Goodbyeeeee

[Carnut]

Urban mpg 43.5 mpg (yes I know, it's all b****x and it will probably do about 40real time mpg<<<<<<<3.5 better than (my) PHEV running in hybrid with flat battery.

I can understand your frustration, but this is a silly comparison. If you bought the PHEV with the intention to drive around with a flat battery, you clearly bought the wrong car to begin with.

Did I say that? No! I bought it because I fancied the modern tech and it looked like a fun thing to get involved with. I am not a company car driver so that benefit does not apply to me.
Although I knew Mitu's mileage claims would be phooey I did not expect them to be so way out in everyday driving. I do a lot of short journeys round Poole and at least two long journeys a month when I cannot charge the battery so 3/4 is done in hybrid, THEN it returns 40.5mpg.
I can't remember the last time I topped up the petrol tank with HALF a tankful I have only done this twice since November!!
I just want a car (I have decided) that I can climb in, turn a key/push a button and GO without all the dial watching which I can't help doing and all the faff of charging.
The Yeti will be £110 more than PHEV on RFL and fractionally more expensive on fuel.
But I have had two Yetis before and for a start the PHEV's build quality (tin foil or origami bodywork) and the general way it is put together simply does not come close to the Yeti. After all It is basically a Tiguan at 2/3rds of the price but the same VW build quality.
JAAPV....
Thanks for your tips, but on both my previous Yetis I have had no such problems. But I do always change at about 18 months though. I hope the problems you list are not 'special editions' just for the Netherlands. :lol:

 

[jaapv]

No - they come from the Dutch and German AA equivalent breakdown statistics.

Skodas ARE fine cars, the bad image they suffer is an unjustified carryover from Communist times, but even in those days the factory tried to maintain design and creativity despite being forced to be bottom feeders by the system.

I must confess the PHEV is a jump in and go car for me, no dial-watching, and I do prefer a two-second plug in at work and at home over smelly petrol station stops and standing in line to pay, but that is just me....

 

[user 816]

No - they come from the Dutch and German AA equivalent breakdown statistics.

Skodas ARE fine cars, the bad image they suffer is an unjustified carryover from Communist times, but even in those days the factory tried to maintain design and creativity despite being forced to be bottom feeders by the system.

I must confess the PHEV is a jump in and go car for me, no dial-watching, and I do prefer a two-second plug in at work and at home over smelly petrol station stops and standing in line to pay, but that is just me....

Hey I need those stops, I can't drive without sweets in the car and a pack of Tropical Fruit Bon Bon's will only last 48 hours. Fortunately with a PHEV its never longer than that between fill ups.

 

[user 816]

After all It is basically a Tiguan at 2/3rds of the price but the same VW build quality.
:

actually your doing the Yeti a disservice there, I was given a new up-spec. Tiguan late last year on a 3 day trial, after the first day I left it on the drive until it was collected. It was horrid!!! Engine had too much low torque too quick and lumpy so it was really hard to pull away cleanly with the low first (caravan gearing!), but then at speed it ran out of puff, ride was abysmal picked up every scratch on the road, boot disappointing for the size of the car, interior claustrophobic, it had self parking (too fiddly) as standard instead of useful gadgets like HID headlights. It felt like something I had stolen from a pensioner, it was very quiet though.

The Yeti is a much, much better car (boot aside). Remains to be seen if the new Tiguan is better.

 

[greendwarf]

As I see it, with the current EV range which is usually little more than 20 miles, the environmental credentials of the PHEV are small at best. Yes, I can do most of my short journeys on EV, but they add up to probably less than half a gallon per week. It's the long journeys that hit the environment and they are still done on petrol.

I take you mean your long journeys hitting the environment? As I understand it the average daily journey is well within the PHEV range. I have pointed out before it is designed as a city car attractive to Chelsea tractor drivers with a conscience. :lol:

 

[Steel188]

My car is a work tool, as you can tell by the fact that I have driven more than 5000 miles in 7 weeks.

I understand where both sides of this conversation are coming from as I usually just jump in, hit save and go.

