I currently drive a Volkswagen T5 van which is fantastic as you’d expect for biking and also for carting around my drum kit to gigs etc. I’m looking at options for a replacement which will also need to be suitable for family use, child seat etc.

I’m considering a Skoda Yeti. Anyone got one and can provide any advice on suitability for my needs and what model to look for?

Thanks in advance,

Paceman

Great car, even a 1.2t engine has enough power & fuel economy av 40mpg -6 speed gearbox good, DSG not as good fuel ecomony. Recommend sizing up the boot for your needs,consider that the split rear seats also adjust for backrest angle to make the boot bigger. The rear seats are also higher than front which is good for rear passengers. Can purchase interior rear bike holder as a Skoda part
Recommend above “s” spec so that sunset (privacy) rear glass is standard.

Thanks Flybywire, that’s good advice.

I’m not sure what you mean by sizing up the boot for my needs; do different models have different luggage space size?

The boot isn’t that big, basically.

Our Octavia swamps it in comparison…
Yeti 416 L
Octavia 590 L
(figures from the internet. I’ll fill it with milk later to check..)

DrP

We have an ageing Octavia. I’d love to get a Yeti but the boot seems noticeably less user friendly. You lose depth and gain height, and we don’t pack our cars that way!

Can’t see us replacing the Octavia with anything else but another one.

Fwiw, the 1.2tsi engine mentioned above is great. We have one in our Fabia, but I’ve also driven it in Beetles and Golfs. Amazing engine for it’s size.

What do you reckon the drive of a 1.2tsi in an octavia will be like? It’s a beast of a car…!
I love the grunt of the 2l TDI, but can see our next car (in years to come, mind) being a small displacement turbo petrol..

DrP

.. due to loadspace being high it may be suitable for drums etc. I would try before you consider a yeti. As MCTD said the volume is bigger with other estate cars but I’ve found the yeti big enough to have 2 x medium mtbs without wheels in sideways (and wheels placed behind).

http://www.skoda.co.uk/models/new-yeti/performance

I’d want to test drive a 1.2tsi Octavia with 3 large mates in it, as I suspect it may struggle loaded, but I might be wrong.

Not sure whether it comes with the 1.4tsi that is fitted to the Fabia vrs? They can get 180bhp out of that so should be OK. Think we are on coming at the 1.6tdi when we swap.

We prefer the looks of the Yeti but we’ve settled on getting a Fabia estate (probably Scout)…505L luggage capacity, a mid-sized compromise between the Yeti and Octavia plus a fair bit cheaper than both too

Got a 170 tdi yeti. I love it. Just returned last night from 1600 miles to and from skiing in Austria with three adults and out 18-monther. I’d quite happily get back in and do it all again. Got 41mpg @ ~130kph with our HUGE roof box on filled with skis, boards and randomly, 4 boxes of drawstring tea bags for our German friends.

Yes the boot is definitely an odd shape & you end up learning to pack vertically. Annoyingly the two outer rear seats slide to make the boot bigger, but the centre doesn’t. You can remove it and then slide the outer seats together for more space though.

I wouldn’t bother with the skoda bike rack – it’s designed for roadies with 9mm qr forks and nowt else. I either take a seat out or re-attach the tow bar and my atera strada rack. If you go his route, punch your dealer squarely in the face if they even hint at not bothering with a factory fit tow bar – on this or any other VAG vehicle. There’s a myriad of threads on the owners forums detailing the pain and misery aftermarket units bestow on their owners: mine needed a complete new rear car loom, body ECU and trailer control ECU.

I’ve got a T5 & a Yeti. Only ever carted bikes in the van but the Yeti swallows up a big pram easily enough. 1.2 Tsi is plenty good enough.

Not sure whether it comes with the 1.4tsi that is fitted to the Fabia vrs?

I don’t think so, that one’s turbocharged and supercharged, the other models only get the turbo’d version.

test drove the 2L diesel yeti and the petrol 1.2 version

FAR preferred the petrol – absolutely amazing engine. The diesel felt like a rough old lump comparatively (could be my driving style?). We drive a diesel Cmax (2l turbo)and it felt unrefined compared to that too.

Compared to our Cmax, the visibility out of the front felt restricted – the Cmax bonnet drops away quite sharply so you get a good view of the road close up (which I noticed immediatly, but expect I’ll get used to).

Still like the Yeti – its quirky and a bit different. Great value. Loading space looked good enough for us. Wife still convinced we need a hybrid – I’m working on the BMW I8 as an alternative 🙂

