I am at the point of purchasing my first ŠKODA Yeti..... in fact my first ŠKODA. So as you will readily understand I have very limited knowledge about ŠKODA in general and the Yeti.

Attached to this post is a PDF file containing the configuration that I have selected.

Before I give this to the ŠKODA Retailer, I would be grateful to receive advice with regards to this proposed configuration from experienced Yeti owners. I would especially like to receive comments about optional items that I have excluded but which would be advisable to include and conversely optional items that I have included which could be ommitted.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

T.

Skoda Yeti Configuration.pdf

Hi and welcome

Your configuration looks a good one, although I would be interested as to why you are looking at an SE Plus rather than an Elegance, as the majority of your options are standard on the higher trim level, which will be worth more come resale :wonder:

Found when I sold my first Yeti SE, that the options made no difference to the price and after discussing with the very helpful James, who supplied my current Yeti (sadly he's now emigrated), I decided it made more sense to spend a couple of hundred more on an Elegance 110 4x4 than a fairly optioned SE 140 4x4.

Don't know which dealer your using but I will recommend in your area contacting Lee at Preston Motors and Beth at Allams before signing on the dotted line elsewhere.

TP

Hi I can also recommend Lee at Preston motors. Went in this week looking to purchase a Rapid after finding it wasn't best for me he did a cracking deal on a new yeti so ended up buying it can't wait for it to be delivered

I think the biggest difference between the SE Plus and the Elegance, at least for this configuration, is the sat-nav. Adding the Columbus to Elegance trim is a £1500 extra. Adding the TPM and spare tyre to that pushes the RRP up another £2,350. If the integrated sat-nav is important and the budget not so flexible, then I think you have a good spec.

I have Elegance trim with just the spare tyre and heated windscreen as extras, both of which I rate highly. I wasn't convinced about TPM but others here with it may have equally strong feelings about its benefits.

Hi and welcome

Your configuration looks a good one, although I would be interested as to why you are looking at an SE Plus rather than an Elegance, as the majority of your options are standard on the higher trim level, which will be worth more come resale :wonder:

Found when I sold my first Yeti SE, that the options made no difference to the price and after discussing with the very helpful James, who supplied my current Yeti (sadly he's now emigrated), I decided it made more sense to spend a couple of hundred more on an Elegance 110 4x4 than a fairly optioned SE 140 4x4.

Don't know which dealer your using but I will recommend in your area contacting Lee at Preston Motors and Beth at Allams before signing on the dotted line elsewhere.

TP

Probably doesn't like leather seats like me lol

JeZ

Only question I would ask is why do you think you will need the Off Road button and Hill Hold Control. Do you intend using your vehicle off-road a lot?

I did the same except i went for heated seats (diesel in winter takes ages to heat up), tow bar prep. One reason for the se plus was the trays on the back of the front seats. Useful if you have children. My biggest reason was i really didn't want leather seats...sat nav with bluetooth is very useful too....

Br

JeZ

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Personally with that spec and adding the Xenon lights I'd buy an Elegance.

Unless you really don't want leather seats, but they are heated.

I didn't really want leather either, but did to get the electric seat and now I've had the car for a while I'm glad I did.

The only thing you'll lose is the folding tables on the back of the front chairs.

I don't altogether understand people's problem with leather. Admittedly, I don't have young children in the Yeti very often, but if I did I think the various spills (let's not go into details!) would be as easily, if not more easily, cleaned off leather than off cloth, and certainly with less residual marking. Added to which, leather seats stay beautifully cool in summer and quickly warm up in winter.

I agree with (most) others here: an Elegance with no or few extras will hold its value better than a heavily-optioned lower-trim model.

The newly annonced L&K looks very attractive value-wise.

My last 3 cars (including my current SE plus) have had folding rear seat tables. I don't like them and the only time they are used is to access the seat pockets....so a pain for me.

I love my SE plus and I find cloth seats better than leather. Mine are not heated and I don't find them a problem.

I bought mine as a cancelled order. Right colour, DSG so pretty much perfect. If the cancellation had been an Elegance I would have been just as happy.

