BMW X1 or Skoda Yeti

BMW X1 or Skoda Yeti

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Discussion

Spuffington

Original Poster:

1,238 posts

175 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Sorry, I hate these threads normally but in need of PH wisdom....

About to trade my Z4 in for a utility vehicle. Narrowed it down to a 2013 BMW X1 20dxDrive XLine or a 2014 Yeti Outdoor L&K (170bhp).

I come from a line of BMWs and genuinely have liked and loved each one. So the BMW would be my natural selection. Thing is, I drove the Yeti yesterday and was genuinely impressed by it. But back in my Z4, I can't help thinking I will miss the way BMWs are focused at their drivers (cabin wise as much as driving) and I'm familiar with all the switchgear and functionality. Which has drawn me back to the X1 in spite of how much I liked the Yeti yesterday.

It'll probably come down to cash in the end. The Yeti is c £2.5k cheaper to buy than the Bimmer and c 1yr newer. But my question is, in 3yrs, which is likely to have held its value better? If I can make the man maths work for the X1, I'll stick the extra bit out of the door now for it. But what are your thoughts and has anyone any experience of running either of them?

Debaser

6,460 posts

268 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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I'd get the Yeti. It's a lot more fun to chuck around than an X1.

Rick101

7,015 posts

157 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Yeti is getting replaced next year I think. Prices may drop a little.

DoubleD

22,154 posts

115 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Not very helpful, but I wouldn't buy either. Why not just get an E91?

SWoll

19,167 posts

265 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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From a quick look on Autotrader a 6 year old X1 2.0d is fetching around £9-10k and a 4 year old Yeti around £7-8K so not a lot in it TBH.

I'd be amazed if the X1 isn't the better car to drive and nicer place to sit, but the servicing costs will likely reflect this also.

X1 for me, but then like you I'm a BMW guy and have never been overly impressed with anything from the VAG group I've driven.

EDIT - I'd highly recommend the 8 speed ZF auto in the X1, works really well with the 2.0D engine and is much better than the manual.

kambites

68,438 posts

228 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Neither is dreadfully interesting to drive, but the BMW is marginally less hatefully dull. The Skoda is significantly more "utility" though; the BMW is pretty pokey inside.

I'd do everything in my power to avoid having to drive either. smile

spookly

4,202 posts

102 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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I would not mind driving a Yeti at all, I think they have a certain cheap rugged charm.
I'm not so keen on the X1, but like most of the non-SUV BMWs.

JeffreyLebowski

452 posts

214 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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I drive a BMW, but I'd take the yeti every single day of the week. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the I find the yeti quite attractive while the X1 is fugly and to me has a very try-hard "school-run mum couldnt quite afford the X3/5" image to me.
On a more objective note, bearing in mind you're chopping in a sports car for it, neither options are going to excite from behind the wheel so you may as well go for the more genuine utility vehicle imo. Add in the fact that you get a newer car for less money and it's a no-brainer for me.
Enjoy whichever you choose though smile

JimbobVFR

2,727 posts

151 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Out of those 2 defenitely the Yeti. If it was me however I'd be thinking Octavia Estate, not sure what these small crossover thingies offer that an estate can't do, except maybe be a bit taller.

(steven)

468 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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kambites said:
Neither is dreadfully interesting to drive, but the BMW is marginally less hatefully dull.
X1 is far from BMW's finest hour however if the Yeti drives anything like the Tiguan we have, I would avoid that from a traditional driving fun perspective.

Go for an estate if driving dynamics matter.

anonymous-user

61 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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My wife owned an X1 for 3 years from new - pretty reliable and typically BMW fare for driving dynamics.

What is woeful though is the rear space and boot space - absolutely dwarfed by the Yeti.

I'm usually a BMW man and have been for years but after recently buying into the Skoda brand with a vrs230 combi; I'm a Czech convert.

Go for the Yeti if you truly want to make use of the space and functionality


Spuffington

Original Poster:

1,238 posts

175 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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Thanks for all the input, fellas. I think as has been commented, there's little in it and probably at the end of the day down to personal preference.

If I had my way, it would be a 5er Touring, but we have moved onto a farm and we need ground clearance during the winter (a fact I stupidly ignored when buying the Zed, given we had to sell our 1er for an X3 when we first moved in last winter). Anyway, I thought I could make it work, but a couple of heavy downpours have reminded me how wet and submerged some bits of the farm track can get in inclement weather. On top of that, we're going to be dog owners too, so utility is the name of the game.

