Well, after a disappointing result from our company car tender selection (F****** Vauxhall again) ive been considering a private purchase.

After buying the wife a fully loaded Fabia Monte carlo 1.2tsi last year (and being mightily impressed) i knew where the value was so ive been mulling over the Skoda offerings.

1.4tsi or 2.0 diesel Octavia estate (yet to test drive either) or

1.4tsi Yeti (testdrove one on Monday Lunchtime... loved it).

Now id insist on Satnav, Bluetooth, maxidont, auto lights and wipers and jumbo box/armrest, so the obvious choice would be the 1.4tsi Yeti SE Plus but i dont think ill like the krystal cloth interior, based on photos alone.

The obvious alternative is to go SE and spec in the extras.

Would a dealer be likely to

a) change the interior on the SE plus

or

install an Amundsen+ in an SE

Is the Krystal cloth as bad as i think it is?... Why do they do naff cloth, its always baffled me?

Cheers

Freezin

Hi,

recently seen a new 1.4SE with the Amundsen sat nav for sale at Roberts in Hull, also had a 140 4x4 SE Plus so seen the fabric first hand and personally I liked it.

Oh owned both Yeti and Octavia and the Monster is by far the better choice if you don't need a barn for a boot.

Hope of help,

TP

Hi,

recently seen a new 1.4SE with the Amundsen sat nav for sale at Roberts in Hull, also had a 140 4x4 SE Plus so seen the fabric first hand and personally I liked it.

Oh owned both Yeti and Octavia and the Monster is by far the better choice if you don't need a barn for a boot.

Hope of help,

TP

Really appreciate the response. I might be over in Hull tomorrow so might try and call in and take a peek!

I dont think my Local (DM Keith Bradford) had the Krystal Cloth on display.

Really appreciate the response. I might be over in Hull tomorrow so might try and call in and take a peek!

I dont think my Local (DM Keith Bradford) had the Krystal Cloth on display.

You really do need to be prepared for the interior.

Having decided on a 1.4 SE Plus based on the spec, My wife was happy to pay for Elegance trim and a £1500 Columbus Sat Nav to escape the Kristal fabric. To her eyes at least, it really was that bad.

Ive said it before but im in the minority on this one; I thought the Krystal cloth pattern was fine.

Unfortunately the SE Plus trim cannot be changed to either SE cloth or Elegance leather.

It is definately personal preference regarding the Kristal upholstery but you do need to have a look to make sure that it is to your taste, as already mentioned by raysablade, the other half did not like it at all.

I'm sure this topic will bring up a lot of different opinions.

Good luck.

the Kristal looks OK so long as the dash plastics aren't the horrible two tone that was found on the early Octavias. Having said that I drove the 1.2 and 1.4 and then went for a 1.2 elegance.

For satnav I normally know the areas I drive in and for the odd time that I don't Mr Garmin has a fine range of products!

...Now id insist on Satnav, Bluetooth, maxidont, auto lights and wipers and jumbo box/armrest, so the obvious choice would be the 1.4tsi Yeti SE Plus but i dont think ill like the krystal cloth interior, based on photos alone. ...

No EDL? I think its standard on the Eleg. (and DSG and Greenline) but an expensive option on the 1.4 SE.

[i like the idea of the 1.4 but the economics don't stack up vs the 1.2 or Greenline on paper or spreadsheet - even for lower mileage drivers - IMHO].

No EDL? I think its standard on the Eleg. (and DSG and Greenline) but an expensive option on the 1.4 SE.

[i like the idea of the 1.4 but the economics don't stack up vs the 1.2 or Greenline on paper or spreadsheet - even for lower mileage drivers - IMHO].

Im having brain freeze... EDL? Im sure that as soon as i click send ill twig what it means.

I cant help but think a 1.2 will be just too underpowered from what im in now.

I currently drive a 2.0tdci 160 bhp insignia which has plenty of power when needed.

Im dreading seeing the krystal now cos its gonna send me back to the drawing board if its crap.

The 1.2 engine is fantastic, it's not going to match your Insignia but is very fuel efficient with a slightly better return than the 1.4. Once again, if you get the chance then give it a try before writing it off.

If you really did feel that the SE Plus trim wasn't for you and the 1.2 was capable for what you need it for, personally I would spend the extra £600 and go for the Elegance as long as you can live without the Sat Nav.

Or, dare I say it within the Yeti forum, consider an Octavia vRS CR 170.

Please keep us informed of your progress/dilemna.

.. Im having brain freeze... EDL? ...

Sorry - Electronic Diff Lock and associated gubbins and acronyms like ESP - see http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/163358-a-guide-to-popular-yeti-options/

I really rate the 1.2.

