[DeKay]

Have they given you an estimate of the cost?

[nottobesaid]

I am planning to buy a 4x4 Yeti as the prices have come down. (Getting Ambiente @ Rs 15.2 lacs OTR Gurgaon) My worry is as the car will be run in Delhi weather, mostly with Driver and sometimes by me, is it having a good AC performance as I had heard earlier that there were some issues with AC.

Also how is the suspension at the back seat? Is is comfortable like a Innova, second row?

Any suggestions are welcome.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Page back through this thread until you find the video of the Top Gear extract in which Jeremy Clarkson puts this car through a series of tests. You will find your concerns specifically answered.

Time for ice-cream and tattoos!

(that will make sense when you see the video )

[shankar.balan]

The Yeti's AC is powerful and very comfortable as per my view and experience so far. I believe this may have something to do with the latest ECU software patch as mentioned by others. This was updated in my Yeti prior to delivery so I have no experience of how the AC was with the older patch. All I know is that my experience of the AC so far has been tops, especially the dual zone climatronic which is fun.

However, sitting in the second row is perfectly alright for shorter journeys, especially for a tall person, despite having reclining seats etc.

It is not as spacious as an Innova most definitely. The suspension is very good and does soak up the bumps very well. I am comparing it right now to my earlier Scorpio and there is a world of difference. However the Innova's suspension was always more comfortable than the Scorpio so there is little to choose between the Yeti and Innova other than spaciousness of the second row!

I would say that the Yeti is perfect for a self driven vehicle and/ or if the main passenger uses the front passenger seat because the driving seat and front passenger seats are the most comfortable places to be. It is also easy to park and perfect for the city where the Innova can be a bit irritating to park etc.

If the overall use is for a small family plus luggage then I would recommend the Yeti, but for larger groups, the Innova it is! In short, the Yeti is perfect for small families and people who prefer self drive whereas the Innova is perfect for larger families and people who prefer being chauffeur driven.

For the price you are paying for an Ambiente Yeti you will get the Innova V Version, possibly with Captain Seats, which are really excellently comfy.

Personally I dont like the van like looks of the Innova and always prefer the more SUV-ish looks of the Yeti.

In your case, I would urge you to consider and evaluate the Laura as well as the Rapid even, as these are pretty good and comfy cars in which to be chauffeur driven and offer a very good experience for the self driven too, apart from having cavernous boots for luggage etc.

In my case, I don't generally like conventional sedans and I have this quirk in my head about a "perceived" need for "go anywhere/ 4x4" ability, which most people out there can easily live without.

If I didnt have this above quirk and "perceived" need, I could have considered the Laura too, or come to it, even the Rapid, which is an excellent and well priced vehicle indeed.

It is always fun evaluating a new vehicle. Like they say, the "chase" is always better than the actual "catch". All the best!

Originally Posted by nottobesaid

I am planning to buy a 4x4 Yeti as the prices have come down. (Getting Ambiente @ Rs 15.2 lacs OTR Gurgaon) My worry is as the car will be run in Delhi weather, mostly with Driver and sometimes by me, is it having a good AC performance as I had heard earlier that there were some issues with AC.

Also how is the suspension at the back seat? Is is comfortable like a Innova, second row?

Any suggestions are welcome.

[nottobesaid]

Shankar, Thanks buddy for your detailed inputs. Helpfull...

I have a small family and also that "Qurik" in mind that I don't want to have another sedan.
Any views on how expensive the cost of ownership/maintenance is so for for you?
Also the Ambiente does not come with SD or a USB? Any suggestions for that as well will be appreciated.
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]

[VBN]

Originally Posted by nottobesaid

Shankar, Thanks buddy for your detailed inputs. Helpfull...

I have a small family and also that "Qurik" in mind that I don't want to have another sedan.
Any views on how expensive the cost of ownership/maintenance is so for for you?
Also the Ambiente does not come with SD or a USB? Any suggestions for that as well will be appreciated.

I have an Elegance version. So not sure of the Ambiente. You could check if there is an aux-in port. The Elegance has it.

[VBN]

Autobahn Mumbai delivers awesome service. I had occasion to go to them for a compressor change on the
Yeti, some rattling noises, car charger fuse replacements(the GPS unit had blown these off), and removal of cement stains all over the body(when parked under a bridge construction). All these occasions were separate, and all the times, the turnaround time, courteousness of their staff, and quality of work has been very impressive. Kudos to them.

