Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review

GloryManUnited · 11th October 2011, 13:29

Contessa, congrats on a fabulous purchase and welcome to the burgeoning club of very happy Yeti owners on Team BHP. The color is excellent and I would have selected the same had I not let my better half pick the color. With every passing day you will find yourself thinking that the Yeti is perhaps the most sensible automobile you can buy for India roads! Enjoy the TANK !

Behemoth · 11th October 2011, 15:08

Congrats Contessa!
And welcome to the Yeti Club on TBHP! So far 4 confirmed members now:Me, Sushil, Pramods, GlorymanU (and possibly 2 more Vb-san, Selfdrive - pls confirm!)

After close to a year of ownership of the Yeti, I can promise you have made the right choice and you will enjoy the Yeti also and it will be a frugal companion to take you almost anywhere!

Enjoy your ride and do keep updating your thread with new developments. If you need any help / info do PM anytime.

Regards,
Behemoth

contessa · 11th October 2011, 17:08

Thanks everyone for your wishes. The car is still slowly growing on me.

Regarding the rear seats, here are my feedback.

When i first sat in a Yeti, I felt it was significantly smaller than Laura. But look at these numbers (Inner dimensions) for Yeti & Laura. Actually Yeti has a slightly wider interiors.

Laura - Internal dimensions
* Elbow width in front/rear (mm): 1415/1423
* Headroom in front/rear (mm): 981/966
* Luggage room min./max. (l): 585/1350

Yeti - Internal dimensions
* Elbow width in front/rear (mm): 1446/1437
* Headroom in front/rear (mm): 1034/1027
* Luggage room (l): 416
* Luggage room with rear seat backrests down/out (l): 1580/1760

(Numbers from Skoda's Global Website)

On quite a few occassions i have taken 3 adults in the rear seat and space was never a problem.The leg space is defintely better than Laura - probably because of higher seating position.

Not sure why Yeti feels smaller than Laura . Is it because of the height..or a different dash arrangement ?

contessa · 11th October 2011, 18:40

phenomonstar, why don't you wait and consider the Yeti in 4x2, if offroading is not important. I 'm assuming this model might be priced similar to Laura.

Kontoo · 11th October 2011, 19:05

Congrats Contessa on the Yeti buy! I have been also toying with the idea of buying the Yeti as my next car. Would appreciate if you could share / PM me the exact on road price of the car in Bangalore. Were you also able to get any freebies etc.? Also, any idea when Skoda is launching the 4X2 version of the Yeti? Thanks !

contessa · 12th October 2011, 17:24

Kontoo,

I bought the car when they offered around 1.6-2k Lakh discount. Not sure if those offers are still available. There were no freebies though.

Saw the announcement regarding the 4x2 on NDTV few days back. Guess it will be available in Nov.

ssh1979 · 14th October 2011, 12:48

Contessa, congratulations on your purchase. Here's wishing you thousands of happy miles; cheers!!!

The bells and whistles offered by the Yeti are mouth-watering. The Yeti is a very important player in a niche segment of "Compact SUVs", which I have always advocated is the way to go for our Indian roads. Had Skoda got a few of their other cards right (read A. S. S. and Customer Delight), the Yeti will be a market leader. I sincerely hope and pray you have a hassle free ownership and A. S. S. experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by contessa

Handling on highway – Driving the car on the highway is bliss and feels very much like Laura - except when cornering hard. However, the 4WD does have a profound effect on the overall handling abilities to the car. You will feel the difference even when doing something as simple as switching lanes (oh! it’s smooth).

Err... how does 4WD help here? Also, doesn't the Yeti have the "auto-on-demand" 4WD? Do you mean it switches on when changing lanes?

Have you tried/tested the traction control et. al.? Any comments or reviews on that?

manasmadaan · 15th October 2011, 08:33

Congrats on a wonderful buy and an excellent choice of colour. Wish you many miles of happiness with this.

SushilBajpai · 22nd October 2011, 07:31

Congratulations Contessa! I love that color. As you begin to clock the miles, you'll discover many aspects of Yeti which have not been written and documented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssh1979

Err... how does 4WD help here? Also, doesn't the Yeti have the "auto-on-demand" 4WD? Do you mean it switches on when changing lanes?