I don't altogether understand people's problem with leather. Admittedly, I don't have young children in the Yeti very often, but if I did I think the various spills (let's not go into details!) would be as easily, if not more easily, cleaned off leather than off cloth, and certainly with less residual marking. Added to which, leather seats stay beautifully cool in summer and quickly warm up in winter.

Ah, if only they were good-quality leather.

The tiny thickness of real leather that went into them has been so heavily processed, pressed, homogenised, stamped, backed with cloth, and covered in a layer of breathable vinyl, that 'vinyl seats' would be a more honest description. The car industry has succeeded in devising a product for which they can charge a premium price but which is not much different from the vinyl seats of the 60s and 70s that everyone regards as cheap and nasty.

Of the various cars I've had with "leather" seats, the Yeti's are the poorest quality and if I buy another Yeti, I'll probably omit them.

I've found the Off Road Button handy in the snow (summer tyres). I know the Yeti lights are not very good but £655 for the bi-xenon seems a of of money. Spec looks great though and I'm sure you will love the car. I've had my 110 4x4 SE for 3 months and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive.

Ah, if only they were good-quality leather.

The tiny thickness of real leather that went into them has been so heavily processed, pressed, homogenised, stamped, backed with cloth, and covered in a layer of breathable vinyl, that 'vinyl seats' would be a more honest description. The car industry has succeeded in devising a product for which they can charge a premium price but which is not much different from the vinyl seats of the 60s and 70s that everyone regards as cheap and nasty.

Of the various cars I've had with "leather" seats, the Yeti's are the poorest quality and if I buy another Yeti, I'll probably omit them.

Agree, not for the looks but the poor quality and the "crinkles" later on. Funny thing is VW now spec "leather look" vinyl seats as a £450 option on their city car the Up, but I suppose at least they are honest about it. Most leather seats these days only have the top of seat and front of backrest in leather, with the sides and rear in vinyl.

I've had my 110 4x4 SE for 3 months and it puts a smile on my face every time I drive.

Same here. I also have a white SE based Urban (only 2WD though) - great handling car, and like you love every trip.

I like to keep my car simple and increase reliability and economy of ownership--if I had a lot of cash I would have bought a Range Rover!

There have been a lot of murmurings about problems with the Columbus radio/sat nav, and at £1500 as an extra that's a lot of Tom Toms-- heated seats and the rest of the gizmos: auto parking aid must be one of the daftest things I've heard about [ yes i know some of you love it!]--

Something that made the car a lot safer like forward pointing radar would make more sense IMHO

I have just logged-in this morning and am overwhelmed by not only the number of replies to my post, but more importantly the valuable information provided.

So firstly - thank you to everyone, it would appear that Yeti owners are a knowledgeable bunch

I will try to answer all comments as briefly as possible.

1. Why SE Plus and not Elegance?

Jezzep has the answer - leather seats. I have owned 2 vehicles with leather seats (one was very good quality, one was not) and I did not like either of them - the leather seats that is, the vehicles were great. And worse than that, my lovely lady absolutely hated the seats. So cloth is not really negotiable. And I have previously had heated seats and almost never used the feature, so heated seats is not important.

Resale value is not an issue. I keep my vehicles for a long time. I usually run two vehicles and typically keep them until around 100K miles. I spend the money on dealer servicing and a little TLC to keep them running at peak. That is why it is so important for me to get it right at the time of purchase.

2. Off-Road Button and Hill Hold Control

Absolutely essential for my purposes. The area where the vehicle will be mainly used is around 1000 sqml of which less than 100 sqml is flat - the rest is hills and mountain, with some heart-pounding ascents and descents. Some on fairly good roads, some on mountain-goat tracks. These two controls are going to be in frequent use.

3. Bi-Xenon Lights

£655 is a lot of money for an upgrade to the lights - especially if the vehicle won't be used all that much after dark. However, the Bi-Xenon package contains a lot more than just a couple of fancy lights. After reading up on the full spec of the package I think that I will grit the teeth and cough up the cash. The Yeti will also be used for some very long (2000 m plus) journeys, much of it on motorways and some of it after dark - so the lights won't be needed frequently, but when good lights are needed I think I will be thankful that I opted for this option.

