yeeeetiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

[NotYet]

Looking at the options, the only thing I want is the MDI, can this be fitted after market cheaper? If so by who?

Hello BB from a fellow newbie.

A lot of people in Britain are asking the same question. If you Google "Yeti MDI" you will find a number of answers - see particularly several posts in the forum at Briskoda. At present most still involve DIY solutions - e.g. see detailed instructions here.

Also, I'll be wanting a tow bar and a dealer said this would be around $1500 which seems a bit much. Can this also be fitted after market and if so by who?

This is an ominous sign of the gouging to come on Yeti accessories in Australia. In the UK, a genuine towbar costs no more than about $A1100 fitted. Even so, people in the UK have found cheaper aftermarket options - I suggest you Google "Yeti towbar".

A company called Ironbull is already offering a towbar for the Yeti in Australia. No doubt there will be others too. But you would need to check what additional preparation is required before installing something like this (e.g. wiring harness, ECU mapping). There is a lot of discussion in Briskoda forum posts on this topic.

[Jake02]

G'day Jake. I have ordered 103TDI AWD with bi-xenon lights (no other options). It's Malachite Green. Yes I know green cars have poor resale value! It was my partner's choice. Personally I would have gone for the Terracotta (Bronze). But I figured it was better to take the resale value hit (given that we expect to keep it long-term) than have years of hearing, "I hate this colour. What possessed you to get Terracotta rather than that nice green?".

Oh lovely! And I think that green is actually really nice (for a green anyway )! Could I ask, what's the standard radio on the Yeti 103TDI 4x4? The brochure says it's the Swing system but I can't imagine them putting such a basic system in a $40k car, especially when the fantastic Bolero system is available.

[NotYet]

Could I ask, what's the standard radio on the Yeti 103TDI 4x4? The brochure says it's the Swing system but I can't imagine them putting such a basic system in a $40k car, especially when the fantastic Bolero system is available.

It is surprising that they use the Swing, when even the mid-spec SE MY2012 model in the UK gets the Bolero. In Ireland the Bolero is an option on the mid-spec Ambition model and included on the top-spec Experience model. In NZ, the 77TSI gets the Swing as standard, but the 103TDI gets the Amundsen.

The Amundsen has a touch-screen, 8 speakers, and accepts an SD card but has no hard drive and can't play DVDs. It has sat-nav capability (assuming you run the maps from an SD card or CD), but since this is not mentioned on the Skoda NZ site query whether there are maps for Australia or NZ?

In most respects the 103TDI for Australia is quite well-equipped - e.g. Bluetooth, climate control AC, driver and passenger lumbar support, steering wheel mounted controls. So why do we get rain-sensing wipers (the answer to a question no-one asked), but not the Bolero or Amundsen? The inclusion of the Swing system (at least in the initial allocation) must be Skoda's way of encouraging buyers to upgrade to Columbus.

BTW, manuals for each system (and the Yeti owner's manual) are available for download from Skoda Resource Bank.

[RSwag]

I don't think there is any spin on the Yetis already sold, I know some dealers here have people literally waiting for theirs to come in. With stock so tight worldwide, they aren't going to need to discount at all.

That's an odd statement, I'm sure the vehicle will be popular but to yhe point that dealers will get RRP for every car they are initially allocated?? I highly doubt it!!

Skoda at the moment is a take it or leave it option in the Oz market, their is no real brand awareness/desire at all. People will look at it but they will do so whilst looking at several other brands. Just take the dualis for example, mid $30k on road and you are getting 4x4, privacy glass, , bluetooth, CVT, 18" alloys, moon roof, 7seats and full leather. In the Skoda you get 4 tyres and a steering wheel.

I'm exaggerating but the point is that people are not dumb, they realise there are many good alternatives out there and that if they are paying retail they are paying to much and on a brand that is on the fringe I can't see it being the gold mine some dealers are making it out to be.

That said good luck to them though, if they can get people on paper for RRP half their luck!!

[woofy]

Funny enough we were debating seriously looking at a dualis + 2 but they seem to be plagued with quality issues. If most of the allocated stock is already sold, why would they discount when people are buying them sight unseen? Eventually they might but not if they are selling.

[Jake02]

That's what I was going to say. Wow you get all that on a Dualis but the reality is still that they're not selling. They're as boring as b*****t, there's no diesel option and what we get here is very limited to overseas (I'm still surprised they brought the +2). We looked at a Ti 4WD when we got the RS and it was only $2k less in reality, and the RS is wayyy more car. I also see the Yeti's rivals as Rav4, Tiguan, Forester etc because they can actually (mildly) do the off-road thing, Dualis cannot at all!

[onyertod]

Dualis and CVT

Recently had an X-Trail with CVT at our place for a month.

Dont know if I could ever get used to the transmission.

That said a DSG takes a while to master, but now I love it.

[woofy]

I don't like the DSG while reverse parking, or really for reversing at all, I can never tell when its going to kick in, mainly as I'm used to either normal autos where they hill hold and then just go, or manuals where you control exactly when the clutch bites.

I have had a few instances parallel parking and having to reverse up a hill into the spot and found it really hard in the DSG Octavia I normally hire.

[bobski]

I don't like the DSG while reverse parking, or really for reversing at all, I can never tell when its going to kick in, mainly as I'm used to either normal autos where they hill hold and then just go, or manuals where you control exactly when the clutch bites.

Agree with that. Weakest part of the DSG. I haven't done it often enough on a hill to come up with a technique. Invariably every time I do it, I forget its a problem and have that moment where I expect reverse to kick in and it doesn't. Then I hit the brake and we rinse and repeat