S. of France quite well, more the coast than Provence but the villages are all very similar, and I know what you mean about tight streets and corners in small villages. The Yeti really is excellent in those conditions. I am one who wants a larger boot but I accept that the compact nature of the Yeti is also one of its best features.

I find the tyre roar is very much dependent on the road surface. There is a new stretch of perfect tarmac just north of where I live and the Yeti is so quiet on that you would not think the engine was running or you were even moving. Utterly wonderful but all too rare.

[Bobdog]

(2) The styling: like many, I suspect, I was not sure I liked the Yeti when I first saw it. However, it has grown on me and, in rural France, where there are many more ancient cars about than we are used to seeing in the UK, I suddenly realised why I felt somewhat nostalgic about the SM's styling - it's because it resembles (in outline, at least) the old Renault 4, which was the first new car I ever owned, back in the early 70s.

Interesting ... I'm a bit of a classic car fan, and I have been thinking about what car from the past the Yeti reminds me of. It's not so much about the shape, but the all purpose nature, and the fact that it has a 'friendly' look that people warm to (lots of people have asked me about the car, and seemed genuinely interested). I think the car that I can most liken Betty to is the old Morris Traveller!

Edited 12 April, 2011 by Bobdog

[hmibennett]

I know the S. of France quite well, more the coast than Provence but the villages are all very similar, and I know what you mean about tight streets and corners in small villages. The Yeti really is excellent in those conditions. I am one who wants a larger boot but I accept that the compact nature of the Yeti is also one of its best features.

I find the tyre roar is very much dependent on the road surface. There is a new stretch of perfect tarmac just north of where I live and the Yeti is so quiet on that you would not think the engine was running or you were even moving. Utterly wonderful but all too rare.

Absolutely ture - Yeti was very quiet on most (beautifully smooth) French motorway surfaces and on the very few of a similar quality in the UK between Folkestone and North Yorkshire!

[Peter a Proud Yorkshireman]

Very good report Andrew.Could I please borrow Musky for my trip to the Outer Hebrides on Saturday !

Just got back from Welshpool and with my 140 DSG Octavia estate averaged 50.6 mpg over 260 miles on my trip computer with pretty steady motorway driving and a fair amount of cross country on Quattrac All Seasons ( not looking long life!).

I can only dream of delivery this year!!

Will I be able to do a deal to keep my company car??

Cheers

Peter.

[stanjackos]

A couple of points I forgot to put in my report yesterday.

(1) Interest in the Yeti: on the Eurotunnel train going out, a Belgian-registered Fabia was right behind me - its lady driver (also Belgian, but with perfect English, naturally) asked lots of questions as she had been considering buying a Yeti and took this meeting as a sign from above that she should go ahead! Also, when we were parked at a motorway services in the Auvergne and were a little distance away, admiring the distant volcanic skyline from a viewing point, we could see a fairly steady stream of people walking up to the SM and having a good look around it.

(2) The styling: like many, I suspect, I was not sure I liked the Yeti when I first saw it. However, it has grown on me and, in rural France, where there are many more ancient cars about than we are used to seeing in the UK, I suddenly realised why I felt somewhat nostalgic about the SM's styling - it's because it resembles (in outline, at least) the old Renault 4, which was the first new car I ever owned, back in the early 70s.

I think you are right about theYeti resembling a Renault 4, I have to confess that I had not one, but two Blue Renault 4 Vans many moons ago, they do look very simlar. I totally abused them and they just kept on going, simple engineering but tough, ah well things have moved on now (For the better of course)!