Why I Bought a Skoda Yeti: A bike-carrying family car, but not without its problems...

A used Skoda Yeti is a crossover that offers lots of space and versatility for a reasonable budget. But did you know it can also be a decent driver's car? That combination of talents is what led Chris Knapman to buy his 2009 Yeti with the 1.8 TSI petrol engine, as he explains in this CarGurus UK review. But it hasn't all been plain sailing with his Yeti, which has needed several new parts - including the small matter of an engine...

In this video, Chris explains the highs and lows of used Yeti ownership to date, as well as explaining why it's a good car for those who what to carry bikes on their car.

Read our full Skoda Yeti used car review:

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 – My 2009 Skoda Yeti
00:25 – So why a Skoda Yeti?
01:15 – The trim level and engine
02:12 – Reliability
03:43 – The styling and why I like it
04:30 – Practicality
05:43 – Up front
07:00 – Out on the road
10:08 – Final thoughts

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#cargurusuk #skodayeti #familycars

[w.martin]

I bought a 9 month old Yeti with just 3000 miles on the clock at the end of January 2017 for just two thirds of the new price. It is a 150 Diesel 4x4 Monte Carlo manual and I have since added over 50, 000 miles to that total and have averaged 44 mpg despite it being fairly briskly(!) driven. I have also had the cross climate fitted, using them for the last 3 years (not the same set alas) and they are far better in snow and very wet conditions. Reliability has been good too, other than regular servicing I have only had one very rusty brake disc replaced. I too am a Mountain Biker, but I carry mine inside the car....it JUST fits in with the front wheel removed.

[BertoniBertone]

The Yeti is one of Skoda’s best designs. It still looks relevant and, more importantly, it ‘works’. Now they’ve gone ‘K-razy’ with their iterative K-series naming convention for their SUVs I can neither tell ( nor care to tell them ) apart.

PS. Would a old RAV 4 have been more reliable? I think so.

[frederickwood]

We could start a Skoda petition to do another run of the yeti ;-)

[kiteless]

Great review. Minor quibble over the audio mix - for some reason voice is only ever coming out of left or right channel, never both.

[jankaratas]

I love my Yeti too! So glad to see this car is still relevant and still review-worthy after all this time 🙂

[gregroles]

276 thou kms in my 2014 103 Yeti outdoor now, heavily modified, and yet to have any major problem. Can't believe how bulletproof and rattle free this has been, and it's copped a flogging. Still get asked about it all the time. Love being unique, and with some power and handling / brake mods, so much fun to drive.

[christophersanders]

I live in Australia and from time to time I take long trips. I am also an inner city dweller. I own a 2012 140bhp manual diesel. Off road it is great but 8 inch clearance is the limitation. Raised Hilux are the currency of real outback travel. Otherwise I refer to it as my mountain goat. It’s torquey with fairly precise informative steering. I thoroughly beat larger 4wd in the hills! I do find the pedal offset annoying. It is the most reliable car with no faults in 8 years ownership! Economy good, removable seats terrific and ingress egress easy. Nothing on the market can replace this all round compact car.

[anthonystevens]

I love the Yeti, a real shame that the design was so polarising as its replacement, the Karoq was a tad conformist and lost the quirkiness and character of the original Yeti. Mine (2012 model) was a 170 Diesel 4 wheel drive and the handling for an SUV was really good, as you say possibly better than many more modern offerings.

[verocimil]

My 2013 Yeti 1st generation already came with SatNav and DAB+. I am very happy so far with the car.

[mickyhifi]

I bought a 2014 1.2 manual yeti in 2017..loved it from the word GO....it had done 20000 miles....a few months ago I sold it and bought another make of car reputed as first rubbish...it wasn't a patch on the Yeti so I looked around for another this time Yeti....& I thought auto this time
....got one after a lucky search...a 2017 1.2 auto 20000 on thew clock and FSH like my last one was....I love it....not going to change again if I can help it....Yeti is just so good

[obc]

You got it totally wrong!
The new Defender is a bit Yeti-esque, one might say a swollen copy.

[obc]

I have a 2011 Yeti 4x4 with the 2L diesel. For life in the Alps I couldn't ask for more, winter or summer, it will get me anywhere on or off road, with in reason.

