[pradeepkc]

Hi Folks,
I have been looking for a 4x2 Yeti for more than a month now. I finally came across one that has 55K on the Odo, well maintained with no accident repairs. There are some scrathes, but most of it is on the PPF. Always serviced at Skoda service center. Also comes with Stanley leather seats. Tires were replaced 5K KMS ago. Comprehensive insurance renewed 3 weeks ago. The only bummer is it's an active variant. But I am still interested in pursuing the car. I offered 5.5L for the car, but the owner isn't willing to come down below 5.7L. Do you guys think it's worth 5.7L?

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

If you had asked about the Yeti just 3 weeks ago you could have taken mine.

I wish you were selling your car now, I would have bought it eyes closed. Enjoyed reading your ownership thread.

[Dushie]

Originally Posted by pradeepkc

Hi Folks,
I have been looking for a 4x2 Yeti for more than a month now. I finally came across one that has 55K on the Odo, well maintained with no accident repairs. There are some scrathes, but most of it is on the PPF. Always serviced at Skoda service center. Also comes with Stanley leather seats. Tires were replaced 5K KMS ago. Comprehensive insurance renewed 3 weeks ago. The only bummer is it's an active variant. But I am still interested in pursuing the car. I offered 5.5L for the car, but the owner isn't willing to come down below 5.7L. Do you guys think it's worth 5.7L?



I wish you were selling your car now, I would have bought it eyes closed. Enjoyed reading your ownership thread.

Hi Pradeep,
Looking at your thread, i am also interested in checking out the Yeti. Did you close this deal. If you come across any deals do feel free to ping and share with me. I shared my details over message with you..

Thanks

[navaneo]

Dear All

Happy to inform you all that I finally bought the snowman. The wait was totally worth it. Its an Elegance 4X4, run 70K KMs but feels and drives like a new car. I am absolutely delighted with the purchase and the car. Hoping for a trouble free experience .

I plan to use the car primarily for my long trips ( on the highways ). I exchanged my nano-amt for a Jazz CVT an year ago and that will be my primary car for City driving

Would like to thank all the Yeti owners, their detailed Long term experience threads and valuable input . As a newbie, I will reach out to some of you if I need some input/support

Thanks again
Navaneo

[kablu]

Originally Posted by navaneo

Dear All

Happy to inform you all that I finally bought the snowman. The wait was totally worth it. Its an Elegance 4X4, run 70K KMs but feels and drives like a new car. I am absolutely delighted with the purchase and the car. Hoping for a trouble free experience .

Thanks again
Navaneo

Wishing you many more happy miles dear.

Friends,
I'm looking to buy a used Yeti that came through a known circle. Personally don't know the car though.
Have read through the ownership reviews available in t-bhp. I understand the car is pretty reliable as such. However, the specimen that I came across is 1.4L kms done 2011 model. Apparently single owner. Comes at a mouth watering price of under 5L. Shall I proceed forward with the deal? I'm ok with cost of replacements expected with wear and tear for such a mileage. But would be interested to know whether there is any risk involved. In a nutshell , I'm ok to spend a bit more on service and maintenance for this classic beauty which is close to my heart. But don't want to end up in a money pit. Expert suggestion please.

[ringoism]

So here I am looking at a 2013 Yeti 4x4 Ambition. Had a few hours behind the wheel and mightily impressed, especially considering the rough condition of body/paint and the 190k on the odo. No clunks or weird noises or drivability issues anywhere. Check engine light is on, which according to the manual is an "exhaust system fault". Cooling fans not coming on and it needs tyres, otherwise seems extremely solid and all functional. I know to the average person this could sound daunting; for better or worse, as our Marshal 4x4 thread (among others) demonstrates, I don't seem to fit the "average" category - I am also okay with self-inflicted jugaad.

Took it on some truly horrible roads / tracks and would say the AWD is really effective, even on slippery stuff with nearly bald tyres; Despite relatively low GC, with judicious driving I never hit bottom and would guess it could manage probably 80% of what we've ever done off-road / in snow vs. the Marshal, while being at least 200% better on-road. Extremely solid with no significant rattles / shakes. Quick on-boost (little laggy but managed extreme uphill from dead stop). Computer shows it's been doing 14kmpl in local hill driving, which seems pretty okay to me and would suggest closer to 18+ on longer runs.

So what would constitute a "good deal" on a car like this? Single Doctor owner threw a figure of 2.5L out there, which I'd say is way too high all things considered. He himself acknowledges the hassles of parts sourcing, etc, and having five cars simultaneously, wasn't good about record-keeping, pretty much neglected it the past couple years.

