[shankar.balan]

Behemoth, our other colleague on TBHP bought an Ambiente (same as Ambition).
His feeling was that the Elegance had some more stuff but the price differential did not justify the same, hence his decision.

On my part, I felt that the Elegance simply offered much more than the AMbiente/Ambition and I went ahead and bought it.

In my opinion, the top spec available right now, the Elegance is very well worth it indeed! 6 Airbags instead of just 2. Optical parking sensors with big colour display - for both front and rear. While I may not really need it, it is really nice to have and easy to get used to the convenience offered.
The Music system with its integrated radio and 6 CD changer etc is a real boon compared with a single CD player.The cornering lamps in front are just fantastic when driving on our ill lit roads with their frequent bumps and potholes. I never knew the value of this till I experienced it at first hand recently in the hills while night driving. The off road assistant button is another amazing bit of tech which completely changes the setting for you to achieve the best performance on non tarmac, broken road conditions.

I am glad I bought the Elegance. Yes it was 2 odd lacs more (after all discounts etc) but hey, it is money very well spent indeed, from my perspective!

Originally Posted by lapsi

Hi Guys,

I am considering the Ambition variant of the 4*4. It is about 2.2 lakhs less than the Elegance, on road. Are the features on the Elegance worth paying this additional amount?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Cheers!

[lapsi]

Shankar,

Actually, your numerous posts on the features of Elegance are responsible for kind of swaying me towards this variant

Like you, I too love driving in the hills at night. The on-coming vehicles are visible from kms away and it is much easier than driving during the day except that, when one is turning, the vehicle goes in one direction the lights are still in another. I have missed those cornering lights for as long as I can remember but I was hoping to get them through the vag-com or while negotiating with the dealer.

I self drive and I am single, so the additional airbags are more of a luxury without any real value to me. The off road assistance would be great but I have not done any off roading as yet, so I am not sure about the value that it adds if it is never used.

The big screen, 6 CD changer, climate control AC and front parking sensors would be nice but then are these worth paying an extra couple of lakhs?

That's the question which I need to resolve

Cheers!

[shankar.balan]

Hi
Yes I agree taking the decision feels like a bit of a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

Frankly you can go peacefully with the Ambiente/Ambition variant since the extra fiddlies dont appear to be super important to you personally.

Anyway both Elegance and Ambition/Ambiente variants of the Yeti have ASR, Hill Hold, Traction Control, ESP, ABS, EBD, 4x4 etc so no worries on that score atleast.

In the Elegance, the corner lamps are really functional and I like the 6 CD machine with that big colour display. The Climate control (DUAL) is particularly handy for us because I always want the temp to be around 18-19 degrees and my wife doesnt like it so cold. She prefers 24 degrees. With the Elegance, we get exactly what each of us wants at all times! That in itself is a huge plus in terms of overall convenience and feel good.

Even in my case there are just the two of us with the luggage in the back so having 6 airbags is not essential. However, when I was going to be paying about 17.5 on road for the Ambiente I did not mind spending the other 2 lacs odd for the top variant - partially because of the "feel good" factor involved.

I could just as easily done with the Ambiente/Ambition but chose the Elegance because I had saved money and did have the budget to indulge the feel good factor.

The top end variants are generally nicer because they come fully loaded from the factory and there is no question, as in the case of the second variant, of the dealer service chaps doing any retro fitting in case one wishes at a later stage to add some stuff in.

For me the corner lamps are just too good indeed. I never realized their value until now and am glad I bought the variant which has these.

To sum it up, you cant go wrong with the Ambiente/Ambition, but if I were you, I would just buy the Elegance and be done with it!

Originally Posted by lapsi

Shankar,

Actually, your numerous posts on the features of Elegance are responsible for kind of swaying me towards this variant

Like you, I too love driving in the hills at night. The on-coming vehicles are visible from kms away and it is much easier than driving during the day except that, when one is turning, the vehicle goes in one direction the lights are still in another. I have missed those cornering lights for as long as I can remember but I was hoping to get them through the vag-com or while negotiating with the dealer.

I self drive and I am single, so the additional airbags are more of a luxury without any real value to me. The off road assistance would be great but I have not done any off roading as yet, so I am not sure about the value that it adds if it is never used.

The big screen, 6 CD changer, climate control AC and front parking sensors would be nice but then are these worth paying an extra couple of lakhs?

That's the question which I need to resolve

Cheers!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by lapsi

Shankar,

Actually, your numerous posts on the features of Elegance are responsible for kind of swaying me towards this variant

Like you, I too love driving in the hills at night. The on-coming vehicles are visible from kms away and it is much easier than driving during the day except that, when one is turning, the vehicle goes in one direction the lights are still in another. I have missed those cornering lights for as long as I can remember but I was hoping to get them through the vag-com or while negotiating with the dealer.