Have you tried/tested the traction control et. al.? Any comments or reviews on that?

ssh1979, I'm probably jumping the gun, but in last 18,000+ km of driving the Yeti, I've probably felt the traction-control kick in only a couple of times. The 4WD is permanently on. Traction control is also always on by default. However there is a switch to turn off traction control. Apparently in certain conditions (like getting stuck in sand) might call for turning off traction control.

I've read that at high speed, one gets a tighter turning radius with traction control off. I find it paradoxical - it is during maneuvering that traction control, ECS etc provide a layer of security that reduce the risk of losing control. So the electronics and its coupled systems will not allow the car to be placed in configurations where risk of losing control begins to rise to unacceptable levels. Switching that protection off might be playing with fire - unless you are a race driver.

Utopian · 22nd October 2011, 14:28

Congrats for the Yeti. The color certainly complements the car quite well.

The same kind of this color, though in a darker shade was offered on the Zen also.
Wishing you lots of happy miles with the Skoda. Any news about the 4X2 version??

contessa · 28th October 2011, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssh1979

Contessa, congratulations on your purchase. Here's wishing you thousands of happy miles; cheers!!!

The bells and whistles offered by the Yeti are mouth-watering. The Yeti is a very important player in a niche segment of "Compact SUVs", which I have always advocated is the way to go for our Indian roads. Had Skoda got a few of their other cards right (read A. S. S. and Customer Delight), the Yeti will be a market leader. I sincerely hope and pray you have a hassle free ownership and A. S. S. experience.

Err... how does 4WD help here? Also, doesn't the Yeti have the "auto-on-demand" 4WD? Do you mean it switches on when changing lanes?

Have you tried/tested the traction control et. al.? Any comments or reviews on that?

I'm no master of driving technique and neither do i feel particularly adventurous. Sorry, you are not going to get any feedback regarding traction control.

Regarding lane-change & 4WD: Being a techie myself, I hate to predict behaviour of a end product solely based on what it is on papers. Further i'm not fluent with auto-technologies - to even participate in a discussion on what a 4WD can do. Its just a car for me, so again, sorry.

As we come near BLR back from long-drives, you will see a flood of M800, Alto and even auto-ricks - moving pretty slowly. I used to struggle to get past the maze of cars - in both Laura and Octavia. But with Yeti, it feels like a computer game - partly because of visibility and partly because of the ease in which you could move around the car. This is really a big difference.

contessa · 28th October 2011, 08:41

Off-roading abilities of this car is truly amazing. There have been many instanances when i was very sure i'm going to scratch the under-chassis on the bump below, but Yeti never did.

Weekend picnics are a lot of fun. Truly a car designed for Urban residents longing to get out of the city.

pramods · 29th October 2011, 13:01

@contessa: I am not sure if your Yeti has the updated ECU firmware for AC, if not please get that updated at the service center, the update increase the AC efficiency and now it really cools better, yet to see any other advantage but Behemoth says it has also increase the fuel efficiency!

-Pramod
PS: You can look at my or Behemoth ownership for ECU update

contessa · 5th November 2011, 15:06

Thanks Pramod. I will check with my local dealer regarding this...and hopefully i can get mine upgraded as well. I picked up my Yeti in Aug...so there is a chance, the firmware is latest.

Raosaheb Desai · 5th November 2011, 15:32

Congrats contessa,
You have a good capable car with excellent build quality. Happy to hear that you are satisfied Skoda owner. Before X Trail, both Yeti & X 1 were my favourite. I think, if Skoda could price it couple of lacs cheaper and with DSG, it would have been instant hit.
Your colour choice is good. One of my friend have blackened B pillars and it looks great.

Happy miles ahead.

11th October 2011, 13:29	#16
GloryManUnited BHPian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 91 Thanked: 5 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Contessa, congrats on a fabulous purchase and welcome to the burgeoning club of very happy Yeti owners on Team BHP. The color is excellent and I would have selected the same had I not let my better half pick the color. With every passing day you will find yourself thinking that the Yeti is perhaps the most sensible automobile you can buy for India roads! Enjoy the TANK !
	() Thanks

11th October 2011, 15:08	#17
Behemoth Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 2,109 Thanked: 5,867 Times View My Garage	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Congrats Contessa! And welcome to the Yeti Club on TBHP! So far 4 confirmed members now:Me, Sushil, Pramods, GlorymanU (and possibly 2 more Vb-san, Selfdrive - pls confirm!) After close to a year of ownership of the Yeti, I can promise you have made the right choice and you will enjoy the Yeti also and it will be a frugal companion to take you almost anywhere! Enjoy your ride and do keep updating your thread with new developments. If you need any help / info do PM anytime. Regards, Behemoth Last edited by Behemoth : 11th October 2011 at 15:10.
	(1) Thanks

