First 1000 miles

[Alexul]

Hello everybody,

After 3 weeks from buying the new Yeti I have almost ticked 1000 miles. On Friday I went and came back from Brussels so it was a good way to test the car on a long strip of highway. 

 

First the good points:

I chose the 1.4 but after reading how people were really happy with the 1.2 I was worried I got an overkill engine with the consumption up to the roof. Well the 1.4 is perfect, I don't need anything larger or smaller. At 70 mph it runs smooth and quiet even when going over small hills and I still have enough power to overtake someone without creating a queue behind me. As for the consumption I was pleasantly surprised: at the end of 300 miles the maxi-dot was showing 6.0litres/100km or 40 mpg according to Google conversion (47 to some other converters?!).  Of course in the city it's a little bit thirsty but not as a Jeep Renegade of one of my colleagues which averages 10l/100km or 23 mpg.

 

Also hardly any wind or road noise. It's not as quiet as a recording studio but for me it's in the acceptable limits. I didn't notice any whistle from the wind. 

 

The 12 speaker sound system is praised by everybody who rides with me. I also chose DAB but have no DAB station around.

 

I find the navigation system to have some old graphics and also the low position doesn't help but the routing is very good. I find that the voice gives me enough information and meaningful too so I don't have to look the screen too often. And I like that it says 2nd on the right instead of in 50 meters.... We still smile when we hear: in 5 km turn off the road. I understood what it meant from the first time but we were still wondering if in 5 km there will be a huge turn off button for the road. 

 

Automatic parking works fine

 

Now for the things which I believe could be improved:

 

The stop-start system fires too often. I read the manual but I still think the limit of speed over 4kmh is too low, in any traffic jam once you drive for more than 3 meters I will get over 4km/h. I think a combination of speed/distance would be better. 

The hill hold is helpful but made me stall the engine in the beginning. When I read that it holds the breaks for 2 seconds I thought that it will release them once I press the gas pedal. Not having the system before I got used to accelerate almost instantly after releasing the brake. Now I have to wait 2 seconds with my foot on the gas until the brakes are released. The first times I stalled the engine and people around me thought I tried driving with my hand brake on. It also makes me nervous in uphill junctions because I have to take into account the 2 seconds before crossing traffic. 

 

And finally things that really bother me and I still haven't found a solution. Main one still remains driving position. I don't know if it's the seat shape or clothing I can not find a proper position. After 2 hours I need to stop because of an ache on my lower back right side. It's not related to driving a manual because it happens also when using cruise-control. Maybe seat alignment with the controls shifting me to the right. I can't tell. 

Anyone had issues when moving from a low hatchback to this car? I'm 5ft7 and in the hatchback I had the seat lowest possible but quite forward. In the Yeti, at the lowest I can't see very well over the dashboard and at the highest my knees hit the panel, in order not to hit it I have to move too much backwards that I can't reach the steering wheel comfortable. So I'm somewhere in the middle, 6-12 clicks from the bottom, I counted 21 clicks the whole vertical range of the seat. The lumbar support didn't make any difference. This is what concerns me the most for the upcoming holiday. Instead of enjoying a relaxing long ride to the Alps I'll have to do lots of breaks. But once I'll fix this last point the car will be a real pleasure to drive

Edited 8 August, 2016 by Alexul

[Urrell]

The hill hold is helpful but made me stall the engine in the beginning.

When I read that it holds the breaks for 2 seconds I thought that it will release them once I press the gas pedal.

Mine releases the brakes as soon as I pull away, are you being too gentle with it?

 

Anyone had issues when moving from a low hatchback to this car?

I moved from a Skoda Fabia to the Yeti to make life easier getting in and out and am very pleased with the seating position.

We can do 2-300 miles with no discomfort but we do have the leather seats that I've heard from several people are more comfortable than some of the cloth ones.

[logiclee]

 

 

And finally things that really bother me and I still haven't found a solution. Main one still remains driving position. I don't know if it's the seat shape or clothing I can not find a proper position. After 2 hours I need to stop because of an ache on my lower back right side. It's not related to driving a manual because it happens also when using cruise-control. Maybe seat alignment with the controls shifting me to the right. I can't tell. 