I find the car just comfortable enough (2" or 3" extra rearward travel for the drivers seat would make it perfect) it is practical due to its size, relatively quiet when cruising at a indicated 80(my Garmin Sat Nav says this is 75mph)but the ridiculously small fuel tank lets it down.

Plying the motorways using petrol, then switching to electric for the city at the end of my journey is currently giving me mid 30's mpg, which for an 1800kg brick isn't bad. But with empty showing after using just 40 litres is silly. Hopefully the next facelift will provide a better, smaller battery so a 70 - 80 litre tank can be fitted making 500 motorway miles between fill ups possible, which should be regarded as a normal requirement.

The car comes into its own in cities, where using electric mode has serious environmental and financial benefits, but you all know that anyway which is why I too will be keeping my beady eye on the Kodiaq ready for my 2020 lease renewal!!

 

[Carnut]

Well That's two Kodiaqs sold then! :lol:
Bob.
I must admit I have never driven a Tiguan. But have been more than happy with my two previous Yetis. Specially, as you mentioned , the HID lights. You obviously tried a manual Tiguan. The DSG is an absolute dream.
I measured the PHEV boot front to back and the Yeti (with the back seats moved right forwards (yes they slide!) and the Yeti boot is 10 Cm smaller than the PHEV, both are the same width. So hounds will have to breath in by 10Cm! (smack on one's own wrist. Why didn't I do that before using the small boot as the excuse for getting rid of the last Yeti~ prat!)
Anybody want a pair of unused Osram Night breakers, Going cheep!

 

[anko]

... but the ridiculously small fuel tank lets it down.

It may let you down. It does not let me down. I do about half of the number of fill-ups as I did before with my diesel car, which had a 60 liter tank. Maybe even less. And the fill-ups take me less time also. It is all about usage pattern. As you said, there is two sides to the story

 

[jaapv]

I don't know about usage pattern either. It is no letdown when driving long distances. I think it is wise to stop for fifteen minutes at least every three hours when driving all day, for safety's sake. Filling up and stretching your legs is no hassle. The car has more endurance than the driver.
In practice I need three fill-ups (but at least 4 stops) on a 1200 Km journey that takes twelve hours. Is that so bad?

 

[maby]

As I see it, with the current EV range which is usually little more than 20 miles, the environmental credentials of the PHEV are small at best. Yes, I can do most of my short journeys on EV, but they add up to probably less than half a gallon per week. It's the long journeys that hit the environment and they are still done on petrol.

I take you mean your long journeys hitting the environment? As I understand it the average daily journey is well within the PHEV range. I have pointed out before it is designed as a city car attractive to Chelsea tractor drivers with a conscience. :lol:

It would be interesting to know how the total miles driven per annum by UK drivers splits between short and long journeys. There are, undoubtedly, a lot of five mile school runs done in Chelsea Tractors, but there are also a lot of long distance trips driven every day - try driving on just about any motorway in the morning and evening rush hours. The PHEV reduces the carbon footprint of the school run to very little, but it was not very much in the RR Evoque either - simply because it is such a short distance.

 

[geoffshep69]

Hopefully the next facelift will provide a better, smaller battery so a 70 - 80 litre tank can be fitted making 500 motorway miles between fill ups possible, which should be regarded as a normal requirement.

Not sure I agree with this. Whilst I can understand the desire for some people to have a larger fuel tank, I don't see that this should be at the expense of the battery size. If anything, the battery size should be increased. Appreciate everyone is different, but if the prime reason for the car is to do motorway miles day after day then potentially the PHEV is not the right car to buy.

Increasing the fuel tank, at the expense of maintaining or increasing the battery size, is likely to be a positive option for a very small number of PHEV drivers in my view.

 

[jthspace]

Agree with geoffshep69, if battery technology makes them smaller, then pack more in - more EV the better.

Look how Elon Musk leveraged his TESLA to support the development of Giga-factories for the Powerwalls power platform, this will drive battery technology forward more and more.

Jeff

 

[HHL]

As I see it, with the current EV range which is usually little more than 20 miles, the environmental credentials of the PHEV are small at best. Yes, I can do most of my short journeys on EV, but they add up to probably less than half a gallon per week. It's the long journeys that hit the environment and they are still done on petrol.

