What's this they've given me? (2)

[Bobdog]

Yeti back in to dealers to have the Haldex oil changed. Why they couldn't do that when they had her in for a service two weeks ago I don't know. Anyway, after I insulted their Roomster back then ("What did you think of the car?" "It's pig ugly, give me mine back"), they've given me a Rapid as a courtesy car this time. I rather like it.

Very pretty looking little car. Felt very strange when I first sat in it because (1) the seat is so low compared to the Yeti and (2) the roofline is so low, that I felt a little claustrophobic at first. Got the seat as low as it would go to give myself some headroom, and still had to recline the seat a long way until it felt right ... and then the seating position seemed very 'sporty'. Car nips along really nicely - I'm assuming it's a 1.2 petrol engine. Ran out of puff a little when I really tried to accelerate hard on the open road, but in and out of traffic it's great. Feels very light and nimble, especially at the front end, compared to my Yeti (but I guess the smaller engined Yetis feel lighter at the front than the big diesels), and quite fun along some of the twisty country lanes round here. I've never really thought of the Yeti as a car that 'rolls' a lot, but this little thing corners so flat that by comparison I think the Yeti is going to feel a bit ungainly when I get her back. The trim level is all pretty basic on the courtesy car, but still the inside feels of pretty good quality and I would imagine the 'up range' models would feel pretty plush. I'm amazed at the boot size, it's huge for such a little car, and there seems a fair bit of legroom in the back seats too. Only thing I don't like, and this may also be a factor of the trim level/engine size, is that it sounds very 'boomy' in the cabin at anything above 40mph. It's not engine noise exactly - the engine is pretty quiet - but it's like the booming sound you might hear if you stick your head under water in a busy swimming pool. Overall though, if I were in the market for a small, saloon shaped, car for small rural roads/commuting/town driving I'd certainly have this one high up the list.

[Bobdog]

... then I get the Yeti back and remember why I bought it. Bucketloads of smooth, progressive power from that CR170. No need to keep swapping gears to make progress (unless you want to, just for the hell of it), that feeling of being really solidly 'planted' on the road, cornering as if on rails (even if with a little lean), the all round solidity of the build and the quiet comfortable cabin. Sorry Rapid, you're quite fun, and you are pretty - but you're no Yeti substitute.

[cotswoldlad]

Lol I had a new Rapid while my Yeti was being serviced, think the name is a bit crazy, because well it isn't rapid is it, it should be called the ok4sizeofengine but that might look odd in chrome. I also thought it was really twitchy in the bends and very unsettled by mid corner bumps, but I guess for the price it's not a bad litle car.

[Bobdog]

Oh it was nippy enough for the size of engine. I'd be interested to try it with a more ballsy lump.

[BossFox]

Yes, I quite like the Rapid.

I've ordered one for work that'll be here in about six weeks.

Went for an Elegance with extra spec.

For an A-to-B functional car it seems good. Got the price down a fair bit so it's costing £10,000 less than the Yeti!

[MarieK]

Oh it was nippy enough for the size of engine. I'd be interested to try it with a more ballsy lump.

And where will you find one of those?

[RapidRonnie]

Oh it was nippy enough for the size of engine. I'd be interested to try it with a more ballsy lump.

Did you have a 5 or 6 speed box?

[Bobdog]

The Rapid? 5 speed.

[Bobdog]

And where will you find one of those?

Ah, well I did have a 'ballsy lump', but I had it surgically removed last year

[BossFox]

The Rapid? 5 speed.

Probably a lower spec one then.

Elegance 1.2 gets the 6 speed.

[Bobdog]

Probably a lower spec one then.

Elegance 1.2 gets the 6 speed.

That's what I said originally - could tell by the lack of toys and the rather basic trim that it was low spec.

[loftypeak2]

And where will you find one of those?

A pathologists table in a mortuary?

[gadgetman]

Looks like the yeti fold might be losing one to the Rapid section

[Bobdog]

They probably wouldn't let me in

[MarieK]

They're barricading the doors as we speak

[BossFox]

Already done.

