After months of test-drives and detailed discussions with you all, I finally got the delivery of my Yeti. Why I decided to buy the Yeti over C+ segment sedans is documented in the following thread:
In pursuit of happiness: my next car ! - Team-BHP
I chose the beautiful Corrida red color and even though this low-res phone camera picture does not do justice, I am posting it nevertheless with the promise of better quality pictures to follow
The dealership experience with Vinayak Skoda in Bangalore has been the most pleasant so far. Over the period of a month, they gave me a testdrive on a Laura and 2 on the Yeti. The delivery was as scheduled and they even helped me secure a loan at a very reasonable interest rate. The car itself had a small scratch on the roof-rail which they themselves pointed out and have promised to replace. Overall I would rate the experience quite highly.
Now the car itself. It sure is a stunner. I am actually quite embarrassed at the tons of appreciative glances that the car has been receiving whenever I take it out for a spin. What a head-turner!
Enough has been documented about the Yeti in various threads on team-bhp. So I will just mention the things that stand out to me.
1. This is an extremely spacious car! There is acres of space all around. The front seats are plush and comfortable. The rear seats comfortablly seat 3 and there is ample legroom. The boot is large enough for most use-cases even without collapsing or moving the rearseats. The cabin looks rich and bright in the beige upholstery. Overall the cabin is a very pleasant place to be in for all passengers.
2. For some freaking reason, the tyre pressure at the time of delivery was 55 !! The ride was pretty bumpy as a result. I had begun to question the decision when I realized the folly with the tyre pressure. I had it reduced to 32 in the front and 36 in the back. And now the ride quality is excellent.
3. The parking assist system is an absolute gem! It is so accurate and the visual aid is a dolly. I have really taken to using it every-time I reverse.
4. The headlights switch will need getting used to. It is a rotary dial on the dash to the right of the steering wheel. If you pull this switch instead of turning it, the front fog lamps light up. If the fog lamps are off, the appropriate fog lamp comes on to assist cornering. Overall the headlights are quite powerful. Turning on the fog lamps makes things even brighter and clear.
5. The tendency to stall catches you unawares. I am begining to learn how to avoid it by clutching a little bit extra a slow speeds. The good thing is that you can restart the car in any gear simply by pressing the clutch along with the ignition. Kind of reminds me of my Yamaha back in younger days
6. The automatic climate control is simply too good. It maintains a very pleasant temperature in the cabin irrespective of external conditions. You simply don't need to fiddle with the knobs which is such a relief after the Ikon I had.
7. The cooled glove box and under-armrest pocket are quite handy too.
8. I am getting an overall FE of 11.4. I have driven about 170 km so far. This has been city driving with 2-4 passengers on board.
9. The engine is a beast. It revs very quickly and when the turbo kicks in, it pushes you into your seat. Coupled with a very precise steering wheel, this car loves to be driven. It is nimble in city traffic and overtaking is usually just a split-second affair.
10. And you sit tall. Real tall. Now bring on those glaring headlights
The day-night mirrors ensure that the headlights at the rear don't trouble you either. I feel very comfortable driving this car in the night.
11. I figured out one way to avoid stalls in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Just release the clutch without acceleration. The car sticks to 9 kmph on the 1st gear. It always sticks to this speed so I am begining to think this is a feature. Of-course if you want to launch into higher speeds then the regular clutch-accelerator combo is required.
12. I love to leave the MFD on the digital speedo setting. The large font digital speedo gives the same affect as the civic !
13. At extremely low speeds the ride becomes a little jumpy. Much better once you hit 30 kmph+.
14. The 'electro-mechanical' steering is feather light at parking speeds. Once you hit 50-60 kmph it stiffens up nicely and feels very well connected. The steering wheel is small in diameter and is very nice to hold. The black leather on it is top-class.
15. I am yet to figure out how to close the windows using the remote key fob. I thought this feature was present in the elegance.
16. The hand-brake is awkwardly placed below the arm rest. I have to curl my wrist over and around the arm rest in the position I find it most comfortable in. I felt this problem in all VW cars that I had test-driven (Laura, Jetta, Yeti).
17. I would love to have the skoda original bluetooth kit that integrates with the Bolero system. Vinayak skoda has no information if/when it will be available. Similarly it would be great to have an integrated GPS system. I guess I should be asking this in the ICE section.
18. The engine note is a little gruff when I start it for the first time in the morning. I guess that is a regular feature of diesel engines. It calms down to a purr after a few minutes. The operating temperature takes about 3 kms of driving to attain the optimal level. The manual says the vehicle should be driven sedately until then. I have been following that advice. I am also keeping the revs below 3K during the run-in. The dealer said it is not required but the manual says this is needed. I guess Skoda has better engineers than the dealer so I will stick to what the manual says.
19. Even at those revs I could easily cross 100 kmph in the 4th gear. Did I mention the engine is a beast
20. The Bolero ICE is just perfect. Don't see any need to upgrade ever.
More impressions to follow. I am loving it !!