My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review (Pete's Remapped, K&N & Bilstein B6)


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I bought a 2012 Skoda Yeti 4x2 Ambition, with 61000 km on the clock, last month.

It all started - the hunt for another SUV, thanks to an untimely demise of my beloved ‘Scorpy’ about a year ago. ‘Scorpy’ served us well, for more than 7 years. In fact, saved us big-time from otherwise what would have been the disaster of lifetime. Related thread: http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/10485-powered-m-hawk-mahindra-scorpio-sle-7-years-118-000-kms-15.html

Shocker of an experience indeed. Paused for a while, reflected, learnt from it and then moved on.

(Fast forward)- About a year later !
A true classic !:biggrin:
DSC_1032.jpg
 
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My Yeti !

A short Endy episode !

Being out of the country for most part of the year, a new vehicle didn’t make sense. Through a friend of mine, got to know of a wonderfully maintained Ford Endeavour AT 4x4 on sale. The deal was closed quickly and the vehicle brought home on the same day. It was a 2011 model which had clocked around 86k km at the time.

_DSC5978.jpg

What I liked
  • Robust build. Very abuse friendly SUV. Plastics, other materials used, fit/finish- all top notch.
  • Good safety features- 4 airbags, ABS etc.
  • Great road presence. The exclusivity helps as well
  • Oodles of usable space inside
  • Dedicated AC controls for each rows of seats
  • The massive torque available from the 3.0L motor
  • Cruise-ability on open 4-lane stretches is amazing. The overdrive selector helps, works like a 6th gear
  • The convenience of the AT. Provides a stress free driving experience, especially in the stop-start traffic
  • The convenience of 4H and 4L. Though didn’t venture in to any serious 'dirty' off-road sessions, did go off the tarmac many times. A couple of birding trails as well.

The Not so Good
  • Low seating – both driver and passenger – went on to be a deal breaker.
  • Harsh engine noise inside the cabin. The engine's growl and the initial lag get annoying at times, especially during those quick overtaking manoeuvres on congested narrow roads. On open stretches, it’s a different story though. Just press the gas pedal, the beast takes off in no time to a cruising speed with smooth and quick gear shifts. The gear shifts are felt most of the time and most of the time, the slush box requires you to ease off the throttle to make it shift up.
  • Harsh ride at the middle row. P.S: The last row was never used.
  • Braking - not confidence inspiring at all. Even after changing the brake pads, during a service, the beast simply wouldn’t stop quickly from cruising speeds. The lack of engine braking, once you leave the accelerator, doesn’t help either. The moment you leave the accelerator, the rpm suddenly drops below 1000 as if it goes to neutral which takes away the fun factor too, to some extent. One needs to be extra-cautious to ease off the throttle for a smooth driving experience.
  • Poor fuel efficiency. Around 6.5- 8.5km. Never got to any respectable double figures even on highways.
Other points:
  • Never used the roof mounted DVD player
  • Decent ICE and sound quality. Couldn’t use my iPod classic as it required another cable/hardware installation
  • Turn off OD for spirited driving experience; the FE goes down further though
Though driving this AT wasn’t as fun as my earlier MT M-hawk, I wasn’t planning to sell the Endy off soon. In fact at around 92000 km, I guess, I got the 1 lakh km service done. Changed most of the belts including the timing belt. The serviced costed close to Rs.45k. Spent another 21k and got black custom seat covers with additional cushioning + premium floor mats stitched at the trusted Leatherman @Palakkad. The vehicle was, both cosmetically and mechanically, in top shape.

Then, why did I let it go ?

It was just a few days after the 1 lac service, one evening as I was parking the beast in a small town in Palakkad, the gearbox simply gave up. I could slot the stick in to every single mode, but it wouldn’t change from ‘N’, as also displayed on the MID. Pushed the beast and parked on the road side. Called the SM who promptly sent a person within 30 minutes. It was around 7.00 pm, if I remember it right. The gentleman was the spare part manager who didn’t have any clue on the breakdown. Long story short, got a couple of technicians to arrive by 9.30 pm. The issue proved to be quite simple – a cable connecting the gear stick to the internal gearbox assembly was broken and dislodged. Got a sturdy zip tie and fastened the cable on to the gear stick after having the gears aligned, as a temporary solution.

The cable would cost around Rs.6000 but was not in stock. Took the vehicle to the ASC and got the zip tie removed and reattached the cable with a sturdy bolt. Placed an order for a brand new cable and left. Did travel some 1000 km after that before flying out of India eventually.

