Yeti value for money vs. competitors

[Karlis_Z]

Hello!

 

I am yet to have my first test drive in Yeti but overall this car seems to be the best fit for me. However when I start to go through the pricelist and ticking all the options (no fancy extras for me) I get a price which equals other competitors that have much more extras included and I start to wonder... Of course, for me build quality and reliability is the main thing but other cars seem to have fairly good reviews as well and they seem much more up-to–date in terms of technology.

 

Do you think the current Yeti (2016) is good value for money vs. competitors? Which cars would you consider now as alternative for +/- the same price?

 

Example from my local dealership:

 

Yeti 1.4 TSI petrol, mid-spec + few must-have extras I need (metalic color, alarm, Bluetooth for phone, spare, engine protection, mud flaps, heated front glass, multifunctional steering wheel, rubber mats, emergency kit).

 

Yeti shown above costs me the same as 2017 Nissan Qashqai ( DIG-T 115 6 M/T) which currently runs with a superb discount and is offered with highest (!) Tekna spec. Extras I would get on top of Yeti for the same price: navigation, automatic high/low beams, road sign recognition, lane departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, automatic emergency breaking, dimming rear mirror, Bi-Led front beams, rain sensor, intelligent key, electric driver seat adjustment, hill drive assist, rear coloro camera including surrounding view, rear camera washing unit, system recognizing moving objects, parking assist, blind spot warning...

 

Most of the above I don't need but with the current discount policy from Nissan the equipment difference is just too big not to consider it and maybe give a test drive as well. I am not seriously considering Nissan yet but just wanted to illustrate that other car manufacturers with more recent models seem to have far more attractive pricing which makes the choice quite hard for me.

[Ryeman]

My observation is that often the all new model ends up better value simply because so many previous options get absorbed as standard and a whole new list of 'must-haves' are offered and that depresses trade prices on the old model.

Either way, minimise options and go for the version nearest to the top of the range that you can afford.

Yeti is unique........still....... but maybe not for much longer 

[Karlis_Z]

Do agree that Yeti is unique (at least MK I still is), the 2018 model judging by the looks will definitely have to compete with all modern SUVs and that's a whole different game ahead for Yeti.

 

However I need a car this summer therefore I can buy the current Yeti which I do like but which is also a bit outdated for 2017 vs. competitors. At the same time this outgoing model is far from being a Škoda bargain and that's why I mentioned the completely fresh 2017 Qashqai with highest trim being available for the same as a mid-range Yeti...

 

Being a consumer I have to probably make a choice between a reasonable car (which Yeti definitely is) vs. a reasonable buying choice, that is, what I get for my money. After reading all the great reviews about Yeti I might tend to ignore other cars while in reality I should probably look beyond brands and see what is really the best overall car on offer within my budget in 2017.

 

 

[john999boy]

It's always nice to have the 'extras' that make a car more enjoyable but I've previously been put off cars that are generously loaded but 'non engaging' to drive. Have a test drive in a variety of vehicles and the short list will become increasingly more defined.

[Urrell]

Read thru this.
http://www.whatcar.com/news/best-used-small-suvs-4

[Smokeyjoe]

It doesn't matter how many extras it has (that you don't need). How is it to drive? A car needs to give you some pleasure as well as being practical. The Yeti is fun to drive in my opinion. I actually didn't get mine for the looks, spec or the price - it was just a better drive.

[Karlis_Z]

Thanks - I will definitely take Yeti for a spin and some of its competition as well. For sure I know that interior practicality and ground clearance will play a huge role for me so electric gadgets won't be able to compensate

 

Let's say Yeti is not available - what car models you would consider to get the same level of practicality and robustness with roughly the same budget?

[Llanigraham]

Difficult to answer since we do not know what is available in Latvia. It would be better to know what others you are considering.

[Karlis_Z]

Below is a list of some models that are somewhat near my budget, although only a few of them can match the practicality of Yeti:

 

Somewhat similar budget:

Nissan Qashqai

Toyota Verso

Honda HR-V

Mitsubishi ASX

 

Starting to be above budget:

VW Tiguan

VW Touran

Toyota RAV4

Octavi Combi Scout

[Ootohere]

Does the Suzuki Vitara or SEAT Ateca come within your budget.

[Karlis_Z]

@Awayoffski - yes, they come within budget, however around here those brands are very rare. For example, I can see 1.6 times more used Skodas for sale online than Suzuki & Seats together.

 

Market here is purely dominated by main German, Japanese and Swedish brands. For Suzuki and Seat resale values would be very low.

[Ootohere]

I thought the Japanese brand built in Hungary would be readily available to you. 

