My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV !

GloryManUnited · 2nd January 2011, 21:55

After months of test-drives and detailed discussions with you all, I finally got the delivery of my Yeti. Why I decided to buy the Yeti over C+ segment sedans is documented in the following thread:

In pursuit of happiness: my next car ! - Team-BHP

I chose the beautiful Corrida red color and even though this low-res phone camera picture does not do justice, I am posting it nevertheless with the promise of better quality pictures to follow

The dealership experience with Vinayak Skoda in Bangalore has been the most pleasant so far. Over the period of a month, they gave me a testdrive on a Laura and 2 on the Yeti. The delivery was as scheduled and they even helped me secure a loan at a very reasonable interest rate. The car itself had a small scratch on the roof-rail which they themselves pointed out and have promised to replace. Overall I would rate the experience quite highly.

Now the car itself. It sure is a stunner. I am actually quite embarrassed at the tons of appreciative glances that the car has been receiving whenever I take it out for a spin. What a head-turner!

Enough has been documented about the Yeti in various threads on team-bhp. So I will just mention the things that stand out to me.

1. This is an extremely spacious car! There is acres of space all around. The front seats are plush and comfortable. The rear seats comfortablly seat 3 and there is ample legroom. The boot is large enough for most use-cases even without collapsing or moving the rearseats. The cabin looks rich and bright in the beige upholstery. Overall the cabin is a very pleasant place to be in for all passengers.

2. For some freaking reason, the tyre pressure at the time of delivery was 55 !! The ride was pretty bumpy as a result. I had begun to question the decision when I realized the folly with the tyre pressure. I had it reduced to 32 in the front and 36 in the back. And now the ride quality is excellent.

3. The parking assist system is an absolute gem! It is so accurate and the visual aid is a dolly. I have really taken to using it every-time I reverse.

4. The headlights switch will need getting used to. It is a rotary dial on the dash to the right of the steering wheel. If you pull this switch instead of turning it, the front fog lamps light up. If the fog lamps are off, the appropriate fog lamp comes on to assist cornering. Overall the headlights are quite powerful. Turning on the fog lamps makes things even brighter and clear.

5. The tendency to stall catches you unawares. I am begining to learn how to avoid it by clutching a little bit extra a slow speeds. The good thing is that you can restart the car in any gear simply by pressing the clutch along with the ignition. Kind of reminds me of my Yamaha back in younger days

6. The automatic climate control is simply too good. It maintains a very pleasant temperature in the cabin irrespective of external conditions. You simply don't need to fiddle with the knobs which is such a relief after the Ikon I had.

7. The cooled glove box and under-armrest pocket are quite handy too.

8. I am getting an overall FE of 11.4. I have driven about 170 km so far. This has been city driving with 2-4 passengers on board.

9. The engine is a beast. It revs very quickly and when the turbo kicks in, it pushes you into your seat. Coupled with a very precise steering wheel, this car loves to be driven. It is nimble in city traffic and overtaking is usually just a split-second affair.

10. And you sit tall. Real tall. Now bring on those glaring headlights

The day-night mirrors ensure that the headlights at the rear don't trouble you either. I feel very comfortable driving this car in the night.

11. I figured out one way to avoid stalls in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Just release the clutch without acceleration. The car sticks to 9 kmph on the 1st gear. It always sticks to this speed so I am begining to think this is a feature. Of-course if you want to launch into higher speeds then the regular clutch-accelerator combo is required.

12. I love to leave the MFD on the digital speedo setting. The large font digital speedo gives the same affect as the civic !

13. At extremely low speeds the ride becomes a little jumpy. Much better once you hit 30 kmph+.

14. The 'electro-mechanical' steering is feather light at parking speeds. Once you hit 50-60 kmph it stiffens up nicely and feels very well connected. The steering wheel is small in diameter and is very nice to hold. The black leather on it is top-class.

15. I am yet to figure out how to close the windows using the remote key fob. I thought this feature was present in the elegance.

16. The hand-brake is awkwardly placed below the arm rest. I have to curl my wrist over and around the arm rest in the position I find it most comfortable in. I felt this problem in all VW cars that I had test-driven (Laura, Jetta, Yeti).