Now, being away from India, two things I was worried about
  • the break-down incident
  • the ride
Though the cause of the break-down wasn’t anything serious, the unavailability of the parts was a bit of a concern. Meanwhile, I was also thinking of upgrading the suspension with a comfort kit from either OME or Ironman. Called up Mr.Sam based out in Kottayam and discussed further on the upgrade. Either one would set you back by around 1 lakh, but again neither of them were in stock.

Decision time. Since my relocation back to India was uncertain, spending more on it didn’t make sense and started to think of letting it go for a ‘lighter on pocket’ stopgap car. Since the car was in top shape, getting a buyer wasn’t any difficult. With a heavy heart, the journey with the Endy had be shortened. It fetched a decent price too.

P.S: The payment was done and the application for the ownership transfer was initiated at the buyer’s RTO office. While all these happened, I had forgotten that I had placed an order for that gear stick cable. I immediately called up the ASC at Palakkad. Since the part had arrived, I asked them to pick the vehicle and get it installed on the next day itself. Got the brand new part fitted and an overall vehicle inspection performed at Ford ASC. Confirmed ( on the KMVD portal ) the transfer of ownership and handed over the vehicle the following day.
 
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Re: My Yeti !

Congratulations Manojodungat for your new ride.
I guess this car must be smaller than you Scorpy and Endy, do share with us your ride experience with Yeti.
 
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Re: My Yeti !

congrats manoj !! my all time favorite superb styled perfect looking SUV !! wish you many happy miles with it. What is the price did you bought ?
 
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Re: My Yeti !

Congratulations Manojodungat for your new ride.
I guess this car must be smaller than you Scorpy and Endy, do share with us your ride experience with Yeti.
Smaller definitely, but from inside don't feel lack of space at all. For 4 people, it is a nice family car to own. More on the details coming up.
congrats manoj !! my all time favorite superb styled perfect looking SUV !! wish you many happy miles with it. What is the price did you bought ?
Thanks Gurrala74 for dropping by. Got it under Rs. 8.5L

The ownership review continues....
The Yeti
A No-nonsense crossover. The 4x4 Elegance would have made even better – that additional confidence to start off from where the regular tarmac ends. Not sure why the name Yeti; I can’t see it climbing up the mountain like an "Abominable Snowman", but like its Himalayan namesake, the Skoda Yeti definitely is a rare sight.[:)]

What car next?
The requirements:
  • tough with decent ground clearance
  • good drivability and ride comfort
  • minimum 2 Airbags + ABS (must have)
  • didn’t want to spend a bomb on a stopgap car
  • used or brand new
Vehicles considered:
  • Safari Storme VX- used or New:
  • Ford Ecosport Titanium + D – New
  • Renault Duster 110 (D) AWD – New
  • Hyudai Santa Fe – Used
  • Mahindra XUV 5OO W10/W9 – Used or New
  • Didn’t find a single Storme VX trim in the used market in Kerala .Would have bought home a brand new Safari Storme 400 VX- 2017 make, had the Tata dealer at Palakkad were prompt enough to respond and arrange a demo car. Put off by their laid back attitude and Tata lost a genuine customer there.
  • While in China, I visited a Ford dealership and checked out, in person, the Ecosport facelift. Though the fit-finish/material used were acceptable, the interior felt a bit too busy to my liking and claustrophobic too, much better than the first generation though. BTW, the China version comes equipped with a sunroof. Back home, the dealer had sent a demo car promptly. Both wifey and mom, after a short TD came back unimpressed. Ecosport was out from the list, though I still feel it to be the best in the segment.
  • Considered a new Duster 110 (D) AWD and a used Hyundai Santa Fe briefly - both got ruled out due to long term reliability concerns. While a 2014 Santa Fe ticked most of the boxes, couldn’t convince myself to plonk Rs.15L for a 1L km run Hyundai. Though provides class leading butter smooth ride and drivability, the overall interior quality and this thread (Renault Duster 110 PS - Fuel Injector Issue) along with safety concerns made sure that I stayed away Duster.
  • Wifey didn’t like XUV interiors + its ride; otherwise would have bought home a well maintained used 2016 XUV 5OO W10 for under 15 lakhs or a brand new W9/W10
  • The likes of Cretas/Nexons/Hexas/Crystas were not even considered. Just don’t like them at all- their styling/shape – not to my liking.
    P.S: Wifey was hell-bent on getting a Crysta VX though.
I started feeling a bit restless owing to the fact that we were not able to zero in on any vehicle at all. We were just about a week away for a short vacation.