 

EDIT.

The Spanish car built in the Czech Republic is not big in any used market yet as people are still waiting to get them new.

Edited 13 March, 2017 by Awayoffski

[Karlis_Z]

Those brands are available, however very few people choose them and therefore 2nd hand market almost doesn't exist.

 

I once had quite a rare car model and getting spare parts was a hassle unless going via official dealership and paying unreasonable price. Choosing Yeti which shares VW group parts is definitely a plus for me.

 

[SimonVespa]

I was seduced by the gadgets in the QQ Tekna. Most of them you don't use and most of the driving aids seemed to have a mind of their own in bad weather. 

 

19inch tyres on the Tekna models are expensive and offer little to no protection to the diamond cut alloys. 

 

The surround camera I do miss but that's about it. Quality was in my opinion below par. Very noisy on tickover and rattles on the dash and doors. A noisy steering column when cold which they didn't fix despite being a known issue was the last straw. 

 

If also gives you the driving impression of just being a car where in the Yeti you do have the feeling of space and better visibility. 

 

Try and test drive them back to back. They are very different beasts! 

 

 

[Ootohere]

Very different seating positions as well, you really need to be sure the Nissan's suits on longer runs.

[Karlis_Z]

7 minutes ago, SimonVespa said:

I was seduced by the gadgets in the QQ Tekna. Most of them you don't use and most of the driving aids seemed to have a mind of their own in bad weather. 

 

19inch tyres on the Tekna models are expensive and offer little to no protection to the diamond cut alloys. 

 

The surround camera I do miss but that's about it. Quality was in my opinion below par. Very noisy on tickover and rattles on the dash and doors. A noisy steering column when cold which they didn't fix despite being a known issue was the last straw. 

 

If also gives you the driving impression of just being a car where in the Yeti you do have the feeling of space and better visibility. 

 

Try and test drive them back to back. They are very different beasts! 

 

 

Thanks for good insight! I will definitely do a back to back test.

 

Completely agree on new gadgets failing to deliver in bad weather conditions, just had Toyota Avensis 2016 and most of the time sensors didn't work in rain/snow which in fact is quite common from September till March around here. Same goes for rear camera which basically became useless in rainy days as it was constantly dirty.

[Expatman]

34 minutes ago, Karlis_Z said:

Those brands are available, however very few people choose them and therefore 2nd hand market almost doesn't exist.

 

I once had quite a rare car model and getting spare parts was a hassle unless going via official dealership and paying unreasonable price. Choosing Yeti which shares VW group parts is definitely a plus for me.

 

Don't forget that SEAT is basically the same as Skoda being an offshoot of VW, in fact the new Ateca is built at a Skoda plant and the new 2018 Yeti is likely to be very, very similar to the Ateca. Both use VW parts, engines, gearboxes etc.

In terms of price new Yeti's are competitively priced in UK at the moment and are "run-out" specials (Drive models) meaning you get a lot of goodies for little extra money, in fact no more money if you use the internet to find the best offers. I looked at virtually all direct competitors - and some not so direct - and finally decided to order another Yeti because of efficiency of packaging and compact external size with max internal space. Drive model gave me many goodies and I added some extras to get it exactly like I wanted, I generally keep cars for 6+ years so always order exactly the extras I want knowing that depreciation over 6+ years is okay. The clincher was, I suppose, styling, most competitors are very similar in appearance and, sadly, the new Yeti will join that trend.

[Karlis_Z]

3 hours ago, Expatman said:

Don't forget that SEAT is basically the same as Skoda being an offshoot of VW, in fact the new Ateca is built at a Skoda plant and the new 2018 Yeti is likely to be very, very similar to the Ateca. Both use VW parts, engines, gearboxes etc.

In terms of price new Yeti's are competitively priced in UK at the moment and are "run-out" specials (Drive models) meaning you get a lot of goodies for little extra money, in fact no more money if you use the internet to find the best offers. I looked at virtually all direct competitors - and some not so direct - and finally decided to order another Yeti because of efficiency of packaging and compact external size with max internal space. Drive model gave me many goodies and I added some extras to get it exactly like I wanted, I generally keep cars for 6+ years so always order exactly the extras I want knowing that depreciation over 6+ years is okay. The clincher was, I suppose, styling, most competitors are very similar in appearance and, sadly, the new Yeti will join that trend.

 

I plan to make a test drive in all closest competitors and hopefully this will prove that Yeti is the way to go because of the practicality and somewhat odd shape (like it). Apart from standard gadgets Yeti really seems to stand out and is the most practical and rugged car overall.

