Advice from 1.2 DSG owners please.

[4matt]

I am now considering a 1.2 DSG instead of a 2.0 D DSG 4x4 as I have changed my driving habits. I now only drive long distance a couple of times a year and do more round town. Completely opposite to what I use to do so Petrol is looking like a better option to me.

I would like advice from as many 1.2 DSG owners as possible about how they rate the car and how they feel the car performs round town and on the open road. With full load etc. Does it struggle at all, engine noise, wind noise, gearbox noise-change, and anything else to be mindful of.

I specifically want info on this variety as I have now discounted the rest of the engine choices favouring an Auto.

It's basically this... I keep my Merc B-Class 180 CDI Auto or chop it in for a 1.2 DSG Yeti. So what to do?

[BossFox]

You really need to take a test drive in a 1.2 DSG because it looks like the engine is too small for the car, but it just isn't.

It goes far better than most people expect and with the DSG it's a great combination having very smooth gear changes and 7 gears.

All Yeti suffer a bit of wind noise, because it's a tall car. Not excessive, but you will get some.

It will only struggle a bit at higher speeds if you load it up with four or five adults. Even then performance to around 50-60mph is fine, it's just once over that it starts to blunt the acceleration a bit as it is a tall car. Tall cars generate drag, you just can't do much about that. This is where the diesel does well as it makes more torque so pulls a Yeti along better at higher speeds.

The engine is quiet and the gearbox is too. You hardly even feel the changes as it swaps cogs.

[marcusthehat]

I test drove a 1.2TSI Yeti, but with a manual gearbox, only for a shortish distance in a mostly urban setting, a relatively short stretch of country road and no significent hills being involved. we were 3 up, salesman, wifey & self.

(i) Having just stepped out of a moderately "tweeked" 1.9TDI,

I anticipated stalling the wee pip-squeak of a petrol, due to lack of torque,

as I am in the diesel habit of pulling away at virtually tick-over revs.

I was astounded that it drove like a diesel, in respect of pulling away torque, and indeed general "lugging" ability.

I never stalled it once !!

I just drove it exactly as I would have the 1.9TDI, i.e. No "bootfulls" of revs needed.

So factor in the excellent 7 speed DSG (which I have experience of in the 1.6 CR diesel) and I should not anticipate any reason for complaint on grounds of being "under-engined"

Truely an amazing wee engine.

From a diesel nut too.

Marcus

Edited 11 July, 2012 by dieseldogg

[manxman]

I swapped a Renault Grand Scenic 2.0 litre petrol auto for the 1.2 DSG SE and also wondered how it would compare, but at the time it was the only DSG available. Had it just over a year now and have no complaints whatsoever.

The Renault had a rough 4-speed box compared to the Skoda smooooooooth 7 speed box. I live on the Isle of Man and my home to work drive is 11 miles each way. I am currently averaging a good 42 mpg compared to only 28mpg from the Renault!

The 1.2 engine is far superior for acceleration / overtaking than the Renault ever was.

Because there is no dealer on the Island I bought the Skoda "blind", from Drive-the-Deal and the first time I ever sat in one was when I picked mine up from Marlborough in London.

Yes I took a chance..........No I have no regrets..........I look forward to driving my monster at any opportunity I get.

You will be pleased if you purchase one..........BUT..........if you do have the opportunity to test drive, find out for yourself and give yourself complete peace of mind. It makes sense as one-man's-dream can be another-man's-nightmare!

Good Luck

Edited 11 July, 2012 by manxman

[Expatman]

I swopped my 2.0 TDi diesel DSG Octavia for a 1.2 Tsi DSG Yeti in March this year. Despite reassuring test drives I was still a little unsure of the ability of a 1.2 litre engine to perform adequately - particularly after a 2. 0 litre diesel! I have had the car for 4 months and it has performed beyond my expectations, it is smooth, quiet, comfortable (16" wheels), with plenty of performance for normal driving; on the motorway it cruises easily at normal speeds (70-80mph) - although it is true that at higher speeds it doesn't have the torque and acceleration of a 2.0 litre diesel engine. My driving pattern has changed over the last couple of years and now I drive long distance motorway journeys only a few times a year, the rest of the time I drive on mainly A and B roads and around town and for this type of motoring the 1.2 engine is spot on, the DSG box is so good you forget it's changing gear at all, better than the 6 speed 'wet' box on the Octavia but drives much the same. I haven't noticed anymore wind noise than the Octavia and generally I am still amazed at how quiet the Yeti is in normal everyday driving. It sounds ideal for the type of driving you describe (much like mine!) and all this and I am averaging a true 40.2 MPG - that has improved as the miles have increased because up to about 1,000 miles I was getting more like 37 MPG, hopefully it might improve further but I am satisfied with 40 mpg for a petrol costing '000s less than a diesel which my current driving pattern would not suit at all (DPF problems for one!).

