[Screwdriva]

As a participating member of this forum and an automotive enthusiast for the past 15 years, I rarely find myself as stumped as I do today. I've tested both cars thoroughly. I'm hoping, someone, somewhere can help make this decision easier. Our priority is ride quality followed by pleasant interiors and low operating costs.

Let's start with the Yeti

1) Great ride (not sure where the harsh ride feedback is coming from, my family found the Yeti to be more insular than everything short of a Superb)

2) Great seating position - such a high roof, adjustable seats and large glass surface area. Very airy interiors!

3) Very easy to drive in town

4) Great interiors and exterior build quality. Very pleasant on the eyes inside.

5) Apparantly more fuel efficient of the two (Yeti rated at 12kmpl/ 11 for the CRUZE auto)

6) Very peppy acceleration

7) City driving friendly dimensions and, despite 4WD, is lighter than the CRUZE Auto.

8) Great to have the 4WD but honestly, I doubt we'll use it off road too often. But Bombay does have its fair share of craters.

9) After reading about Skoda's aftersales, I swore never to consider their cars. But the Yeti is just THAT good!

Now, the CRUZE LTZ Automatic

1) A great automatic transmission that doesn't blunt performance, fuel economy and doesn't break the bank(1.5 lacs cheaper than the Yeti with discounts factored in)

2) Ridiculously fast with no turbo lag in the Auto

3) Great exterior looks, with muscular lines and great paint finishes. The car instantly oozes "cool"

4) Loaded to the hilt with so many awesome gadgets n gizmos

5) GM's service is ?better? than Skoda's but not by much

6) GM willing to discount the car by .5 lac immediately

7) 3 Year Factory Warranty vs. 4 years of "Skoda Shield" that costs Rs 80,000/-

8) Ride quality is good but not great like the Yeti


Feedback would be very appreciated!

[issigonis]

>>>
Screwdriva,

I am sure you must have gone through the respective official car reviews (I am not sure if there is an official review of Cruze or not) here.

You are comparing two cars from different usage segments ( at least partially) so you will find advice here which may not be entirely objective. For instance, being a VW owner, I may tilt toward the Yeti as I am familiar with the controls/drive characteristics and so on.

However, I feel (and this is entirely my opinion only), that if one is looking for an all-rounder (for city driving, for highway cruising,for long distance drive comfort for the driver and the passengers and so on), a sedan is the first choice. It is another matter that I do not like the exteriors of the Cruze.

The Yeti seems to do the 'job' of the sedan so well that it transcends segments.

The only advice that I can offer is that - do rate both of them based on your criteria and choose the one which will make you smile ( or smile more broadly) under all circumstances (e.g., driving to office, driving back from office after a terrible day there, highway drives, drives on bad surfaces.. you can add on to the list.

Do not worry about or be dependent on comments from the rest of us.

Regards, drive safe

[n.devdath]

2 points from my side:

1. A crossover like the Yeti will seat people neither too high like a full blown SUV and neither too low like a sedan and hence is the most comfortable and airy bet provided its suspension is well engineered too. The Yeti's is. The Cruze on the other hand is a great car to drive but wont be as comfy as the Yeti. Yeti also has the advantage of being able to tackle speed breakers and bad roads (every place in India other than Rajpath has them) better than the Cruze.

Skoda is very reliable brand and the constant sales of the Superb and the Laura have proven it. If I were you, I d pick the Yeti.

2. Your thread is in the wrong section.

MODS: Pl move it to the "What Car" thread.

[Akshay1234]

The Yeti Elegance is the more VFM of the 2 variants, and I would say skip the ambiente, since it does not offer many features.

The Cruze on the other hand is so much more VFM. You get a powerful engine, gadgets, and a a/t which is a HUGE boon in Bombay, believe me.

[Abhas]

Even i checked out both these cars yesterday ! I feel the Yeti is way ahead of Cruze in many aspects. Though i didn't take a test drive, but some points took my liking instantaneously :

1. Yeti felt much roomier on the inside
2. Back seats were much more comfortable than cruze, probably due to their ability to tilt
3. Yeti's interior is a mix of the traditional Skoda's strong rugged look plus the stylish push-button glove compartments.

[Invinsible]

For the criteria that you mentioned Cruze fits the bill i.e. ride quality, pleasant interiors, low operating cost. Chevy I suppose gives the service package for 3 years that includes consumables too. Ride quality on Cruze is slight better than the Yeti. Yeti has slightly stiffer ride compared to the Cruze.
However I din't like the back seat space & headroom, plastic quality on the Cruze. But, the front seats are excellent has a great steering to hold interior lighting package is good and overall a good car to drive.
On the otherside if you looking at good interior space, higher seating, good quality interior, it's the Yeti that fits the bill.
Both cars have fun to drive factor. Currently using the Skoda cars and can tell you onething, the service and spare part cost is going to be on the higher side incase of Yeti compared to the Cruze.

