Any real life yeti owners out there?

[bluey]

Got our Yeti 2 days ago.

First impressions....solid as a rock, a load of fat pillars holding up the roof (no wonder TopGear could land a chopper on one). Need to be a bit extra careful looking for traffic/bikes/pedestrians, and getting used to distances in the full convex external mirrors. Steering wheel, gearstick, handbrake not as comfortable as Polo. Loads of gadgets and nick nacks - entertainment centre sat nav, voice control radio/nav, auto lights/wipers/dipping mirror, boot shopping bag hooks + net, customisable multifunction display, car-programmable convenience functions (don't need a vag-com for that). But no soft return grab handles, no lights for vanity mirror. More manoeuverable than our Polo - easier to get into our 90deg turn in garage!

Davetherave, does your Columbus TV work?? Not sure if tuner is add-on or not compatible in Aus or needs VAG-COM to set up (by dealer).

Not having had the luxury of a bluetooth phone/ipod connection before, I am totally sold on that.

Our is all white (still keen on keeping out the qld sun) and I think it needs the black B-pillar covers from Superskoda.

Planning to use some underbody sealer on the fuzzy rear wheel arch liner.

Reading the Skoda manual, it says not to use *any* fuel additives. But I'm sticking to my Moreys Diesel Smoke Killer unless using BP Ultimate. Need to get a ruling from VWA/VAG on standard diesel fuels meeting EN590 as specified, which they don't (51CN), with an additive, vs BP Ultimate and diesel engine warranty.

Yeti - Loving it! Worse part is seeing all the interior colours available in europe which we will never see. Why Australian car importers stick with dark or black interiors doesn't make a lot of sense in a hot place.

[Davetherave]

Hi Bluey, glad to hear you are enjoying your Yeti, I'm loving mine as well. Even with the little 1.2 tsi it's still a lot of fun with the DSG.

Regarding the Columbus, for the TV tuner you need a complete add on kit.....available on eBay. It will mean a wiring job at least and maybe a little of reprogramming for the vagcom. I've got video in motion activated for the DVD which is a bit naughty but fun.

[bluey]

Davetherave, how did you do the video in motion thing? (Read a few methods here Columbus Video in Motion - BRISKODA.net - The Skoda Forum and Community)

Can't say I'm enjoying the navigation. Maps 5.1 seem rather dated, and less complete than TomTom maps (which I haven't paid to upgrade for years). Limited POIs. Incorrect roundabout symbols on MFD. Much prefer low end TomTom, which one can buy for less than the cost of a Skoda map upgrade.

Partner really didn't like the headrests pushing the head/neck forward. Tried the rear headrests on front, but made no difference. Seems best with headrest up high, so where her head is isn't so pushed forward (she's about 5'6"). Personally, I find the seats great (5'11+").

Will explore TV tuners....

[mark t]

[QUOTE=bluey;794983]
Partner really didn't like the headrests pushing the head/neck forward. Tried the rear headrests on front, but made no difference. Seems best with headrest up high, so where her head is isn't so pushed forward (she's about 5'6"). Personally, I find the seats great (5'11+").

thanks Johann and Bluey, comparing the seating position with my partners current car, a suzuki swift, there isn't that much difference in the seating/headrest position (the yeti headrest sits about an inch further forward), which might help her adjust to the yeti, we'll do a test drive and get a better idea how it feels.

[NotYet]

Hi. This seems to be the only thing standing between me and my yeti! Doesn't bother me, I'm 6' and find it comfortable but my partner is 6" shorter and it doesn't feel right for her. NotYet, have you found a satisfactory way around this? Anyone else?

Mark T: My partner is about the same height as yours (5' 5"). She tried various seat angles, head restraint positions, etc, without success. Her solution in the end (after some experimenting) has been to swap the front and back headrests, and use memory foam cushions on the seat, back and neck. She tried various cushions to get the right combination. It means that she has to get them in place every time she gets in the car. This only works because she doesn't drive, so she only occupies the passenger seat.

I am about 5' 9" and I also found the head restraint uncomfortable, even with the seat tilted back. My solution has been a seat insert from Back Care and Seating. I got the high back therapod with coccyx support. I have the same arrangement in my other car, so the feel is the same. It does mean that I sit on the seat rather than in it, if you know what I mean, but it works for me. One benefit of this system is that you can adjust the curve of the back.