17. I would love to have the skoda original bluetooth kit that integrates with the Bolero system. Vinayak skoda has no information if/when it will be available. Similarly it would be great to have an integrated GPS system. I guess I should be asking this in the ICE section.

18. The engine note is a little gruff when I start it for the first time in the morning. I guess that is a regular feature of diesel engines. It calms down to a purr after a few minutes. The operating temperature takes about 3 kms of driving to attain the optimal level. The manual says the vehicle should be driven sedately until then. I have been following that advice. I am also keeping the revs below 3K during the run-in. The dealer said it is not required but the manual says this is needed. I guess Skoda has better engineers than the dealer so I will stick to what the manual says.

19. Even at those revs I could easily cross 100 kmph in the 4th gear. Did I mention the engine is a beast

20. The Bolero ICE is just perfect. Don't see any need to upgrade ever.

More impressions to follow. I am loving it !!

narayanang76 · 2nd January 2011, 21:58

Congrats on the Yeti. Definitely looks amazing. And now a days its lot of Yeti happening in TBHP!

More pics, initial diving experience and sales experience please!

n.devdath · 2nd January 2011, 21:59

I have seen the Corrida Red Yeti in flesh at Gurgaon and yes, it is a looker. Congrats on the buy and have many miles of happy motoring. Which dealer did you buy it from? Which version is it and what is the price breakup?

Alter_Ego · 2nd January 2011, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryManUnited

5. The good thing is that you can restart the car in any gear simply by pressing the clutch along with the ignition.

Isn't this a normal mechanism?AFAIK this is normal on all the cars and not an added feature on Yati..

Thad E Ginathom · 2nd January 2011, 22:58

What a wonderful start to a New Year! Congratulations

I was reading a few Yeti threads a couple of weeks ago. For someone who would not even think of driving a big SUV, does not do rural driving, but has to drive on city streets that never get repaired, it seems an ideal car. Whilst I think it will remain outside my budget, it is a lot closer to it than, eg a CRV. Watching with interest!

TheARUN · 2nd January 2011, 23:01

Congratulations on the Car.

I saw it on the AUTOCAR show and it was getting positive reviews. Narian Karthikeyan said he would'nt mind buying one. He said there was no turbo lag at all. First time I am hearing that for a diesel.

Dilip Chhabria said that it was all the car you would ever need. Very impressive.

Wish you all the best. Awesome New Year gift you have given yourself

GloryManUnited · 3rd January 2011, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

I have seen the Corrida Red Yeti in flesh at Gurgaon and yes, it is a looker. Congrats on the buy and have many miles of happy motoring. Which dealer did you buy it from? Which version is it and what is the price breakup?

It sure is a pretty car! I bought the elegance trim since that is the one with all the goodies

And thank you all for the good wishes.

Continuing with my list of observations ...

11. I figured out one way to avoid stalls in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Just release the clutch without acceleration. The car sticks to 9 kmph on the 1st gear. It always sticks to this speed so I am begining to think this is a feature. Of-course if you want to launch into higher speeds then the regular clutch-accelerator combo is required.

12. I love to leave the MFD on the digital speedo setting. The large font digital speedo gives the same affect as the civic !

13. At extremely low speeds the ride becomes a little jumpy. Much better once you hit 30 kmph+.

14. The 'electro-mechanical' steering is feather light at parking speeds. Once you hit 50-60 kmph it stiffens up nicely and feels very well connected. The steering wheel is small in diameter and is very nice to hold. The black leather on it is top-class.

15. I am yet to figure out how to close the windows using the remote key fob. I thought this feature was present in the elegance.

16. The hand-brake is awkwardly placed below the arm rest. I have to curl my wrist over and around the arm rest in the position I find it most comfortable in. I felt this problem in all VW cars that I had test-driven (Laura, Jetta, Yeti).

17. I would love to have the skoda original bluetooth kit that integrates with the Bolero system. Vinayak skoda has no information if/when it will be available. Similarly it would be great to have an integrated GPS system. I guess I should be asking this in the ICE section.

18. The engine note is a little gruff when I start it for the first time in the morning. I guess that is a regular feature of diesel engines. It calms down to a purr after a few minutes. The operating temperature takes about 3 kms of driving to attain the optimal level. The manual says the vehicle should be driven sedately until then. I have been following that advice. I am also keeping the revs below 3K during the run-in. The dealer said it is not required but the manual says this is needed. I guess Skoda has better engineers than the dealer so I will stick to what the manual says.