Good luck!

[oldstan]

Bought mine without having driven one. Loved it from the word go. You would expect praise from a Yeti site but I also subscribe to a Hyundai site and believe me the same isn't the case there. I'll speak as I find and it's a cracker.

(And I've had some serious machinery in the past to compare it with......three Maestros [ including the 1600cc !! ], a Fiesta 1.1 and a 850cc split screen Morris Minor)....No, honestly, it's a lovely car that I always enjoy being in. Love the gearbox (but it's best to spend some time just fine tuning your driving style when pulling away sharply from standstill) and personally never run out of puff on open roads - but haven't tried to hammer it with four or five up....in normal driving, four up, it's fine.

Could easily afford a 4x4 diesel but can't really see the point for our purposes....with winter tyres (which I have) I would think you're pretty well covered as long as you don't want to go offroad in the heavy stuff and being petrol I don't have a DPF to consider and being DSG it has ESP and Hill Hold. Bit of a problem really coz I don't know what to change it for when the time comes. :think: If 16" tyres had been available at the time I'd have had them but otherwise hanker for nothing (except, maybe, electric folding mirrors).

OK...having thought about it, the MPG isn't spectacular (averages 35mpg consistently) but it doesn't keep me awake at night and if my journey type involved longer trips it would be better.

[Great Yeti]

It's basically this... I keep my Merc B-Class 180 CDI Auto or chop it in for a 1.2 DSG Yeti. So what to do?

Like you, we also had a Mercedes. We changed our A Class A170 CDI Auto and bought a Yeti 1.2 DSG SE. We had been very happy with the Merc but found Skoda to be superior to the Merc in almost every way!

After having Diesels for many years, our circumstances changed, as have yours and we opted for a petrol version Yeti. This has proved to have been an excellent decision. The 1.2 engine delivers power beyond anything a 1.2 could deliver only a few years ago, and the perfectly matched 7 speed DSG box is a dream combination. We easily achieve 40 mpg + on short runs and have managed just over 50 on a decent run - That's tank full to full not a "Maxidot" (the cars computer) estimate.

The build quality is superior to that of the Merc (not joking - perfectly serious) The build quality of the Merc was very good but I feel that our Yeti surpasses it - just.

So, in answer to your questions:

1 - I rate the car very highly. & that is from someone who has been driving for nearly fifty years and have owned and driven a great many different cars.

2 - It performs really well in town, and has amazing acceleration. The DSG box is always in the right gear for any eventuality. The car eats the miles effortlessly on the motorways and is plenty powerful enough for me with the family on board.

3 - Engine noise - what engine noise! it is VERY quiet.

4 - Gear Box "Noise Change". Unless you are watching the Rev counter, you will almost be unaware of the change of gear.

5 - A move to petrol and away from Diesel without the associated DPF problems that "Town" mileage would bring you, has to be the right step to take in my opinion.

Hope this helps you make up your mind - Take one for a test drive and you will not want to give it back at the end of the drive..........Tony

[oldstan]

"Because there is no dealer on the Island I bought the Skoda "blind", from Drive-the-Deal and the first time I ever sat in one was when I picked mine up from Marlborough in London".

Did you have Mike as your salesman at Marlborough, manxman? I did and found him to be a real gentleman. They don't deal with Drive the Deal any more but still do a mean deal, I believe.

[4matt]

Thank you all for the feed back its excactly what I hoped to hear. Especially Tony, who swapped from a very similar car to the one I currently run.

One of the things I was worried about was comfort. My Merc is all so very comfortable and can eat up six hundred miles without a bit of back pain or numb bum. What about the Yeti?

[JCP]

Not in a 1.2 but I have done 500 miles+ on a European trip in my Yeti. Not as good as my old Lexus 400 but better than I expected. The seats are good, the driving position and view ahead nearly ideal and the refinement remarkable for a Golf sized and moderately priced car. At my age bits do ache but the Yeti is a supportive device and I would recommend one as a distance machine.My trip average laden (3 and luggage for 4) was dependent on 80ish MPH cruising and for that I'd want the diesel. The 1.2 appears to flourish at a slightly lower cruising speed from what I have read.

[BossFox]

I forgot to add, we sold our 1.2 DSG SE after 18 months.... and bought a 1.2 DSG Elegance.

As my wife's car she really wanted the same engine and gearbox combo again, in another Yeti as nothing else appealed to her as much.

That's got to tell you something.

[rockhopper]

Seat comfort with the electric seat is brilliant. 10 hours door to door with 8 1/2 hrs driving. Got to destination 460 miles from home and where do we go next!

Most comfortable long distance car I have owned.

I would consider a 1.2 DSG next time if a 1.8 tsi DSG is not available.