So much (and with the DSG it's a great combo) that we are part exchanging ours into Prestons in four weeks for another Yeti with an identical drivetrain.

Personally I am not a fan of the SE plus trim either, but I have to say that having seen it up close it does look better than in the pictures.

I would buy an SE and spec it up... although if you add too many extras you are not far off Elegance trim anyway.

Having lived with an SE Yeti it's a good trim level.

Just a shame you can't get an electric seat for it.

I drove the 1.4 and loved it. Then a few months later the dealer got in a 1.2 and set up a back to back 1.2 and 1.4 test drive. The 1.2 blew me away. I didn't even bother with a re test of the 1.4. And I came from a 2.0 PD 140 Octavia.

My wife's car is a 1.9 tdi Audi and the yeti feels livelier than that. Forget about the number and see what it drives like. I was convinced it would be too weedy. And then as the dealer said to me, "if you liked the 1.2 then why spend an extra £800 just because of a number?"

Made sense to me

Not only is the 1.2 a cracker, the 1.4 is much thirstier than the 1.2 by all accounts.

Both the 1,4 and 1,2 Yetis will feel extremely lathargic against your Insignia. I tested a 1,2 DSG and accelaration was glacial to say the least. Amazingly quiet and refined yes, but four up it felt all its 1,2 litres to me. (As I would suspect the 1,4 would mind... but I have not driven one so can't comment).

But in your case I'd recommend the best combination to be the 1,2 DSG Elegance (if it feels nippy enough for you of course). The money saved between 1,4 and 1,2 can help pay for the Elegance upgrade. Don't over-option an SE or SE+ as that is really money down the drain that you will never see again. Options have little future value whereas a standard high spec, like Elegance, counts towards the car's resale value in future.

Book figures for both.

1.2 TSi 105 - Urban - 37.2

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 44.1

1.4 TSi 122 - Urban - 31.7

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 41.5

£800 more for a couple more horses and lesser fuel consumption..... if you really do not like the Kristal interior spend it on upgrading to the Elegance.

Book figures for both.

1.2 TSi 105 - Urban - 37.2

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 44.1

1.4 TSi 122 - Urban - 31.7

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 41.5

£800 more for a couple more horses and lesser fuel consumption..... if you really do not like the Kristal interior spend it on upgrading to the Elegance.

The real life figures for 'combined' are around 10% less than above.

With careful driving I struggle to achieve 40 mpg on a 1.2 Tsi DSG generally getting 39.5 for mixed

shortish (20 miles) and longer (70-150 miles) journeys with some motorway driving included.

1.4 engine can't be specced with DSG but confirm it's an amazing and smooth option (1.2 DSG).

Edited 1 February, 201214 yr by kibby

All food for thought but i do a fair bit of motorway miles.

Ill not dismiss the 1.2 but ive got reservations.

I suppose my fall back if i cant find the deal i want is the octavia (if i like it) with the VAT off

Book figures for both.

1.2 TSi 105 - Urban - 37.2

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 44.1

1.4 TSi 122 - Urban - 31.7

Extra Urban - 47.9

Combined - 41.5

Another telling statistic is:

1.2 TSi 105 - 0-60: 11.8 sec (manual) and 12,0 sec (DSG)

1.4 TSi 122 - 0-60: 10,5 sec

2.0 DSG 4x4 - 0-60: 10,2 sec

So the 1,4 will feel nearly as nippy as the 2,0 DSG diesel...... Albeit using more fuel than the 1,2. Horses for courses.

Another telling statistic is:

1.2 TSi 105 - 0-60: 11.8 sec (manual) and 12,0 sec (DSG)

1.4 TSi 122 - 0-60: 10,5 sec

2.0 DSG 4x4 - 0-60: 10,2 sec

So the 1,4 will feel nearly as nippy as the 2,0 DSG diesel...... Albeit using more fuel than the 1,2. Horses for courses.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Test drive every conceivable engine that you can find.

Top speed wise, the 1.4 tops out at (book figures again) 115 mph and the 1.2 109 mph.

Not really one for quite believing all these figures particularly after comparing my 2009 Yeti 140 4x4 to my current 110 4x4; don't feel much different performance wise in real day to day driving and the fuel consumption for the 110 has been around 3mpg better. The combined fuel figures for the old CBDB 140 and the 110 4x4 are supposedly identical at 46.3; the 110 regularly gets close to that figure with 44-46 being the norm.

TP

if you click on my sig you can see real world 1.2 figures for a car that's still only done 2300 miles. I managed 48 mpg on a motorway run to Glasgow the other day but then the motorway kind of confines you to about 6o mph max really with the traffic. I mostly do country twisty roads with a motorway run once a week and town driving the rest of the time.