Yeti'd
One morning, I happened to bump into one Yeti on OLX/Kerala. Requested the owner for more pictures. Liked it and quickly asked my driver back home to make a visit to Kochi to check it out in person. He reached there and took the vehicle to Manikandan Skoda, along with the owner, for a quick inspection. The payment was made and the vehicle was brought home on the same day.
DSC_0989.jpg
 
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Thread Starter #8
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Re: My Yeti !

Congrats Manoj on the new acquisition, wish you many many safe miles. Look forward to read more about the abominable snowman!
Thank You Sir for joining in. Definitely worth mentioning the exclusivity this snowman brings in while on streets. [:)]
The car looks in a very good condition, you grabbed it pretty fast even before others or the owner could think of options or buyers[;)]
Like most things in my life, got it home quickly. My nature, I guess - brings in its own problems as well. Looks and drives well as of now, not sure what is in store though [:)]
 
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Re: My Yeti !

Smaller definitely, but from inside don't feel lack of space at all. For 4 people, it is a nice family car to own. More on the details coming up.

Thanks Gurrala74 for dropping by. Got it under Rs. 8.5L

The ownership review continues....
The Yeti
A No-nonsense crossover. The 4x4 Elegance would have made even better – that additional confidence to start off from where the regular tarmac ends. Not sure why the name Yeti; I can’t see it climbing up the mountain like an "Abominable Snowman", but like its Himalayan namesake, the Skoda Yeti definitely is a rare sight.[:)]

What car next?
The requirements:
  • tough with decent ground clearance
  • good drivability and ride comfort
  • minimum 2 Airbags + ABS (must have)
  • didn’t want to spend a bomb on a stopgap car
  • used or brand new
Vehicles considered:
  • Safari Storme VX- used or New:
  • Ford Ecosport Titanium + D – New
  • Renault Duster 110 (D) AWD – New
  • Hyudai Santa Fe – Used
  • Mahindra XUV 5OO W10/W9 – Used or New
  • Didn’t find a single Storme VX trim in the used market in Kerala .Would have bought home a brand new Safari Storme 400 VX- 2017 make, had the Tata dealer at Palakkad were prompt enough to respond and arrange a demo car. Put off by their laid back attitude and Tata lost a genuine customer there.
  • While in China, I visited a Ford dealership and checked out, in person, the Ecosport facelift. Though the fit-finish/material used were acceptable, the interior felt a bit too busy to my liking and claustrophobic too, much better than the first generation though. BTW, the China version comes equipped with a sunroof. Back home, the dealer had sent a demo car promptly. Both wifey and mom, after a short TD came back unimpressed. Ecosport was out from the list, though I still feel it to be the best in the segment.
  • Considered a new Duster 110 (D) AWD and a used Hyundai Santa Fe briefly - both got ruled out due to long term reliability concerns. While a 2014 Santa Fe ticked most of the boxes, couldn’t convince myself to plonk Rs.15L for a 1L km run Hyundai. Though provides class leading butter smooth ride and drivability, the overall interior quality and this thread (Renault Duster 110 PS - Fuel Injector Issue) along with safety concerns made sure that I stayed away Duster.
  • Wifey didn’t like XUV interiors + its ride; otherwise would have bought home a well maintained used 2016 XUV 5OO W10 for under 15 lakhs or a brand new W9/W10
  • The likes of Cretas/Nexons/Hexas/Crystas were not even considered. Just don’t like them at all- their styling/shape – not to my liking.
    P.S: Wifey was hell-bent on getting a Crysta VX though.
I started feeling a bit restless owing to the fact that we were not able to zero in on any vehicle at all. We were just about a week away for a short vacation.

Yeti'd
One morning, I happened to bump into one Yeti on OLX/Kerala. Requested the owner for more pictures. Liked it and quickly asked my driver back home to make a visit to Kochi to check it out in person. He reached there and took the vehicle to Manikandan Skoda, along with the owner, for a quick inspection. The payment was made and the vehicle was brought home on the same day.
View attachment 242361
Congratulations on your Yeti. Wishes to clock many more miles without issues.
Its great that you are finishing the deals in one day. Car looks good in photos. Kindly share some interior image of your car.
 
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Re: My Yeti !