[shankar.balan]

No worries mate.

Mine is the Elegance and comes with the SD reader but I generally dont think I will end up using it at all. I use my Ipod and the Radio Bolero standard 6 CD changer system is itself excellent for my needs. I dont find the lack of USB to be a difficulty either as I still belong to the old fashioned bunch who like music on proper CDs with original covers etc! I would not do any kind of electrical or electronic retro fitment to my Yeti because the Extended Warranty would automatically get voided. However, it is worth checking with your dealer if he can help retro fit the SD Card reader and so on though I frankly dont think you will get much result from most dealers. I would even say plonk the extra cash and buy the Elegance - the price differential is well worth it considering the fiddly bits you get for the money. In fact even I was actively considering the Ambiente 4x4 but based on the above logic, I went and bought the Elegance.

Cost of ownership and maintenance is tough to estimate because my vehicle is exactly 20 days old. Perhaps some of the other threads including earlier posts on this thread would help you form an opinion. Else you can PM a few active members like Behemoth, Contessa and SushilBajpai etc for their views as they have had their Yeti's longer than I have.

I will give you one input though - I filled up a full tank on 2nd Dec evening as soon as I got my Yeti. Since then I have been driving in normal stop-start city traffic with the AC on all the time and in low gears most of the time, and the tank has only now reached around 1/3rd or so. I havent been switching the engine off at all even when I am idling at a traffic light.

I have driven close to 550kms in the last 20 days and I plan to fill up as soon as the needle touches the red part of the Fuel gauge - this will probably happen by day after tomorrow or maybe Saturday max. At that time I should be able to get a good estimate of the mileage I am getting, which I will share. As of now the digital readout says that I still have an effective range of 190kms!

So far all indications of the Yeti's Fuel efficiency, given the operating conditions in Bangalore's nightmarish traffic, seems truly excellent indeed!

Originally Posted by nottobesaid

Shankar, Thanks buddy for your detailed inputs. Helpfull...

I have a small family and also that "Qurik" in mind that I don't want to have another sedan.
Any views on how expensive the cost of ownership/maintenance is so for for you?
Also the Ambiente does not come with SD or a USB? Any suggestions for that as well will be appreciated.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by nottobesaid

Shankar, Thanks buddy for your detailed inputs. Helpfull...

I have a small family and also that "Qurik" in mind that I don't want to have another sedan.
Any views on how expensive the cost of ownership/maintenance is so for for you?
Also the Ambiente does not come with SD or a USB? Any suggestions for that as well will be appreciated.

After 1 year of ownership of my Yeti, I can confirm that it is extremely economical to own! I get consistent mileage in the range of 16-17 in mixed driving in Gurgaon. The Ambiente doesnt have SD card reader/ USB input. I use the Aux in from my Phone / Ipod to listen to my music. The sound quality of the stock ICE is quite good to my ears. You can also refer my ownership thread - battle of the unequals , for more details on my experience.
All the best!

[shankar.balan]

Thank you Behemoth for this insight!

[shankar.balan]

My Yeti 4x4 Elegance has done 569kms on its first tank up. It is 21 days since I bought the vehicle and I filled up on the first day and never since.
Today I went and filled diesel and found it took 44 litres in. The needle hadn't yet reached the red bit so I guess there would have been atleast 15-16litres left in the tank.
Normal city driving in peak hours mostly, AC on all the time, music on all the time, typical horrible start stop traffic, bad roads and low gears most of the time and I have not even been switching it off at traffic lights.
This means it has returned around 13 kmpl which in my estimation is pretty good show!

[pramods]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

My Yeti 4x4 Elegance has done 569kms on its first tank up. ......
.......................
This means it has returned around 13 kmpl which in my estimation is pretty good show!

Shankar, even though it seems good to you, its low for Yeti!, fuel efficiency will be better after the engine opens up a bit more, you should be seeing the FE in range of 15-16 normally, just for information the FE calculator in yeti is 10% optimistic so it better to know tank to tank FE. I have corrected the calculation and my actual and displayed FE are almost same, I too drive with AC always on, the AC is always at Auto mode and it work better that way, Yeti makes sure when you starts the car AC compressor are not on instantaneously, they get switched on only after the engine is able to take the load.