Anyone had issues when moving from a low hatchback to this car? I'm 5ft7 and in the hatchback I had the seat lowest possible but quite forward. In the Yeti, at the lowest I can't see very well over the dashboard and at the highest my knees hit the panel, in order not to hit it I have to move too much backwards that I can't reach the steering wheel comfortable. So I'm somewhere in the middle, 6-12 clicks from the bottom, I counted 21 clicks the whole vertical range of the seat. The lumbar support didn't make any difference. This is what concerns me the most for the upcoming holiday. Instead of enjoying a relaxing long ride to the Alps I'll have to do lots of breaks. But once I'll fix this last point the car will be a real pleasure to drive

 

 

 

Quite a few people have commented that the steering wheel does not come out far enough and I also find it an issue. If I sit so my legs and seat back are comfortable it's a stretch to the wheel. If I sit so my arms are comfortable on the wheel I'm a little too close to the pedals.

On the Octavia the wheel comes out further so the driving position is perfect.

 

Lee

[Alexul]

Mine releases the brakes as soon as I pull away, are you being too gentle with it?

 

I moved from a Skoda Fabia to the Yeti to make life easier getting in and out and am very pleased with the seating position.

We can do 2-300 miles with no discomfort but we do have the leather seats that I've heard from several people are more comfortable than some of the cloth ones.

 

Just realised the childish mistake break-brake

Well, I don't slam the gas so maybe you could say I am gentle was it. I did press it hard in the beginning and heard the brakes holding the wheels and then releasing but was it from the acceleration or just 2 seconds limit I can't tell.

 

Getting in and out is indeed easier. That I agree. But the cloth feels too rigid for me, maybe it take some time to give in. I would prefer something more soft so I was thinking to buy some seat covers and found this:

http://www.carseatcover.eu/gallery/car-seat-covers-skoda/

 

And I was looking at some Alcantara for the front. They give option to customize it anyway I want and look high quality, made with all airbag specifications. 

 

Quite a few people have commented that the steering wheel does not come out far enough and I also find it an issue. If I sit so my legs and seat back are comfortable it's a stretch to the wheel. If I sit so my arms are comfortable on the wheel I'm a little too close to the pedals.

On the Octavia the wheel comes out further so the driving position is perfect.

 

Lee

 

How did you leave it in the end?

[logiclee]

Just realised the childish mistake break-brake

Well, I don't slam the gas so maybe you could say I am gentle was it. I did press it hard in the beginning and heard the brakes holding the wheels and then releasing but was it from the acceleration or just 2 seconds limit I can't tell.

 

Getting in and out is indeed easier. That I agree. But the cloth feels too rigid for me, maybe it take some time to give in. I would prefer something more soft so I was thinking to buy some seat covers and found this:

http://www.carseatcover.eu/gallery/car-seat-covers-skoda/

 

And I was looking at some Alcantara for the front. They give option to customize it anyway I want and look high quality, made with all airbag specifications. 

 

 

How did you leave it in the end?

 

I have a none happy medium currently. About half way up on the height adjustment. One notch closer than I'd like to the pedals, seat back a little more upright than I'd like and that's just close enough to the wheel. 

 

If the steering wheel would come out another couple of inches it would be ideal.

 

Lee

[ernieb]

I have a none happy medium currently. About half way up on the height adjustment. One notch closer than I'd like to the pedals, seat back a little more upright than I'd like and that's just close enough to the wheel. 

 

If the steering wheel would come out another couple of inches it would be ideal.

 

Lee

For better adjustment I've gone for the electronic seat option as I've found on both mt first two Yeti's I could not quite get it to the right adjustment. I have a slightly tricky back so have used a wedge on the seat swab. I'm hoping that on the third Yeti that I can make finer adjustments and dump the seat wedge.

[Alexul]

I would have gladly paid the 475 euros for the option but not the extra 6000 for the trim where I actually have that option available. 

[Llanigraham]

Re back problem:

Make sure that you have nothing in your rear pockets before you sit down.

It has been shown that lots of sitting problems in cars are caused by people with wallets, keys, purses or credit card holders in their back pockets.

[ernieb]

Re back problem:

Make sure that you have nothing in your rear pockets before you sit down.

It has been shown that lots of sitting problems in cars are caused by people with wallets, keys, purses or credit card holders in their back pockets.

Very much agreed with this comment.  I've found particularly on long trips that taking my wallet out of my rear pocket really does make a difference.  My wife is of course is very happy to 'look after' it for me.