19. Even at those revs I could easily cross 100 kmph in the 4th gear. Did I mention the engine is a beast

20. The Bolero ICE is just perfect. Don't see any need to upgrade ever.

SushilBajpai · 3rd January 2011, 23:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryManUnited

It sure is a pretty car! I bought the elegance trim since that is the one with all the goodies

15. I am yet to figure out how to close the windows using the remote key fob. I thought this feature was present in the elegance.

17. I would love to have the skoda original bluetooth kit that integrates with the Bolero system. Vinayak skoda has no information if/when it will be available. Similarly it would be great to have an integrated GPS system. I guess I should be asking this in the ICE section.

20. The Bolero ICE is just perfect. Don't see any need to upgrade ever.

Congratulations! The car indeed looks stunning in red.

Regarding opening the windows automatically, instead of just clicking the button to lock the car, hold the close button on the remote key a couple of seconds longer, and low and behold, any open windows will close smartly. Similarly when you unlock the car, holding the open button for a couple of seconds gets the windows to open automatically.

You'll continue to discover new things about Yeti for several days to come.

Also get mud flaps for the front - when they become available. Yeti throws up stones which hit the rear part, just ahead of the rear wheels. Although there is protective film stuck in that area, I still find a bit unconcerting.

Keep posting your adventures with Yeti. Enjoy, and be safe!

Utopian · 3rd January 2011, 23:20

Congrats Gloryman for the Yeti. And I must say, it looks fab in that red guise. Some more snaps are required to make the review replete.
In the meanwhile, happy driving.

anekho · 4th January 2011, 00:47

Congrats on the Yeti mate! Looks absolutely stunning in red - got to be one of the best colours for the Yeti along with white

Please post more pics of the exterior as well as the interior.

Enjoy!

camchennai · 4th January 2011, 02:45

Congrats GloryManUnited, now I believe this is third Yeti in our Forum (after Pramod and Sushil). I am already following their threads everyday and now yours will be third to be followed.

Please post some more pictures and your experience.

prince_pervez · 4th January 2011, 02:59

Congrats on the latest purchase. Kindly post more pictures. Would like to see more of the Yeti in this color. Drive safe.

ghodlur · 4th January 2011, 07:54

@GloryManUnited

Copngratulations on the Yeti.

The colour looks supreme on the SUV. But a single pic does not do justice to the Yeti, pls do post some more pics esp of the interiors.

BTW what was the OTR cost of the SUV, dealership experience. Also have you taken it offroading, do share the experience too.

decced · 4th January 2011, 11:29

@GloryManUnited

Congratulations!! Drive safe & please post some more pics of the Yeti.. I think it looks really nice in this color.

Wonder why the suits at Skoda stopped this color on the Laura.. Good to see they've got it for the Yeti.

mdsaab · 4th January 2011, 11:50

Thats an awesome teaser pic there. It looks mind blowing in red. Congratulations on your new purchase. I too had a feel of the car about a week ago. And was quite impressed. Only found the seat width at the rear to be a bit cramped. Only thing which is stopping me from laying the money down is the a.s.s stories and higher skoda maintainence costs. Am keeping a close watch on a few yeti threads to judge the service experience and costs involved. I wish skoda had some plan like bmw and chevy in which we can make a one shot payment for service costs for a particular time frame. All the best with the babe in red. Drive safe.

