LIVING WITH A SKODA YETI

93.42% YEARS OF MANUFACTURE 2015- present KEY POINTS Family car picks up sparkling scores in most categories to be crowned your champ

BRYAN Johnson is a dream Skoda customer, having returned to the marque for all his new cars since being seduced by a Skoda Felicia in the nineties.

Now retired, he lives in Dorset with his wife, Val, and is on to his second Yeti. It’s a highly polished 4x4 Outdoor model with the 1.4 TSI engine and the most luxurious Laurin & Klement spec.

“We bought it a year ago when a local dealer made us an offer we couldn’t refuse,” he said.

“It’s much better to drive than the old one, because the four-wheel-drive rear axle has different suspension and the 1.4-litre engine provides a bit of extra power.”

Bryan mainly uses the car for pottering about and longer trips to see his children. But he told us: “We first got into the Yeti for its upright driving position, and although we looked at other small SUVS, nothing fitted the bill better.

“It’s just the right size; compact and with a wheel at each corner. And like all the Skodas I’ve had, it just works.”

“WE FIRST GOT INTO THE YETI FOR ITS UPRIGHT DRIVING POSITION, AND ALTHOUGH WE LOOKED AT OTHER SMALL SUVS, NOTHING FITTED THE BILL BETTER. LIKE ALL THE SKODAS I’VE HAD, IT JUST WORKS” BRYAN JOHNSON DORCHESTER

SKODA’S spacious family hatch and estate has convinced a delighted band of owners that they’ve bought the best car around. The Superb sits neck-and-neck at the finish line with the company’s Yeti, which has proven nearly as satisfactory. So how do you push the reputation of a brand such as Lexus into third place in the ownership stakes?

In the big Skoda’s case, it’s by doing everything very well. The Superb clinched the top spot once the scores were totted up, even though the runner-up Yeti is still among the strongest performers across the board.

The Superb achieves brilliant scores in all categories except for its engine and gearbox, where it loses a bit of ground on transmission smoothness, plus running costs, due to questions over economy and servicing bills.

However, the Superb’s big advantage over the Yeti is a higher score for its remarkable rear legroom and vast load space. Otherwise, the two cars run each other amazingly close. Other notably high ratings for the Superb include for styling, fit and finish, safety, and also for the responsive steering, great brakes and engaging drive.

Low points? Well, the share of reported faults suggest reliability lags a little behind the best of the best, but the Superb scores well for satisfaction even here. Dealers are sprinkling extra magic on the experience for owners, too.

“EIGHTY PER CENT OF MY DRIVING IS FOR BUSINESS, BUT I CAN DRIVE THE SUPERB 600 MILES IN A DAY QUITE COMFORTABLY” CHRISTOPHER WISE STORRINGTON, WEST SUSSEX