[peterurquhart]

I have had two yeti, the one I have now is a Monte Carlo 2.0 diesel 150 dsg 4x4 it has done 100k now, it is a nearly a perfect car 🥰

[bopie]

I started with a yeti loved it so much we then bought the superb as well. Love them both!!

[borjastick]

I bought a secondhand top of the range Yeti with 4x4 and auto box plus various extras about 6 years ago. It has been amazing! I intend to keep it and so it gets very well looked after and everything it needs which as you say adds up. A week or two back it became apparent that all four shocks had failed and along with Mcpherson struts and bushes etc the bill was the thick end of 1000 euros. But it is such a great car and built very well. Mine had covered 166, 000kms and gives me everything I would want and need from a daily driver.

[shaywhelan]

I always liked the look of them, tried to talk my son into getting one as his learner car, but he wanted a Golf.

[alexis]

I have a 2011 Yeti 1.2 with a manual gearbox and love it. Aside from replacing the gearbox bearings (and clutch while I was at it) last week having covered 102, 000 miles the Yeti runs as good as it did when new - I too use it for carrying bikes and kitesurfing gear. We were recently contemplating replacing it with with a Karoq or Kamiq but could not justify the cost differential. Maybe I'll replace the infortainment system and get the 1.2 remapped instead as you suggested.. Great video of a gem of a car

[everestyeti]

I have a 4x4 Yeti diesel, brilliant in the wet and with the off road switch, especially useful in the snow. The 4x4 set up is the Audi Quattro set up, which in the wet is brilliant. Had a 1.9 TDI Roomster before this one. Both best 2 cars I have ever had, had to upgrade to the Yeti as I have a bad back and the Roomster was to low.

[joytuc]

Got a Yeti automatic 1.2. Love using this car. I tried the manual one, but the gear stick was too low for me. My Yeti has dark windows & running boards, so it looks very jeep like. Very good acceleration from standing, but sluggish to get to motorway speeds, but it does get there. Petrol around town is fine, a bit guzzly on motorway, but no worse than a 1.6 petrol focus I had b4. Really hugs the road well. Fantastic car for tall/big people & those with bad backs who need to sit upright

[newbeginnings]

My partner purchased a Yeti 1.2 manual new in 2011. It is a mid trim with a couple of options (rear airbags, metallic silver paint, extra speakers, tinted rear windows and bigger 17 inch alloy wheels..

She has done 130, 000km, 81, 000 miles with the vehicle..

So the history:
Stones trapped inside brake disc.. Happened twice. Known issue.
The water pump failed at 3 years.. The electric tail gate motor failed...

The wiring harness failed in two of the looms front to rear and rear to boot area.. This is a known Skoda issue where the wires break inside the loom at the rubber boot door openings.
The multi CD failed after 5 years.
It constantly needs headlamp and fog light bulbs changed.. Fiddly but not a super big issue..
It has consumed 1 litre of oil every 3 months, 3000 miles. (not a leak) .
Recently it failed to start. It was towed by the garage and was diagnosed as valves all clogged up with soot.. It was too late to clean without taking apart it apart.. So the top end was removed and had it all blasted with walnut kernels to clean the mess off.. This was a very big bill to fix it £2000.. After doing research the Skoda engine design is the issue.. The fuel is not injected over the valves so the valves get dirty and especially so with that high oil consumption..

Fuel economy is nothing special for a small car and small engine .. 9 litres/100km 31mpg on mixed driving going up to around 40mpg on straight runs.. Suspect the fact the engine is not powerful enough for the vehicle so it needs run harder and thus gives poor economy.

Plastic lower trim of poor quality and easily scratched..
One of the rear head restraints failed when we tried to remove and reinsert it..

Would I recommend a Yeti? Well it's good for carrying stuff and if nothing goes wrong it is a cheap car to service.. But in view of the relatively low mileage and the fact we cared well for the vehicle then I think overall the Yeti is not a good buy and is best avoided.. In fact we won't be buying anymore VAG vehicles - ever...

We should have bought a Toyota and it would have cost us much less in the long term..