What I miss in my new car

[Freshacre]

HMIBennett's thread about second cars prompted these thoughts, seeing as today I did the 30 mile commute in the new "indulgence" instead of the Yeti.

I'd taken my old Mother's Jazz back to the dealer whence it came as a part of sorting out her estate and as I waited for the salesman at the Honda garage to finish up and then give me a lift back the 40 miles to her bungalow in Kinross, I thought I would wander around the display of used cars that they had available.

I'd always had a hankering for a Triumph TR4 or some such antiquity from my youth, and got to thinking about the pros and cons of an old car - smell, reliability, lack of gadgetry, spares, rose-tinted glasses being just a few. As it happened this Honda dealership in Dundee seemed to have a profusion of tempting reasonably priced modern soft-tops. I was drawn immediately to a Mazda MX5, one of the stalwarts of up-to-date drop-tops - but no matter how I twisted or stretched or bumfled myself into a ball, I just could not squeeze myself into the darned thing. It was exactly the same with a Fiat Vienetta or whatever it was, and I walked past the Audi TT roadster feeling distinctly un-pretty enough beside it.

It was then I spotted a BMW Z4. Never, ever, in my long life have I ever fancied a Beemer. I do not know what it is about them, but something says "uh-oh, oh no!" - and yet, and yet - the huge L-O-N-G bonnet kinda sucked me in, and once I had lowered myself all the way down to within a millimetre of the road surface (or so it felt like to my aching hip joints) I felt cocooned and cared for. My head was clear of the roof, and with the roof retracted (in under 10 seconds) I was at one with the world.

Bliss. Took it for a 4 hour test drive. More bliss. The thing was 8 years old and had only done a GENUINE 29000 miles. Loads of extras, too, including a tin hat for hailstorms. And when the salesman volunteered to deliver it for me......

DELIVER IT???? I lived over 400 miles from Dundee, and yet he was prepared to bring it right to my front door for me. Done I said. Done. Do it now. Especially since my nickname often is "G", my initial you see, and the reg plate is OKG!! I reckoned there was a message there.

Last week he arrived and so did the Beemer. At my front door. And today I drove to work in it - because the nurses wanted to see what I had done.

On the way, in the drizzling rain I reflected that there were quite a few things on this modern car that I was missing when compared to my Yeti - automatic wipers, speed and frequency; automatic headlights; auto-off lights; auto park wipers; 4*4 cohesion as the Zedd scrabbled its rear wheels on the gravel; climate control; cruise control; bluetooth phone linkage; controls on the steering wheel; comprehensive Maxidot information; reversing pictogram on the Bolero........

I'm certain that there is more that I could highlight, and I am certain, too, that apart from the arse on the tarmac sensation of a sportscar the Yeti is very nearly, VERY nearly the equal of the ZEDD in acceleration and roadholding - though the sporty jobby will always give better vibes and thrills. With the hood down and the exhaust thrumming just behind the head the sensation is exotic, and an excellent way to remove the loose grey hairs from an ageing scalp.

So - the point of this discourse really is to reflect upon the YETI and its incredible value for money in an unassuming package, and how much we begin to take those things for granted as we own the Yeti. That is why, as one other poster has also announced, I will be ordering my next YETI in the next two weeks for delivery next spring. In the meantime however, if the sun's out, I'll force myself to rough it in the Zedd for a while - wearing a cap, I think.

[hmibennett]

HMIBennett's thread about second cars prompted these thoughts, seeing as today I did the 30 mile commute in the new "indulgence" instead of the Yeti.

I'd taken my old Mother's Jazz back to the dealer whence it came as a part of sorting out her estate and as I waited for the salesman at the Honda garage to finish up and then give me a lift back the 40 miles to her bungalow in Kinross, I thought I would wander around the display of used cars that they had available.

