Decisions, decisions.......which Yeti to go for?

[docc]

Firstly - thanks for a great forum. It's going to be very useful, that's very clear.

This is a stupidly wide question, I know, but any thoughts on which model to go for would be appreciated. Lowish mileage, maybe around 6000 pa, no off-road use, but bad roads round here in winter very occasionally. Planning to keep it for a minimum of 10 years.

The Elegance Greenline looks the most economical choice over a ten year period (despite the higher initial outlay) - though one of the petrol engines might perhaps be as good a choice. The stop-start system is a bit of a concern, but I gather it can be disabled easily from the dashboard if you choose to. No spare wheel also a bit of a concern - the space saver wheel might get round that.

Reliability seems to be better than the Tiguan - I wonder why that is? Are Skoda dealers less keen to 'manufacture' problems than VW dealers perhaps? They do seem to get a better press!

Economy has to be the priority - not looking for something that's going to be expensive to run. Also looking to get a keen price if I go for a new one - any suggestions please?

A bit rambling, I'm afraid, but I'm totally new to Skoda after years of VW ownership. Any comments, suggestions or thoughts very much welcome so that we can make the right decision.

[The Plumber]

Hi and welcome,

with low annual miles I would look at the 1.2TSI rather than diesel, which also means you could get the factory spare. Probably advisable to further look at a set of winter tyres or replacing the factory summer 'sports' tyres with Goodyear 4season, as the 17" tyres of the top spec models don't behave well in snow, if such conditions are a concern.

Options are a personal thing but I've found both the heated screen and front park sensors useful and I would also consider the elec seat for that finer adjustment (one option I forgot to tick myself).

TP

[JCP]

Your projected mileage suggests petrol. You don't say where in the world you are going to be driving-and what you mean by bad roads in winter means you may or may not be someone who'd benefit from 4wd.

I think you should try a 1.2 to see whether it might suit-keen prices are not the norm for Yetis as they still seem to be in the kind of demand which gives dealers an edge.

Skoda seem to be rated highly for build quality and reliability-many components are VAG supplied so my guess is that the czech factory has greater pride/heritage.

[The Hood]

I agree your mileage points to a petrol engine rather than deisel. As regards a spare wheel and 4x4, if you got a set of winter tyres/wheels grip would be much better in the winter and you could have one of those in the boot as a spare, although if you are buying new what you get with a spare wheel compared to the cost of buying elsewhere is a bit of a no brainer.

I cannot speak for the petrol engine but the diesel is a bit of a joke when it comes to de-frosting the screen, and I regret not getting the heated screen.

The choice of wheel size has caused much heated debate on this forum, depending on the model you chose you may end up with 16 or 17 inch wheels, if possible try to get a test drive with each size to see which you prefer as this could influence your choice..

[BossFox]

As said above, I'd suggest a 1.2 petrol. Unless you are set on a diesel, where a Greenline would be the obvious choice.

60k miles over 10 years shouldn't throw up any nasty surprises, it's all tried and tested VW running gear.

Petrol has the benefit of warming up more quickly if your trips are not long ones.

I'd just personally avoid some of the fancy options (like the big sunroof) if you are keeping it 10 years as it's more to go wrong (or leak) further down the line when the weather/sun has had a go at it.

Welcome to the forum docc.

[kibby]

With the Greenline you can't select the spare wheel option (an additional weight issue affecting economy!!). It obviously can be fitted but Skoda will not let you select the option at purchase time.

However some people have got around it with crafty helpful dealers (not sure how but not difficult to imagine a way).

The issue is it is around £85 if specified on initial order but you won't get much change out of £300

if purchased as an after thought. (it comes as a package of parts, not just the spare wheel itself).

Edited 30 August, 2012 by kibby

[domhnall]

I've switched from 2 litre diesels to the 1.2 petrol in the last year. It's a cracking engine and winter tyres sort out poor conditions in the winter. Then sit back and relish the money you've saved by not buying a diesel. At your mileage you'd be more than likely to have dpf issues

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Zib]

I have gone through a similar decision process. My annual mileage is about 12,000, and I like to keep my cars 8 to 9 years, but even with this, diesel engines no longer makes sense as an option for me, especially since they need timing belt changes. I don't know specifically for the Yeti, but for our other car, a VW, they have reduced the recommended TDI timing belt change to every 80,000 miles or every 4 years, whichever comes first. It's a reasonably specialist job and for the price of it, you can buy a great deal of petrol. The 1.2 TSI has a chain rather than belt, and it should last the life of the engine providing you do not skimp on your oil changes - every year despite your low mileage.

Another factor to consider is that whilst the consumption of the Greenline is good, it's nothing like as good as the official Euro figures indicate. Try searching the internet for real life fuel consumption.

Edited 30 August, 2012 by Zib

[docc]

Thanks, guys - this is all very helpful stuff. Back to the brochure and the website to give this some further thought. Really important for us to make the right decision, as we're going to live with it for 10 years!