It all boils down to you preference. If you could live with the service and spare cost and like the space and higher seating position go for the Yeti.

[ashvtosh]

I took delivery of my Cruze automatic yesterday. I had debated between the Yeti (which was not yet launched when I booked the Cruze) and the other Skodas since I wanted an automatic diesel. I test drove the car however last week but found Cruze more to my liking. The pros and cons of the Cruze have been given here on this forum by many people and I fully endorse them. Since all the people in my family are short/ average height, that part of the negative feedback regarding Cruze back space etc does not bother me. I wanted a driver centric car and got it. I have bought Skoda Octavia twice since 2002 and must say that Cruze is phenomenal bang for your buck, although Skodas too are value for money. Styling is great unlike the conservative and plain style of the Skodas. The maintenance is lower (as from other friends' experiences). You can call me biased because I bought the Cruze, but I also have 2 Skodas in my garage . Go for the Cruze. You wont be disappointed.

[somspaple]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

2 points from my side:

1. A crossover like the Yeti will seat people neither too high like a full blown SUV and neither too low like a sedan and hence is the most comfortable and airy bet provided its suspension is well engineered too. The Yeti's is. The Cruze on the other hand is a great car to drive but wont be as comfy as the Yeti. Yeti also has the advantage of being able to tackle speed breakers and bad roads (every place in India other than Rajpath has them) better than the Cruze.

Skoda is very reliable brand and the constant sales of the Superb and the Laura have proven it. If I were you, I d pick the Yeti.

2. Your thread is in the wrong section.

MODS: Pl move it to the "What Car" thread.

can't help but to point out..
it doesn't really seem so going by the reviews all over!!

[jkdas]

Just checked out the Yeti ( didnt drive) Its a funny thing to be called an SUV IMHO. My colleague who was with me ( whom I would rate 6/10 about car knowledge), said it was more like a bigger WagonR even in terms of space. He drives a WagonR and we went to book Fabia.

I too felt funny for what one has to pay for this.

[noopster]

I honestly think the Skoda DSG is a better car than the Cruze LTZ automatic. Why isn't it in your consideration set?

The Cruze is a great looker and the slushbox mated to the 2 litre diesel is pretty much everything you need! Plus it's cheaper and the a.s.s is slighty better than Skoda's. So go for it!

[mobike008]

Firstly, IMO, the comparison is totally out of synch except that both shortlisted cars are in similar price range.

I have no clue about the SUV as i am more of a sedan person. Can only offer my thought on its looks which as Jkdas put it looks like an overgrown Wagon R ( Purely my opinion). Allow me to provide insights into the Cruze ( with whatever little experience that i have of owning one)

a) As you rightly said, its monstrous power is best experienced and with an autobox it does not decrease that power in any way

b) Best looking 15 Lakh sedan in our country right now

c) I was apprehensive of GM service like everyone else but, was enjoyed a pleasant buying and initial service experience with them

d) Interiors are more likeable to younger generations folks unlike Laura interiors which are much more plusher and likeable to a more matured outlooking person. That's just my opinion

Btw, I am little surprised to know GM is offering Rs.50,000 discount? Why would GM do that?

[Screwdriva]

The GM Dealer is offering the discount, not GM itself. Dealers are anxious to clear their 2010 stock and I get a phone call every day. Skoda sales personnel on the other hand are very snobbish.

Our dilemma is how much we liked the Yeti. It has the exact same feel of a Laura with more space and a better riding position and 4WD. Even the Ambiente feels very plush and welcoming.

And unlike the soon to be replaced Laura, the Yeti is a brand new car, ensuring better resale over the next few years.

The more I think about it, the more I lean towards the Skoda.

[GloryManUnited]

I had a thread going where I was debating the best C+ segment car for me to buy. Cruze was an absolute favorite in the initial stages but then I took it on a road with moderate sized breakers and that is when I realized how bad the GC is. For me that is a deal-breaker because that is how most of our roads are going to be; like it or not.

So between the Cruze and the Yeti, I would suggest the Yeti. There are several other reasons to pick the Yeti over the Cruze ...

- much better interiors. More equipment atleast on the elegance version
- big airy cabin with great visibility. great to drive at night because of tall seating.
- take it anywhere nature
- a surprisingly easy car to drive considering it is SUVish. You can literally weave through city traffic

[Screwdriva]

Thanks for input guys. Looks like we're going to look at the Yeti for now. It's a new car with loads of friendly character.


I wonder if Skoda India will indeed launch the 1.6 TDi engine in a 2WD guise? Internationally, they call this version "Greenline" because it comes with start stop, thinner tyres and lower GC.

[moose56]

i think you should go for cruze. i saw yeti at the showroom and it impressed me but just saw one on the road today and it looked a bit too small. no offence but according to me i thinks it looks totally like fabia except for its height.