I'd always had a hankering for a Triumph TR4 or some such antiquity from my youth, and got to thinking about the pros and cons of an old car - smell, reliability, lack of gadgetry, spares, rose-tinted glasses being just a few. As it happened this Honda dealership in Dundee seemed to have a profusion of tempting reasonably priced modern soft-tops. I was drawn immediately to a Mazda MX5, one of the stalwarts of up-to-date drop-tops - but no matter how I twisted or stretched or bumfled myself into a ball, I just could not squeeze myself into the darned thing. It was exactly the same with a Fiat Vienetta or whatever it was, and I walked past the Audi TT roadster feeling distinctly un-pretty enough beside it.

It was then I spotted a BMW Z4. Never, ever, in my long life have I ever fancied a Beemer. I do not know what it is about them, but something says "uh-oh, oh no!" - and yet, and yet - the huge L-O-N-G bonnet kinda sucked me in, and once I had lowered myself all the way down to within a millimetre of the road surface (or so it felt like to my aching hip joints) I felt cocooned and cared for. My head was clear of the roof, and with the roof retracted (in under 10 seconds) I was at one with the world.

Bliss. Took it for a 4 hour test drive. More bliss. The thing was 8 years old and had only done a GENUINE 29000 miles. Loads of extras, too, including a tin hat for hailstorms. And when the salesman volunteered to deliver it for me......

DELIVER IT???? I lived over 400 miles from Dundee, and yet he was prepared to bring it right to my front door for me. Done I said. Done. Do it now. Especially since my nickname often is "G", my initial you see, and the reg plate is OKG!! I reckoned there was a message there.

Last week he arrived and so did the Beemer. At my front door. And today I drove to work in it - because the nurses wanted to see what I had done.

On the way, in the drizzling rain I reflected that there were quite a few things on this modern car that I was missing when compared to my Yeti - automatic wipers, speed and frequency; automatic headlights; auto-off lights; auto park wipers; 4*4 cohesion as the Zedd scrabbled its rear wheels on the gravel; climate control; cruise control; bluetooth phone linkage; controls on the steering wheel; comprehensive Maxidot information; reversing pictogram on the Bolero........

I'm certain that there is more that I could highlight, and I am certain, too, that apart from the arse on the tarmac sensation of a sportscar the Yeti is very nearly, VERY nearly the equal of the ZEDD in acceleration and roadholding - though the sporty jobby will always give better vibes and thrills. With the hood down and the exhaust thrumming just behind the head the sensation is exotic, and an excellent way to remove the loose grey hairs from an ageing scalp.

So - the point of this discourse really is to reflect upon the YETI and its incredible value for money in an unassuming package, and how much we begin to take those things for granted as we own the Yeti. That is why, as one other poster has also announced, I will be ordering my next YETI in the next two weeks for delivery next spring. In the meantime however, if the sun's out, I'll force myself to rough it in the Zedd for a while - wearing a cap, I think.

A splendid read - glad I provoked it! Glad too that you like the Beemer, so there's another one to think about for posing on the Cote d'Azur ...

[Llanigraham]

George,

I can just see you driving that through Brecon!!

If you are going down to Swansea the week after next let me know. We are having a holiday down in the Vale of Glamorgan.

[EdmundBlackadder]

automatic wipers, speed and frequency; automatic headlights; auto-off lights; auto park wipers; 4*4 cohesion as the Zedd scrabbled its rear wheels on the gravel; climate control; cruise control; bluetooth phone linkage; controls on the steering wheel; comprehensive Maxidot information; reversing pictogram on the Bolero.

I'm interested in the things you miss as the only ones I would out of there are the 4wd (in a way that is cheating as that is not due to age but merely a completely different style of car) and climate control. The rest I could happily live without, and do with a few on the SE model.

I saw a Jaguar soft top, I think it was an XK, 4-5 yrs old, at the weekend and that was a thing of utter beauty. Unfortunately my wife informed me that as my kids are still at home and we now also have a dog that my mid-life crisis will have to wait a little longer. Enjoy your Z4.

Edited 21 September, 2011 by EdmundBlackadder

[Llanigraham]

I was interested in a MX5 but both my daughters said I would look "gay" driving one!

