Which version?

[mrhooty]

Hi all

I'm after some advice, I'm looking to buy a Yeti, the only model I have driven is a 2017 Laurent and Klement with the 150PS 1.4 petrol engine and I liked it but they all have the panoramic roof which again I like but reading the issues people have had puts me off a bit.

So which is the best version to get, petrol or diesel, manual or auto?

I would really appreciate any advice from owners past and present.

 

Many thanks

 

Dave

[langers2k]

14 minutes ago, mrhooty said:

So which is the best version to get, petrol or diesel, manual or auto?

 

Welcome to the forums

 

Rather than 'best', you should be looking for the option best suited to you...

- If you do short journeys with a low yearly mileage, I'd suggest a petrol

- If you're covering 20k+ a year with longer journeys, then a diesel is better

- Are you  planning to tow anything, if so, what and how frequently

 

Manual vs DSG is trickier, personally, I like having a manual but may prefer DSG gearboxes so it's whichever you're most comfortable with

[mrhooty]

Thanks for the welcome.

I do about 12k a year and want the car to carry road/mountain bikes.

[Stubod]

..I have a 1.4 LK and love the engine, but if I was buying now I would go for a late 1.2 petrol SEL Drive with DSG....I think the later wet clutch boxes are more reliable (?), and the SEL drive has all the toys but no pan roof...

[Kenny R]

14 minutes ago, Stubod said:

..I have a 1.4 LK and love the engine, but if I was buying now I would go for a late 1.2 petrol SEL Drive with DSG....I think the later wet clutch boxes are more reliable (?), and the SEL drive has all the toys but no pan roof...

All the 1.2/ 1.4 petrol Yetis have the dry clutch somewhat unreliable DSG.

Edited 19 November, 2020 by Kenny R

[muddyboots]

2 hours ago, mrhooty said:

Thanks for the welcome.

I do about 12k a year and want the car to carry road/mountain bikes.

Hi

 

Previous Yeti owner (and fellow mountain biker) here, had my Yeti for about 4 years until I changed last year.

 

I have a 29" wheeled, full-suspension MTB, large frame, and with the front wheel removed I could only just fit it in, with the back seats down and the forks pushed up behind the driver's seat. So in reality if you want to carry the bike internally, you may well be taking both wheels off (which may be fine for you, I just find it a faff!). Road bikes probably less of an issue compared to the current trend of ever-longer MTBs, with larger wheels and larger tyres.

I tended to carry mine on roofbar-mounted bike carriers. If doing this, just be conscious of the Yeti height, and your own height, and the weight of your bike...because you'll be shoulder-pressing the bike pretty high overhead. I'm 6ft tall and - holding my bike by the front fork lowers and the rear seat stays - I was pretty much doing it at arms length (can be fun in strong winds!).

 

In terms of car model - all depends what you want. I'm a fairly enthusiastic driver, and had the 170 TDI 4x4 (remapped to ~200bhp plus simple damper & brake upgrades) and it was a real hoot to drive. I'd go so far as to say it's the most fun all-round car I've owned. Now have an A6 Allroad 320, which is far quicker than the Yeti, can vary in height to give almost as much clearance as the Yeti did, and is a very nice place to be....but....all in all I think I enjoyed driving the Yeti more. Yeti has a certain image...possibly more associated with the er, more mature person let's say....but the child in me enjoyed the surprise element it sometimes gave other drivers, and also people don't generally assume you're a **** (unlike with the Audi).

 

My tips would be to really carefully inspect all the door paintwork. In my last year of ownership, my Yeti started developing a number of small bubbles in the paint, on every door, and also the bottom corners/edges of the front doors tend to rust (where they rub against the rubber seal separating them from the rear doors). Not sure if the paint blister issue went away after certain model years but it wasn't uncommon at all.

 

Also bear in mind other specs, for example the 170 had larger brakes than the others. Also the Xenon headlights were pretty good on the Yeti too (in fact better than the lights on my Audi are!!).

 

Edited 19 November, 2020 by muddyboots

[mrhooty]

1 hour ago, muddyboots said:

Hi

 

Previous Yeti owner (and fellow mountain biker) here, had my Yeti for about 4 years until I changed last year.

 

I have a 29" wheeled, full-suspension MTB, large frame, and with the front wheel removed I could only just fit it in, with the back seats down and the forks pushed up behind the driver's seat. So in reality if you want to carry the bike internally, you may well be taking both wheels off (which may be fine for you, I just find it a faff!). Road bikes probably less of an issue compared to the current trend of ever-longer MTBs, with larger wheels and larger tyres.

I tended to carry mine on roofbar-mounted bike carriers. If doing this, just be conscious of the Yeti height, and your own height, and the weight of your bike...because you'll be shoulder-pressing the bike pretty high overhead. I'm 6ft tall and - holding my bike by the front fork lowers and the rear seat stays - I was pretty much doing it at arms length (can be fun in strong winds!).