We have a friend and he has serious back issues and his consultant made the same recommendation as well as trying to adjust the seat so that if at all possible your hips are higher than your knees.

[Alexul]

Very much agreed with this comment.  I've found particularly on long trips that taking my wallet out of my rear pocket really does make a difference.  My wife is of course is very happy to 'look after' it for me.

We have a friend and he has serious back issues and his consultant made the same recommendation as well as trying to adjust the seat so that if at all possible your hips are higher than your knees.

 

My wallet is already obese, my phone is 5", I would never be able to drive  with them in any pockets front or back. Because of all the other small objects I need to carry around my wife bought me a man bag, a small one, I don't want to carry a full size purse with me. It's really practical and I feel so good with the pockets free. I still have some "Oh s**it I lost my phone/wallet" moments and my heart skips a beat until I remember they are in the bag. 

 

I've read some articles about driving ergonomics. While most do recommend hips in line or higher than knees there were some who said the contrary. I did some raw measurements of the seat base angle: at the lowest it is at 17 degrees, at the highest around 13 degrees.

[Llanigraham]

Nothing wrong with a "man bag"; I've used one for years.

 

Have a look at the Recaro web site, they have a good guide to how your car seat should be.

[ernieb]

https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en/videos.html

[Falmouthboy]

While I don't have any issues with seat comfort, I too agree that it would be good if the wheel could come out a tad more.

Re your varying mpg calculations, you may have been getting imperial and US gallons mixed up. Your higher mpg conversions may have been based on US gallons which are different.

[Urrell]

We still smile when we hear: in 5 km turn off the road. I understood what it meant from the first time but we were still wondering if in 5 km there will be a huge turn off button for the road.

That's strange, the furthest it warns me of a change of direction is much shorter than that and in line with the manual.

This is from the manual.

""The timing of the navigation announcement depends on the type of road and the driving speed.

For example, on motorways the first announcement is heard about 2000 m (6000 ft) before the location of the motorway exit.""

[CHILLEY]

 

Hello everybody,

After 3 weeks from buying the new Yeti I have almost ticked 1000 miles. On Friday I went and came back from Brussels so it was a good way to test the car on a long strip of highway. 

 

First the good points:

I chose the 1.4 but after reading how people were really happy with the 1.2 I was worried I got an overkill engine with the consumption up to the roof. Well the 1.4 is perfect, I don't need anything larger or smaller. At 70 mph it runs smooth and quiet even when going over small hills and I still have enough power to overtake someone without creating a queue behind me. As for the consumption I was pleasantly surprised: at the end of 300 miles the maxi-dot was showing 6.0litres/100km or 40 mpg according to Google conversion (47 to some other converters?!).  Of course in the city it's a little bit thirsty but not as a Jeep Renegade of one of my colleagues which averages 10l/100km or 23 mpg.

 

Also hardly any wind or road noise. It's not as quiet as a recording studio but for me it's in the acceptable limits. I didn't notice any whistle from the wind. 

 

The 12 speaker sound system is praised by everybody who rides with me. I also chose DAB but have no DAB station around.

 

I find the navigation system to have some old graphics and also the low position doesn't help but the routing is very good. I find that the voice gives me enough information and meaningful too so I don't have to look the screen too often. And I like that it says 2nd on the right instead of in 50 meters.... We still smile when we hear: in 5 km turn off the road. I understood what it meant from the first time but we were still wondering if in 5 km there will be a huge turn off button for the road. 

 

Automatic parking works fine

 

Now for the things which I believe could be improved:

 

The stop-start system fires too often. I read the manual but I still think the limit of speed over 4kmh is too low, in any traffic jam once you drive for more than 3 meters I will get over 4km/h. I think a combination of speed/distance would be better. 

The hill hold is helpful but made me stall the engine in the beginning. When I read that it holds the breaks for 2 seconds I thought that it will release them once I press the gas pedal. Not having the system before I got used to accelerate almost instantly after releasing the brake. Now I have to wait 2 seconds with my foot on the gas until the brakes are released. The first times I stalled the engine and people around me thought I tried driving with my hand brake on. It also makes me nervous in uphill junctions because I have to take into account the 2 seconds before crossing traffic. 

 

And finally things that really bother me and I still haven't found a solution. Main one still remains driving position. I don't know if it's the seat shape or clothing I can not find a proper position. After 2 hours I need to stop because of an ache on my lower back right side. It's not related to driving a manual because it happens also when using cruise-control. Maybe seat alignment with the controls shifting me to the right. I can't tell. 