[Deputy]

Well, things I miss in the YETI are: keyless entry and start, self closing rear door, adaptive cruise control and night vision. Come on Skoda - I bought a Yeti because I wanted a good sized 4x4 with great features - not just because it was cheaper than an Audi Qbarge. But I suppose the marketing team call that 'brand differentiation....'

[Frenchtone]

automatic wipers, speed and frequency; automatic headlights; auto-off lights; auto park wipers; 4*4 cohesion as the Zedd scrabbled its rear wheels on the gravel; climate control; cruise control; bluetooth phone linkage; controls on the steering wheel; comprehensive Maxidot information; reversing pictogram on the Bolero.

I'm interested in the things you miss as the only ones I would out of there are the 4wd (in a way that is cheating as that is not due to age but merely a completely different style of car) and climate control. The rest I could happily live without, and do with a few on the SE model.

I saw a Jaguar soft top, I think it was an XK, 4-5 yrs old, at the weekend and that was a thing of utter beauty. Unfortunately my wife informed me that as my kids are still at home and we now also have a dog that my mid-life crisis will have to wait a little longer. Enjoy your Z4.

I'd think it an ideal family car coz you've got to leave 'em at home a brilliant ruse i think!!

[My_Yeti]

Thanks for the post! Very interesting enjoy the Z4, they are nice cars. I have to say I used to hate it when it came out, but about 3-4 years ago I started to realise how pretty it actually is!

We have a TR4a, a Morgan and a MGB. I have to say they have all been extremely reliable and parts are easy to source and cheap. The TR4a actually went through a nut and bolt restoration about 2 years ago.

Edited 21 September, 2011 by My_Yeti

[rockhopper]

Great read as always freshacre.

How are you going to cope over the winter without 4x4? or are you holding on to the Yeti until your new one arrives? What colour are you going for this time?

[grayson]

There is another way of looking at this -granted a Yeti has lots of features which give the driver a feel good smugness as you sail through bad weather ensconced in warmth and comfort listening to Radio 4. But it's not driving it's travelling. My Seven has nothing with an acronym- no PAS, 4WD, ABS, ESC and the rest. It also weighs a third of a Yeti and has 70bhp more than my Yeti and it all goes through the right wheels- the back ones. It's scary in the wet, noisy, too hot or too cold but in the right conditions it can go so quickly and change direction, stop and corner with an alacrity that makes virtually anything else feel like motorised porridge. That's driving not travelling. And I bet the TR4 above is just as much fun- in a slightly less manic way.

[Deputy]

There is another way of looking at this -granted a Yeti has lots of features which give the driver a feel good smugness as you sail through bad weather ensconced in warmth and comfort listening to Radio 4. But it's not driving it's travelling. My Seven has nothing with an acronym- no PAS, 4WD, ABS, ESC and the rest. It also weighs a third of a Yeti and has 70bhp more than my Yeti and it all goes through the right wheels- the back ones. It's scary in the wet, noisy, too hot or too cold but in the right conditions it can go so quickly and change direction, stop and corner with an alacrity that makes virtually anything else feel like motorised porridge. That's driving not travelling. And I bet the TR4 above is just as much fun- in a slightly less manic way.

If I can add - although an R400 is awesome - it still has 4 wheels. If you really want to have fun lose 2. My Japanese rocket weighs about 180Kg, 160Bhp (2007 Fireblade, its the older one so down on power!). Now that's fun, you can't lean sat in 4 wheels! Rubbish in snow though......

[JCP]

I agree.

I have a Triumph Street Triple 675 and the level of involvement and excitement is beyond any thing 4 wheeled.

[Millstone]

I was interested in a MX5 but both my daughters said I would look "gay" driving one!

They are absolutely correct - it's a 'Hairdressers' car !!! (goes well though....)

[grayson]

If I can add - although an R400 is awesome - it still has 4 wheels. If you really want to have fun lose 2. My Japanese rocket weighs about 180Kg, 160Bhp (2007 Fireblade, its the older one so down on power!). Now that's fun, you can't lean sat in 4 wheels! Rubbish in snow though......

