Skoda Yeti Outdoor Review and Prices

The Skoda Yeti Outdoor is a small SUV that is decent to drive, practical and capable of light off-roading. The Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and the Volkswagen Tiguan are its closest rivals, but none of them offers such off-road ability.

Buy or lease the Skoda Yeti Outdoor at a price you’ll love
We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers
RRP £17,040 - £29,085
Carwow price from
Used
£7,999
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wowscore
7/10
This score is awarded by our team of expert reviewers after extensive testing of the car

What's good

  • Practical
  • Boxy shape good for space
  • Still great to drive

What's not so good

  • Ageing engine range
  • Some models are expensive
  • Lacks latest tech

Find out more about the Skoda Yeti Outdoor

Is the Skoda Yeti Outdoor a good car?

The Yeti’s interior looks a bit dated and bland when compared to the most modern rivals, but the quality is still excellent and the controls are easy to use. Passenger and luggage space is where the Yeti Outdoor shines because it offers unrivalled headroom and a very versatile boot.

On tarmac the Yeti Outdoor is the same to drive as the regular Yeti, meaning its agile and contains body roll well. Four-wheel-drive models get a special button on the dash that is supposed to aid the driver when off-roading, by altering the setup of systems such as the car’s ABS brakes and stability control.

When it comes to engine choice it is best to stay with the diesels as they offer good fuel economy and plenty of power. The 2.0-litre diesel is our pick, as it offers a perfect blend of pulling power and fuel efficiency. The only available petrol, a 1.2-litre, is quick, but also thirsty and noisy.

Rugged, spacious, well-built and fun to drive – the Yeti is like an annoying friend that is good at everything

Mat Watson
Mat Watson
Carwow expert

All models come with air-conditioning, remote central locking, electric front windows and 17-inch alloy wheels. In our opinion, it’s worth dipping further into your pocket (to the tune of about £1,500) for SE trim, which brings useful additional features such as cruise control, electric rear windows, and rear parking sensors.

As with the regular version, the Skoda Yeti Outdoor remains a very appealing ownership prospect. Though more recent rivals are beginning to show up the car’s age, the Skoda Yeti Outdoor is a well-rounded family SUV that, in this guise, can also be seen as a legitimate (and much more affordable) alternative to more dedicated off-roaders such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Factor in that the Skoda Yeti Outdoor is no more expensive to buy initially than the regular Skoda Yeti, and you have the makings of a highly practical car with plenty of other positive attributes going for it.

How much is the Skoda Yeti Outdoor?

The Skoda Yeti Outdoor has a RRP range of £17,040 to £29,085. The price of a used Skoda Yeti Outdoor on Carwow starts at £7,999.

What's it like to drive?

Unlike quite a few other cars in this class, the Skoda Yeti Outdoor can actually deal with rougher terrain surprisingly well. Though there are limits to where it can go, and some of the more crucial off-roading items (such as protective covers for the engine and gearbox) are only available as optional extras.

The Yeti isn't a true off-roader but it will cope with rougher roads than you may imagine

Mat Watson
Mat Watson
Carwow expert

Skoda Yeti buyers get a choice of six engines to choose from. Most go for one of the three 2.0-litre diesel engines tuned to 110, 140 or 170hp, but there is also a super-efficient 105hp diesel. Petrol power comes in the form of a 1.2-litre with 105hp or a 168hp 1.8-litre.

The 2.0-litre diesel is the engine Skoda reckons the majority of Yeti buyers will go for. The mid-tier 140hp version can get from 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds, returns up to 48mpg and is also the cheapest diesel available with the excellent DSG automatic gearbox.

For the outright best fuel economy, though, it’s best to opt for the Greenline model; Skoda claims it can achieve a family hatchback-rivalling fuel economy of 61mpg. There are a few concessions to be made, though: four-wheel-drive isn’t an option, and many critics feel the engine is noisy and underpowered.

 

You might think the 1.2-litre petrol engine would be overawed by the bulk of the Yeti, but not according to testers. As is the way of things these days, it is boosted by a small turbocharger and reviewers say it feels more spritely than the 11.8 seconds it takes to sprint from 0-62mph suggests. It is also pretty decent on fuel for a petrol model, with 46.3mpg possible along with CO2 emissions of 142g/km.

The 1.8-litre petrol model seems largely irrelevant. With 0-62mph taking 8.4 seconds, it’s quick but also relatively pricy (fuel economy sits at just 36.2mpg) – the 170hp diesel offers similar performance and is much cheaper to run.

Four-wheel-drive versions of the Yeti Outdoor come with an ‘off-road’ button that’s not available on the standard Yeti and is designed to make it easier to tackle a variety of terrains, particularly steep climbs and descents.

Despite being billed as the off-road-centric model, there aren’t any major mechanical differences between the Skoda Yeti Outdoor and the standard car in the way they drive on tarmac. That’s no bad thing, since many of the critics were satisfied (if not blown away) by the Yeti Outdoor’s well-weighted steering, decent body control and comfortable ride quality.

Overall refinement levels are also respectable, with largely well-suppressed road, wind and tyre noise making the Yeti Outdoor well-suited to longer journeys. However, depending on how hard you work the engines (especially the smaller units), a fair amount of engine roar can enter the cabin, and there is slight wind noise from the door mirrors when you creep above 70mph.

What's it like inside?

Though the changes on the outside help distinguish a Skoda Yeti Outdoor from a regular Skoda Yeti, little if anything is done on the inside to differentiate the two.

Skoda Yeti Outdoor colours

Metallic - Moon white
Free
Metallic - Petrol blue
Free
Pearl - Black magic
Free
Solid - Corrida red
Free
Solid - Pacific blue
Free
Special paint - Candy white
Free
Special paint - Corrida red
From £175
Metallic - Brilliant silver
From £360
Metallic - Bronze
From £360
Metallic - Cappuccino
From £360
Metallic - Jungle green
From £360
Metallic - Magnetic brown
From £360
Metallic - Metal grey
From £360
Metallic - Muscovado
From £360
Metallic - Rosso brunello
From £360
Metallic - Business grey
From £380
Metallic - Quartz grey
From £380
Next Read full interior review
Buy or lease the Skoda Yeti Outdoor at a price you’ll love
We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers
RRP £17,040 - £29,085
Carwow price from
Used
£7,999
Ready to see prices tailored to you?
Compare used deals