2nd January 2011, 21:55	#1
GloryManUnited BHPian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 91 Thanked: 5 Times	My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! After months of test-drives and detailed discussions with you all, I finally got the delivery of my Yeti. Why I decided to buy the Yeti over C+ segment sedans is documented in the following thread: In pursuit of happiness: my next car ! - Team-BHP I chose the beautiful Corrida red color and even though this low-res phone camera picture does not do justice, I am posting it nevertheless with the promise of better quality pictures to follow The dealership experience with Vinayak Skoda in Bangalore has been the most pleasant so far. Over the period of a month, they gave me a testdrive on a Laura and 2 on the Yeti. The delivery was as scheduled and they even helped me secure a loan at a very reasonable interest rate. The car itself had a small scratch on the roof-rail which they themselves pointed out and have promised to replace. Overall I would rate the experience quite highly. Now the car itself. It sure is a stunner. I am actually quite embarrassed at the tons of appreciative glances that the car has been receiving whenever I take it out for a spin. What a head-turner! Enough has been documented about the Yeti in various threads on team-bhp. So I will just mention the things that stand out to me. 1. This is an extremely spacious car! There is acres of space all around. The front seats are plush and comfortable. The rear seats comfortablly seat 3 and there is ample legroom. The boot is large enough for most use-cases even without collapsing or moving the rearseats. The cabin looks rich and bright in the beige upholstery. Overall the cabin is a very pleasant place to be in for all passengers. 2. For some freaking reason, the tyre pressure at the time of delivery was 55 !! The ride was pretty bumpy as a result. I had begun to question the decision when I realized the folly with the tyre pressure. I had it reduced to 32 in the front and 36 in the back. And now the ride quality is excellent. 3. The parking assist system is an absolute gem! It is so accurate and the visual aid is a dolly. I have really taken to using it every-time I reverse. 4. The headlights switch will need getting used to. It is a rotary dial on the dash to the right of the steering wheel. If you pull this switch instead of turning it, the front fog lamps light up. If the fog lamps are off, the appropriate fog lamp comes on to assist cornering. Overall the headlights are quite powerful. Turning on the fog lamps makes things even brighter and clear. 5. The tendency to stall catches you unawares. I am begining to learn how to avoid it by clutching a little bit extra a slow speeds. The good thing is that you can restart the car in any gear simply by pressing the clutch along with the ignition. Kind of reminds me of my Yamaha back in younger days 6. The automatic climate control is simply too good. It maintains a very pleasant temperature in the cabin irrespective of external conditions. You simply don't need to fiddle with the knobs which is such a relief after the Ikon I had. 7. The cooled glove box and under-armrest pocket are quite handy too. 8. I am getting an overall FE of 11.4. I have driven about 170 km so far. This has been city driving with 2-4 passengers on board. 9. The engine is a beast. It revs very quickly and when the turbo kicks in, it pushes you into your seat. Coupled with a very precise steering wheel, this car loves to be driven. It is nimble in city traffic and overtaking is usually just a split-second affair. 10. And you sit tall. Real tall. Now bring on those glaring headlights The day-night mirrors ensure that the headlights at the rear don't trouble you either. I feel very comfortable driving this car in the night. 11. I figured out one way to avoid stalls in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Just release the clutch without acceleration. The car sticks to 9 kmph on the 1st gear. It always sticks to this speed so I am begining to think this is a feature. Of-course if you want to launch into higher speeds then the regular clutch-accelerator combo is required. 12. I love to leave the MFD on the digital speedo setting. The large font digital speedo gives the same affect as the civic ! 13. At extremely low speeds the ride becomes a little jumpy. Much better once you hit 30 kmph+. 14. The 'electro-mechanical' steering is feather light at parking speeds. Once you hit 50-60 kmph it stiffens up nicely and feels very well connected. The steering wheel is small in diameter and is very nice to hold. The black leather on it is top-class. 15. I am yet to figure out how to close the windows using the remote key fob. I thought this feature was present in the elegance. 16. The hand-brake is awkwardly placed below the arm rest. I have to curl my wrist over and around the arm rest in the position I find it most comfortable in. I felt this problem in all VW cars that I had test-driven (Laura, Jetta, Yeti). 17. I would love to have the skoda original bluetooth kit that integrates with the Bolero system. Vinayak skoda has no information if/when it will be available. Similarly it would be great to have an integrated GPS system. I guess I should be asking this in the ICE section. 18. The engine note is a little gruff when I start it for the first time in the morning. I guess that is a regular feature of diesel engines. It calms down to a purr after a few minutes. The operating temperature takes about 3 kms of driving to attain the optimal level. The manual says the vehicle should be driven sedately until then. I have been following that advice. I am also keeping the revs below 3K during the run-in. The dealer said it is not required but the manual says this is needed. I guess Skoda has better engineers than the dealer so I will stick to what the manual says. 19. Even at those revs I could easily cross 100 kmph in the 4th gear. Did I mention the engine is a beast 20. The Bolero ICE is just perfect. Don't see any need to upgrade ever. More impressions to follow. I am loving it !! Attached Thumbnails Last edited by GTO : 4th January 2011 at 18:45. Reason: Adding your driving impressions to the opening post itself :). Congrats on the car
	() Thanks