Just dont try to even keep a Seven in sight in the bends..'cos two wheels aren't as good as 4 on the twisty bits (as I learned when I watched the Superbikes at Croft - awesomely quick down the straights but not so good compared to slick shod racers around the bends).And I wont even dream of keeping up on the straights! But the point is well made- Yetis are great transport but don't overtax the adrenal gland. Bikes and sports cars with serious power to weight ratios are the crack cocaine of transport compared to the white sliced of everyday wheels.

[Freshacre]

Great read as always freshacre.

How are you going to cope over the winter without 4x4? or are you holding on to the Yeti until your new one arrives? What colour are you going for this time?

Cheers Mike!

Hopefully I will hang onto the Yeti through the winter, so won't be doing what Tim TP did - unless the price is terrific, really terrific. It would be good to find one to my new spec soonish (says he with a forlorn grin of the misguided upon his chops) but I reckon it will be springtime. That was half the plan - to use this Zedd for most pleasure driving seeing it is so low mileage, and save the Yeti clocking up even more. Now that my dear departed mother has actually departed I won't need to be commuting up the M6 and back every other week ( or so it seemed!!) .

I will, of course, be heading for a WHITE Yeti with one or three extras to keep the gadget count high.

I started this thread, actually, out of some surprise at the bits I have come to accept without thinking on the Yeti. I recall Black Adder ages ago letting us know in no uncertain terms that some of the "automation" was not necessarily to his liking, and certainly when I first became acquainted with the foibles of my Skoda I too was a bit querulous about just how effective and useful they'd be. NOW - I must have slipped into unconscious autopilot because I didn't notice them - UNTIL I lowered myself into the bowels of the ZEDD and found things were lacking!! "Hey! - I gotta turn the lights on!!" Followed 30 miles later by "Hey - I left the ruddy lights on! Doh!"

And a semi final word - this Beemer has got traditional squeaker rubber stuff instead of lovely smooooooothe windscreen wipers. Now that DOES irritate me and `I will be off to a Beemer-dealer to see if I can upgrade the wipers to Yeti standard!!

[EdmundBlackadder]

I recall Black Adder ages ago letting us know in no uncertain terms that some of the "automation" was not necessarily to his liking, and certainly when I first became acquainted with the foibles of my Skoda I too was a bit querulous about just how effective and useful they'd be.

Not me by the way. I would not get that excited about automation.

[900000]

They are absolutely correct - it's a 'Hairdressers' car !!! (goes well though....)

OH I say nothing then......... read my signature!

So Freshacre: is it a 2,5 or a 3,0? Manual or Automatic? And are you sure it has no climatronic?! Sounds bizarre for a BMW of this age!

I've always thought them a challenging design on the eye. Mr Bangle's crayons went heywire on this one. He also did this by the way before he did his lines and things at BeeEm. But end of the day you fit in it and you like it! All that counts in this word.

As to the Yeti's toys. Oh I love them too. Even the ones I thought well, why bother. Makes for the most relaxing long distance car I've ever owned. And now a conundrum. I'm going to Europe on Friday for a week on a driving holiday and someone said I can take his car (they are staying tomorrow night at ours before jetting off for two weeks leaving his car with us). Company car so he said I'm welcome to put the 3000 odd miles on his car rather than mine. But it is a Mondeo barge! Brand new top Titanium X manual diesel..... It is tempting to take the barge but I think I will miss my toys too much and being in MY car with my things and my music. So I said no. I have no idea which of these toys you are missing the barge has or not (I know it does not have sat nav and does have bendy Xenons) but it won't park itself nor does it have a towbar to keep the French at bay from the back (we know how they park!!)

Maybe I love my Yeti too much!

[jlwah]

Thanks for the post! Very interesting enjoy the Z4, they are nice cars. I have to say I used to hate it when it came out, but about 3-4 years ago I started to realise how pretty it actually is!

We have a TR4a, a Morgan and a MGB. I have to say they have all been extremely reliable and parts are easy to source and cheap. The TR4a actually went through a nut and bolt restoration about 2 years ago.

That Triumph is gorgeous!