I take you mean your long journeys hitting the environment? As I understand it the average daily journey is well within the PHEV range. I have pointed out before it is designed as a city car attractive to Chelsea tractor drivers with a conscience. :lol:

It would be interesting to know how the total miles driven per annum by UK drivers splits between short and long journeys. There are, undoubtedly, a lot of five mile school runs done in Chelsea Tractors, but there are also a lot of long distance trips driven every day - try driving on just about any motorway in the morning and evening rush hours. The PHEV reduces the carbon footprint of the school run to very little, but it was not very much in the RR Evoque either - simply because it is such a short distance.

It is that "5 mile school run" where normal cars are the most inefficient, running cold etc, that's where EV's shine....

 

[gwatpe]

Sorry to see you leave the PHEV community Colin. The PHEV gave me a scare early on, but suits me as a multi function car. Holiday travels, local commute and city commute with a single garage space. A bigger fuel tank is just MMC being lazy to not supply it standard. I am in no hurry to trade my PHEV and the EV aspect will work better as my driving needs change as I get older.

 

[anko]

Sorry to see you leave the PHEV community Colin. The PHEV gave me a scare early on, but suits me as a multi function car. Holiday travels, local commute and city commute with a single garage space. A bigger fuel tank is just MMC being lazy to not supply it standard. I am in no hurry to trade my PHEV and the EV aspect will work better as my driving needs change as I get older.

How is supplying a smaller fuel tank instead of a bigger one "lazy", if I may ask? I can hardly imagine it is significantly less work to install a small fuel tank

 

[greendwarf]

It would be interesting to know how the total miles driven per annum by UK drivers splits between short and long journeys. There are, undoubtedly, a lot of five mile school runs done in Chelsea Tractors, but there are also a lot of long distance trips driven every day - try driving on just about any motorway in the morning and evening rush hours. The PHEV reduces the carbon footprint of the school run to very little, but it was not very much in the RR Evoque either - simply because it is such a short distance.

It is that "5 mile school run" where normal cars are the most inefficient, running cold etc, that's where EV's shine....

And many big cities are surrounded by commuter towns with large car parks at the rail stations used by even more short distance drivers.

 

[Carnut]

Apropos absolutely nothing to do with PHEVs. But I was DEE~lighted to get a fuel card from Skoda for £500 worth of free petrol and two free services with my s/hand. Yeti.
:lol:
So if anybody needs a Skoda as a second car get to your local dealer now as the promotion ends on the 18th!

 

[user 816]

Apropos absolutely nothing to do with PHEVs. But I was DEE~lighted to get a fuel card from Skoda for £500 worth of free petrol and two free services with my s/hand. Yeti.
:lol:
So if anybody needs a Skoda as a second car get to your local dealer now as the promotion ends on the 18th!

I remember the old days when the joke went, how do you double the value of a Skoda? fill it up! :lol:

 

[maby]

Apropos absolutely nothing to do with PHEVs. But I was DEE~lighted to get a fuel card from Skoda for £500 worth of free petrol and two free services with my s/hand. Yeti.
:lol:
So if anybody needs a Skoda as a second car get to your local dealer now as the promotion ends on the 18th!

I remember the old days when the joke went, how do you double the value of a Skoda? fill it up! :lol:

I filled up the Landcruiser a few weeks ago and it came to almost £100 - I was musing at the time that I paid less for my first car and it came with a full tank!

 

[Barnfather]

A bigger fuel tank is just MMC being lazy to not supply it standard.

The Outlander PHEV fuel tank is the same size as my Lexus CT one was, the same size as the Prius hybrids and the same size as the new Mercedes C-Class PHEV (and probably the new BMW PHEV as well).

So it seems to be the norm for EV/Hybrid cars, presumably a design constraint due to the size of battery and possibly also for weight advantages.

I don't mind it personally. I'd doing a 25 miles each-way commute each day and I'm getting around 420ish miles to a tank, which is comparable with my previous Lexus hybrid.