Trading in my Fabia vRS tomorrow for a 59 plate Yeti 140 Elegance in Aqua Blue.

I've had the Fabia for over 6 years and until the last year it's been bombproof - definitely the best car I've ever owned. Quick, fun to drive, economical, reliable and pretty comfortable (covered 135k in it) too. So the Yeti has a lot to live up to.

But in the last year, the Fabia has started to feel tired and I've been looking at 4x4 SUVs for a while, initially at Tiguans and Freelanders, but the Yeti has grown on me, and after test driving it last night, I reckon I've made a good decision.

I've read (and am still reading) loads of useful threads on here, which has helped sway me over too. The interior is in a different league to the Fabia's and makes my 97 Impreza's dash look ancient! I suppose it is ancient, come to think of it

Really looking forward to tomorrow, and taking the beastie out for a blast, and maybe if some Spring-like weather ever materialises, I can get some decent photos of it.

Congratulations on the arrival of a Yeti.

I rate the Yeti and Fabia VRS quite highly.

I remember that Impreza dash.

Had a 1998 Turbo 2000 many years ago.

Welcome to the clan

Welcome to the clan

...tribe? flock? herd? or did I imagine someone claiming 'flurry'?

Picked it up on Saturday and have covered about 300 miles since then. First impressions are very good. It seems (according to the MaxiDot) as economical as the Fabia, averaging 48 mpg during these trips. I know this isn't the actual mpg, but neither was the reading on the old vRS, I assume. Looks like I might get 550+ miles from a tank, which on Mull later on this year, could be a blessing!

Handling, while a bit jittery from being tall, is very good, and it is genuinely fun to drive through the twisties. Unlike the vRS, it lacks the kick-in-the-back acceleration in 4th, 5th and 6th on the motorways, but maybe this is a good thing, as it'll focus me on being more economical and decrease my chances of losing my licence! It's certainly no slouch though, and feels very torquey to drive.

Cabin is well laid out and comfortable, though I find the seats less supportive than those in the Fabia. Radio works which is a bonus As does the heating, which seemed to take about 40 mins to start working in the Fabia, by which time I was usually getting out the car having arrived.

Couple of questions:

1. Mine is a 59 plate, so will it accept SDHC cards in the ICE?

2. What steel wheels should I get for winter use (I assume I just go to the dealer for these)?

TIA!

Can't help with the card question, but re. 'What steel wheels should I get for winter use (I assume I just go to the dealer for these)?'

Skoda part number. V3C0 601 027 M0 3C

Huge amount of coverage in the past on here but, in short, the most straight forward and reliable way to source the wheels is the dealer (albeit a couple of phone calls might find a bit of discount for you).

215 60 16 is generally considered the default size on those steel wheels and they aren't expensive. I used 'oponeo.com' to buy the tyres (mine were Dunlop Winter Sports) but again there is vast coverage on here about winter tyres.

Edited 8 May, 201214 yr by oldstan

1. Mine is a 59 plate, so will it accept SDHC cards in the ICE?

Yes, up to 32GB IIRC. Loads of threads about getting your music onto the card in this forum so have a search.

Stewart

Cheers chaps!

I've read about how to, I just wanted to be sure that the higher capacity would work in my older car.

Info on all things Yeti rims & tyres can be found here;

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/148948-yeti-tyre-and-rim-guide/

dealer usually best for buying the rims, online retailers for the tyres and a local friendly fitter to put them together.

TP

Thanks TP - being an observant person I've only just noticed that the front tyres on the car are Goodyear 4 seasons, so I might just get a matching pair for the rears that are getting low on tread, and see how they fair through the year. They seem to get decent reviews on here.

Thanks TP - being an observant person I've only just noticed that the front tyres on the car are Goodyear 4 seasons, so I might just get a matching pair for the rears that are getting low on tread, and see how they fair through the year. They seem to get decent reviews on here.

Sounds like a cunning plan

My son has the 4Season fitted to his Fabia l all round; appear to work well no matter what time of the year it might be, although they can be a little more vocal in warmer weather than a standard summer tyre but to be expected.

TP

We did the same last year, swapped the 04 plate Fabia VRs for a 140 Yeti.

So far very pleased with but must admit I miss the get up and go of the VRs and it's not as responsive as my 140 Octavia. Still the Yeti has only done around 5k so it's a long way off being run in properly yet. From experience of four VAG diesels I don't think they get going really well until around the 20k mark,  fuel economy seems to suddenly pick up a lot as well then. The Octavia was only doing about 40mpg average when new but it's well into the low 50s.

Absolute godsend in snow though with 4wd and snow tyres and the Offroad button.

Mine's covered 26k now, and isn't far off matching the economy of the vRS, though I suspect that may be down to the lack of "get up and go" on the motorway, so I'm less inclined to cane it and get better efficiency. That said, it's not slow and is less "laggy" in its power delivery, so maybe it's deceptive with its speed?

If I need the kick-in-the-back feeling, I still have the "Old Nail" of my 2000 Turbo Impreza to fall back on... No point trying to drive that sensibly for economy, as it just doesn't do that act!

The Fabia wasn't exactly suited to driving down the rutted, potholed country tracks where I find myself taking photos from these days, and got stuck in a snow drift a few weeks back, which I wouldn't expect the Yeti to do. Mind you, it was -16C that morning, so it wasn't too surprising it had problems!

Thanks TP - being an observant person I've only just noticed that the front tyres on the car are Goodyear 4 seasons, so I might just get a matching pair for the rears that are getting low on tread, and see how they fair through the year. They seem to get decent reviews on here.