It's a given that this will be a near-total DIY endeavor, especially if we move to the Northeast, where the first Skoda showroom only opened recently, and that a full twelve hours from Aizawl. 190k sounds like a lot in the Indian context, but elsewhere that's 125k miles, which for a VW TDI nobody considers worthy of mention.

Thanks in advance,
-Eric

[ringoism]

Really and truly sounds like our kind of car:

Originally Posted by iTNerd

...if you are not the type of person with herd mentality and want a no-nonsense do-it-all car, buy it, own it and enjoy it!

Originally Posted by iTNerd

The Yeti, being very well engineered and built, would be easily road worthy for two and more decades of motoring, if well looked and maintained with genuine parts... I don't think you will get any better car at this price point in the pre-own market.

Originally Posted by aveoman19

The Yeti is a great car. Compact on the outside, tough built, safe, responsive, well put, no nonsense comfortable mini SUV that just got lost amidst the "kitna deti hai", "chrome everywhere", gadgets and gimmicks focused market. The slightly quirky and oddball styling didn't help with its sales. The superb (no pun intended) combination of a comfortable and matured ride along with good grip and decent handling make it an absolutely wonderful vehicle to drive.

So a no frills, solid design and build, versatile, relatively efficient, practical family ride. Ticks all the boxes.

(Only wish Maruti would have built it!)

So re: spares supply we have some mostly favorable opinions here below (but does it still hold in 2022?):

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Spares usually readily available because most of the spares come from the common VW parts bin.
It is only those oddball spares which have very low demand that you may need to wait for.

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Most of common consumables and spare parts and the TDi 2.0 engine are from the common bins, that were used across many VW cars - Skoda Laura, Superb, Jetta, Passat, Golf, Tiguan, Audi A3, A4, A6, Q3, Q5, TT, 8P, Seat Exo etc. to name a few. So, sourcing these parts should not be a big issue.

Originally Posted by aveoman19

Basically a generic VW/Škoda/Audi/Seat engine and transmission combo. Therefore, parts availability shouldn't be an issue. Anything and everything can be ordered online.

(but)

Originally Posted by fine69

I then went to my nearby car market and realized that not only are Yeti spares expensive, they aren't as readily available as other Skoda cars. In fact Fabia spares for some reason were much more quickly available than the Yeti.

I visited 2 other markets and it was the same story. One of the biggest auto-supplier market in Delhi had spares but their authenticity was anybody's guess. Skoda A.S.S did have spares but Yeti specific spares (non shared parts) could take anywhere from 10 days to a month, almost 3 years later the spare availability would only have gone down.

However good the Yeti is, avoid unless you have time & resources at hand to experience it without any fuss. God forbid but even a small accident can lead to it being parked in a service center just because the spares aren't available.

So again, what's the 2022 situation? Anyone here still own one?

With occasional touring in mind: Suppose I'm halfway through a 5,000km tour and the clutch starts slipping: Shall I assume that a clutch from whichever other VW 2.0TDI will likely be more or less compatible? If the struts start leaking, I'll wait till I get back. I'll carry an extra set of brake pads and radiator hoses with me. And make sure the timing belt / water pump have been done beforehand and all fluids / refrigerant fresh / topped up and wheel bearings (where serviceable) inspected and greased. If the cooling fan controller goes kaput enroute (as it seems at present), I'll hard-wire the fans to the battery, with a nice household hanging lamp switch below the dashboard . Sound plausible? Am I missing anything?

People say these are fundamentally reliable and don't really break down. Is this generally accepted reality, and can it hold true at 190k? I can survive with niggles and failure of non-essential systems (ESP or TCS or whatever, for which I never really felt a need anyway). If clutch feels hard, it's still a lot lighter than the Marshal's. If it becomes gradually harder to start in the winters, well, so be it, that's common with age cross manufacturers. I can do a ring-job myself if and when needed.

But hard breakdowns, on the other hand, are gonna be hard to take. If the car's cheap enough I suppose one could sell it to the nearest scrapyard and take a flight home. But wouldn't prefer the hassle.

So bottom line: Can a 9-year-old Yeti @190k be reasonably expected to go the distance - by hook or by crook??? I'm a tinkerer and ok with that so long as it's not consuming too much of my time over the course of a year. I just don't want to be a broke / stranded tinkerer.

Only other seemingly plausible choices would be a (much older) Tucson, or an Aria, both of which at this point would have the same potential niggles / spares issues. The Duster AWD's injector issues and component failures as described here in threads are definitely off-putting. Else a 4wd Scorp, which would likely cost me double the money up front and more in actual running in terms of fuel consumption.

Thoughts? Anyone daring enough to burst my bubble / talk some sense into me here?

-Eric

[fine69]

Originally Posted by ringoism

So re: spares supply we have some mostly favorable opinions here below (but does it still hold in 2022?)

