Hi all

I'm planning to order a new Yeti but with DSG.

At the moment I'm stuck between 1.2 petrol two-wheel drive and 2.0 diesel four-wheel drive.

I don't do a huge mileage but I do take the Yeti to the alps for our annual ski holiday.

I have a set of winter wheels.

For those who have one, how good is two wheel drive on snow/ice?

Many thanks

John

I have a 1.2 TSI manual, with summer tires.

Lived in Durham last year and it wouldn't even move out of my front drive or even on small inclines, no matter how gentle I am, with or without ASR.

The problem is that the 1.2 engine is very light and the front end just couldn't grip, think it may be much better with Winter tires.

Edited 26 February, 201214 yr by My_Yeti

Two wheel drive is pretty good on snow/ice, but only with decent winter tyres fitted.

It's got a light little engine, so not a great deal of traction otherwise.

Certianly worth it if you can get away with the 2wd DSG. The 4x4 diesel is about as economical (due to lots of extra weight and more friction in the gearbox)) and costs about £4000 more.

Hi John,

obviously a 1.2 DSG Yeti is a wee bit heavier, however I've noticed with our 1.2TSI manual Fabia that it's still prone to sliding about even with winter tyres and ESP/TCS due I believe to the lack of weight particularly at the front, compared to the much more planted Yeti 4x4. Although for low mileage use the TSI does make more sense.

Regards,

TP

Hi John,

obviously a 1.2 DSG Yeti is a wee bit heavier, however I've noticed with our 1.2TSI manual Fabia that it's still prone to sliding about even with winter tyres and ESP/TCS due I believe to the lack of weight particularly at the front, compared to the much more planted Yeti 4x4. Although for low mileage use the TSI does make more sense.

Regards,

TP

Wonder why weight over driven wheels is a particular issue? Is it a matter of pressure over the type contact area? If so would narrower tyres be a solution?

I wouldn't fancy driving the 1.2 up the alpine passes fully loaded - it really doesn't like steep hills much when it's proper full-up.

I'm sure it would do it, but you'd really have to rev it. Depends how much you take with you / how many people in the car I guess.

The FWD will be fine in the snow with the right tyres, but obviously the 4x4 will be better.

Wonder why weight over driven wheels is a particular issue? Is it a matter of pressure over the type contact area? If so would narrower tyres be a solution?

Yes, thinner winter tyres would give more ground pressure and therefore more "bite".

Not really true in that sense...according to the German (ADAC) and Austrian (ÖAMTC) AA-equivalents:

Narrow tyres will be better in deep snow with no ice, as they will cut down through the snow better. On ice, a wider tyre will have a larger contact patch and will give more traction.

And weight over the driven wheels is definitely an issue, my friends in the Alps get their BMWs up hills by getting a couple of friends to sit in the boot.

Edited 26 February, 201214 yr by carnivorous

Used to have issues with the Rapid 136 in the snow and ice, however it effected the steering. Sandbags under the bonnet helped but I did miss the odd turning as the car decided to go straight on

Traction otherwise was not an issue even being rwd as the engine overhung the rear axle

TP

Wonder why weight over driven wheels is a particular issue? Is it a matter of pressure over the type contact area? If so would narrower tyres be a solution?

This is one of the MAIN reasons RWD cars struggle in snow: their driven wheels are under an empty boot with hardly any weight "planting" them. Most RWD cars will be fine in the snow on summer tyres (in as much as that can be fine) if they just put a few bags of cement in the boot. Doh.

As to 1,2 or 2,0 DSG. If you can afford either the 2,0 will of course be the better option as it has more poke for overtaking and does not notice a laden car in the least. But if you are not going to be carting around heavy loads that often I'd say save the £4,000 (as mentioned above) and take the 1,2 DSG. A FWD car with decent winter tyres (which you already have) will be fine in the sort of snow we get on the roads.

The diesel DSG will be very similar to what you have already. If you are happy with the performance etc, then stick with it. You will notice a big difference in mid range & top end compared to the 1.2tsi, which is a very good unit. But, as discussed before, the economy seems to be very similar between two engines. only on a couple of tankfulls have I got close to the quoted mpg, and around London the 2.0 diesel engine will give 30 if traffic is very bad up to 44 if you can keep moving. Note these are corrected values, so the maxidot will read on a normal car 33-34mpg in very heavy traffic and about 50mpg if you can keep moving.

You can also tow a greater weight with the diesel. and with my slightly tuned engine will do 25mpg towing a caravan, keeping it at 60mph up or down dale.....

Used to have issues with the Rapid 136 in the snow and ice, however it effected the steering. Sandbags under the bonnet helped but I did miss the odd turning as the car decided to go straight on

Traction otherwise was not an issue even being rwd as the engine overhung the rear axle

TP

Tim,

that was what the hand brake was for!!

Thanks everyone. Good advice gratefully received.

I've ordered a 2.0 140 Tdi Elegance with DSG in Corrida red. Extras ordered are rough road package and park assist.

Lead time is six to seven months and I'm hoping for 1st October (just after my 60th!).

Price is held at current list and I've been offered finance at 3.4%.

I'm taking current car on holiday at end July and dealer has given me a price to buy the car from me in mid August.

Now it's the long wait.

John

That's a good finance rate on a Yeti in this climate. Nice choice I'm sure you'll love it.

