Considering purchase - A couple of questions

[merman]

Hi all.

 

I am considering buying a Yeti down here in Australia as the dealers are selling off the few remaining MY12 2013 built vehicles at runout prices.

 

The cars are all stock configurations and it is not possible to add options. The only remaining models are 4x4, all automatic transmission and either 103TDI or 112TSI.

 

Hope you folk have time to answer a few of my questions and clear up my reservations I could see myself in a nice white Yeti!

 

1) Most importantly, the cars are 4x4 but do not have the "off road" technology option. The only way I can justify this purchase is to actually use the car for some off-roading. Would it be a waste to have an automatic transmission without this option?

 

2) Scrolling through the phonebook of a paired phone took a while using the MFD. Is there an easier way to do this?

 

3) The electronics are starting to look a little long in the tooth. My other option is a new Peugeot 2008 with all the bells and whistles. Do you feel that the interfaces are a little dated? I should mention that the MDI is not installed. Am aware that a retrofit could be an option but it seems that expertise is hard to find around Australia for recoding etc. (I also need reverse sensors etc.)

 

4) Any advice on 103TDI vs 112TSI. The diesel is pricier but I like the idea of more range from a tank. The petrol seems to be not the most frugal engine.

 

5) I couldn't really afford to buy a Yeti at full price so waiting for the new model is out of the question really. But... is the new model worth waiting for?

 

 

Many thanks in advance for your advice! 

 

Cheers, Mer.

[lfc958]

My personal view to your questions:-

 

1- No

 

2- Did the steering wheel have Voice acitivation button, as virtually all of 3rd party bluetooth kits have voice control now, might be worth popping back to a dealer & either asking or having a look.

 

3- Dont think it is worth comparing the Yeit you are looking at with a brand new model - to make it fair you should probably compare your current one with the Yeti.

 If you are prepared to do a  little work hunting down someone with VCDS to do coding for MDI or alteritavely I am sure the radio has an SD card slot, and you can get all + more music you want on a 16Gb card & use that, which is what i do in my Octy vRS & will do in my Yeti when it arrives, SWMBO has one in her fabia & never uses it. I suppose the question is do you REALLY need it , given the SD card option.

 

4- The choice of engine boils down to how many miles  ( KM ) a year you do, many motoring magazines / reviewers here in the UK say that you should do over 20,000 miles a year ( approx 32000KM) and keep the vehicle for at least 3 years to see any real benefit over the extra price you have paid.  But it would also make sense to actually test drive each engine & decide whether you dont mind paying the extra for the diesel if you dont do the number of miles/km a year.  It all boils down to personal preference.

 

5) - Difficult to answer this one given you are saying you can not afford new.- The biggest difference is that it is face lifted with added options , general consensus is they drive the same.

 

My best advice would be test drive one & if you climb in & feel at home / relaxed & comfortable with no niggles then choose an engine & spec you want ( from what is available), you can always add bits later when you have the $.

But if you have ANY doubts when driving then walk away otherwise you will always have that niggling doubt in the back of your mind that maybe oit was not the right car. I did this once & have never done it again.

 

It may not help you decide fully, but will hopefully give you a clearer idea - I would never TELL anyone what car they should buy, it would be have a look & drive as it may not be for you.

[Lem]

I have a Peugeot 3008. The interior looks more funky than the Yeti, but.. it is the most unreliable car I have owned. In addition the control knob for the satnav unit broke whilst the car was still under warranty - Peugeot refused to fix it. My only option was to replace the whole unit at my own cost - 1700.

 

I bought it as I got a better deal than I could get on a Yeti. I'm finally replacing it later this year... for a Yeti.

 

I've owned two Octavias previously and done galactic mileage on both.

[thingy]

Hi merman, questions generate questions so here goes;

 

Have you owned/driven diesel and petrol cars before? If so, which do you prefer?

What mileage do you plan to do? re diesel over petrol.

As far as 4x4 goes, just because you have 4x4 you don't HAVE to go off road.

Have you driven the DSG (auto) before? if not you must try them.

 

Last but not least, make a list of what bits/parts/extras you can't do without. That can be the deal breaker.

 

I know how it feels to accept/buy a Yeti from stock without some of the extras I would really want.

I kind of wish I had ordered new but as you say, it's all down to the price you pay.

I'm very happy with what I've got, it's a great car and for me the price WAS the most important part. 

[Gobmax]

Hi Merman, I am 62 years old and have driven/owned Diesels since 1975.

I'm in Qld have 4x4 TDI Auto, and with a doubt it's the best I've ever owned,

I get about 600+KM to the tank, its so easy to drive, & build quality surpasses VW, Subaru, Captiva etc.

I Traded a LandRover Disco TDI, 380K on the clock.

