I've stopped being silly now...

[rriggs]

Hi all

In the summer I did a stupid thing and traded my much loved immaculate 2010 Yeti for an Alfa Giulietta.

Now, four months of bumpy, noisy go-cart driving later I've got my sense back and I've put a deposit down on a Yeti. The Alfa looks great but isn't a great car for day to day driving. For a summers day blast it's fone but for commuting, long journeys, etc it's not great and verges on annoying. On top of this the two Alfa dealers I've dealt with have been terrible whereas my local Skoda dealer was faultless.

Overall, the missus and me have really missed the Yeti. I even tried to find my old one...

I've ordered a Yeti that's due to be built next week so should get it first week in Jan. The spec I've gone for is:

Yeti SEL 1.2 TSI DSG

Quartz Grey (the old one was Steel Grey)

Black Leather

Sat Nav/DAB

Spare wheel

Wood dash trim

Anyway, really looking forward to getting back into a Yeti! :-)

[Urrell]

Nice, you know it makes sense  :clap:

[Ryeman]

The ride was worse than Yeti?!

That's another one I can forget about.

[rriggs]

The ride was worse than Yeti?!

That's another one I can forget about.

I never had a problem with the ride in the Yeti. The Alfa is on lowered suspension with 18" wheels. Looks great but sooooo hard and bumpy!

[Ryeman]

I never had a problem with the ride in the Yeti. The Alfa is on lowered suspension with 18" wheels. Looks great but sooooo hard and bumpy!

A Sirroco competitor.

[jonceebee]

The ride was worse than Yeti?!

That's another one I can forget about.

My wife has always had a soft spot for the Yeti and as our Octavia is now almost 10 years old with 190k on the clock, decided to try out the 1.4 model with a L & K in her sights. However after a test drive she said how she had forgotten how poor the ride and road noise was, so I am now looking at a 1.6  petrol Qashqai and she will drive our current  Qashqai 1.2 model. Shame really as I like the Yeti shape and the easy parking with all around glass.

 

We also considered a new Octavia, but she thought this was now too long compared to our original one, so sadly we look like being Skoda less for some time now

[Ryeman]

I remember the much derided (now) deliciously absorbent ride of yesterday's cars like old Peugeots and BMWs etc.

The journos have had there wish of handling over ride for decades now, sadly......body roll is an absolute no no.

[Jimrod]

I think it's the styling as much as anything that causes poor ride quality now - large wheels, lower profile tyres... BMW's are terrible lately with their run-flats compared to my old 2000 5-Series. But the UK roads are pretty shocking compared to many around Europe too, any car designed in France/Germany is bound to fare a bit poorly on our low-quality tarmac or concrete sections.

 

The Qashqai probably does better due to it being designed and built here, can't say I've found the wife's 1.2 petrol one to be massively better than the Yeti though, it's softer and rolls more but the Yeti is reasonably compliant and not too noisy either. I prefer the Yeti's slightly less wallowy handling really, a matter or personal taste I guess.

Edited 8 December, 2015 by Jimrod

[Ryeman]

Yep

The massive wheel fetish!

[Paul52]

I think it's the styling as much as anything that causes poor ride quality now - large wheels, lower profile tyres.

 

Now if only Skoda could be persuaded to supply the Yeti on say 16" wheels with maybe 215/60 R16 tyres.....

 

Sorry, shall I make my own way to the corner or do I need to be escorted?

[Expatman]

Now if only Skoda could be persuaded to supply the Yeti on say 16" wheels with maybe 215/60 R16 tyres.....

 

Sorry, shall I make my own way to the corner or do I need to be escorted?

I had better come with you.

[Citigopher]

I had better come with you.

Oi! Join the back of the line. Can't you see there's a queue?

[jonceebee]

My Qashqai runs on 19 inch wheel with 225x45 tyres, very low profile, but still rides better than the 17 inch wheels as on my previous and recently tried Yeti, and yes the obsession with large wheels and low profile tyres is ruining the ride quality on most cars. I dread to think how the Yeti would feel with a 19 inch  wheel set up.

Someone needs to get across to designers that sporty looks and clinging onto the road at all costs are more important than ride and comfort.

[Brijo]

Now if only Skoda could be persuaded to supply the Yeti on say 16" wheels with maybe 215/60 R16 tyres.....

 

Sorry, shall I make my own way to the corner or do I need to be escorted?

I had better come with you.

 Oh good - a UK16"SpecialBuildClub meet!  I'm in!  :beer:

 

Oi! Join the back of the line. Can't you see there's a queue?

 

Sorry, sir, are you a Member? 

 

 

 

 

As the topic still comes up from time to time - just for fun, from January 2014: 

 

quote

Just for possible interest, the original known UK16"SpecialBuildClub membership was as follows: 

 

Full UK Members

The Plumber 110 / El / Man / 4 x 4 / Candy White / Nov 10-Apr 11

Expatman 1.2 / El / DSG / 2WD / Lava Blue / Jan 12-Mar 12

My MINI me 140 / El / DSG / 4 x 4 / Silver / Aug 11-Apr 12

SnowYeti 1.2 / El / Man / 2WD / White / Feb 12-Jun 12

Nokiauk 140 / El / DSG / 4 x 4 / Steel Grey / Mar 12-Jul 12

Runswick Stag 110 / SE / Man / 4 x 4 / Steel Grey / Mar 12-Sept 12

Brijo 140 / SE / DSG / 4 x 4 / Muscovado / Apr 12-Sept 12

Vegit8 140 / El / Man / 4 x 4 / Steel Grey / Apr 12-Oct 12

ATCO 140 / El / Man / 4 x 4 / Steel Grey / Jul 12-Oct 12

Paul52 1.2 / El / Man / 2WD / Metallic Green / Mar 13-May 13

Offshore Associates

Hirundo Estonia

Gcp Greece

 

We are one or two less now, so an even smaller small minority of Yeti owners. 

unquote

Edited 8 December, 2015 by Brijo

[Ryeman]

^^^^^

Oi !

