Volkswagen Tiguan test drive since 2008 SUV

Skoda Yeti vs Volkswagen Tiguan. The burden of the first

Skoda Yeti. Price: 959 000 rub. On sale: since 2010
Volkswagen Tiguan. Price: 1 018 000 rub. On sale: since 2008

VW Tiguan the world's first crossover, on which only turbocharged engines are installed. Skoda Yeti the first crossover in the history of the brand. And which of them will be the first after the crisis to pick up the consumer’s wallet, provided that the cars have the same platform?


Test pillets
Oleg Kalaushin, 40 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience 22 years, personal car - Renault Logan

Igor Kuznetsov, 48 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience 31 years old, personal car - Nissan Qashqai


What to shout in the soul, the Czechs of their first crossover were a success. Even against the background of Tiguan's older brother, the car looks spectacular. The shuttle muzzle strives to look into your eyes with its huge foglights. By the way, they perform two functions: they fight with fog and for the safety of movement in the daytime, being daytime running lights. Tiguan optics is not burdened with the latest duty. But back to the design. Or rather, to designer finds and misses, which are to one degree or another in both cars. So, for example, the rejection of the plastic wing of the wing of Yeti visually made the car more offroide, which the consumer really likes. But, in turn, the absence of such a trial in case of driving on gravel puts the car paintwork under the blow. Tiguan is deprived of such a drawback, and you can worry about gravels on it without fear. The second point that I would like to pay attention to is the doors. At Skoda, they reach the threshold, and at Tiguan they cover it, which is very good, because the threshold always remains clean, and with it trousers. The third point inherent in both Yeti and Tiguan: the absence of a drainage gutter on the roof leads to the fact that all the dirt (and there was plenty of it during this comparison), which can get to the roof, when leaving the car begins to merge on your head . Another moment comes in protection of the car from below.

No matter how Bravo looks like Yeti compared to Tiguan, but it is prepared for off -road from this point of view weaker. Plastic protection of the motor compartment is weak consolation for those who are going to operate Yeti according to the wheeled formula. The German prepared better for our off -road: steel protection in the basic configuration allows us to hope that the meeting with the boulder will not turn into an oil path on the ground. But the plastic protection of the rear levers is unlikely to last on cars for a long time. You can disrupt it from a place even in not very deep snow, especially when reversing. On the test Yeti, whose mileage was less than a thousand, one of these plastic rudiments has already begun to fall off.

Let's move on to the salons. Outwardly, they are quite attractive. They even tried to make them dissimilar to each other, however, within the framework of one platform, it is not possible to fulfill this one hundred percent. Therefore, transplanting from one car to another, you catch yourself thinking that the architecture has not changed, and the differences are only in the nuances. However, this is legitimate only in the description of the front row of seats and all that surrounds them. The second row in these machines varies. Firstly, the roof in Yeti is higher, due to this, the landing is more comfortable. The second point is the armrest. In both cars, part of the back of the seat turns into it, but only Yeti has soft pads. The third and, perhaps, the most striking difference is that to increase the luggage compartment of Yeti, you can both fold the backs of the back row of seats and remove these seats completely. In Tiguan, it will not work to part with the second side for the sake of increasing the trunk. By the way, with not folded seats in Tiguan, the volume is larger and is 470 liters against 405 in Yeti. These numbers are fair with the seats of the second row fully pushed back. This function is available in both the first and second cars.

Despite the fact that the cars had the engines different in volume and power, it was not difficult to stay one after another in the traffic flow. Moreover, the less powerful Skoda (152 hp), aggregated by a mechanical gearbox, could give the handle to the handicap more powerful (170 hp) Tiguan with an automatic box. We tried to write off this injustice for the greater weight of the German and the sluggishness of his machine gun compared to the Yeti handle. But, on the other hand, Tiguan has more power. In addition, the selectivity of the cululis in Yeti leaves much to be desired. To find the desired gear from the habit is not so simple. The moves are minimal both in the position of the inclined transmission and in the neutral position. And this is a loss of time when switching. In general, the enviable dynamics of Yeti remained a mystery to us. Otherwise, on the asphalt, cars were not much different from each other. Unless with noise insulation: in Tiguan it is much better. Noise also does not get in Yeti, but the fact remains.

The behavior of cars does not vary much on the off -road. We were lucky. The cars that the dealers provided us were shod in winter tires, and the snow has already come down in the fields. But there was a lot of dirt and deep ruts. In them, we decided to experience the off-road essence of cars. But first, it was necessary to move out on these fields. Our fields, as a rule, are much lower than the level of roads, and you can’t call the entrances to them ideal. For the tractor, of course, it is normal, but on an ordinary car it is sometimes not easy to do. However, as it turned out, the corners of the front over the cars possessed by cars (and they are approximately equal to them), it is enough to fall from asphalt to the ground and at the same time not even catch the bumper. Surprisingly, it was surprising to the cars and off -road itself. And in the full sense of the word. Of course, if they were shod in summer highway rubber, we would not be able to drive a meter through a cracked field, but they just did miracles on the winter. And probably if they had the opportunity to turn off the stabilization system, there would be even more impressions. But alas and ah. It is impossible to completely get rid of electronic bridles on these machines. You can dull their vigilance a little, but in order to get rid of completely no-no. And sometimes I really wanted the engine not KIS, but rather gained momentum, and power grew with them.

Nevertheless, we were satisfied with the results of the races. How they were satisfied with those random spectators who shot all this atrocity on mobile phones. And who knows, maybe you have already seen how something dirty, remotely reminiscent of cars, tears the spring thaw to shreds. Know: it was Skoda Yeti and Volkswagen Tiguan.


Skoda Yeti
The first -born of Skoda in the Yeti crossover class is based on one platform with VW Tiguan. The car turned out 200 mm shorter, but a sufficient wheelbase allowed the cabin to make the salon quite spacious. The car can be either monotive or with a drive for all wheels. True, in this case the box is only mechanical.


Driving
The car is perfectly controlled on the asphalt. It has acceptable dynamics. He is able to surprise his master on the off -road. True, rubber for this case should be appropriate.

Salon
Moderately spacious and convenient. I would especially like to note the correct organization of the luggage compartment. The abundance of various kinds of hooks and rails cannot but taste.

Comfort
Everything is nothing, but noise insulation could be better.

Safety
At the level of competitors.

Price
Acceptable.




VW Tiguan
VW Tiguan is available in three modifications. Two options for the city and one for all -terrain. In the latter version, the car is equipped with another front bumper, as well as an off -road assistance system. Its functions include assistants when lifting/descent and other algorithm for the operation of the accelerator and ABS pedal.

Driving
Despite the fact that the car is primarily imprisoned for the highway, on the off -road it is also able to show quite good results.

Salon
It looks much richer than the younger brother of Yeti, which is quite understandable if we recall the hierarchy.

Comfort
In this machine, both the driver and passengers are equally comfortable, noise insulation deserves special praise.

Safety
At the level of competitors.

Price
It depends on the configuration.




Our verdict
Despite the fact that Skoda Yeti and Volkswagen Tiguan have the same platform, it is impossible to give them exactly the same cars. First of all, this is justified by the hierarchy in which Skoda assigned the role of a younger brother. Tiguan is significantly more comfortable, which is determined by better sound insulation and more expensive interior decoration materials. Yeti is also not bad, but it does not go to the VW level, and therefore a few utilitarian. But for less money, you are able to get a fairly modern car with a good quality of execution.


Author: Oleg Kalaushin
Photo: Igor Kuznetsov
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [June 2010]