[BossFox]

We find the GL2 does about 10mpg more than the 1.2 (but it is a DSG), 52 and 42 average driving on the same roads.

You have to pay for a timing belt on the GL2, but are saving around £100 per year on road tax.

We have a 1.2 petrol DSG, Greenline II and a 170 4x4 diesel in the family. But for short trips the 1.2 is the best.

It's quiet, very smooth, feels more agile (as it is lighter) and warms up more quickly.

It's just a more refined package if you are not doing many miles... which is why that would be my personal choice.

[Zib]

We find the GL2 does about 10mpg more than the 1.2 (but it is a DSG), 52 and 42 average driving on the same roads.

You have to pay for a timing belt on the GL2, but are saving around £100 per year on road tax.

We have a 1.2 petrol DSG, Greenline II and a 170 4x4 diesel in the family. But for short trips the 1.2 is the best.

It's quiet, very smooth, feels more agile (as it is lighter) and warms up more quickly.

It's just a more refined package if you are not doing many miles... which is why that would be my personal choice.

Good point re the road tax. I was primarily comparing the two DSGs when making my decision.

[Clyde M]

I would agree with the previous posts sentiments about diesel v petrol. I've had my 1.2SE for a couple of months now and can't fault the engine or anything else for that matter. I plan to get a set of winter wheels later in the year and I seem to remember reading somewhere that a 2WD vehicle fitted with winter tyres will sometimes out perform a 4WD fitted with normal tyres in snow conditions.

[Expatman]

I would agree with the previous posts sentiments about diesel v petrol. I've had my 1.2SE for a couple of months now and can't fault the engine or anything else for that matter. I plan to get a set of winter wheels later in the year and I seem to remember reading somewhere that a 2WD vehicle fitted with winter tyres will sometimes out perform a 4WD fitted with normal tyres in snow conditions.

I've had my 1.2 Tsi DSG for six months now and expect to do about 10k per year. Great car/engine combination and I will be getting a set of winter tyres in October, however, I plan to keep the same wheels (16") and swap tyres. Local tyre depot happy to do that, no charge first change (of course) then £20 after that, seems more economical than buying a second set of wheels and as I don't intend on doing any rough road stuff I am not worried about wheel damage. Also get to enjoy the look of the Moon alloys rather than steel wheels for 6 months of every year!

[vegit8]

I've had my 1.2 Tsi DSG for six months now and expect to do about 10k per year. Great car/engine combination and I will be getting a set of winter tyres in October, however, I plan to keep the same wheels (16") and swap tyres. Local tyre depot happy to do that, no charge first change (of course) then £20 after that, seems more economical than buying a second set of wheels and as I don't intend on doing any rough road stuff I am not worried about wheel damage. Also get to enjoy the look of the Moon alloys rather than steel wheels for 6 months of every year!

Have you considered the implications of switching tyres twice a year, I would be concerned about damage to the beading of the tyre each time they remove it from the rim.

If you are doing roughly the same mileage summer and winter, each set of tyres could be off and on as many as 7 times in their lifetime.

Then there is the increased risk of damage to the wheels themselves, you may be lucky with your fitter, but I have read a number of tales of woe regarding damage to alloys by careless fitters.

Like you we have ordered a special build, with the 16" moons. I purchased a set of refurbished Audi alloys for £200 off eBay, they are quite close in look to the moons. The winters will be fitted to those and will sit on a wheel tree out of season.

[Expatman]

Have you considered the implications of switching tyres twice a year, I would be concerned about damage to the beading of the tyre each time they remove it from the rim.

If you are doing roughly the same mileage summer and winter, each set of tyres could be off and on as many as 7 times in their lifetime.

Then there is the increased risk of damage to the wheels themselves, you may be lucky with your fitter, but I have read a number of tales of woe regarding damage to alloys by careless fitters.

Like you we have ordered a special build, with the 16" moons. I purchased a set of refurbished Audi alloys for £200 off eBay, they are quite close in look to the moons. The winters will be fitted to those and will sit on a wheel tree out of season.

Hmmm good point, will need to think about that one. Might look for a set of used alloys but concerned about getting the right ones - stud spacing etc.

[Cody]

I live in Germany so have to have winter tyres on as legal requirement. The spare sets of tyres are permanently fitted to steels and I simply change them over in Oct and late March. Steels I prefer for winter but if can get some cheap alloys then good. Agree with above, changing tyres on same rims twice a year not good for rims and whilst bit of a cost up front, safer winter driving and means I can also rotate tyres every year to extend life of tyres as well s double bonus.

[docc]

Thanks again for all the continuing helpful comments. As a died in the wool VW man, this is all new to me - though I'm more than happy to switch to a VW brand that performs far better than VW itself.