TM

TM

We’ve been running an Octavia VRS estate for the past couple of years, and when it came to replacing the wife’s ancient Kangoo MPV, we had a really good look at the Yetis, as we really like the look of them.
Being a mountain biker himself (and having seen our VRS full of bikes), the salesman was brilliant – he parked a Yeti, Fabia est and Roomster side by side to show how the boot spaces compared. He invited us to take our (2) bikes down and try loading and unloading then – unfortunately, the Yeti was the most faff to fit the bikes in. (Maybe worth mentioning our bikes are both large mid-travel fs 29ers tho.). In the end we bought a 1.2 petrol Roomster – looks wise, we’re still a bit ‘hmmm’ about it, but once your inside, it’s great – the 1.2 engine is a cracker for its size, more comfy and quieter ride than the Yeti or VRS and super practical; rear seats can slide back and forth and recline indepedently, or for max load, be removed completely. Someone locally has a Roomster in black with OE tinted rear glass and black alloys and it looks ace. (Oh, and the money we saved getting a Roomster rather than Yeti meant some ‘spare cash’ to put toward another bike 😉 )
P.s. Octy estate has,imo, larger & easier to load boot than all three alternatives – and the 170bhp diesel goes like stink, but regular 48+mpg

We had an early Roomster, and while the exterior styling was a bit ‘Hmmmm…’ it was probably the most practical daily driver we’ve ever had.

We have a later model Berlingo Multispace (clearly style is not an issue to us).
It fits two ‘all mountain’ bikes (XL + L) and wheels in the boot in a transverse manner, three at a push. The bikes fit upside down, handlebars at opposite sides with wheels tucked in last. So all the cr~~ stays in the boot rather than the cab.
I really fancied upgrading to a Yeti but it didn’t appear to me that the bikes would fit in the same manner.
(Some friends had a Roomster and they definately had to fit them in lengthways – a lot less easy than the Berlingo).
Does anyone know if the Yeti will take the bikes as described above?

How do.

Regarding the engine on the octavia question. I’ve currently got a 64 plate 1.4tfsi octavia saloon in elegance spec. Engine is a corker. Its 140bhp with a good 0-60 time of around 8 seconds. Short trip to work I can easily get 40mpg. Longer runs can get 50 or higher no problem. Only got 1400 miles so nowhere near run in as well. Plus can fit my C456 in the back without taking the front wheel off.

Oh, if its of any use – my brother in law recently got a 1.2tfsi Octavia estate (105bhp I think), and he said that for work commutes with one up, it’s performance is fine, but with the full 3 kids, wife, roofbox and bootfull of dog & kids junk, he reckons a bit of forward planning is required on the motorway for overtaking. I got the impression that he regrets not getting the 1.4 petrol (though he previously had a ‘fast dad’ Impreza before family grew, so he’s been spoilt in the past 😀 )

Had a Yeti Outdoor 1.2 tsi since May last year and been really impressed by it.

Great fun car to drive considering what it is, really nice engine but it is geared for town and b-roads ideally; once you are above 70ish in 6th don’t expect to just press the accelerator and go whoosh!

No issues practicality-wise; works well with dogs, house move and general carting people around. Five adults in it hasn’t given the little engine any specific hassles, but when i have five in the car (especially in-laws!) I tend to not be going for the local KOM (or whatever the car equivalent of that is!). No problem with getting bikes in for me, i do just fold the seat down though.

Understand the comments about getting the SE or up, but I have the S and specced the extras that i wanted (wheels, sat nav, MDI, etc) to avoid paying for features i had zero interest in and it worked out much better for me that way. The only thing you cant get as an extra is the darker privacy glass. Engines do vary by trim level though, so that might be something to bear in mind. I think the choices are basically 1.2 petrol or 2.0 diesel, with the 1.8 petrol only available on the fancy trim model?

Pleased with the purchase, although i do like VAG cars (audis and VW prior to the skoda).

If you want the height then the Yeti, but as mentioned above the Octavia’s boot is miles bigger.
I have driven the 1.2tsi engine (in a SEAT) and it was really good, not like how you’d imagine a 1.2 engine. I’ve got a 1.4tsi Octavia though and it’s really impressive with good economy. I don’t get very excited by cars but I must admit to being quite happy with it.

Had one. Getting another one on Tuesday (also going from 2.0D to 1.2TSi. Tried both but decided the petrol was better suited for 90% of the driving I do. Not quite as good on the motorway but since most of the time I’m doing about zero on the M6, I felt the DSG Petrol was a good option 😉

I tend to drop the seats down, whip the front wheel off and chuck the bike in. Even my big 29er FS fits (just) like that. If I need the rear seats, take middle one out, stick bike in the big duff bag and it fits (just again) down the middle and leaves you two rear seats.

Most of the time tho, towbar mounted altera rack does the job.

Great cars tho. Mine is 3 years old and did consider something else this time round, but just like the Yeti. Mine’s a posh one as I wanted the heated seats, Panoramic roof, etc. It’s also leased not bought.

and he said that for work commutes with one up, it’s performance is fine, but with the full 3 kids, wife, roofbox and bootfull of dog & kids junk, he reckons a bit of forward planning is required on the motorway for overtaking.

This is the thing that puts me off..I’m not a petrol hot head, but our last octavia 1.6 fsi (no turbo) was gutless. The TDI is a great car – fast enough, enough pull, 55mpg (60 if careful)….

I’m in no rush to change 🙂

DrP

Slight thread hijack – are Yeti’s any good for 3 kids across the back? 5 y/o in booster seat, 2 y/o in ‘proper’ car seat, bairn in infant carry out thingy?

Anyone tried it?