Someone on here managed to persuade their dealer to swop the Dunlops for GoodYear Vector 4-Seasons for 75 pence. See if you can get a similair deal and you'll have no problems should it snow. It's been mentioned before but depending on where you live a pair of snowsocks are a good idea in any case.

Too late to be of any use, but:

I found the 1.2 TSI DSG with winter tyres excellent on the snow and ice last year, including a deep slush covered M4 (they had only just reopened the M4 around Cardiff) and up some hills outside Neath. So much better than my previous diesel Octavia on summer tyres. So for low mileage users who don't go off-roading its a good choice.

What surprised me was how well the DSG control system coped with the slippery conditions. No problems at all, pulling away or accelerating gently.

Of course the 4x4 with winter tyres would be even better. But ultimately grip is down to the four little rubber patches on the road, and once the grips gone it doesn't really matter whether is 4x2 or 4x4, as I think I recall TP saying he did some interesting skating in his red Yeti.

Too late to be of any use, but:

I found the 1.2 TSI DSG with winter tyres excellent on the snow and ice last year, including a deep slush covered M4 (they had only just reopened the M4 around Cardiff) and up some hills outside Neath. So much better than my previous diesel Octavia on summer tyres. So for low mileage users who don't go off-roading its a good choice.

What surprised me was how well the DSG control system coped with the slippery conditions. No problems at all, pulling away or accelerating gently.

Of course the 4x4 with winter tyres would be even better. But ultimately grip is down to the four little rubber patches on the road, and once the grips gone it doesn't really matter whether is 4x2 or 4x4, as I think I recall TP saying he did some interesting skating in his red Yeti.

Thanks for this one. It was a hard choice but ultimately swayed by Mrs JST who had first hand experience of the benefits of 4x4 while in Austria this year when it shrugged off snowy village roads that in the past our previous 2-wheel drive Skodas, Passat and a Honda struggled with and before that our BMW 316 estate simply could not cope with.

Plus, I do like the pick up from the 2.0 diesel, especially with a tuning box fitted.

Only down side is that my boss has a red Volvo XC90 and I began to think about "mini-me" comments(lol).

John

Tim,

that was what the hand brake was for!!

Thanks everyone. Good advice gratefully received.

I've ordered a 2.0 140 Tdi Elegance with DSG in Corrida red. Extras ordered are rough road package and park assist.

Lead time is six to seven months and I'm hoping for 1st October (just after my 60th!).

Price is held at current list and I've been offered finance at 3.4%.

I'm taking current car on holiday at end July and dealer has given me a price to buy the car from me in mid August.

Now it's the long wait.

John

Congrats on the order John

Oh any reason for not going for the heated screen :wonder:

Regards,

TP

Congrats on the order John

Oh any reason for not going for the heated screen :wonder:

Regards,

TP

I'm still uncertain about the heated screen. Had it on my Passat but in some light conditions we could see the fine mesh and especially through Polaroid glasses which we found to be a bit of a distraction.

We still have time to adjust the spec.

John

You're not alone - can't stand the squiggly lines.

You're not alone - can't stand the squiggly lines.

I thought they would irritate me too, but it took me some time to notice them in Rockhopper's car after a few hundred miles in it. BUT I did not have my polarising sunglasses on nor was the sun shining low in front of us.

But even if I get a new Yeti tomorrow I won't get this option since I don't drive the car to work. So frosty mornings scraping my windscreen are very, very rare thankfully so I can't warrant the outlay.

But even if I get a new Yeti tomorrow I won't get this option since I don't drive the car to work. So frosty mornings scraping my windscreen are very, very rare thankfully so I can't warrant the outlay.

Exactly why my wife's Yeti doesn't have the heated screen and mine does.

One lives in the garage and does a few local trips a week, the other lives outside and drives to work early every morning.

Hi John, I'm interested in your choice of extras.

I too ordered that model yeti last week- nice choice. I was wondering why you decided to go for the RRP. I looked at the RRP threads on this site and concluded that for me, I would really want the foil paintwork protectors but they come with the car anyway (not part of RRP). Is your understanding the same as mine tin that the RRP offers a glass reinforced polymer sump protector (replacing a plastic sump/engine cover on the diesel) and two plastic wishbone protectors?

I do like the look of the reinforced sump cover but I wonder as to the point of the wishbone plastic trims. I wondered if dirt and water may collect and corrode the wishbone faster than had they not been there but then thought that they might actually prevent stone chips exposing the steel beneath, again accelerating corrosion. Anyway, I'm still undecided whether I want/ need a sump guard but fail to see merit in the plastic wishbone winglet type things.

I had thought originally of selecting park assist but when I thought about it, I thought I'd never use the self parking function but would use the front sensors (plus I like the whole car image in the display rather than rear only. There isn't much price difference between park assist and front additional sensors but I opted for the latter purely for one reason. I didn't like the idea of an automatic steering-motor arrangement that could steer. Being an engineer, I wondered about whether a fault could activate the motor at speed and concluded it wasn't for me, just in case. Plus one less thing to go wrong (admittedly there is that much kit on an elegance that one more thing would get lost in the noise).

Didn't you fancy a spare wheel?

John, I ask if you fancied a spare wheel because you have selected RRP and I thought if you were doing any RRD on stony grond for example, then a spare might come in handy

Oh by the way, have you got your yeti order number yet? I had a pleasant suprise after getting mine. Last week SUK told me wk33 build date and this week it is wk30.

If they keep reducing it by 3 weeks on a weekly basis it'll be here in 2 months!