My initial impressions ! - after having clocked some 2000 km last month.
Kilometers clocked when bought: 61000
Current ODO reading: 63000

The positives:
  • Unique design and the exclusivity - often get stopped by people asking questions about the car
  • Good quality cabin materials, all well put together
  • Minimal roll in corners, sure-footed and no drama even during those quick overtaking scenarios and those twisty/windy hill roads
  • Strippable interior to give that massive cargo space. Varioflex seats and flexibility helps
  • Excellent Fuel consumption. Consistently returned 16.5 km/L [tank- full to tank-full method]. Relaxed 70-80kmph gives me up to 20.5km/L as per the trip computer.
  • Express-up/express-down power windows – both driver and passenger
  • Height adjustable seats – both driver and passenger
  • Lumbar support – both driver and passenger
  • Airbags– both driver and passenger, ABS + EBD, Hill descend ,ESP, Rain Sensing Wiper = decent safety pack
  • Powerful OEM head lamps with DRLs. Won’t need an upgrade
  • Excellent confidence inspiring brakes and silky smooth action of the accelerator pedal

The Not so Good:
  • The Skoda ASC horror stories, not experienced yet though
  • Immediate ASC at some 60 km away
  • Not as imposing as my Scorpy/ Endy.
  • Irritating wind and road felt noise inside at highway speeds
  • Not so good low end torque, easy to stall. A bit sluggish if you get the wrong gear, especially on hills.
  • The long term reliability concerns
  • No 4WD on this variant
  • Only 2 airbags
  • Not many charging points

DSC_0994.jpg
 

bhvm

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Re: My Yeti !

Hello manoj,
Thats quite a bit of roller coaster ride. 3 cars in a short span. BTW I still remember you from your scorp only. Perhaps Someday I'll see you again with another refeshed scorp!
Subscribed to thread. And Congrats!
 
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Re: My Yeti !

Good amount of details manoj and many as expected by me[:)] same kind of doubts on famous Skoda. This has been in my mind from long as I told you and I look forward for your feed back time to time and may be i will freeze one if I get a good price like you, but everything depends on your experience with it during coming few months !! all the best, it looks gorgeous in that white
 
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Re: My Yeti !

What is it like on the outside?

Though looks more like a car than a crude truck, the boxy exterior design does make it look muscular. Personally I loved the rear and side profiles. The front end might not be everyone’s taste though. The cladding on all sides have been body coloured by the previous owner, which I liked. Blacked out side window frame and pillars plus the tinted glass give Yeti that classic look. Couple of times I got stopped by people asking questions about the car.
DSC_0883.jpg

The chrome surround for the radiator grill gives it a premium touch
DSC_1034.jpg

Roof rails are silver coloured.
DSC_1014.jpg

The antenna has been placed at the back
DSC_1023.jpg

The side view mirrors aren't as big as the ones on Scorpy and Endy, but do their jobs. They are electrically controlled, but not folded.
DSC_1011.jpg

The rear wash wiper – a boon during monsoons
DSC_1025.jpg

Things like, the quality of material used and the fitment of even the wheel well liner/cladding, which most of the modern cars omit for cost cutting, are top notch
DSC_1028.jpg

The alloys and wheels. See the fact sheet below for specs.
DSC_1026.jpg

The fact Sheet:
The dimensions
  • Length= 4223mm
  • Width =1793mm
  • Height =1691mm
  • Wheel base =2578mm
Chassis & Body
  • Weight =1445kg
Wheels and Tyre
  • Alloy wheels
  • 7.0J*16"
  • Tubeless Radials
  • 215/60 R16

The front and rear bumper brush guards are silver coloured too. Notice the DRLs that have been turned on , in one the images in my earlier post. The lower bulbs in the same housing are fog lamps. The stock set is quite powerful and I don’t see any need for an upgrade here.
DSC_0999.jpg

Hello manoj,
Thats quite a bit of roller coaster ride. 3 cars in a short span. BTW I still remember you from your scorp only. Perhaps Someday I'll see you again with another refeshed scorp!
Thanks. Agreed on the roller coaster thing, such was the jolt given by the Scorpy accident. I can't imagine another Scorpio in place of my Scorpy as of now, just emotional - such was the attachment, I guess. Now that I am more of a family man, Yeti seems a practical option.

Good amount of details manoj and many as expected by me[:)] same kind of doubts on famous Skoda. This has been in my mind from long as I told you and I look forward for your feed back time to time and may be i will freeze one if I get a good price like you, but everything depends on your experience with it during coming few months !! all the best, it looks gorgeous in that white
I shall update here my experience as I clock more kilometers with it. Fingers crossed though.
 
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Re: My Yeti !

Congratulations Manoj on the yeti. [:)]. Co incidentally, even my uncle owns the same variant. The yeti is definitely one of the most practical cars out there and would have been a super hit if only it was a lakh or two cheaper. The car looks really well maintained. Looking forward to your experiences with Skoda ASS.
 

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