It has been here nearly a month and has covered almost 500 miles in my care, so it's time to welcome a new long-term Skoda Yeti Greenline. To be honest, I was expecting the car in March and had ordered it back in December last year. Truth is, with it claimed to be one of the three lowest-depreciating cars in the country, the factory in Mlada Bolselav can't build them quick enough! Given there was such a long time between ordering and receiving the car, am I still a Yeti fan? The answer so far, is a resounding yes. With 500 very easy miles passing under the Skoda's optimised rolling-resistance tyres, I've been very impressed how well OY12AVU has fitted in with everyday Collins family life. So much so that, even in such a short time, I can't bear the thought of when Skoda will come and take it away. Compared to our usual family wheels, a Volkswagen Golf, the interior is more practical and spacious. There is definitely more baby seat space for my 20-month old son and my wife likes the elevated seating position. The Yeti's boxy shape might equal a spacious interior, but thankfully this also means a practically-shaped boot. Plenty of space for my son's toddler clobber, but I also went shopping and bought a large desk chair which the Skoda easily swallowed and a summer clear out has seen me make countless trips to the dump. My Yeti is the range-topping Elegance version of the environmentally-friendly Greenline II model. The £20,475 list price is no joke and thankfully it does include luxury features such as leather trim, Bluetooth and a four-spoke multi-function steering wheel. I also raided the options list and added what I believe to be one of the best, although costly (£1,530) Colorado DVD-based sat-nav systems, a six CD auto changer (£300) and front parking sensors (£300), taking the total to £22,670. I'm a big fan of the sat-nav system already, which includes Bluetooth. I set it up on the day it arrived and love how it pairs every time I start the 105PS 1.6TDi Greenline engine. To date, it has only thrown a tantrum once, but I think it was sulking after being left in an underground car park while I attended a foreign car launch. Despite green features such as stop-start, I like the way this Yeti rides and drives. The Skoda's diesel engine has enough power in everyday use and the smaller tyres equal a comfy ride. So is there anything we don't like? I think my wife's likening of the Yeti's boxy styling and Corrida red paint to Postman Pat's van is unfair but the standard, optimised rolling resistance tyres that help the MPG figures also seem to lack grip in corners; I'm hoping that a tyre pressure check should sort things out. Finally, the central locking's CB-like roger bleep when locking and unlocking is annoying and sounds like a cheap 80's alarm. These faults aren't stopping me enjoying the Skoda. The engine is loosening up all the time and the MPG figures are improving. I'm taking the Yeti on a trip to Belgium to watch a rally soon and will bring you more details in my next report. Skoda Yeti Greeline II Date arrived: 30th May 2012 Mileage to date: 1063miles Fuel consumption: 61.4mpg official; 47.3mpg (on test)
