[Santoshbhat]

Congratulations on your New Yeti and thanks for the lovely write up. The Yeti has FINESSE. It is just so right for Indian conditions. Compact dimensions, good GC, strong diesel engine. Very well kitted as well. Well, for the price it better be!

When I walked into to the Skoda showroom to check out the Laura, I fell in love with the Yeti! My needs were different so I decided to stick to my original choice and went ahead and bought a Laura TSI. Totally agree with you about the standards these Euros set for you. I can't see myself considering anything non Euro when the time comes for a change.

[shankar.balan]

Thanks Santosh
Yes, the standards the Euro boys set are hard to beat!
But for now I shall be content with the Silver LittleBigFoot!

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Congratulations on your New Yeti and thanks for the lovely write up. Totally agree with you about the standards these Euros set for you. I can't see myself considering anything non Euro when the time comes for a change.

[basilmabraham]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

@ Basil
Thanks! Yes I agree that my experiences so far may help change perceptions for what it is worth. Either way no skin off my nose because I buy cars to please myself and hopefully I have made the right choice this time also! If and when I upgrade a few years down the line, I will by then have gotten so used to Euro Luxe that I shall possibly have to consider something like a Q3, LR Freelander2 or possibly the Yeti L&K in case they bring that out! And indeed, next time I go on holiday I shall probably have to rent an Euro vehicle to continue to experience the better things in life!

Happy to know that you have really upgraded your lifestyle with the Yeti. Guess that is the best thing a car can do to you, Skoda should be proud. All the best with the car. Do keep us all updated of the happenings. Thanks for the PM.

[evilshantanu]

Congrats on the new buy!
Yeti looks fabulous....
I think I met you in HSR Layout, the day you were getting the Puja done for your vehicle. I hope you are the same guy

Happy driving!

[mnemonic]

Shankar- What do I say?

A very well thought out and composed review. Looking forward to more installments already. The Yeti is sort of a Vidya Balan if you will, is elegant and understated most of the time ( daily commute) and can be a ravishing diva given the right dirty ( offroad) picture.

I am so kicked by your buying experience and posts, all I can do is now daydream of the Yeti. I will be doing a TD of the 4x2 Active shortly and all things being normal ( if there isn't a sudden depression and the related fallouts), might take the insane plunge.

One thing is for sure, this car kinda sets off an endless internal debate in you after you set your sights on it. I have never spoken to myself so much, so often.....any tips on how to get out of this conundrum?

[46TheDoctor]

Congrats for your new buy! Yeti is really nice as 'go anywhere do anything' (obviously in moderate amount) single car! Only thing that stops me from buying it is it's price. I hope it comes down in future although it won't be good for your resale value!

[Guderian]

Hi SB,
Congratulations !

A nice ride and a great review.
On reading it came the old buzz in the head - as to whether things would have been very different had I gone ahead with the Yeti instead of my current ride. Something I intend to answer to myself - keeping a constant eye on this thread over the months and years.
Great colour that silver. Are there any changes in the Yetis released in the early days and now ?

Have a great time with the new baby !

[shankar.balan]

Hi. Yes that was me and my wife at the small Hanuman Temple near our house. We live a couple of streets away from there. Should catch up sometime if you also live in the neighbourhood like our other pals on the Forum, Ampere and Jaggu et al!
Cheers!

Originally Posted by evilshantanu

Congrats on the new buy!
Yeti looks fabulous....
I think I met you in HSR Layout, the day you were getting the Puja done for your vehicle. I hope you are the same guy

Happy driving!

Thanks a lot.
The only tip I have for anyone is to consider things carefully and go with your instinct. Ive found that it works infallibly pretty much! If you like something go after it and get it - as simple as that!

Originally Posted by mnemonic

Shankar- What do I say?

A very well thought out and composed review. Looking forward to more installments already. The Yeti is sort of a Vidya Balan if you will, is elegant and understated most of the time ( daily commute) and can be a ravishing diva given the right dirty ( offroad) picture.