-Pramod

[shankar.balan]

Anything more than this kind of FE in horrible city traffic would be a bonus for me! Considering that I have moved from a Scorp which in its best case scenario used to give me 10 in city and 13 on the highway!
Am glad the Yeti has more up its sleeve!
cheers

Originally Posted by pramods

Shankar, even though it seems good to you, its low for Yeti!, fuel efficiency will be better after the engine opens up a bit more, you should be seeing the FE in range of 15-16 normally, just for information the FE calculator in yeti is 10% optimistic so it better to know tank to tank FE. I have corrected the calculation and my actual and displayed FE are almost same, I too drive with AC always on, the AC is always at Auto mode and it work better that way, Yeti makes sure when you starts the car AC compressor are not on instantaneously, they get switched on only after the engine is able to take the load.

-Pramod

[shankar.balan]

I drove to Coorg yesterday in the new Yeti. Fantastic drive on the highway. I ve crossed 1200kms in the beast.

Until 1000 kms I drove very sedatelyand pushed the car well in the higher gears doing a max speed of 110-120 occasionally, but for the most part I drove at an average of about 60kmph to 80 kmph on the highway, staying in the left lane or middle lane most of the time. I was also enjoying the sound system so much that I didnt feel like driving too fast and getting to the destination sooner!

In the hills the Yeti holds the roads really well and all that ASR, ESP, Traction Control etc really keeps things very comfortable. It feels like a sports car and the car feels perfectly planted at all times despite my typical brisk driving on the twisties (especially at night when you can see the lights of any on coming traffic miles away). Thankfully in Coorg there isnt much traffic anyway!

During the drive I ve sped quite a bit and occasionally taken the revs up to 2500-3000 but Ive done this only after I crossed 1000 kms. The engine, the brakes etc feel very well bedded in and the car feels settled and good.

Some roads are scratchy surfaced and bad and when parking at a friends house last afternoon I found that my left front tyre has a marginal stone damage in the centre - one of the lugs has frayed off just a bit.

I am thinking that these tyres need to be babied a lot more than my earlier Scorpio's Bridgestone DUELERS because these are much softer and more pliant. Looks like as others have said I can manage to run this car on these tyres for about 2 years or so max.

I drive frequently to the hills and the roads are not always in top condition especially in Coorg. Luckily in Ooty the roads are far better. Unfortunately in my home city of Bangalore the roads are horrible and I guess I cannot avoid potholes and things in toto, unless I drive at some 3 kilometres per century sort of speeds!

All in all, despite it not being shod with the best of tyres for our Indian road conditions, I think the overall feel and driving experience with the Yeti is top class. I guess I may have to spend money on tyres sooner than later. I cant expect these Good Year Excellence tyres to last as long as my Bridgestone Duelers did on the Scorp but the ride comfort they offer is really great! Truly, in comparison to the Scorpio this Yeti is a different planetary experience!

The 4x4 kicks in beautifully and the vehicle climbs up sharp 40 degree slopes brilliantly with absolutely no momentum at all to help it along! There is a sharp right hander to the driveway of my friends house and an immediate narrow steep slope of 40 degrees going up to the house and this driveway is a mud road. I just come to a dead halt, position the vehicle to take the climb, bung the Yeti into 1st and accelerate gently up the climb. The Yeti does this without any fuss at all with not a slip or wheel spin or groan of protest! Amazing!


One query:

During the drive, after having done about 150 kms on the main plains highway at some good speeds mostly in higher gears, we stopped for refreshments at a coffee house.

While parking I of course allowed the engine to idle for about a minute or so and then only switched off.

At this time, the fan came on and stayed on for a good 4 minutes, to cool down the engine. I just want to know, is this normal?


Look forward to hearing from the Yeti experts!!

[mnemonic]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

One query:

During the drive, after having done about 150 kms on the main plains highway at some good speeds mostly in higher gears, we stopped for refreshments at a coffee house.

While parking I of course allowed the engine to idle for about a minute or so and then only switched off.

At this time, the fan came on and stayed on for a good 4 minutes, to cool down the engine. I just want to know, is this normal?


Look forward to hearing from the Yeti experts!!

Shankar- a good piece as usual. I am no Yeti expert but this is typical of most well engineered European cars where the radiator's fan comes on/is on for sometime after the engine has been turned off to allow for gradual cooling. Have been living with this for the past 5.5 years when parking lot attendants and security guards come and tell me " Sir, aapka engine bandh nahi hua". Don't think it is a cause of concern, however, Yeti owners can supplant.