[cotswoldlad]

I'd probally still track down an unreged Octy when the rapid fist came out they could hardly give them away because of the deals on the run out octavias which made the Rapid look too much money.

[BossFox]

I'd probally still track down an unreged Octy when the rapid fist came out they could hardly give them away because of the deals on the run out octavias which made the Rapid look too much money.

That's because the Rapid is/was too much money.

Firstly they increased the standard spec, then they dropped the real prices you can pay.

The dealers have a bit of negotiating room and then Skoda will give you an extra £1000 off if you finance. (even if you only finance temporarily, you still get three years free servicing!)

As I said, our Elegance Rapid with a lot of extra options is still £10k less than my Yeti.

I looked at getting a Fabia with the VAT free deal and speccing it up, but the Rapid was not that much more expensive!

The Yeti is staying, the Rapid is a work car. A job I think it'll do well.

Comfortable A-B transport with reasonable rear leg room and a decent boot.

Being sensibly priced also means it won't cost a fortune over the time it's with us.

[Bobdog]

Interestingly, I've had the Yeti best part of 3 years, and normally by now I'd be getting 'itchy feet' and wanting a change. I've never replaced a car with another of the same, always saw something else to attract me. I do have the 'itchy feet' feel, but each time I contemplate giving up the Yeti ... can't do it. SWMBO insists we're going to have a second dog (flatcoated retriever) when our current 6 month old puppy reaches 2/3 years. At that stage we might need a car with a bigger boot area, and the new Octavia and Superb might come into the reckoning ... but I can't bring myself to make the switch at the moment.

[Yeti_Man]

Interestingly, I've had the Yeti best part of 3 years now, and normally by now I'd be getting 'itchy feet' and wanting a change. I've never replaced a car with another of the same, always saw something else to attract me. I do have the 'itchy feet' feel, but each time I contemplate giving up the Yeti ... can't do it. SWMBO insists we're going to have a second dog (flatcoated retriever) when our current 6 month old puppy reaches 2/3 years. At that stage we might need a car with a bigger boot area, and the new Octavia and Superb might come into the reckoning ... but I can't bring myself to make the switch at the moment.

That sounds just like me also. Nicer things keep taking my eye but I keep coming back to the Yeti with the realisation whatever I went to would be a compromise in one way or another! As an all rounder its extremely difficult to beat. Just taking yesterday as an example, I commuted to work in it, picked the kids up on the way home whilst grabbing a few bags of shopping, went straight back out to B&Q with two rear seats removed and loaded it up with timber... and then gave it a total workout on the country lanes coming back from Epping late last night. It totally delivers on all fronts!

[RapidRonnie]

The Rapid? 5 speed.

You had the 86PS 1.2TSI then. There are two more power levels above that if you wanted a more rapid Rapid

[hmibennett]

Interestingly, I've had the Yeti best part of 3 years, and normally by now I'd be getting 'itchy feet' and wanting a change. I've never replaced a car with another of the same, always saw something else to attract me. I do have the 'itchy feet' feel, but each time I contemplate giving up the Yeti ... can't do it. SWMBO insists we're going to have a second dog (flatcoated retriever) when our current 6 month old puppy reaches 2/3 years. At that stage we might need a car with a bigger boot area, and the new Octavia and Superb might come into the reckoning ... but I can't bring myself to make the switch at the moment.

Me too. I've just replaced one Yeti with another, only the third time I've replaced like-for-like in 40+ years of ownership (25 of those as a two-car household).

[Thecko]

You had the 86PS 1.2TSI then. There are two more power levels above that if you wanted a more rapid Rapid

I've got to admit I've found myself wondering what the 1.4TSI would be like

[JCP]

Me too. I've just replaced one Yeti with another, only the third time I've replaced like-for-like in 40+ years of ownership (25 of those as a two-car household).

Another mature ( ) driver here I've never before replaced a car with the same model before.

[ernieb]

+1