After spending several months considering options for replacing my current Yeti I thought I'd post up my thoughts on ~120k miles / 5 years owning 3 Yeti's.

2009:

My first Yeti was a new 2009 manual 1.2 TSi SE, in Muscovado. This felt like a huge step-up in quality, driving dynamics and styling, compared with the 1.6 petrol Qashqai it replaced. I ran this for 1 year / 10K miles and ended up trading it in for a 1.8 TSi 4x4 Octavia estate, after becoming a little frustrated with the (relative) lack of power, poor fuel economy (~30 mpg), lack of boot space and poor winter / snow performance (I'd yet to discover winter / all-season tyres). The car cost £16k and I got £15k back for it at trade in. Of all the cars I've owned this remains the lowest depreciating car ever, helped no doubt by the long waiting list at the time (a friend actually paid over the original list price for a second hand 4x4 Yeti, during a particularly snowy winter, such was the demand in the early days).

I was approached by numerous people in car-parks / when re-filling at petrol stations, asking either what it was, or how I was finding it. I've owned a number of cars (>100) and more people asked about my Yeti (in 2009) than any other car.

Towards the end of my time with this car the timing chain was beginning to rattle and would have no doubt required replacement (under warranty) before too long. Other than the Bolero being slow to load / read MP3's the car was otherwise faultless.

2012:

I ran a petrol Octavia for another 18 months, before realising how much I missed driving a Yeti. I didn't particularly rate the 1.2 TSi engine and so this time opted for a 2.0 TDi (110 BHP) 2WD. This was a pre-facelift Urban special edition. I ran this for 2 years / 45k miles and barring zinc inclusions rated this car highly. Despite similar power / performance to the 1.,2 TSi the diesel was considerably more torquey and consistently delivered high 40's MPG. At this time I discovered both roof-boxes and winter tyres, which addressed the previous short-comings of the original car. The seats in the Urban were the best of any Yeti I've owned / driven, offering good lumbar support, alongside heavier bolstering than the standard seats. I've not come across these particular seats in any other Yeti. The car cost ~£18k and returned £13.5k at 2 years / 45k miles. Again a great result in terms of depreciation / cost per mile. The gearbox was only 5 speed, but it cruised well and 5th gear offered similar revs to 6th in the earlier car.

2014:

I fancied a little more power and initially considered re-mapping the 110 BHP TDi. I was a little concerned by the lack of ESP though and instead opted to switch for another (new) 2.0 TDi. This was a 4x4 140 BHP TDi "Tour de France". These were special edition models, released at the time of the race. I initially considered a Superb Tour de France, but after driving one realised they are a bit of a bargeand don't drive especially well (compared to the Yeti). I opted to eschew the huge boot / interior space for another Yeti.

I've now covered ~65k miles in my current Yeti and barring yet more zinc inclusions, the major issues have centered around the EA189 update. Once I'd had the car remapped I continue to enjoy driving it on a daily basis. The original tyres wore evenly and all 4 were replaced with Michelin Cross Climates at ~40k miles (~2mm remaining). The Cross Climates are again wearing evenly and are at 5mm, after 25 k miles. The car generally returns low 40's MPG (mid 30's in the depth of winter) and the remap (Shark stage 1) has had no discernible negative impact on fuel economy, despite boosting power and torque considerably.

The in-car tech is now looking rather dated, but the DAB and Sat-nav have proved useful (and cheap to update) and a big (64 Gb) SD card carries enough music to keep all occupants entertained. The car has performed faultlessly through several winters and has proved mechanically reliable. After the remap it seemed sensible to take it outside the dealer network for servicing and I've found a knowledgeable indie, who now looks after the car. I've stuck with long-life servicing, but change the oil myself after 10k miles, using a Pela oil extractor. I plan to get the cambelt / water pump changed at 4 years old and am currently investigating the costs involved in switching to 312 mm front brakes. The car is still on the original brakes all-round, although the rear discs are looking rather shabby / corroded. Other than tyres the only other replacements parts have been front and rear wipers and upgrading the headlights to Osram nightbreakers. I also took the opportunity to switch all the interior lights to LED, with varying degrees of longevity - you definitely get what you pay for!

2018:

I had originally planned to trade this Yeti in, but the advent of the current anti-diesel sentiments / EA189 emissions update have pretty much destroyed the residual value of this type of car. It's current (trade) valuation stands at £6700 - £8300 (I paid £19k in 2014) and I was offered £8500 in part-ex (against an alternative marque - BMW). I test drove all alternatives (3008, Ateca, Kodiak and Karoq) and after driving each car got back in my Yeti and decided none of them were worth the ~£15k I would need to pay, in addition to the value of my car, to own one. The TDi Karoq I drove was £31k!!

I'm mindful of the potential for costly failures (clutch / flywheel, DPF, EGR, Turbo etc), as the car ages, but hope to see >100k miles before anything big fails. I purchased the full version of the VAG DPF app and understand my DPF is 40% filled with oil ash. I extended the Skoda breakdown cover, as it seemed good value at £90 / year, but other than that am "flying solo" with regards to warranty cover.

Looking back the Yeti is / was the best car I've ever owned and I'm more than a little cheesed off there is no longer a direct equivalent, offering such space (within a very diminutive platform), relative performance, all-weather ability, sheer "driveability" and genuinely unique styling (I've owned both pre & post FL cars).

I suspect the Yeti and Roomster (I've owned 2 of these as well) represent the last of the truly characterful Skoda's.