Thanks again to everyone.

T.

Ah, if only they were good-quality leather.

The tiny thickness of real leather that went into them has been so heavily processed, pressed, homogenised, stamped, backed with cloth, and covered in a layer of breathable vinyl, that 'vinyl seats' would be a more honest description. The car industry has succeeded in devising a product for which they can charge a premium price but which is not much different from the vinyl seats of the 60s and 70s that everyone regards as cheap and nasty.

Of the various cars I've had with "leather" seats, the Yeti's are the poorest quality and if I buy another Yeti, I'll probably omit them.

Agree 100% with this. Hate the "leather" seats in the Yeti.

Edited 19 January, 201313 yr by servicepoint

3. Bi-Xenon Lights

£655 is a lot of money for an upgrade to the lights - especially if the vehicle won't be used all that much after dark. However, the Bi-Xenon package contains a lot more than just a couple of fancy lights. After reading up on the full spec of the package I think that I will grit the teeth and cough up the cash. The Yeti will also be used for some very long (2000 m plus) journeys, much of it on motorways and some of it after dark - so the lights won't be needed frequently, but when good lights are needed I think I will be thankful that I opted for this option.

The bi-xenons are excellent on dipped beam and outstanding on narrow, twisting roads. On motorways and on main beam they are disappointing. A vast body of regulation has grown up over the last decade that has forced headlamp designers to take steps that are detrimental to main beams. Too much light must now be projected well to the left of the car and well overhead, which is supposed to make you safer by picking out road signs on the verge and on overhead gantries. Meanwhile not enough light goes on to the road surface at long range.

It sounds to me as though your 2000-mile journeys might include the autobahns of Germany. If so, don't expect to be able to drive safely at much more than 80 mph at night. The main beams are just not up to it.

Bi-xenons are still probably the right choice for the Yeti, but only because the standard lamps are poorer. But I look forward to the day, coming soon, when the brief heyday of the bi-xenon will be over and LED lamps will replace them. The only snag is that the wretched regulations, which are the real cause of the main-beam weakness, are not going to go away.

Welcome to the SE plus owners club. You will not be disasappointed.

T,

Skoda have just added as an option fitted removable towbar, cost £400.00. It's not on the configurator yet but have confirmed with 2 dealers. Can't have it myself as another option not available for Greenline.

T,

Skoda have just added as an option fitted removable towbar, cost £400.00. It's not on the configurator yet but have confirmed with 2 dealers. Can't have it myself as another option not available for Greenline.

Believe it's always been there as a factory option but until now hasn't survived the SUK cull on useful kit the customer might actually want, despite Skoda Auto going to the trouble of designing it and making it available :wonder:

TP

Edited 19 January, 201313 yr by The Plumber

Hi T.

Annapurnas are much better looking than spitzbergs (but individual choice I know).

Auto dimming mirror is great if you do lots of motorway night drives (which I do).

I always get TPM, not perfect but have found is very useful on previous cars.

go for heated windscreen if you can well worth it.

Tow bar prep is really for 7 pin connections, you will need an 'upgrade' for a euro socket if you tow a caravan.

off road button useful not sure about hill hold, (whats wrong with a handbrake!)

My gobi leather seats are dissapointing quality (but wonderfull colour) so no loss there in the SE Plus.

Cheers.

Tow bar prep is really for 7 pin connections, you will need an 'upgrade' for a euro socket if you tow a caravan.

No.

The standard Skoda kit is the 13 pin one, what ever spec you go for.

You now have to specify if you want the UK 7 pin.

All manufacturers now fit 13 pin sockets, as it is the EU specification.

No.

The standard Skoda kit is the 13 pin one, what ever spec you go for.

You now have to specify if you want the UK 7 pin.

All manufacturers now fit 13 pin sockets, as it is the EU specification.

Agreed but didnt we have this debate about the tow bar prep not having the extra power connections so UK caravan towers could keep their fridges cool.

An extra cable was required for UK Eurosocket users.