Anyone had issues when moving from a low hatchback to this car? I'm 5ft7 and in the hatchback I had the seat lowest possible but quite forward. In the Yeti, at the lowest I can't see very well over the dashboard and at the highest my knees hit the panel, in order not to hit it I have to move too much backwards that I can't reach the steering wheel comfortable. So I'm somewhere in the middle, 6-12 clicks from the bottom, I counted 21 clicks the whole vertical range of the seat. The lumbar support didn't make any difference. This is what concerns me the most for the upcoming holiday. Instead of enjoying a relaxing long ride to the Alps I'll have to do lots of breaks. But once I'll fix this last point the car will be a real pleasure to drive

 

 Try using a wedge cushion it will help you to sit correctly, it helps me.

[Bexhillian]

Do you have the seats with an adjustable lumbar support?

If so, try it 'fully engaged'. It may feel like an excessive lump in the small of your back at first but it really does help when you get used to the feel of it.

If no lumbar support, try Chilley's wedge cushion or a rolled up towel.

[Alexul]

https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en/videos.html

 

For me that page gives not found. But I found it here: 

 

While I don't have any issues with seat comfort, I too agree that it would be good if the wheel could come out a tad more.

Re your varying mpg calculations, you may have been getting imperial and US gallons mixed up. Your higher mpg conversions may have been based on US gallons which are different.

 

I think it depends a lot also on the way someone is used driving. My brother is driving with his arms almost straight while others like to have the elbows bent and close to the the seat rest. 

 

That's strange, the furthest it warns me of a change of direction is much shorter than that and in line with the manual.

This is from the manual.

""The timing of the navigation announcement depends on the type of road and the driving speed.

For example, on motorways the first announcement is heard about 2000 m (6000 ft) before the location of the motorway exit.""

 

Well I don't know the distances and I can't even remember the units, if it's meters or kms. It's one of those things that I hear it too often, take note of it but don't pay particular attention or try to store it in my memory. Unless it's something never heard like the expression to turn off a road, although most my my gadgets, GPS, cell phone are set to UK English it was never used. So far I didn't have problems with the timing. 

I also find the female voice to be pleasant with a little accent but words spoken very clearly. 

 

 Try using a wedge cushion it will help you to sit correctly, it helps me.

 

I just ordered 2 on Amazon. Anyway I need one at the office. 

 

Do you have the seats with an adjustable lumbar support?

If so, try it 'fully engaged'. It may feel like an excessive lump in the small of your back at first but it really does help when you get used to the feel of it.

If no lumbar support, try Chilley's wedge cushion or a rolled up towel.

 

I have the adjustable lumbar support. But yes, I found the lump in my back to be more distracting and making me move on the chair. 

 

Regarding this comfort thing and personal preferences. Yesterday I went to the parking with a friend (who's also a big fan of Skoda) who has a BMW 3 series. I went into his car and he into mine. I felt the BMW like being inside a missile, low, back, the pedals are slightly below the knees, I was basically pushing in front parallel to the floor. But I liked this position, sporty aggressive, of course I don't know how easy is to be like this for 5-6 hours of driving. He also spent 5 minutes in the Yeti and said that the seats are much more comfortable and supporting even the cloth has much better quality than his. 

Each one with his own taste and body proportions. I wished the auto makers would take this into account. Why not a service that when you go buying a car they have 10 seats to sit on, test them and then choose your own fabric. Anyway they customize the car interior based on the options someone bought.

 

 

I bought this small magnetic phone holder:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Universal-Samsung-Smartphones-Tablets/dp/B00Z00N0CA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1470735646&sr=8-5&keywords=aukey

Small but practical to keep the phone in range. 

[logiclee]

For me that page gives not found. But I found it here: 

 

 

 

I can't achieve that positioning. I can set the seat up perfectly with my legs. But come to the steering wheel it doesn't come out far enough so the top of the wheel is a stretch. So I bring the seat forward so I'm not stretching at the wheel which means I'm a little too close to the pedals for complete comfort.

It's strange as our Octavia is the same platform as the Yeti being a late 2012 Mk2 but you can set your seat exactly as the recaro video shows and then the steering wheel has plenty of adjustment out to you.

 

Lee