I am so kicked by your buying experience and posts, all I can do is now daydream of the Yeti. I will be doing a TD of the 4x2 Active shortly and all things being normal ( if there isn't a sudden depression and the related fallouts), might take the insane plunge.

One thing is for sure, this car kinda sets off an endless internal debate in you after you set your sights on it. I have never spoken to myself so much, so often.....any tips on how to get out of this conundrum?

Thanks - yes that "moderate" has to be borne in mind considering the expense involved in buying the vehicle. Frankly I m not too particular about the re-sale because in general I want to make full use of any car that I buy and when I buy, Im not generally focussed on what it will fetch me some years down the line. If I had that concern, then I guess I would have bought the Laura top end!

Originally Posted by 46TheDoctor

Congrats for your new buy! Yeti is really nice as 'go anywhere do anything' (obviously in moderate amount) single car! Only thing that stops me from buying it is it's price. I hope it comes down in future although it won't be good for your resale value!

Thanks Herr Heinz!
For me it made perfect sense though at one time I also considered the Fortuner. The new Yetis are pretty much the same as the older ones except for the Software update which gives one better AC cooling and better FE according to Behemoth. I dont know enough about the old Yeti's AC or FE but mine sure seems to be performing well on both counts!

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi SB,
Congratulations !

A nice ride and a great review.
On reading it came the old buzz in the head - as to whether things would have been very different had I gone ahead with the Yeti instead of my current ride. Something I intend to answer to myself - keeping a constant eye on this thread over the months and years.
Great colour that silver. Are there any changes in the Yetis released in the early days and now ?

Have a great time with the new baby !

Thanks Basil. Yes, I totally agree that it is an upgrade in the best sense of the word. It is NOT about size, it is only about Quality, Utility, Functionality, Fit, Finish and Finesse!

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

Happy to know that you have really upgraded your lifestyle with the Yeti. Guess that is the best thing a car can do to you, Skoda should be proud. All the best with the car. Do keep us all updated of the happenings. Thanks for the PM.

[evilshantanu]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Hi. Yes that was me and my wife at the small Hanuman Temple near our house. We live a couple of streets away from there. Should catch up sometime if you also live in the neighbourhood like our other pals on the Forum, Ampere and Jaggu et al!
Cheers!

Yes, Lets catchup sometime. I stay right opposite Agara lake, oh I didnt know that Jaggu and Ampere are also here. Then we should meet soon... will PM you my cell number.

[Hayek]

Hi SB, congrats on the Yeti. Have been following your threads for a while now, and I must say that you are doing a great job in selling this vehicle to your readers. Despite its diminutive size, the Yeti does seem a great SUV to own. I just wish they would launch the car with a DSG gearbox (despite all the cribs various people have on DSGs), and it would be pretty high on my priority list as my second car. Do keep the posts coming

[shankar.balan]

Hi. Not really selling it! Just enjoying it and sharing the experience!
Yes as an SUV it is small, rather like a mid sized station wagon. But since it springs from the Laura/ Golf platform, it is reasonable sized.
That DSG AT would be great no doubt - this is self evident given the thick traffic we have to battle through each day!
However, the vehicle is very engaging to drive in Manual form itself and the clutch etc is very car-like indeed.
And like I said, we as a people need to evolve away from expecting tons of metal for the price one pays and start focussing on quality, features, fit, finish and finesse instead. Only then will the manufacturers of these other tin boxes realize that the Indian consumer deserves a lot better than they are doling out.

Originally Posted by Hayek

Hi SB, congrats on the Yeti. Have been following your threads for a while now, and I must say that you are doing a great job in selling this vehicle to your readers. Despite its diminutive size, the Yeti does seem a great SUV to own. I just wish they would launch the car with a DSG gearbox (despite all the cribs various people have on DSGs), and it would be pretty high on my priority list as my second car. Do keep the posts coming

[vb-saan]

Good to see the ownership thread!