We had a Roomster, now got a Touran 1.9 TDI. Bloomin great, full of cubby holes and its got 7 seats, the three middle ones slide and come out, fitted my hardtail and two kiddy bikes in the boot no problem, with seats slid forward. Worth considering, Its almost like a small T5.

Good advice guys, thank you.

Is it very straightforward taking the seats in/out of the back of the Yeti?

A VW Touran is definitely another option, the missus likes them more then the Yeti too.

Dead easy to remove the seats yes, its just a leaver.

We have the 2.0TDI 110 4X4 version and last week the clutch, DMF and master slave cylinder all lunched itself.

This meant a gearbox out repair and an eye watering 4 figure repair bill – beware.

When I replace it, which will be soon, I will be getting a car with a proper torque converter auto.

Yup – the pressure plate lunched itself on my current Golf 2.0 tdi, contaminating (apparently) the clutch and damaging the DMF. All replaced under warranty… £2,500.

Hi all,

I’m on my second Yeti. I read the comments that have been said and note I’m also an ex Octavia owner. I actually found the 2005 Octavia boot not that flexible mainly because of the height. I was initially skeptical about the boot size of the Yeti, but for the three of us and the dog it’s perfect. I do remove seats regularly which is where the dog sits quite happily. this leaves me with the boot to fill 😉 I like actually the fact the boot is square, a main critic of the Octavia. I could fill the Octavia no problem but shutting the boot afterwards was a problem 😉 My main gripe is the parcel shelf, it is fixed I’d prefer a blind type like I had on the Octavia…

So for me the Yeti’s boot being square and tall is better than the long but awkward Octavia…If you want a huge boot I would say look at the Outlander though!!! 4×4 and 600 odd litres, and square like the Yeti 😉

Br
JeZ

Dont sell the T5 for a Yeti. Just dont.

You said the T5 was fantastic… compared to this a Yeti will be less than…

T5 Kombi ftw.

Just to muddy the waters, we test drove a Roomster and it was the nicest sensible thing to drive either of us have driven – we only got the Fabia as the Roomster was only 6 inches shorter than the Octavia and SWMBO felt that this excluded it from being a small second car.

Parcel shelf thing – dunno if they all do this, but on my yeti the fixed parcel shelf can be rotated and slotted behind the rear seats (if you are leaving them up) – that’s how i carry my dogs! Pull the little boot floor liner flap forward and drop shelf in, solid as.

Thought it was a neat little feature myself, only came across it when i was wondering why the adjustable rear seats apparently didnt want to slide all the way back. Might not apply with a different boot floor option? Finding stuff like this makes me like the yeti more, its a bit like someone has tried to live with it! Thought it might be worth sharing ’tis all.

Probably never have a Skoda again eye watering spares and NOT that reliable.

The boot isn’t that big, basically.

This. My brother hired one for a ski holiday for him and two kids – there’s not really room for their snowboard bag in it and they had to wedge it in in awkward fashion.

Just read the post properly… No waaaaaay I’d swap the T5 for a Yeti. I thought you meant as well!

Johhnystorm + loads.

Not a chance I would swap.

Take a clean bike to a skoda showroom and see how well,it fits.

Just read the post properly… No waaaaaay I’d swap the T5 for a Yeti. I thought you meant as well!

This may be unavoidable 😥

Any other Yeti owners out there?

I have to admit I was really up for buying one a few years ago, looked the look of them, TG (for all it faults) gave them a wonderful review, they were well priced for a car of that type.

But as soon as I saw one in the metal I was put off – it looked quite large from the outside, but inside they were very small – I’m not sure how they fit into the whole VAG platform sharing matrix but they certainly felt more Polo sized than Golf sized. I’ve no need for off-road ability so on practical terms I would be paying more, and getting less than if I bought a Roomster – which is dam near the same thing without the 4×4 pretence, they’re uglier, but far cheaper second-hand.

The boot is, as other said very small – and it’s not a great shape either short and tall meaning to use much of it you’ll be cutting rear visibility a lot.

Perhaps if I didn’t have kids and need a decent boot I could live with it, but even then the high roof would make fitting bikes a pain.

I have a Roomster as seemed more practical than a Yeti which is what I wanted really. I think prettier, better spec Roomster would be my ideal car – I think there’s a new version coming next year and a bigger Skoda SUV in 2016.

I am a biker. I have a yeti 2.0TDI 4×4. I went from a scudo van to a mondeo estate Octavia vrs then the yeti. Nothing compares to the Scudo for biking. The mondeo was great bike in the back complete with seats down. A bit of a faff but okay. Bikes on a roof rack for the yeti. I’m 6ft 4 and can lift them on no bother. Sounds daft but a shorter friend of mine uses a small set of steps to load his on his yeti, works great. For everything else the yeti is just a really good all rounder. Plenty of room in the cockpit for our kids with a dog in the boot. Superb slightly higher driving position and the handling and ride even on 17’s is very good. 4×4 has a different rear suspension set up so handles really well. Small enough for the wife to drive, she hated driving the mondeo. You get used to packing the yeti differently, it’s definitely worth a test drive, I love the higher driving position the most. I would find it hard to go back to a lower car.