I self drive and I am single, so the additional airbags are more of a luxury without any real value to me. The off road assistance would be great but I have not done any off roading as yet, so I am not sure about the value that it adds if it is never used.

The big screen, 6 CD changer, climate control AC and front parking sensors would be nice but then are these worth paying an extra couple of lakhs?

That's the question which I need to resolve

Cheers!

Hi Lapsi,

No worries, the cornering lights can easily be activated via VCDS (Vagcom) on the Ambiente version (I have done so on mine!). I have also activated dial sweep and Auto door lock / unlock etc. I have a VCDS cable, but I am based in Delhi NCR. You can try to find someone in Mumbai who can help you out there!
Happy Yettiing!

Regards,
Behemoth

[lapsi]

Shankar,

And here I am trying to be you. lol. It all boils down to an additional 4.5K pm for the next 5 years. That is more than what I will spend on my fuel bills each month with my average running of about 1100 km/month.

But you are right, these features are not personally important to me and at the same time 4.5K pm is also not a big deal. Hence logic and practicality is out and this will merely be an emotional decision.


Behemoth,

Thanks. It was through your posts that I first came to know about the VCDS and the stuff that can be done with. I hope to find someone in Bombay and if I do not, maybe I will drive down to meet you Highway runs are awesome to run in new cars.

Thanks guys!

[Behemoth]

Hi Lapsi,

TBHPian Akki_5 (Based in Mumbai) has done some good tweaking to his Laura Elegance in Mumbai. You can read more on his thread and he should be able to help you out.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...vag-com-3.html

You are most welcome to come down to Delhi and hope that we will see many Yeti's doing the Leh run this year!\
Do share your Yeti buying experience when you take the plunge!

Regards,
Behemoth

[lapsi]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Hi Lapsi,

TBHPian Akki_5 (Based in Mumbai) has done some good tweaking to his Laura Elegance in Mumbai.
=================
Do share your Yeti buying experience when you take the plunge!

Regards,
Behemoth

Behemoth,

Thanks for the link. I have already pinged him. Oh Yes! Leh is definitely happening soon. Now it all depends on the discount that is offered.

Also, could you please revert on my post in this link.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2659543

Thanks

[shankar.balan]

Follow your heart and you wont be disappointed.
4.5 K pm is not much any more perhaps so even more reason to go for the big one!
I spend around 100 litres a month on my vehicles - the Scorpio used to give about 10 in city and 13 on highways. This Yeti currently gives about 15-16 on highways and 13 consistently in city. I seem to be driving more than I was, in the Scorpio - atleast in these last 2 months so my average per month stands at about 1500 kms per month currently.
My normalized average would be 1300-1350 kms per month including all city commuting and long distance highway trips on mixed terrain and some bad roads and hence a Diesel SUV/ crossover type vehicle with high ground clearance does make a difference in my life overall. I guess my monthly expenditure would be about Rs 4600 -4700- 5grand on Diesel overall.
I used to pay about 15 grand per month for the Scorp + around 5 grand for Diesel making the monthly outflow about 20 grand overall.
For the Yeti I guess this outflow would be at about 27-30 grand including Diesel so it is quite easily affordable all right. The trick that I have found, is to put down a large downpayment - say 50% of final on road cost, get a good loan at good terms with flex prepayment possibility and you're good to go! I plan to own the Yeti sooner by prepaying and reducing the loan tenure as quickly as I can, without impacting my other committments and general lifestyle. Wish me luck!
Enjoy your decision making and the chase down and purchase process- the chase is always more fun than the catch! Even more reason to hurry up is this proposed Diesel tax and so on.

Originally Posted by lapsi

Shankar,

And here I am trying to be you. lol. It all boils down to an additional 4.5K pm for the next 5 years. That is more than what I will spend on my fuel bills each month with my average running of about 1100 km/month.

But you are right, these features are not personally important to me and at the same time 4.5K pm is also not a big deal. Hence logic and practicality is out and this will merely be an emotional decision.

[lapsi]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Follow your heart and you wont be disappointed.

1. 4.5 K pm is not much any more perhaps so even more reason to go for the big one!

2. I spend around 100 litres a month on my vehicles - the Scorpio used to give about 10 in city and 13 on highways. This Yeti currently gives about 15-16 on highways and 13 consistently in city. I seem to be driving more than I was, in the Scorpio - atleast in these last 2 months so my average per month stands at about 1500 kms per month currently.