11th October 2011, 17:08	#18
contessa BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 68 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Thanks everyone for your wishes. The car is still slowly growing on me. Regarding the rear seats, here are my feedback. When i first sat in a Yeti, I felt it was significantly smaller than Laura. But look at these numbers (Inner dimensions) for Yeti & Laura. Actually Yeti has a slightly wider interiors. Laura - Internal dimensions * Elbow width in front/rear (mm): 1415/1423 * Headroom in front/rear (mm): 981/966 * Luggage room min./max. (l): 585/1350 Yeti - Internal dimensions * Elbow width in front/rear (mm): 1446/1437 * Headroom in front/rear (mm): 1034/1027 * Luggage room (l): 416 * Luggage room with rear seat backrests down/out (l): 1580/1760 (Numbers from Skoda's Global Website) On quite a few occassions i have taken 3 adults in the rear seat and space was never a problem.The leg space is defintely better than Laura - probably because of higher seating position. Not sure why Yeti feels smaller than Laura . Is it because of the height..or a different dash arrangement ? Last edited by contessa : 11th October 2011 at 17:16. Reason: Link replaced with numbers
	() Thanks

11th October 2011, 18:40	#19
contessa BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 68 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review phenomonstar, why don't you wait and consider the Yeti in 4x2, if offroading is not important. I 'm assuming this model might be priced similar to Laura.
	() Thanks

11th October 2011, 19:05	#20
Kontoo BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 114 Thanked: 36 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Congrats Contessa on the Yeti buy! I have been also toying with the idea of buying the Yeti as my next car. Would appreciate if you could share / PM me the exact on road price of the car in Bangalore. Were you also able to get any freebies etc.? Also, any idea when Skoda is launching the 4X2 version of the Yeti? Thanks !
	() Thanks

12th October 2011, 17:24	#21
contessa BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 68 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Kontoo, I bought the car when they offered around 1.6-2k Lakh discount. Not sure if those offers are still available. There were no freebies though. Saw the announcement regarding the 4x2 on NDTV few days back. Guess it will be available in Nov.
	() Thanks

15th October 2011, 08:33	#23
manasmadaan BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Amritsar Posts: 329 Thanked: 326 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Congrats on a wonderful buy and an excellent choice of colour. Wish you many miles of happiness with this.
	() Thanks

22nd October 2011, 14:28	#25
Utopian BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 603 Thanked: 123 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Congrats for the Yeti. The color certainly complements the car quite well. The same kind of this color, though in a darker shade was offered on the Zen also. Wishing you lots of happy miles with the Skoda. Any news about the 4X2 version??
	() Thanks

28th October 2011, 08:41	#27
contessa BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 68 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Off-roading abilities of this car is truly amazing. There have been many instanances when i was very sure i'm going to scratch the under-chassis on the bump below, but Yeti never did. Weekend picnics are a lot of fun. Truly a car designed for Urban residents longing to get out of the city. Attached Thumbnails
	(4) Thanks

29th October 2011, 13:01	#28
pramods BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Nagpur Posts: 980 Thanked: 818 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review @contessa: I am not sure if your Yeti has the updated ECU firmware for AC, if not please get that updated at the service center, the update increase the AC efficiency and now it really cools better, yet to see any other advantage but Behemoth says it has also increase the fuel efficiency! -Pramod PS: You can look at my or Behemoth ownership for ECU update
	() Thanks

5th November 2011, 15:06	#29
contessa BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 68 Thanked: 25 Times	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Thanks Pramod. I will check with my local dealer regarding this...and hopefully i can get mine upgraded as well. I picked up my Yeti in Aug...so there is a chance, the firmware is latest.
	() Thanks

5th November 2011, 15:32	#30
Raosaheb Desai BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surat Posts: 202 Thanked: 139 Times View My Garage	Re: Skoda Yeti - Initial Ownership Review Congrats contessa, You have a good capable car with excellent build quality. Happy to hear that you are satisfied Skoda owner. Before X Trail, both Yeti & X 1 were my favourite. I think, if Skoda could price it couple of lacs cheaper and with DSG, it would have been instant hit. Your colour choice is good. One of my friend have blackened B pillars and it looks great. Happy miles ahead.
	() Thanks