For what it is worth, the performance of the 170 in the Yeti is pretty exhilarating and when combined with the way the Yeti handles on the road there's a stack of real FUN to be had round undulating and bendy roads.

 

I had a Mk1 Yeti 170 TDi from 2010 for nearly 3 years, jumped up into a Superb, again 170 - and in both cases found the engine to be reasonable ec onomical snd pokey, though the tall go-kart like performance of the Yeti was missed.

 

And so i'm now back into a 170 L&K Tdi this time with DSG 'box.  In the transition from Mk1 to Mk2 a little of the chuckability and go-kartness has been smoooothed out to give the Yeti a more compliant and less pitter-pattering ride over the bumpy bits (aka pot-holes), but the out and out performance seems to be much better when the pedal is floored for a quick squirt past a tractor, or a sheep.

 

So - in essence what I'm saying is - your Yeti will be the most practical family man set of (shiny) wheels you'd ever need with space aplenty, with parking friendliness for even the most demanding of myopic missuses, and yet, when you get the opportunity to sneak out away from the brood and get onto the long and winding road on your lonesome, you will enjoy the grin-inducing thrill of this upright boxy breeze block of a car as it continually surprises you with its road-stickiness and squirtability combined with the security of that 4wd system that compensates for any bog-ups you might engender.

 

Oh - and that scuff-resistance... .... I frequently carry a ton of stuff with edges and feet and handles - musical instruments, amplifiers, stands speakers atc to the point of filling the whole of the available space.  Yeah sure - take the seats out and my problem evaporates but everyone and again lassitude intervenes and said 'stuff' gets lumped in wholesale.  Since 2010 in whichever car is being thus assaulted there's never a mark on any of the in-contact bits of trim or seat.

 

This may, or may not be of any use to you, but you asked!!

 

G

 

PS Have you bought one yet?!

 

PPS This L&K 170 has so much fun in it that I'm tempted to shovel off the Z4, though I would miss the posing and the pulling that car offers.... Posing's great, but the pulling is cr*p

 

 

++++1

 

Great great read, and an accurate view on my 170 also

If you don't have front sensors shop windows can be useful.

 

Yeah, I used to use that trick! But when I got the previous A6 I found the sensors really useful when parking against the office wall or garage when there was no shop windows!

 

So when I got the Yeti front and rear sensors were a must, along with the sat nav.

 

My TT only has them on the rear, which I always think is a bit daft (penny pinching), unless you specify front as well, but as mine was a show room car I didn't have the choice. I rarely park in tight spaces in that though!