Used buyer's guide: Skoda Yeti

15 Jan, 2013 12:30pm Richard Dredge Comments

The award-winning Skoda Yeti makes a great used buy for families

Verdict

Journalists and owners alike have been hugely enthusiastic about the Yeti ever since it first appeared on the market. There’s no sign of that letting up any time soon, as the Skoda continues to beat all-comers. As an all-round package, this highly versatile family car is hugely appealing. Owners love its versatility and practicality, while reliability is exceptional. The downside of this is the Yeti isn’t available at bargain-basement prices. It also means that surprisingly few Yetis are up for sale at any given time. Owners clearly like to hang on to them, so be prepared to search for the right car.

What to look for

• The rear seat is designed to take three, but the middle seat is uncomfortable on long journeys.
• 4x4 models are surprisingly capable off-road, so check underneath for any potential damage.
• DSG-equipped Yetis can stall when negotiating hazards after braking. This is down to how the ECU is set up.

There’s an array of engines, but many Yetis are front-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive was only offered with the 1.8 TSI petrol or 2.0 TDI diesel. The only engine you might want to avoid is the 1.2 TSI, but only if you do lots of long-distance driving. It has to be worked hard to offer decent performance with the car loaded up, but many owners are perfectly happy with theirs.

All Yetis are well equipped, but it’s worth finding one with the panoramic glass roof, as this really brightens up the cabin. We’d also go for at least an S trim model.

Recalls

The first Yetis arrived on the UK market just three years ago, and so far they’ve proven to be incredibly reliable. As a result, it’ll come as no real surprise that so far Skoda has yet to issue a single recall for the model – and we suspect that’s unlikely to change for some time yet.

Check out the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) website for up-to-date recall information.

Driver Power

Our view:
The Yeti starred in our Driver Power survey this year, coming first for reliability, ease of driving and handling. An 18th place for practicality was its lowest score. The Yeti was also crowned Auto Express car of the Year in 2012.

Your view:
Sheila Bowkett of Shropshire bought her Yeti 2.0 TDI 4x4 two years ago. She says: “For the money, nothing touches it; the Skoda provides a spacious cabin, lots of equipment and excellent reliability. The dealer is good and so is the economy.”