3. My normalized average would be 1300-1350 kms per month including all city commuting and long distance highway trips on mixed terrain and some bad roads and hence a Diesel SUV/ crossover type vehicle with high ground clearance does make a difference in my life overall. I guess my monthly expenditure would be about Rs 4600 -4700- 5grand on Diesel overall.

4. I used to pay about 15 grand per month for the Scorp + around 5 grand for Diesel making the monthly outflow about 20 grand overall. For the Yeti I guess this outflow would be at about 27-30 grand including Diesel so it is quite easily affordable all right.

5. The trick that I have found, is to put down a large down payment - say 50% of final on road cost, get a good loan at good terms with flex prepayment possibility and you're good to go!

6. I plan to own the Yeti sooner by prepaying and reducing the loan tenure as quickly as I can, without impacting my other commitments and general lifestyle. Wish me luck!

7. Enjoy your decision making and the chase down and purchase process- the chase is always more fun than the catch! Even more reason to hurry up is this proposed Diesel tax and so on.

Shankar,

I could not agree more with this entire post on all counts and I absolutely hope to follow my heart though I am more of a head kind of person. So this will be new territory for me. lol

I have added para nos to your post so that it will be easy to co-relate.

1. While the additional amount will not be too much of a stretch, the lower amount was very easy and enticing.

2. My long term average is about 1100 km/month. Out of this 2/3 is on highways and the 1/3 which is in city is at odd times when there is low traffic. I do not have a daily commute.

3. I am regularly getting an average of about 15 and sometimes even upto 17 in my Honda City Gxi resulting in a spend of about 4.5 - 4.75K per month.

4. My figures are similar. Earlier the monthly outgo was about 20K and now will become about 25 - 30K. I have been installment free for some time now though.

5. Completely agree.

6. All the best for an early loan free life

7. Yup, that it is and will keep the new tax in mind.

Btw, hope people are aware that about 50 - 60% of the on road prices of cars in India are taxes which of course are looted.

Thanks for your response.

Cheers!

[shankar.balan]

We also pay a very large Road Tax - about 3 lacs or something for the Yeti in Bangalore. For what? For the "no roads" and "broken roads" situation that the local authorities are forcing us to live with!!
Totally OT etc I know, but I cant help ranting at this every day!

Originally Posted by lapsi

Btw, hope people are aware that about 50 - 60% of the on road prices of cars in India are taxes which of course are looted.

[lapsi]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

We also pay a very large Road Tax - about 3 lacs or something for the Yeti in Bangalore. For what? For the "no roads" and "broken roads" situation that the local authorities are forcing us to live with!!
Totally OT etc I know, but I cant help ranting at this every day!

That is really too high and it made worse by the fact that 80 - 85% of the cost of fuel is taxes and they want us to believe that they are subsidizing it.

I used to love Gaddafi for one thing. He used to sell petrol at INR 7 per liter. Go figure.

[Catamaran]

Hi all,
Did some crude photoshop job in order to check how the white yeti would look if we paint the front and rear bumpers to body colour. Although Iam not very keen on doing this and would always like to keep cars in thier oiginal look, somehow I feel the rear black bumpers on the yeti is making the car look even MORE smaller. Would appreciate opinion from fellow BHPians ...

Cheers !

[Catamaran]

Hi all

Would appreaciate opinion from Yeti owners on my query above regarding painting the black bumpers in body colour. Has anyone done this before ??
Mine is a white Yeti and wanted to paint only the rear bumper in white, but still in two minds..Do not want to do it and regret later...One of my cousin has done this in his X5 and it looks really cool, But over there the bumper was only partly black and moreover both vehicles are leagues apart in terms of size and looks..

Regards..

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Hi all

Would appreaciate opinion from Yeti owners on my query above regarding painting the black bumpers in body colour. Has anyone done this before ??
Mine is a white Yeti and wanted to paint only the rear bumper in white, but still in two minds..Do not want to do it and regret later...One of my cousin has done this in his X5 and it looks really cool, But over there the bumper was only partly black and moreover both vehicles are leagues apart in terms of size and looks..

Regards..

I'm not a Yeti owner. But I'd still like to give my views on this.

Somehow, I can't digest an all-while Yeti. The contrasting black panels actually suit the car. It not only hides and masks the flab and metal, it gives the car a rugged look. I'd suggest you to leave it just the way it's intended to be.

EDIT: By the way, I think I've seen your cousin's X5. Is it KL registered? I didn't quite like the look of it. Like I said, large cars painted in one colour don't look that great as it shows how big the car is. Hints and splashes of black help mask the girth and give it a robust look. It is a SUV after all.

[vb-saan]

^^I agree with the above comment. The paint job may not go well on the Yeti. The current quirky looks go well with the car, and painting bumpers to body colour may give it an in between look, and could end up losing the character