Don't forget Australia.....I take it we're all on the wrong side of the big L also(?)

Edited 8 December, 2015 by Ryeman

[rriggs]

My old Yeti had 17's and my new Yeti will have 17's so the ride should be the same. My current Alfa is on lowered sports suspension with 18's and feels like it has no suspension. The Alfa looks good but long journeys and bad roads are just hard work...

Just waiting to find out my delivery date now. Can't wait!

[rriggs]

Dealer has confirmed today that my Yeti has been built and is on its way to Emden.

He's requested 20/12 as a delivery date to try and squeeze it in before Xmas but he does admit this is wishful thinking. In his experience, it can go one of two ways around Xmas. It can happen quickly as it's quiet and might sneak an early boat or it can get delayed by Xmas.

Just got to wait and see...

[jeep]

I had 16" wheels from the start and no problems with the ride quality over less than perfect roads, even better now with the new Goodyear Efficient Grip performance tyres over the original Goodyear Excellence.

Edited 13 December, 2015 by jeep

[twoladies]

Okay okay.  As a mere female, I had no idea  of the excitement that could be caused by an inch :D

 

I have a Monte Carlo, so what size wheels does she have?  Whatever they are, should I change to othe other?   I am frightened to ask why, as it could cause a frenzy of posts!

 

Neither do I have winter tyres - woe is me!!

 

Before this car, I had 'tyres' and was a happy bunny.  Now I am a dissatisfied c*w!!  Its the horsepower effect :clap: :clap:

[Expatman]

I had 16" wheels from the start and no problems with the ride quality over less than perfect roads, even better now with the new Goodyear Efficient Grip performance tyres over the original Goodyear Excellence.

+1. Also efficiency improved by 2-3 MPG. Now on Nokian D3's for winter.

[Expatman]

Okay okay.  As a mere female, I had no idea  of the excitement that could be caused by an inch :D

 

I have a Monte Carlo, so what size wheels does she have?  Whatever they are, should I change to othe other?   I am frightened to ask why, as it could cause a frenzy of posts!

 

Neither do I have winter tyres - woe is me!!

 

Before this car, I had 'tyres' and was a happy bunny.  Now I am a dissatisfied c*w!!  Its the horsepower effect :clap: :clap:

Don't worry, as long as you are happy with your Yeti then you are fine with the tyres Skoda supplied. Winter tyres are a help in the winter when temperatures are below 7 centigrade, particularly in adverse weather conditions - snow, ice etc. - by providing better grip. If you really want to do something then either get a set of winter tyres and wheels or else change your existing tyres for the new cross climate tyres (check the AutoExpress website for details and reviews).  

[Gizmo]

The ride was worse than Yeti?!

That's another one I can forget about.

 

It must be bad then!

 

My wife has always had a soft spot for the Yeti and as our Octavia is now almost 10 years old with 190k on the clock, decided to try out the 1.4 model with a L & K in her sights. However after a test drive she said how she had forgotten how poor the ride and road noise was,

 

 

Yep

The massive wheel fetish!

 

See my comment at the end... it’s not all down to wheel size.

 

My Qashqai runs on 19 inch wheel with 225x45 tyres, very low profile, but still rides better than the 17 inch wheels as on my previous and recently tried Yeti, and yes the obsession with large wheels and low profile tyres is ruining the ride quality on most cars. I dread to think how the Yeti would feel with a 19 inch  wheel set up.

Someone needs to get across to designers that sporty looks and clinging onto the road at all costs are more important than ride and comfort.

 

You would think that a Yeti (after all it is a soft roader) on 225/50/17’s would be more comfortable (as in less crashy)  than a Superb on 235/45/19’s c/w sports suspension wouldn’t you? 

 

WRONG!!

 

This is really the only thing I do not like on our L&K the ride quality is nothing short of awful, sure it holds the road through the corners but at a huge expense of comfort.

It was always going to be unfair to compare it to my old MKII Superb Elegance estate due to it being the flagship, so I kept pretty quiet about it, but considering it is much worse than my current MKIII Superb on 19” wheels... whilst in sports mode! even my step sons A6 Avant which is also on 19” wheels and sports suspension rides potholes and uneven roads better than the Yeti  :(

[Jimrod]

 

This is really the only thing I do not like on our L&K the ride quality is nothing short of awful, sure it holds the road through the corners but at a huge expense of comfort.

It was always going to be unfair to compare it to my old MKII Superb Elegance estate due to it being the flagship, so I kept pretty quiet about it, but considering it is much worse than my current MKIII Superb on 19” wheels... whilst in sports mode! even my step sons A6 Avant which is also on 19” wheels and sports suspension rides potholes and uneven roads better than the Yeti  :(

 

Are you running the tyres at 40psi or something? The ride on my L&K is fine, better than most of my previous cars really aside from a 2000 BMW 530i SE.  

[Gizmo]

Nope, not sure what the pressures are exactly ... but I know they are the pressure recommended inside the fuel flap.

[Jimrod]

Nope, not sure what the pressures are exactly ... but I know they are the pressure recommended inside the fuel flap.

 

Mine were at 36 when new and I've let them down to 33, probably just over the recommended. It's firm-ish but more supple than my Scirocco, Exeo or Honda Civic were! My economy still poor though. 390 miles before the fuel light came on driving 50/50 urban/dual carriageway and rarely driving hard or over 70.   Hopefully the second tank better!