Dacia Duster or Skoda Yeti 4 x 4

[hally]

Duster owners reviews on "Honest John" wouldn't inspire confidence!

Have to say of the 3 around here that I know of, all have been replaced with something else but that may be for other reasons than reliability.
I bought the little Fiat yesterday so time will tell if it’s the right decision but seems a fun little car for a run around.

 

[j6891]

Have done 60k in my duster van now and been trouble free touch wood. 4x4 has been good in the snow and have no hesitation going across fields - just have winter tyres on to not lose road performance. Cost me 10k with a couple of thousand miles on it, feels like a bargain compared to a Utv.

 

[yoki]

Have to say of the 3 around here that I know of, all have been replaced with something else but that may be for other reasons than reliability.
I bought the little Fiat yesterday so time will tell if it’s the right decision but seems a fun little car for a run around.

Interesting, as I fancy something similar.

Skoda not an option as we had a Fabia a few years back which polluted us and was only here a few months before we went back to Japanese, Mrs Y said if I brought another Skoda about the place she'd leave. Also had a customer with a Yeti which was back at the dealers so often he reckoned it could find it's way there itself, he changed it the day the warranty run out!

Water leaks and electrics the main issues, just the same as our Fabia!

So of the three mentioned here that left the Fiat and the Dacia, but after a visit to "Honest John" that essentially left the Fiat.

Great minds etc,

 

[Timbo]

A properly kitted Yeti for sure, but shows how capable they are:

 

[hally]

Interesting, as I fancy something similar.

Skoda not an option as we had a Fabia a few years back which polluted us and was only here a few months before we went back to Japanese, Mrs Y said if I brought another Skoda about the place she'd leave. Also had a customer with a Yeti which was back at the dealers so often he reckoned it could find it's way there itself, he changed it the day the warranty run out!

Water leaks and electrics the main issues, just the same as our Fabia!

So of the three mentioned here that left the Fiat and the Dacia, but after a visit to "Honest John" that essentially left the Fiat.

Great minds etc,

Or fools seldom differ

 

[mf7480]

Have done 60k in my duster van now and been trouble free touch wood. 4x4 has been good in the snow and have no hesitation going across fields - just have winter tyres on to not lose road performance. Cost me 10k with a couple of thousand miles on it, feels like a bargain compared to a Utv.

I was just thinking along those lines- you can get a Panda 4x4 for a couple of grand. Put on some Gator tyres and I’d imagine it would be hell of a tool!

 

[Sharpy]

What about an ex forestry 4wd berlingo van?

 

[hally]

This arrived yesterday, astonishing where it goes on standard road tyres

 

[yoki]

If those back seats were out you could easily get at least three sheep in there.

Cool looking little wagon.

Health to drive.

 

[JP1]

This arrived yesterday, astonishing where it goes on standard road tyresView attachment 1066501

Nice

Are they petrol only now with this model?

 

[hally]

Nice

Are they petrol only now with this model?

Yes I think so this is a 2015 and is one of the last diesels

 

[hally]

If those back seats were out you could easily get at least three sheep in there.

Cool looking little wagon.

Health to drive.

A trailer for that job will be a less smelly option

 

[Timbo]

Yes I think so this is a 2015 and is one of the last diesels

1.3 fiat thing renown for its chocate timing chain.

 

[yoki]

1.3 fiat thing renown for its chocate timing chain.

I was impressed a few years ago when a car mechanic acquaintance told me that VW had started to fit a timing chain engine to their Polos.

I was hugely unimpressed when he then told me that the chains were typically knackered in about 40,000mls.

On Japanese engines the timing chain is considered a lifetime component, and in the vast majority of cases it will be.

 

[Timbo]

I was impressed a few years ago when a car mechanic acquaintance told me that VW had started to fit a timing chain engine to their Polos.

I was hugely unimpressed when he then told me that the chains were typically knackered in about 40,000mls.

On Japanese engines the timing chain is considered a lifetime component, and in the vast majority of cases it will be.

Once youve done acouple, theyre surprisingly easy to do. Just shouldn't need doing! The extended oil change interval is to blame.

 

[Aircooled]

X3 . Plenty about under £3000,no rust issues , 35mpg.

 

[yoki]

Just shouldn't need doing! The extended oil change interval is to blame.

Definitely shouldn't need doing!

More likely using poor quality chain surely?

Seen some pretty neglected Japanese quad/motorcycle engines over the years and even then the cam chains were more robust than that.

 

[Boydvalley]

I’m running around in the the previous version that the kids learned to drive in but the same engine. Fitted to the Corsa as well I believe. Cam chain went at 60 thousand. Had to replace the engine. That engine really doesn’t like pottering around so make sure it has a good run to get it properly hot Occasionally. It just chokes itself up. Hope they’ve improved the suspension as it always needed something to get through MOT.

Apart from that and the interior crumbling with age they are a good nimble drive and good for the kids to learn in. £30 tax and does 60 running around, 70 on a run.

However running another car to save fuel really doesn’t stack unless you are doing big miles. Depreciation, servicing, tax MOT add up to a lot of fuel to put in the other vehicle

 

[hally]

I’m running around in the the previous version that the kids learned to drive in but the same engine. Fitted to the Corsa as well I believe. Cam chain went at 60 thousand. Had to replace the engine. That engine really doesn’t like pottering around so make sure it has a good run to get it properly hot Occasionally. It just chokes itself up. Hope they’ve improved the suspension as it always needed something to get through MOT.

Apart from that and the interior crumbling with age they are a good nimble drive and good for the kids to learn in. £30 tax and does 60 running around, 70 on a run.

However running another car to save fuel really doesn’t stack unless you are doing big miles. Depreciation, servicing, tax MOT add up to a lot of fuel to put in the other vehicle

Planning on putting it on limited use when the mot and tax runs out, several blocks of land here and there makes a wet run on a quad and a bit time consuming loading quads on and off trailers. Red diesel also. Really it was bought to prolong the life of my Amarok and save running miles for petrol for the quad. If it doesn’t fit or proves unreliable ( can’t be any worse than our previous gators) a quick clean up and trip to “we buy any car “ will happen, can’t see it losing vast quantities of cash when a gator is getting towards 30k and no where near the comfort and spec of this thing. Time will tell.
Normally I would have gone Japanese every time but small diesel engined jeeps that are not rust buckets are very rare.

 

[Boydvalley]

Planning on putting it on limited use when the mot and tax runs out, several blocks of land here and there makes a wet run on a quad and a bit time consuming loading quads on and off trailers. Red diesel also. Really it was bought to prolong the life of my Amarok and save running miles for petrol for the quad. If it doesn’t fit or proves unreliable ( can’t be any worse than our previous gators) a quick clean up and trip to “we buy any car “ will happen, can’t see it losing vast quantities of cash when a gator is getting towards 30k and no where near the comfort and spec of this thing. Time will tell.
Normally I would have gone Japanese every time but small diesel engined jeeps that are not rust buckets are very rare.

Ok limited use makes more sense. Wish I could get away with it. Opens up so many options.