Sunday Times Driving Section 3rd Feb

[patnmand]

Just read a report on mini-SUVs in today's Sunday Times. They review the Fiat Panda 4X4, the Mini Countryman and the Yeti. Now, I admit that I might be just a tiny bit biased, but IMHO the Yeti review is one of the laziest and inaccurate pieces of journalism I've read for a long time! The guy goes on and on about how expensive the Yeti is, yet all the competitors he quotes are even more expensive! He says that the cheapest 4X4 Yeti is over £18,000 and that makes a 2WD Tiguan, at £20,000 look attractive. How? Surely you should compare like with like? But the biggest competition, according to him, will be from the new Ford Kuga, which has been made cheaper. You'll still need to find £4,500 more than the cost of the ridiculously expensive Yeti though...

[Merlinman]

I find that if you've personal experience of anything the ST lot write about it's invariably total b*ll*cks

They wrote recently about a cottage on the NT Calke Estate - saying it was 'perfect for yomping in the Peaks' - er no - the Peak District is 30 miles north!

And look out for AA Gill and Giles Coren reviewing the same restaurant on succeeding weeks.

Sloppy journalism written from advertising copy IMHO

[nickguzzi]

Sloppy journalism written from advertising copy IMHO

Not cut and paste then?

[Llanigraham]

Not cut and paste then?

Are they that clever?

[Merlinman]

Tomorrow's chip paper

Obviously didn't discuss with JC before drivelling !

[hmibennett]

A truly awful piece of journalism. The new Panda may well be a very different beast from the old one, but my wife's previuous 4x4 Panda Cross was very wearing on long journeys, despite its many virtues, because of the appalling road noise. The 4x4 Mini, apart from looking dreadful, is - as the ST points out - ridiculously underequipped and expensive to fit out (and the interior looks like something from the Fischer Price catalogue). Despite what they say, we Yeti owners know that it's a well-made, keenly priced and comfortable vehicle. Any car is a compromise, but to me the Yeti, considering what it attempts to do, is about the least compromised vehicle I have ever owned.

[Truthseeker]

A truly awful piece of journalism. The new Panda may well be a very different beast from the old one, but my wife's previuous 4x4 Panda Cross was very wearing on long journeys, despite its many virtues, because of the appalling road noise. The 4x4 Mini, apart from looking dreadful, is - as the ST points out - ridiculously underequipped and expensive to fit out (and the interior looks like something from the Fischer Price catalogue). Despite what they say, we Yeti owners know that it's a well-made, keenly priced and comfortable vehicle. Any car is a compromise, but to me the Yeti, considering what it attempts to do, is about the least compromised vehicle I have ever owned.

Can't argue with that.

[BossFox]

I test drove the Panda 4x4 last week.

It's does not have reach adjustment on the steering wheel, the seat does not have height adjustment unless you pay extra, the engines are both coarse and noisy and it's around £15k on the road plus options.

By comparison the entry level 4x4 Yeti looks like a bargain.

[patnmand]

And, unless Fiat have significantly upped their game, the customer service won't be a patch on Skoda's either!

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

[Dinski]

Lets be honest we all drive the car, and we all know for a fact it's better built, better quality, more capable and much nicer looking.

Even if the panda was £5000 cheaper I would still choose a yeti over it.

Agree with everyone else poor review, Sunday times needs new writers/columnists

[Hairball]

I find this sort of thing typical among the press. I remember some time back a review in the Daily Telegraph of a Seat Exeo (think about the last version Audi A4) They made a negative comment about the switch gear that oddly enough was given praise by the Audi review. Its the same dam switch you get across the VAG range.

I have not read the OP mentioned review but clearly it seems slanted against the SM because it does not have THE badge.

When I adopted Jana a now gone contractor at work asked why I didn't get an Audi or a Beemer given that they keep x% residuals after 3 years. He was lost at the response that:

1. Audi and BMW do not make a car as good an all rounder as my SM for the money or as good a rating in dealer service.
   
2. A 4WD car from those makes will cost a significant amount to spec it up to the creature comforts of my car although some materials may be of a better quality I may never see or touch some of them
   
3. Residuals are ~70% or more for a 3 year old SM pup and in real terms you'd loose far more £s in 3 years just for a badge for a car that I do not regard as good an all rounder as the SM.
   
4. The Yeti is by far the best looking and most practical car in its class IMHO
   
5. The Yeti has real Character!
   

The press will boost anything that spends a fortune in advertising. Skoda seem to have a much smaller budget for this than some others....

Rant over,...

Edited 5 February, 2013 by Hairball

[jezzep]

I find this sort of thing typical among the press. I remember some time back a review in the Daily Telegraph of a Seat Exeo (think about the last version Audi A4) They made a negative comment about the switch gear that oddly enough was given praise by the Audi review. Its the same dam switch you get across the VAG range.

I have not read the OP mentioned review but clearly it seems slanted against the SM because it does not have THE badge.

When I adopted Jana a now gone contractor at work asked why I didn't get an Audi or a Beemer given that they keep x% residuals after 3 years. He was lost at the response that:

1. Audi and BMW do not make a car as good an all rounder as my SM for the money or as good a rating in dealer service.
   
2. A 4WD car from those makes will cost a significant amount to spec it up to the creature comforts of my car although some materials may be of a better quality I may never see or touch some of them
   
3. Residuals are ~70% or more for a 3 year old SM pup and in real terms you'd loose far more £s in 3 years just for a badge for a car that I do not regard as good an all rounder as the SM.
   
4. The Yeti is by far the best looking and most practical car in its class IMHO
   
5. The Yeti has real Character!
   

The press will boost anything that spends a fortune in advertising. Skoda seem to have a much smaller budget for this than some others....

Rant over,...

Or better still why follow the herd when you plough your own furrow :-)

Jez

[My MINI me and me]

As my user name indicates I have a keen interest in the MINI and owned 3 before moving to Skoda, the countryman is expensive, MINIs have now started to really depreciate, they cost more to finance.....and in my experience across 3 cars are very unreliable.

The PANDA is not a like for like comparison, the VW comes with a special type of dealer arrogance, I tried to by an EOS a couple of times before I settled on a Cooper S convertible.

Would I rather have a Countryman probably, I am prepared to pay the real cost of ownership (not just financial) no, I have enjoyed NOT going back to the dealer on a regular basis since I bought the Yeti!