If you go to a good orthopaedic products retailer (see this list of Therapod suppliers to start with) there will be a choice of various solutions. Maybe a Skoda dealer will let you take a Yeti to a shop where your partner can see whether there is something that suits her?

If you are both going to drive the car, you will want something that is readily moved from passenger to driver seat.

Johann: I agree that there are very few complaints about the Yeti's head restraints. I have read just about every review of the Yeti and I haven't seen any mention of it. This is not specific to the Yeti. You won't find it mentioned about other cars either. But if you google something like 'uncomfortable car head restraint', there seems to be many complaints about the anti-whiplash restraints in many modern cars. The usual response is "tilt the seat back", but that doesn't work for everyone. Our elderly neighbours with a late-model Forester have been suffering terribly from the head restraints, until I got them some seat inserts.

The Yeti seats themselves are very good. They have good leg support, comfortable bolsters, and (unusually for cars in this price range) the 103TDI has height and lumbar adjustment on both front seats. The range of adjustments is excellent.

All the best with the car hunt Mark.

[K1W1]

Reading the Skoda manual, it says not to use *any* fuel additives. But I'm sticking to my Moreys Diesel Smoke Killer unless using BP Ultimate. Need to get a ruling from VWA/VAG on standard diesel fuels meeting EN590 as specified, which they don't (51CN), with an additive, vs BP Ultimate and diesel engine warranty.

I'm 50,000 km intto Octavia diesel ownership and have used probably 99% BP standard diesel with not a sign of smoke or ill effects on the vehicle.
As far as warranty is concerned if it's available at a pump then it's covered by warranty as far as I am concerned.

[bluey]

I'm 50,000 km intto Octavia diesel ownership and have used probably 99% BP standard diesel with not a sign of smoke or ill effects on the vehicle.
As far as warranty is concerned if it's available at a pump then it's covered by warranty as far as I am concerned.

Wouldn't expect warranty issues, just performance or fuel consumption problems, which may show up in fuel consumption logs.

I presume the Octavia has a DPF. On will not see any smoke on a DPF-equipped vehicle. Smoke coming out of the engine under heavy throttle + lowish cetane (standard) diesel will tend to clog the DPF over time. I recall there are numerous reports of people driving DPF-equipped vehicles with performance issues or a need to run a DPF cycle. Others are into DPF removal.

[K1W1]

Wouldn't expect warranty issues, just performance or fuel consumption problems, which may show up in fuel consumption logs.

Last fill (this morning) - 6.526L/100km for the previous tank.
Consumption since new has varied between a low of 5.211L/100 and a high of 7.195L/100km. The average will be in the low 6L/100km range. 80% metro driving, bicycle rack on the roof.

[UK Yeti]

Got our Yeti 2 days ago.

Our is all white (still keen on keeping out the qld sun) and I think it needs the black B-pillar covers from Superskoda.

Glad to hear you're another happy Yeti owner..... Enjoy the beastie!

BUT to make the Yeti's most distinctive feature black!!!!!?!?! NO!!!!! See my signature below. You can draw a Yeti with a few strokes of the pen BECAUSE of the B-pillar. Take that away and you will just have a boring two-box station wagon. The mirrors need to be gloss black yes, but not the B-pillar.

Re the headrests: weird. But then you get so many bodyshapes that it will be ok for 95% and the 5% will always have to modify things somewhat.

[NotYet]

Last fill (this morning) - 6.526L/100km for the previous tank.
Consumption since new has varied between a low of 5.211L/100 and a high of 7.195L/100km. The average will be in the low 6L/100km range. 80% metro driving, bicycle rack on the roof.

Those seem outstanding numbers on the Octavia, especially in the city and with a bike rack.

For the Yeti after 8000km my overall average is 6.94L/100km, which is not too far from the ADR combined figure of 6.7L/100km for the 103TDI. My best has been 6.39; worst 7.57. I have driven quite conservatively.

Most of my driving has been highway and country; I expect the numbers will rise with much heavier city use over the next few months.

Interesting to see diesel cheaper than petrol this week. That doesn't happen often.