Well pleased with my 4 seasons. Done about 14k miles on them since fitting last October - including down to the Alps in March. Brilliant in the snow and feel fine in the warmer conditions too. Loads of wear in them yet.

Had the car for a week now and am still impressed. Took it down to Somerset on Saturday, so got to test the economy on a longer run. Conclusion is that while cruise control is very relaxing to use, it lowers the mpg, from what I can tell. I assume this comes from it not "free-wheeling" in gear when going down hill?

Also, annoyingly, managed to get a dint in the door after some pleb opened their door into it. I could scream as this happened within about a week of getting the Fabia.

Niggles so far

- seems to rattle a bit inside, around the door frames, like the rubber seals creak against each other, though this is usually masked by the music being played. I might treat the seals with something, to see if it helps.

- bumper plastic seems to scratch easily, like the old vRS glove box did. So have to be really careful taking things in and out of the boot.

- my golf clubs still don't fit in the boot, without taking out the 5 wood & driver! Despite being wider than the Fabia's boot, it's not quite wide enough. The Scooby's boot accommodates the bag & clubs no problem. Might try moving the rear seats forward to see if that helps...

Other than those minor issues, it's a great car. Love being higher up, so I can see over hedges, and gives a much better view when driving on motorways now. I just need to reprogram my aged brain to keep the revs higher to get the best from the engine, as the vRS's power band was lower down. And get used to the electric windows for the front being slightly further forward than the ones in the Fabia... keep opening the rear ones by mistake.

One last thing - how long is the warranty on them? My rear wiper seems to make a weird noise, like a crackling sound. It works, but I wonder if the motor is on the way out?

Well I've covered 10,000 miles now in the Yeti, including a few trips to the Elan Valley, Gatwick, Somerset and a circa 2000 mile break to Mull (did over 1300 miles on the isle alone!).

This week it's been in for its first MOT, a service and some warranty work. The rear wiper motor and a DPF sensor had to be replaced under warranty after the engine-management light came on recently in Somerset. I've also had Skoda check all the induction pipes to attempt to stop the smell of diesel fumes in the cabin, which touch wood, seems to be a lot better now.

The car was away from me for just 3 days and I really missed using it. The first day I used my Impreza, and got stuck in a traffic jam, which reminded me of how comfortable and easy the Yeti is to drive. My foot was actually aching from pressing the Impreza's clutch! Then I was kindly lent a brand new 62 plate Toyota Auris for 2 days. A very nice car to drive, if it had an engine in it. Instead they had fitted some sort of sewing machine. A 1.3 petrol, 99bhp unit which with the dashboard shift indicator, had me in 5th gear before 40mph. And so quiet at times I wondered if it was actually on. I think I could accelerate faster than it did. And despite following the recommended gear changes and using the start-stop feature, it was still 10mpg worse on the daily commute than the Yeti.

When I first got the Yeti, as posts above and in another thread suggest, I wondered if the 140 engine would keep me entertained. It does. I'm sure the 170 is faster, but I haven't once needed extra power (at legal speeds) for motorway driving, overtaking, or even ragging through the lanes.

On Mull it was fantastic. The roads on the south of the isle aren't great, and it soaked up all the bumps and holes with ease. Being a wildlife photography trip, I often needed to pull off the road at a moment's notice, to grab shots of something flying or swimming by, so not having to be concerned about bumpy surfaces or whether I'd get stuck was a real bonus. And the car's big windows helped spot things in the first place. Something that put me off buying an Ewok or a Sportage...

I always said that when I had the vRS, I'd sell the Impreza as it wouldn't be needed, but I never did. The AWD and additional practicality of the Scooby kept a part of me wanting it. But the Yeti's boot is big enough not to need the Scooby for lugging around large items, and of course it has 4wd too. It has character, isn't seen as chavvy (most petrolheads think they're very cool!) and is fun to drive around B roads. It just lacks the burble of a flat 4...

I can see 2013 being a year for just one car, and it will be the Yeti.

Bad points:

• Mpg drops over 70 quite significantly, but that's illegal in the UK so shouldn't be a problem.
  
• Paint is thin and chips too easily.
  
• Rust spot on the rear door - being repaired at the same time as bodywork damage to the same area. Skoda to fit the protective covers afterwards.
  

Good points:

• Fun to drive, handles surprisingly well and copes with the rubbish state of the UK's roads with ease. Very good off road, from what I have seen on Mull.
  
• Enough power and torque to keep me entertained.
  
• Spacious inside the cabin and the boot, despite having a spare wheel.
  
• Great lights - love the cornering feature of the xenons - so good down dark country lanes.
  
• Sound system is great - got loads of tunes on an SD card, and with the "bodge" for the folders, it's fast enough to use now.
  
• Bluetooth link to my iPhone is faultless.
  
• Cruise control is a real bonus on longer trips.
  
• Heater works (yay!) which the vRS never did.
  
• Should cope with any snow this winter, as it's wearing 4-Seasons tyres, which I have to say are great all year round.
  
• Averages mid 40s mpg, and have seen over 50 on some occasions, which are figures Ewok drivers can only dream about.
  

I just need to get the rear door damage repaired and the Gufs-mobile will be looking tip-top once more.

Rust spot on the rear door - being repaired at the same time as bodywork damage to the same area. Skoda to fit the protective covers afterwards.

I had the same thing (rust blemish, drivers side)Again repaired by Skoda with the protective covers fitted too.