 

About SEAT - yes, they are VW group now but historically this brand has never been well accepted here therefore I would rather go for Škoda as resale value would be much higher. The same goes for Italian and French cars around here, however percentage of German and old Swedes like Volvo and Saabs is very high.

[Ryeman]

It's a pity Peugeot's all new 3008 is invisible.

Winning titles can be an albatross around your neck but you'd think a look wouldn't hurt that much.

[baldeagle7470]

I bought a new Yeti 4x4 150 dsg last year,as you correctly say with the extras up near the rest in price.

My previous car was a BMW,I have to say I totally prefer the Yeti as a drivers car,apart from a wind whistle from the drivers door it is reasonably quiet,fairly quick now it has loosened up and becoming reasonably economical.

I like the slightly quirky looks and personally think it handles quite well considering the non aerodynamic body shape.

I have a friend with a Passat with park assist and he used it once!

The Yeti is more comfortable and the variations you can do with the rear seats make it for me a practical all rounder that is fun to drive.

Anyway enjoy your test drives and good luck with making the decision.

[Karlis_Z]

Went on 3 test drives today so wanted to share some observations, hope this might be handy info for someone else looking within this segment

 

Mitsubishi ASX (1.6 petrol, 5 speed manual)

 

Looks: Looks like every other new car but no eye-catching elements that would make it stand out

 

Interior: nothing to be excited about, overall trim quality seems flimsy. Apparently car is made in Japan but most of the elements didn't feel long lasting, I would expect rattling some time later. Only upside for a lot of plastics is that any dirt can be easily removed by a damp cloth.

 

Drive: average, engine noise noticeable when accelerating hard, engine didn't seem to deliver the output required for the car this size and with just 2 passengers in. Bodyroll was noticeable.

 

Nissan Qashqai (1.2 petrol, 6 speed manual)

 

Looks: also looks like every other new car but with some character

 

Interior: Overall nice place to be, however doesn't deliver supreme build quality feeling. Especially in low specs fabric cover on door and mid arm-rests feel cheap, also seats have very flimsy side supports and overall material feel. Hi-end models feel really ok. Hi-end trim packages with discounts are competitive and the way to go. Really liked the versatile boot floor.

 

Drive: nothing special but satisfying, performance was ok from the small engine. No doubt many are tempted by the modern looks, reasonable performance and attractive overall pricing. However I wouldn't definitely call this a drivers car.

 

While waiting had a look at Nissan X-trail - personally I think it looks better than Qashqai, base models have more quality trim and is far more spacious. One again very versatile boot organizers.

 

Škoda Yeti (1.4 TSI, DSG)

 

Looks: not to everyone's taste but definitely stands out from the crowd. In my opinion Outdoor version fits the Yeti more than the standard version.

 

Interior: Overall good quality feeling, nothing exciting but practical. Boot is definitely on the small size but the versatile transformations of rear seats beats all competitors in terms of practicality. Only drawback for me would be where to put he parcel shelf when boot is fully loaded.

 

Drive: Satisfying, engine did deliver when needed and is completely enough for daily usage. Only for DSG the initial kick-down seemed to have a slightly noticeable pause before accelerating but I am going for manual anyway. Ride did feel a bit less SUV than in Qashqai or ASX but probably thats a bonus as it does feel like a compact daily car which is far more practical and rugged.

 

So far Yeti delivers the best drive and beats everyone on practicality. Qashqai without doubt has 2nd place and is far ahead of ASX.

Honda HR-V and Toyota Verso yet to be tested.

[VAGCF]

Interesting stuff, keep it coming.

 

As regards the Yeti boot (don't know if this is all spec. levels) the rear seats can be slid forward to increase the size of the boot - I haven't tried it in mine yet.

 

And evidently the parcel shelf can be stowed vertically behind the rear seats. 

 

[VAGCF]

Bit off topic, so apologies Karlis, but I'm amazed at the number of Kia Sportages that I see in the UK. Saw loads on the way to work this morning.

 

They certainly are a manufacturer that have one gone from unknown to a success in a relatively short time, particularly with the Sportage, and they aren't cheap. 

[Ryeman]

Kia by name, German by nature it seems.

[Expatman]

It seems that Kia, Hyundai and other Far East manufacturers are catching up fast with the European brands. In the UK with a devaluing £ and doubts about zero tariff with Europe post Brexit you have to think that the Far Eastern brands will be looking to expand their sales into UK by clever pricing and design, and angling for tariff free trade with UK.

VW, Audi, BMW etc. must be getting a bit worried at some of the belligerent statements coming from politicians about giving UK a hard time, they are the ones to lose considering 20%+  of their output comes to the UK.