A used Yeti shouldn't be a consideration at all in 2022, heck it shouldn't have been considered in 2020 so steer clear of it.

However, people still buy Contessa n Ambassador so you can of course buy it but the sheer headache that'll come with the Yeti wouldn't be worth anyone's time.

[navaneo]

I have had a trouble free experience since I bought my used snowman back in March 2021. It is a sheer pleasure to drive and I don't regret buying it at all. In fact I intend to keep it as long as the possibly can considering what it offers against what's available currently. I am not sure if you can get a small footprint 2.0D engine, 4x4, 5*rated safety SUV like the Yeti. As far as spares go, I bought a very well maintained car and it's just been normal service related expenses till date. Having said that both my FNG trusted mechanic and Skoda A** technician assured me that spares are not an issue. If you find a well maintained Yeti, I would recommend you buy it.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by navaneo

I have had a trouble free experience since I bought my used snowman back in March 2021. It is a sheer pleasure to drive and I don't regret buying it at all. In fact I intend to keep it as long as the possibly can considering what it offers against what's available currently. I am not sure if you can get a small footprint 2.0D engine, 4x4, 5*rated safety SUV like the Yeti.

As we can see from this vs. post #37 (quoted below) there is a diversity of opinion here

I try to steer clear of those heart over head decisions, so although I admit I loved the driving experience and quirky styling, what you state above really expresses the reality of its being a very sensible, practical all-round family vehicle (which is mostly what they sell them for in the EU/UK). In terms of its basic concept/ design/ functionality it offers a rare combination of qualities to be sure.

Been researching the (85ps) 2wd Terrano as an alternative - obviously a much more familiar and plentiful vehicle that would reduce service/spares headaches considerably.

Terrano complaints I found include torque-steer, a few rattles/ creaks, and thick A-pillars (major consideration as we drive almost entirely in the hills and they do reduce visibility substantially on twisty roads). After the Marshal I can live with minor squeaks/creaks, but the other two can detract greatly from the driving experience, particularly a consistently *safe* driving experience.

Originally Posted by fine69

A used Yeti shouldn't be a consideration at all in 2022, heck it shouldn't have been considered in 2020 so steer clear of it... the sheer headache that'll come with the Yeti wouldn't be worth anyone's time.

As for this: Real headaches are unwanted.
The manifestation of perceived/assumed ones is another question. Can you be more specific re: the particular issues / concerns, on the basis of your knowledge/ experience?

I do own a KB125, a 500 Machismo, and an Impulse - all "rare" bikes with supposed spares issues which for the most part I have found pretty surmountable. Granted a modern car probably has more that can go wrong with it than the three bikes put together!!!

With thoae much has come down to finding sources & making the right connections with them, or else adapting bits from.other models / makes when required. Go into any local bike shop and ask for a KB125 sprocket or brake shoes or fork seal or clutch, and they'll swear they don't have it, if they've ever heard of the bike at all. But they'd have those (identical fit) Pulsar/ Caliber bits in plenteous stock. I don't mind searching out/ establishing these sources/solutions, just don't want my back against the wall anytime soon.


Most esteemed local shop here says he can source everything for it overnight from Delhi, that it's not expensive (bit more than other cars), that they're getting aftermarket parts for them from Korea - which is totally fine by me. Incidentally this is the same guy who told me there is trouble getting Tara Aria parts (that had been another serious option). So he doesn't seem to be simply making wild claims / telling me what I want to hear.

The Yeti in question had radiator/ condensor cooling fans that wouldn't switch on... Boodmo wants 30k for the pair which seems exorbitant, mechanic says that's out of line and he can get them for much less...

Current owner has taken it down to get it rectified with a mechanic he considers able - let's see. I figure if it's not overheating and the A/C works and there are no weird noises or smoke/steam coming from where it shoun't be, I can probably resolve/ make.peace with whatever other little issues it has, assuming it's priced at a discount.

-Eric

[DIV17]

Hey folks, i am looking for a spacious family car that can also be a daily driver albeit with a limited budget. We prefer a diesel and are ok with manual since it won't be used everyday. The Yeti has really caught my attention since it is very well under our budget and the whole package of size and performance is perfect which makes it very tempting. I have found a 2011 4x4 ambiente with slightly above 100k on the odo. The car has undergone a recent service including replacements like timing belt. This thread mostly seems like a hit or miss of Yeti ownership. So I would like to get your inputs on this. Does it make sense to buy a used Yeti in 2023? How is the parts situation? Would it need frequent maintenance? And does it get really expensive?
Should I look at other options? The only other option I see is the Duster which seems to have reliability issues and clean examples are out of my budget.