Test them all

Test Drove a couple of cars today, Im no Tiff Needell (or Stiff Pimpell as my sister used to call him) so wont embarrass myself by trying to be so but in very basic terms this was my impression of the test drives.

2.0 (110) Diesel Octavia Estate (SE Plus spec)

1.4 TSI Octavia Estate (Elegance with Amundsen)

I did it at lunchtime but traffic conditions werent really conducive to giving either of them some hammer.

1.4 was whisper quiet (im one of those who think the quieter the car the classier it is) it felt a little flat until the turbo kicked in then felt like it had arrived. It felt very light and agile but i have reservations about what it would be capable of, especially with a full load and family inside.

The 2.0 also felt a little flat until i adapted to way the car needed to be driven. I was impressed at the performance from a 110ps. It felt like a capable machine, a good allrounder.

The clocks were reset and as i say the conditions were very stop/start. The 2 lt gave me an ave mpg in the mid 50's, the 1.4 in the mid 30's, similar to what id achieved earlier in the week in the 1.4tsi Yeti.

The 'feel' and 'look' of the cars was functional but quite spartan. Not as enjoyable as the Yeti by quite some way.

I have to say although it wouldnt be my first choice of cloth, the Krystal was nowhere near as bad as id expected... infact i preferred it to the trim in the elegance, a Black and silvery blend of nothingness.

Now, the smart money would go on the VAT reduced Octavia with its frugal ways which would make me IRO 12p / mile profit as opposed to a profit 6p /mile in 1.4 Yeti (figures based on a spreadsheet ive just knocked together).

The next thing do do is to see if i can stumble upon a deal to see if ive got the bottle to jump in.

Im almost certain id go brand new and extend the 3 warranty to a 5yr one.

I dont feel like id need to over spec an SE, i think the SE Plus would be bob-on for me with the addition of the spitzberg 17" alloys but the cost of the extended warranty might push me toward a no-cost colour option...

...but the smart money still says Octavia :S :doh:

Edited 2 February, 201214 yr by freezin

Test Drove a couple of cars today, Im no Tiff Needell (or Stiff Pimpell as my sister used to call him) so wont embarrass myself by trying to be so but in very basic terms this was my impression of the test drives.

2.0 (110) Diesel Octavia Estate (SE Plus spec)

1.4 TSI Octavia Estate (Elegance with Amundsen)

I did it at lunchtime but traffic conditions werent really conducive to giving either of them some hammer.

1.4 was whisper quiet (im one of those who think the quieter the car the classier it is) it felt a little flat until the turbo kicked in then felt like it had arrived. It felt very light and agile but i have reservations about what it would be capable of, especially with a full load and family inside.

The 2.0 also felt a little flat until i adapted to way the car needed to be driven. I was impressed at the performance from a 110ps. It felt like a capable machine, a good allrounder.

The clocks were reset and as i say the conditions were very stop/start. The 2 lt gave me an ave mpg in the mid 50's, the 1.4 in the mid 30's, similar to what id achieved earlier in the week in the 1.4tsi Yeti.

The 'feel' and 'look' of the cars was functional but quite spartan. Not as enjoyable as the Yeti by quite some way.

I have to say although it wouldnt be my first choice of cloth, the Krystal was nowhere near as bad as id expected... infact i preferred it to the trim in the elegance, a Black and silvery blend of nothingness.

Now, the smart money would go on the VAT reduced Octavia with its frugal ways which would make me IRO 12p / mile profit as opposed to a profit 6p /mile in 1.4 Yeti (figures based on a spreadsheet ive just knocked together).

The next thing do do is to see if i can stumble upon a deal to see if ive got the bottle to jump in.

Im almost certain id go brand new and extend the 3 warranty to a 5yr one.

I dont feel like id need to over spec an SE, i think the SE Plus would be bob-on for me with the addition of the spitzberg 17" alloys but the cost of the extended warranty might push me toward a no-cost colour option...

...but the smart money still says Octavia :S :doh:

I came from an Octavia 1.8 DSG to a 1.4 SE+ Yeti. The Octy was about 2mpg better than the Yeti is; so much quicker in everyday driving; had a shed load more boot room; and was probably more suitable for my needs. But after a month with a Yeti I don't particularly feel short-changed, and it is growing on me. If value for money is your main criteria, 20% off an Octavia makes more sense. As for the seat trim, I don't mind it, although I would prefer the black door trim to the grey that mine has.

Test Drove the 1.2 Elegance this evening... WOW!!! i couldnt believe its only a 1.2.

Very Impressed to say the least.