2nd January 2011, 21:58	#2
narayanang76 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KA 53/KL 9 Posts: 451 Thanked: 836 Times View My Garage	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congrats on the Yeti. Definitely looks amazing. And now a days its lot of Yeti happening in TBHP! More pics, initial diving experience and sales experience please!
	() Thanks

2nd January 2011, 21:59	#3
n.devdath BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,287 Thanked: 2,811 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! I have seen the Corrida Red Yeti in flesh at Gurgaon and yes, it is a looker. Congrats on the buy and have many miles of happy motoring. Which dealer did you buy it from? Which version is it and what is the price breakup?
	() Thanks

2nd January 2011, 22:58	#5
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 10,999 Thanked: 26,417 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! What a wonderful start to a New Year! Congratulations I was reading a few Yeti threads a couple of weeks ago. For someone who would not even think of driving a big SUV, does not do rural driving, but has to drive on city streets that never get repaired, it seems an ideal car. Whilst I think it will remain outside my budget, it is a lot closer to it than, eg a CRV. Watching with interest!
	() Thanks

2nd January 2011, 23:01	#6
TheARUN Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,373 Thanked: 958 Times View My Garage	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congratulations on the Car. I saw it on the AUTOCAR show and it was getting positive reviews. Narian Karthikeyan said he would'nt mind buying one. He said there was no turbo lag at all. First time I am hearing that for a diesel. Dilip Chhabria said that it was all the car you would ever need. Very impressive. Wish you all the best. Awesome New Year gift you have given yourself
	() Thanks

3rd January 2011, 23:20	#9
Utopian BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 603 Thanked: 123 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congrats Gloryman for the Yeti. And I must say, it looks fab in that red guise. Some more snaps are required to make the review replete. In the meanwhile, happy driving.
	() Thanks

4th January 2011, 00:47	#10
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,995 Thanked: 684 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congrats on the Yeti mate! Looks absolutely stunning in red - got to be one of the best colours for the Yeti along with white Please post more pics of the exterior as well as the interior. Enjoy!
	() Thanks

4th January 2011, 02:45	#11
camchennai BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Chennai Posts: 335 Thanked: 11 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congrats GloryManUnited, now I believe this is third Yeti in our Forum (after Pramod and Sushil). I am already following their threads everyday and now yours will be third to be followed. Please post some more pictures and your experience.
	() Thanks

4th January 2011, 02:59	#12
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,210 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Congrats on the latest purchase. Kindly post more pictures. Would like to see more of the Yeti in this color. Drive safe.
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4th January 2011, 07:54	#13
ghodlur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Thane Posts: 6,009 Thanked: 4,199 Times View My Garage	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! @GloryManUnited Copngratulations on the Yeti. The colour looks supreme on the SUV. But a single pic does not do justice to the Yeti, pls do post some more pics esp of the interiors. BTW what was the OTR cost of the SUV, dealership experience. Also have you taken it offroading, do share the experience too.
	() Thanks

4th January 2011, 11:29	#14
decced BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 49 Thanked: 2 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! @GloryManUnited Congratulations!! Drive safe & please post some more pics of the Yeti.. I think it looks really nice in this color. Wonder why the suits at Skoda stopped this color on the Laura.. Good to see they've got it for the Yeti.
	() Thanks

4th January 2011, 11:50	#15
mdsaab Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 1,624 Thanked: 453 Times	Re: My Skoda Yeti: just the right amount of SUV ! Thats an awesome teaser pic there. It looks mind blowing in red. Congratulations on your new purchase. I too had a feel of the car about a week ago. And was quite impressed. Only found the seat width at the rear to be a bit cramped. Only thing which is stopping me from laying the money down is the a.s.s stories and higher skoda maintainence costs. Am keeping a close watch on a few yeti threads to judge the service experience and costs involved. I wish skoda had some plan like bmw and chevy in which we can make a one shot payment for service costs for a particular time frame. All the best with the babe in red. Drive safe.
	() Thanks