Does Fiat's quirky looking Fiat 500L, in chunkier looking Trekking specification, hold a candle to the Skoda Yeti? Here we pit it against the facelifted model, itself in its 'off-road' guise, the Outdoor.
Key Facts
Fiat 500L Trekking:
Skoda Yeti:
In the metal
There's no internal debate here; the Skoda Yeti wins the beauty contest without even trying. Even if the 500L was painted a less 'feminine' colour it wouldn't change our minds, as it's just such an unusual looking car. Fiat really tried to force the 500 mould a little too far. In contrast, the Yeti is sharp, contemporary and attractive, but not to the point where it divides opinion. Indeed, in this new facelifted guise it's less divisive than ever, doing without the large round driving lamps of the original. We liked those. As tested the Yeti is in Outdoor guise, which means it gets additional styling cues to make you think it's better off-road. The 500L Trekking gets those too, though the latter actually comes with increased ground clearance, unlike the Skoda. It's worth nothing that both Outdoor and Trekking specification include chunky M+S (Mud and Snow) tyres that are well suited to the rigours of Irish winters and muddy tracks.
If you didn't see the exterior of these cars, and just sat into them, you may wonder if they're really rivals. The 500L feels simply massive inside, with laughably generous levels of headroom and much more space all-round than the Yeti. It's not badly made either, if not quite as bombproof feeling as the Skoda's cabin. The Fiat's is more flamboyant too, which will appeal to some, with interesting colour and material choices. Kids love the picnic tables built into the backs of the front seats as well. Saying all that, the Yeti holds more luggage in its boot.
Driving them:
The Fiat 500L really isn't a bad car. It's quite refined on the road and the chassis is set up for comfort - as it should be. The 1.6-litre engine is surprisingly willing given its low capacity and peak power, and noise from it is acceptable, if not class-leading. The Skoda's engine is quieter, though it's a fraction slow accelerating, even with a little more power at its disposal. Blame the extra torque the 500L has, and its lower weight. Nonetheless, the Yeti is the more satisfying car to drive. It trades some comfort for genuine agility and even some engagement with the driver. The 4x4 system fitted to the test car enhances that further as understeer is eliminated, resulting in safe, neutral handling, even in slippery conditions. It can also be a whole lot of fun if the mood takes you. And, as Dave explains below, the Skoda can go mud-plugging if that's your thing.
What you get for your money
Prices for the new-look Skoda Yeti start at €24,490 for the entry-level Active specification powered by a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine producing 105hp. Few buyers go for that engine or that trim level though. As before there are Ambition and Elegance specifications too, plus the new Outdoor level tested here. This can be had with any of the engines offered, and may be specified with two- or four-wheel drive. A more natural rival to the 500L would be the Yeti 1.6 TDI 105 GreenLine, which starts at €25,320, though can be had in Outdoor guise for a little more. It cannot be specified with 4x4 though.
The Fiat 500L Trekking line-up is less extensive, ranging from the TwinAir two-cylinder petrol model at €24,000, through the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesels to the car tested here, a 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel, costing €27,000. The Fiat is comprehensively equipped as standard - but even so, that price would buy a lot of toys on a similarly powerful Skoda Yeti.
Worth Noting
We've referred solely to the Fiat 500L Trekking in this twin test, but it's worth remembering that the 500L comes as a regular model too, which competes better on price with the Yeti. And Fiat has the 500L MPW up its sleeves as well, which, thanks to some additional bodywork at the rear, houses seven seats. Apparently there's a proper 500-branded Fiat SUV on the way in time.
Summary
If image and personal opinion didn't come into car-buying decisions, the Fiat 500L Trekking might have done a little better here, but we just can't ignore the more attractive exterior of the Yeti and its more satisfying driving experience. While the 500L Trekking is more spacious in the cabin, well-equipped and comes with the promise of low running costs, it's more expensive than a comparable Yeti. The regular 500L makes a case for itself in entry-level guise, where it's well-priced, but even so, the Skoda Yeti has already proven itself to be a car that can be depended on, not just in terms of reliability, but also in resale value. In the end, head or heart, the decision goes the Skoda's way.
Second Opinion - Dave Humphreys
As Shane mentioned above, at first glance these aren't two cars that you would immediately put together, yet they do both have similar enough credentials once you dig deeper. The Yeti has matured into a car that retains compact dimensions, but has become more homogenous in its appearance. Its smaller size does make it that bit more practical around town, particularly when parking, while on the open road it feels more composed, whereas the Fiat tends to feel slightly less taut on the road, especially in corners. Granted, neither is a sports car, but carry a little too much speed into a corner in the 500L and you soon feel the effect of its additional height.
In reality, few people will really venture properly off-road in either of these cars - in most cases a trip to the countryside or beach will be about it. I had the opportunity to take the Skoda very off-road and was surprised at just how well it coped, especially given how sodden the ground was and being fitted with what were essentially road-going tyres. The permanent four-wheel drive system enabled it to scramble up inclines I wouldn't have thought possible. The more hardcore adventurists would benefit from fitting a more rugged sump guard and a higher-level snorkel for the engine's air intake, but for everyday life the Yeti is a very well equipped for virtually everything Ireland could throw at it. On the rough stuff it excels over the Fiat but as I mentioned at the start of this paragraph, few will ever truly test either car's abilities.
Inside, the Fiat does feel significantly bigger in comparison, but much of that feeling of spaciousness is down to the tall roofline, which, although giving the cabin an airy feel, doesn't give it that much more useable space. One minor annoyance I found with the 500L was the distance from the driver's seat to the door - it's just far enough away to be able to rest your elbow on the arm rest. I may sound pedantic, but it's one of those little niggles that over time would really annoy me. In addition to that I found the front seats to lack any real support, and felt more like I was sitting on them rather than in them.
To be fair, in the Skoda I also found that the manual gear stick was just a little too close to the centre console, resulting in me inadvertently banging my hand off the front panel on several occasions. Swings and roundabouts, I guess. The quality and finish of the materials used inside the 500L Trekking don't equal that of the Skoda's, but they do feel relatively rugged and should be up to the rough and tumble of family life. Fiat does seem to have put more emphasis on making things more comfortable and entertaining for the rear occupants, perhaps a sign of the more family-centric Italian way of life.
So, like the first generation Skoda Yeti it's now the Fiat that has the quirkier styling, although it is to a degree that could cause it to become the one overriding feature in putting people off buying it. I like the fun look of it, but being honest, if I had to hand over my hard earned money, I'd be doing so at a Skoda dealer.