Have to agree with some of the other comments about the Z4, in that it looks better now then when it was first released.

[jst_at_home]

I was interested in a MX5 but both my daughters said I would look "gay" driving one!

I bought an MX5 when I got rid of my Harley back in May. I've never "bonded" with it. I'm picking up a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E on Saturday - 38k miles and fantatically good condition.

John

[Freshacre]

So Freshacre: is it a 2,5 or a 3,0? Manual or Automatic? And are you sure it has no climatronic?!

Tis a 2.5i SE - and it does have a sort of climacticatronical button set!! Ha!!

And it is manual with a 5 speed gearbox - and that don't half confuddle me when I try to change up into a non-existent 6th gear!

Also - and this'll pleased Tim of Plumbing fame - it has 16 inch wheels! But with them runflat tyre thingies. I intend to try them to the utmost and run 'em right flat.......

In the dark tonight (and aint it getting dark early, yeah?) I found that the headlights were not a patch on the YETI's Xenons., bi-Xenons and stuff.

Today my YETI had its third service courtesy of Sinclair Skoda in Swansea (£120 all in) at 31000 miles, and in the 120 miles from Brecon to Swansea, to Cardiff and home returned 55.3mpg all told. It was valued at 17250 against a new Yeti for delivery in THREE MONTHS. Summat is speeding up, or slowing down somewhere out there.

The Beemer, however (and I am happy with this for a straight 6), returns a steady 38.1mpg on these infernal Welsh, collie infested roads!

[900000]

Tis a 2.5i SE - and it does have a sort of climacticatronical button set!! Ha!!

Perfect. The 2,5 always got the nod over the 3,0 which is too heavy in the nose. Enjoy.

[angrybeard]

The Z4 is a car that has grown since it came out, i can agree to that, but i really like the hard top version, there is a very nice Blue one i pass everyday on the way to work.

The idea of a sports type car has always appealed, but in practice its not practical for me! My friend used to have a 04 hyundai coupe and that was difficult enough for me to get my 6'4 frame in and out of! When my local Nissan dealership were doing a promo at the local shopping centre, i was talking to a guy working there about the 350z on display and said i would never fit in, he challenged me to this and in i slipped, and in fact i did get in easily, trouple came when i went to get out! basically i had to drag myself out across the floor, with other members of my party drew attention to my plight by hilariously laughing! now thats what i call a promo!

As far as convertibles i am far to angry and beardy to use one, driving in a friends 206cc pulling up at the lights next to a transit my confused glazed angry look may have been seen as inflammatory by some! I think i would go some kind of supercharged rally related beast for guilty pleasure, but prefer flinging myself done a mountain on a bike for kicks.

I agree that there is a lot we take for granted in the package of a modern car, the Yeti contains a lot, the elegance more, but despite this I still see about park assist and other such things and yearn for more, but when do you stop! But saying that i think that a lot of Skoda products don't offer some things as standard that other manufacturers do, ESP for example, only standard on the top spec, Ipod connectivity, just an aux in as standard, you have to pay more to get interactivity with the head unit, and why in this age of mobile phones are any cars not equipped with bluetooth as standard? And on a top spec model you would expect just a basic satnav surely?

I'm sure there are many things i would never go without on my car again, and i have yet to even use dual zone climate control in anger! But as i mentioned in another thread, hour many people would lose a few options if they didn't have to wait month upon month for the car they wanted?

[My_Yeti]

That Triumph is gorgeous!

Have to agree with some of the other comments about the Z4, in that it looks better now then when it was first released.

Thanks for that! Sadly it is impossible to use day to day unlike the Z4.

[hypnorm]

Cooper you old tart you! Lol ... Where's the pictures ...come on! Tripod shutter and Cooper hops into drivers seat for a cheesy grin!

[JonA]

Sold my Yeti, and bought a "Gay Hairdressers car". Love my "new" 2010 20th Anniversary Edition MX-5, miss some of the Yetis qualities but I'm happy with the car change this far. I don`t feel gay at all.. Just happy driving a great (if somewhat underengined) drivers car that does not rattle or squeak :-)