I've decided that 4WD is something we'd regret not getting over the 10+ years that we'll have the vehicle. Also that, bearing in mind the comments above, it has to be a petrol engine. Given that it's the Elegance spec I'm looking for, that neatly narrows it down to the Yeti Elegance 1.8 TSI 160PS 4x4, which comes in at £24,345 with a few extras. A bit more than I expected (though it's 13 years since we bought the last cars!) but rather less than the Tiguan or a Honda equivalent.

I'm sure that can be discounted down a bit, with a bit of research, and I wouldn't rule out a low mileage used one at the right price.

Any comments on the model decision (right or wrong) would be appreciated, and am I the only freak who'd actually prefer steel wheels to alloys? I don't much care what they look like (eye of beholder and all that) and the disadvantages of alloys (less strong and much more stealable) have always made them seem pretty pointless to me. Doubtless some sort of downgrade could be arranged. Is the general view that 16" is a better option than 17"?

Again - this is enormously helpful, and thanks for taking the time to post.

[Zib]

The 1.8 TSI is probably the least popular engine choice, from what I can make out, because it's relatively thirsty. Your low mileage means that this would not be too bad in running costs, and if you plan to keep it 10 years, then whatever you buy is going to be relatively worthless when you want to sell. On the other hand, you may be able to get a good price for a used version.

The Elegance spec is the most popular in the UK.

If you really want steel wheels, you could always sell the alloys.

[Hairball]

Just a thought, ask the dealer to check what is currently built and ready to ship, some builds may have been cancelled too late for thr factory to build and you might be able to talk a better deal on it. Thats what I did on my last car. Of course you'll be stuck with the available spec that may or may not include the extras you want, rule of thumb, whatever the colour of the car available suggest that it was not what you want and some good bargaining can be done on a ready made car. Good luck.

[vegit8]

Car tax is also a big factor, the 1.8 petrol attracts A whopping £460 a year bill, whereas the diesel is £170 at current rates, you will need to do some pretty intense math to calculate the overall running costs.

Diesels tend to be cheaper to insure as well?

I am sure that with the rapid rise of the city car type vehicles all being taxed at £20 or less for the year, jolly old George Osborne will be looking to claw back a large chunk of lost revenue.

Which can only mean higher taxes for the larger polluters, I can't see the exchequer pushing tax up for the least polluting vehicles.

[Photoemt]

"I am sure that with the rapid rise of the city car type vehicles all being taxed at £20 or less for the year, jolly old George Osborne will be looking to claw back a large chunk of lost revenue.

Which can only mean higher taxes for the larger polluters, I can't see the exchequer pushing tax up for the least polluting vehicles."

Don't be so sure, the same situation arose over here where the majority of new cars sold were in the low emmissons bracket so the Goverment hiked up the road tax on these leaving the higher ones as is. They intend attacking the lower ones again by splitting our lowest rate "Band A" into four sub brackets which places the Yeti Greenline in the top one of these.

[docc]

"Car tax is also a big factor, the 1.8 petrol attracts A whopping £460 a year bill, whereas the diesel is £170 at current rates, you will need to do some pretty intense math to calculate the overall running costs."

It's not quite as bad as that, is it? Isn't the £460 just the first year charge, with the subsequent annual rate £250? I take your point entirely, though.

[vegit8]

It's not quite as bad as that, is it? Isn't the £460 just the first year charge, with the subsequent annual rate £250? I take your point entirely, though.

Ah yes, apologies that was a bit misleading.

[docc]

Took a look at the Tiguan this morning while passing, just out of curiosity. They happened to have one with the space saver spare wheel, and I was amazed how much smaller it makes the boot.

It does make me wonder whether we could possibly do without one, but the thought of getting a puncture on the way to, say, an airport without any kind of spare does worry me. Presumably this doesn't worry the majority of people in here? What happens in practice if you get a puncture?

[wakev]

Took a look at the Tiguan this morning while passing, just out of curiosity. They happened to have one with the space saver spare wheel, and I was amazed how much smaller it makes the boot.

It does make me wonder whether we could possibly do without one, but the thought of getting a puncture on the way to, say, an airport without any kind of spare does worry me. Presumably this doesn't worry the majority of people in here? What happens in practice if you get a puncture?

Hi my 110 came with no spare, and for local driving I am happy trust the gunk if i get a flat. But I did get a spare wheel paid for by a bit of my late delivery payment from skoda, it spends most of its time sitting in my shed but on any long or important trips like the going to the airport I lay it in the boot and strap it down, I have also got a extending wheel brace from halfords and a small hydraulic jack which fit into the hole with the gunk.

Also SWMBO has the yeti a lot of the time and I am using my my van (SWMBO would not know how to change the wheel :wonder: ) so i would be the one to go home and get the spare and change it :love: , if I had a problem when using it I could phone my son to bring it to me if the gunk didn't work.

The spare option is a thing that needs thinking about on the basis of how far you travel and if you could get help in a situation of a unrepairable puncture.