I'm strangely fond of our X3 and would happily have a second on the fleet if they weren't all poverty spec in the AUC stockist under 20k.

The Yeti I think is in the lead. I found it like a strangely jacked up warm hatch when I test-drove one earlier in the week. Switchgear and build quality far above what I had anticipated and boot could be best shaped for a hound over the X1. But prefer the way the Bimmer inside is focussed on ease of use for the driver.

It'll probably in the end come down to how much the Cost to Change comes down to given I only bought the Zed a few months ago and taking quite a bath on it, which means I'll struggle to justify sticking another 5k into a car so quickly.

Appreciate your thoughts, thanks! smile

Deerfoot

4,980 posts

191 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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I know it wasn`t on your list but have you thought of an Octavia Scout?

anothernameitist

1,500 posts

142 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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i'd say Skoda but we have 2 in the family.

You'll soon get used to abother car as well once you start driving it and the BMW will be a distant memory.

BuzzBravado

2,947 posts

178 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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Sure is a lot of PH'ers that live up farm tracks these days.

Having actually lived up a farm track i never had any issue with Renault 5, Micra, 306, Rover 214, Saab 93. Sure i crashed through the occasional fence in my teenage years, but 4x4 wouldn't have stopped that. Any craters that developed were filled in easy enough since we had all heavy plant equipment on site.

Edited by BuzzBravado on Friday 16th September 11:54

nickfrog

21,949 posts

224 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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You don't need to live anywhere near a farm to prefer those types of vehicles in 2wd form compared to an estate - no downsides from a driving POV for family use (they're not great for track days).

I would lease a new shape Tiguan 150TDI SE Nav or a Seat Alteca at £6K total over 2 years. Probably not much more money than a second hand one all told. Maybe £50/month more.

iSore

4,011 posts

151 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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The old X1 is sort of alrightish but the X3, whist equally grim to look at, is better. The current X1 is comically overpriced. The Skoda is a better bet really, along with an X Trail and all the other perfectly good non premium* stuff.






  • whatver premium actually is.

KevinCamaroSS

12,295 posts

287 months

Friday 16th September 2016
quotequote all
JimbobVFR said:
Out of those 2 defenitely the Yeti. If it was me however I'd be thinking Octavia Estate, not sure what these small crossover thingies offer that an estate can't do, except maybe be a bit taller.
Octavia Scout. Same 4x4 drive-train as the 4x4 Yeti, but not got the crossover look. X1 is hateful to me.

The Don of Croy

6,099 posts

166 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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Never driven a Yeti.

Now into month 5 of X1 ownership and 8k miles. It's getting more and more likeable, so much so I've SORN'd my MR2 and happily potter about in the 'rodent' (combination of brown colour and over bite appearance).

But I was picky - found a private sale of top'ish spec and unusual colour, low miles etc etc so even at six years plus it's still very clean and tidy.

And the 23d will pull heartily even with the 'old' 6 speed auto. 41 mpg. It's SE trim but I think the underpinnings are shared with sportier stuff, as are the wheels/tyres etc. It has the lighter trim as the sport models are unfeasably dark with black highlights imho.

This year we were 4-up on hols in SW France - 1000km there etc. A V70 would have been comfier but off the m/way it is more fun on the switchbacks. It also does runs to wickes to buy 1200 x 900 panels.

So as an all-rounder it is doing pretty well. And it's not too large and it will turn 180 degrees in our drive which a V70 or CX7 or Smax we had before couldn't (but our Jazz puts it to shame here).

And it's rwd bias'd too. See the gravel on my drive.

Uncle John

4,503 posts

198 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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We have had a Yeti Outdoor L&K DSG 4x4 for 6 months now and I'm very impressed.

Replaced our Discovery HSE which was too big for the wife as the kids have grown up and no longer want to be associated with us.

Has all the nice things leather, heated windscreen, dual zone, sat nav etc the Discovery had, only thing missing is the heated rear seats.

Drives and handles well, 40 mpg around town 50 plus on a run (2.0 Tdi CR), comfy, takes the bumps/potholes very nicely and has enough space for the hound in the back, and if you remove the easy to remove seats it basically becomes a van.

I was a Skoda skeptic before this but now couldn't be further from the truth. Great bit of kit.