Chevrolet Captiva road test reports and car reviews

Chevrolet Captiva 2.0 VCDi LT 7 seat 2008

This vehicle does what it says on the tin. Firstly the ’cons’. The diesel engine is a bit agricultural for a modern day vehicle. At idle and around town you are aware that is an oil burner, but once underway it quietens down significantly making it a peaceful tourer. The gearbox is rather notchy making baulked gear changes very possible until you get used to its foibles. The intermittent wiper speed selector is fiddly and the front/rear fog light switch is not very intuitive. The good poins. The diesel engine has good pull between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm and can get you around slower traffic without to many frey hairs. Interior space is very good with seats 6 and 7 being full size (but a bit restricted on leg length). The on demand 4 wheel drive works without fuss and during a recent snowy spell the vehicle never lost its grip at all, even on standard road tyres. The hill descent control is just magic. Fuel consumption has been around 32 mpg on bendy country lanes and in town. On a motorway run at the legal speed limit it is nearer 40 mpg. Steering and ride are a bit ’American’, non-precise steering, but this is not meant to be a sports car is it? You can see its American design even if was built for the European market and assembled in Korea. The USA version is called the Saturn Vue and has the obligatory gas guzzling engine. This vehicle is worth every pound of its price.