 

In terms of car model - all depends what you want. I'm a fairly enthusiastic driver, and had the 170 TDI 4x4 (remapped to ~200bhp plus simple damper & brake upgrades) and it was a real hoot to drive. I'd go so far as to say it's the most fun all-round car I've owned. Now have an A6 Allroad 320, which is far quicker than the Yeti, can vary in height to give almost as much clearance as the Yeti did, and is a very nice place to be....but....all in all I think I enjoyed driving the Yeti more. Yeti has a certain image...possibly more associated with the er, more mature person let's say....but the child in me enjoyed the surprise element it sometimes gave other drivers, and also people don't generally assume you're a **** (unlike with the Audi).

 

My tips would be to really carefully inspect all the door paintwork. In my last year of ownership, my Yeti started developing a number of small bubbles in the paint, on every door, and also the bottom corners/edges of the front doors tend to rust (where they rub against the rubber seal separating them from the rear doors). Not sure if the paint blister issue went away after certain model years but it wasn't uncommon at all.

 

Also bear in mind other specs, for example the 170 had larger brakes than the others. Also the Xenon headlights were pretty good on the Yeti too (in fact better than the lights on my Audi are!!).

 

Hi Muddyboots

 

Many thanks for taking the time to write the above, I would definitely be putting the bikes inside as at 5' 7" I would need a ladder to reach the roof of a Yeti, my MTB is a cross-country type so shorter than most.

I would prefer a more powerful variant of the Yeti as like yourself I enjoy driving (Yaris GR4 on order) I'm not worried about image at 54 it's too late for me to look cool..

Back to trawling through ads on the Autotrader website!

[muddyboots]

10 minutes ago, mrhooty said:

Hi Muddyboots

 

Many thanks for taking the time to write the above, I would definitely be putting the bikes inside as at 5' 7" I would need a ladder to reach the roof of a Yeti, my MTB is a cross-country type so shorter than most.

I would prefer a more powerful variant of the Yeti as like yourself I enjoy driving (Yaris GR4 on order) I'm not worried about image at 54 it's too late for me to look cool..

Back to trawling through ads on the Autotrader website!

 

The Yaris sure looks fun....envious.

 

Bikes, yes with a smaller frame, less slack geometry and the fact you won't have your seat as far back as I did, should just be a front-wheel off job OK (with back seats down).

Regarding the roof though, if you ever needed to, you could just keep a plastic step in the boot so you could reach ?

Another option is a towbar carrier, obviously needs a towbar, but it's a way of keeping muddy bikes out of the car without needing to reach up to the roof. We use a Atera Strada on the back of our Superb when we go on summer holidays, tilts right back out of the way to give full access to the rear. Bit of a faff threading three bikes on, but smaller racks to carry just one or two bikes I would imagine to be quick to load.

 

Engine wise, I think the 170 TDI was available for a short period after the facelift models came out, but was dropped in more recent years in favour of the 150 TDI (we have that engine in our Superb).

There was a 160bhp petrol Yeti in earlier years, didn't seem very popular and I think was sometimes prone to excess oil usage, and didn't have the 312mm brakes of the 170.

Simple remap will see 200-205bhp from the 170 if you're that way inclined. I fitted Bilstein B6 dampers, EBC Yellow pads all round, decent fluid, and a mildly uprated rear anti-roll bar from a Q3. Surprisingly good on Peak District roads considering the elevated height. Loads of traction and not too badly balanced either with the Haldex/rear diff/propshaft etc running to the back. Pretty capable in winter too with the right tyres on.

 

Incidentally if you're after boot space AND rear seat space - don't overlook the Superb. It's immense, never been in a car with more rear leg room and also having a huge boot. Noticeably more space than my A6 Allroad yet both cars are almost identical in length. Our Superb is 4wd too - just lacks the ground clearance. (Yeti was far more fun to drive than our non-sporty, floaty-boaty-suspension-spec Superb though!).

If it wasn't for the fact my bars are just an inch too wide to get through the boot opening, my full-sus MTB would go in the back of the A6 with both wheels on (seats down). With the front wheel on I can't angle the bars or wheel quite enough to get it through. Never tried it in the Superb, but I think it would probably go. Just saying that to give you an idea of the space difference between the Yeti and other cars, given that bike carrying ability is a factor for you.

[mrhooty]

Muddyboots again I really appreciate your advice, I was only looking at petrol models initially but the thought of a tuned diesel with loads of torque does have its appeal.

[Expatman]

For 12k miles per annum you really will be better off with a petrol engine. The 1.4 is no slowcoach but if you've got the Yaris for performance the popular 1.2 Yeti is a safer bet.

It really depends on what you want!

[Dale_Stevens]

I tow a caravan so I've recently purchsed a 2017 Yeti 2.0L DSG TDI 150PS 4x4 Outdoor SE L Drive which I love.

Edited 19 November, 2020 by Dale_Stevens

[kenfowler3966]

I did around 12k a year in my Yeti and my wife did under 4K a year in a diesel fabia for many years with no issues or warning lights.