I always had a feeling that you will end with the Yeti – from the initial days of failed golf bag tests to the numerous discussions on Duster and the what car thread on Hyundai v/s Yeti

Actually, this morning I was browsing through an auto-magazine at my regular coffee joint, and I saw this statement on the Yeti, made by Jürgen Stackmann, Board of Directors member – Skoda Sales & Marketing.
He said “We’re an anti-fashion statement. Fashion is great for 2 years, and then it’s out of fashion”. Quite apt for the Yeti, I must say.

Enjoy big steps with the LittleBigFoot!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Good to see the ownership thread!

I always had a feeling that you will end with the Yeti – from the initial days of failed golf bag tests to the numerous discussions on Duster and the what car thread on Hyundai v/s Yeti

Actually, this morning I was browsing through an auto-magazine at my regular coffee joint, and I saw this statement on the Yeti, made by Jürgen Stackmann, Board of Directors member – Skoda Sales & Marketing.
He said “We’re an anti-fashion statement. Fashion is great for 2 years, and then it’s out of fashion”. Quite apt for the Yeti, I must say.

Enjoy big steps with the LittleBigFoot!

In fact I was also thinking recently along the same lines! Most of the new car launches / concepts shown are quite radical designs and either love-it or hate it - some examples being the Ecosport / LR Defender / Suzuki XA / Mini - Most of these are quite similar to the Yeti in some way or the other in Design language. It seems that car designers are now deliberately making anti-fashion designs in a bid to be different from the Junta of cars!
The Yeti when it was launched in Europe, made quite a bold design statement, but after that, many more radical cars also surfaced. One example which I feel is just too radical is the Nissan Juke!

Regards,
Behemoth

[shankar.balan]

Yes you're right. Most of todays designs in this space look like Love em or hate em. The Yeti was a simple Skoda derived design but its higher stance etc gave it a certain sort of oddball flair.
Even today I see the old first gen Octavias now and then on the streets and simply love their looks. Especially the Octy Combi which I always liked but couldnt afford at the time.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

In fact I was also thinking recently along the same lines! Most of the new car launches / concepts shown are quite radical designs and either love-it or hate it - some examples being the Ecosport / LR Defender / Suzuki XA / Mini - Most of these are quite similar to the Yeti in some way or the other in Design language. It seems that car designers are now deliberately making anti-fashion designs in a bid to be different from the Junta of cars!
The Yeti when it was launched in Europe, made quite a bold design statement, but after that, many more radical cars also surfaced. One example which I feel is just too radical is the Nissan Juke!

Regards,
Behemoth

Ha! So did I, deep in my heart of hearts, want the Yeti very much indeed. Nothing quite like buying brand new.
I dont know about the anti fashion statement but to me, it is just the right mix of quirky appeal, great feel and understated elegance in design. Personally I ve always gone for Classic design rather than Fashion Flair. Always preferred function and utility over form, but form does help when backed up by solid credentials!
It is backed up by solid engineering, solid build and that Euro feel, which our Indian, Japanese and Koreans will find very tough to match up to, let alone beat!
I just dont like the OTT sort of look and feel and design language of the new Corolla Altis, Fortuner new look, the XUV (which by the way is too terribly over the top in my mind) and all the Korean cars.
None of them look as self assured as these Euro vehicles! Poor XUV looks like it is just trying too hard - especially from the front. And I just dont like the plasticky feel and the fit, finish and finesse quality being offered, in comparison to even a ten year old Skoda Octavia Combi!

Originally Posted by vb-san

Good to see the ownership thread!

I always had a feeling that you will end with the Yeti – from the initial days of failed golf bag tests to the numerous discussions on Duster and the what car thread on Hyundai v/s Yeti

Actually, this morning I was browsing through an auto-magazine at my regular coffee joint, and I saw this statement on the Yeti, made by Jürgen Stackmann, Board of Directors member – Skoda Sales & Marketing.
He said “We’re an anti-fashion statement. Fashion is great for 2 years, and then it’s out of fashion”. Quite apt for the Yeti, I must say.

Enjoy big steps with the LittleBigFoot!

[drchernish]

Would like to post some Yeti pictures to glamorize this thread.When are we going to get those projectors?