 

2 Stories,

1. a local resident has GT HO and was really "****ed" when my diesel blew him off a the lights.

2. I have off-road capability, my Mates joke'nly said let's go to "Double Island Point" and check your new toy out,  

    came throught the Cutting and a person with a Nissan patrol 4x4 with a 2 " lift kit said if your going to take that "TOY"

    through there, "I need to go first", guess who had the attach there Snatch Stap and pull him out.

  

My mates & I had a good laugh all the way back to Ferry.

 

My suggestion is to get your local Dealer to include OFF-ROAD capability'

and I'm not sure, but I believe its an optinal extra.

 

Hope this helps

 

 Geoff  

[Ryeman]

I didn't think there were any FWDs around any more.....sold out.

I bought the silver diesel version and have had it ~6weeks, love it.

Am retired and am moving to the Vic countryside soon and a visit to friends regularly will involve 200km round trip. Perfect for DPF cleaning. For the same reason I tend to combine any short runs, to the shops frinstance, with a 'get out of the house for a drive' to 'keep it clean' :-)).

I've gone the 32gig SD card route loading it with CDs from the library (my techy son showed me how), just remember to keep selecting the 'MIX' option for random.....spin through them with the RH knob for a bit more random......zero clutter, suites me.

Drove it up some ramps the other day for a squiz , had a sense of 'clutch slip' and with the 2second delay not quite the same sense of control as a manual.

The eighth decade looms and I also appreciate not having to climb back up from a sedan anymore .

The local dealer yesterday still had a deep sea green 118DSG 4x4 for $29990 but diesel is cheaper than PULP.

I had a Pug 406 some years ago and was not at all impressed with water spots etched into the paint and all the glass.....at night v obvious in the side mirrors, a sense of cheapness not obvious in a showroom, but they may have fixed that lately.

The Germanic quality shines through rather than gadget laden non VW group cars IMO.

Cheers, David

[merman]

Thanks everyone for your comments... much appreciated.

 

LFC958 - Not sure about the voice activation button. Is this standard? The only reference online I have seen is with sat nav which this does not have. Only the Bolero radio. I will need to check.

 

I definitely like the way they drive My biggest reservation is missing the off-road button, MDI and integrated rear sensors really.  

 

Lem - Thanks for your points. Another difference is I can get 5 years warrantee on the Yeti. Only 2.5 on the Peugeot.

 

Thingy - Yeah, I know but really to justify the extra expense I would like to be able to 4x4. Otherwise my rational mind tells me to get a lighter, more efficient cheaper car as it will do the same thing.

 

In Australia the diesel pays itself off pretty quickly due to the price of premium petrol. And the diesel gets more range off a tank. However my usage patterns are more petrol oriented. I guess it would come down to preference, but they both felt pretty great to me!

 

I guess as I have never driven a diesel I don't know what they are like to live with day to day.

 

The only white yeti I could find is in petrol so there is that

 

Gobmax - Thanks for the stories! If I could get "off road" added my decision would be a lot easier.

 

Ryeman - Thanks. It sounds like there are some options with music. Yep, the FWDs have sold out and they were my initial target. 

 

 

Cheers! Mer.

[MajorTom]

Why get an average car for your budget when you can get a great car? I wouldn't touch a French made car in this environment, as they are simply not sufficiently robust. As a general rule, I always prioritise engineering over goodies like electric willy warmers and what have you. They always tend to fail in new and innovative ways that cost ridiculous amounts of money to resolve. I've run diesels, which are great for day to day driving with the torquey engine and auto box. As long as they're run long enough to keep the DPF working properly, there'sno issue with a modern diesel.

[Llanigraham]

I regularly off-road my 4x4 and i don't have the off road button. If you know what you are doing it isn't necessary. Don't worry about it. 

[Banjobach]

Merman, to be fair, I would not compare the 112 with a diesel Yeti! Why not? Because the 112 is a 1.2 turbo petrol engine with two front wheel drive only, whereas the diesel has a 2.0 litre donk and is a 4x4. I suggest you decide what you want the car to do for you in the first place. Then move on from there to decide what else is important for your future use. As some have asked; How many ks do you think you will be travelling each year? If you do less than 20ks a year then I suggest the extra cost of the diesel will not work out economically. I drive the 1.8 petrol Yeti and am very happy with its performance and economy. In fact I am very happy with all aspects. There is a bloke who lives a few ks up the track from you who owns a 1.2, who may be willing to chat with you and who knows, even invite you up for the day to chinwag about all of the good points of his 1.2. Also, there must be 3 or 4 or more Skoda dealers in and around Sydney, so go and visit each and test drive both cars a few times to get a better feel of them.

 

Happy trails from W.A.

Banjobach

 

Edited 28 March, 2014 by Banjobach