As long as you regularly do a longer trip the emmision system will stay healthy. For the fabia it was a 50 mile return trip on a fast road about every other week, with all other trips much shorter. 
Whilst I agree that this is a major consideration when buying new, second hand you might as well get what you prefer driving. If you can stretch to a 150ps later diesel it is Euro 6 and much less likely to have issues or be barred from low emmision areas. Really nice to drive as well and some are 6 years old now.

[mrhooty]

Would anyone recommend the heated windscreen?

I like the idea of not having to scrape away ice when the colder mornings arrive.

[Schtum]

1 hour ago, mrhooty said:

Muddyboots again I really appreciate your advice, I was only looking at petrol models initially but the thought of a tuned diesel with loads of torque does have its appeal.

 

Coming from a Mk5 TDI Golf that had 210 bhp and 330 lbs-ft. I originally planned to buy a 170 TDI and have it remapped.  However, reason prevailed and I decided on a Euro 6 2016 SE L Drive 150 TDI 4x4.  After a remap, it now makes c. 185 bhp and is just about quick enough, although I have been in discussion with Darkside Developments about the options of turbo / injector swaps to make 220 / 250 bhp.  Brake upgrade to 312 mm is easy.  You only need a set of caliper carriers from a Mk5/6 Golf GTI and the 312 mm discs.  

 

I don't carry bicycles in my car but I do have the rear seats removed. They come out very easily and the load space would then take an MTB quite easily.  

 

HTH

[mrhooty]

2 minutes ago, Schtum said:

 

Coming from a Mk5 TDI Golf that had 210 bhp and 330 lbs-ft. I originally planned to buy a 170 TDI and have it remapped.  However, reason prevailed and I decided on a Euro 6 2016 SE L Drive 150 TDI 4x4.  After a remap, it now makes c. 185 bhp and is just about quick enough, although I have been in discussion with Darkside Developments about the options of turbo / injector swaps to make 220 / 250 bhp.  Brake upgrade to 312 mm is easy.  You only need a set of caliper carriers from a Mk5/6 Golf GTI and the 312 mm discs.  

 

I don't carry bicycles in my car but I do have the rear seats removed. They come out very easily and the load space would then take an MTB quite easily.  

 

HTH

 

Thanks Schtum I'm now looking at Darkside Developments website.

[Schtum]

2 minutes ago, mrhooty said:

 

Thanks Schtum I'm now looking at Darkside Developments website.

 

Note that they offer a 4 pot Porsche caliper kit to fit 312 mm discs.... 

[Expatman]

14 minutes ago, mrhooty said:

Would anyone recommend the heated windscreen?

I like the idea of not having to scrape away ice when the colder mornings arrive.

Yes, takes a couple of minutes but so much easier than scraping! Get an SEL Drive version and it's standard.

[mrhooty]

3 minutes ago, Schtum said:

 

Note that they offer a 4 pot Porsche caliper kit to fit 312 mm discs.... 

 

A tuned Yeti with 185 BHP and big brakes I can cancel the order for the Yaris 

[Schtum]

9 minutes ago, mrhooty said:

 

A tuned Yeti with 185 BHP and big brakes I can cancel the order for the Yaris 

 

Probably not but apart from the 4 pot calipers that's pretty much what mine is.  Even on standard suspension, it handles very well, especially on the kind of twisty, bumpy, country roads I'm on most of the time. Having enabled XDS as well, it doesn't understeer too much even when really pressing on. 

Edited 19 November, 2020 by Schtum

[freedie]

Don't worry about only doing 12k miles in a 170 diesel with "an upgrade". I have one, and they are bullet proof. The 170 already has 312mm brake discs at the front. Any upgrade is good but not totally necessary for stopping power "on or off road".

 

Just my two-penn'orth. Hope it helps?

[TruckbusUK]

2 hours ago, mrhooty said:

Would anyone recommend the heated windscreen?

I like the idea of not having to scrape away ice when the colder mornings arrive.

Absolutely ... it takes seconds to defrost even a -11° frost (dont know why its not more popular,) just dont use the wipers till it looks slushy or you will be buying new blades ... how do I know? ... go on guess

[mrhooty]

18 minutes ago, freedie said:

Don't worry about only doing 12k miles in a 170 diesel with "an upgrade". I have one, and they are bullet proof. The 170 already has 312mm brake discs at the front. Any upgrade is good but not totally necessary for stopping power "on or off road".

 

Just my two-penn'orth. Hope it helps?

 

It certainly does help

 

Many thanks

[mrhooty]

2 minutes ago, TruckbusUK said:

Absolutely ... it takes seconds to defrost even a -11° frost (dont know why its not more popular,) just dont use the wipers till it looks slushy or you will be buying new blades ... how do I know? ... go on guess

 

Right that's a must on my list then, I see heated washer jets were also an option, wonder how may buyers ticked that box.

[kenfowler3966]

I did always tick that box for heated nozzles as small extra cost, and once heated windscreens were made available as an option the heated nozzles come with it anyway as a package. 
 

[Dale_Stevens]

1 hour ago, kenfowler3966 said:

....once heated windscreens were made available as an option the heated nozzles come with it anyway as a package. 
 

 

I didn't realise that, so my Yeti with its heated screen will have heated nozzles?