Chevrolet Captiva Review (2006-2015)
Chevrolet Captiva cars for sale
3.0
Expert review
Pros
A lot of car for not much money on the used market
Respectable economy from diesel models
Practical interior with plenty of rear-seat space
Cons
Below average reliability
Cheap-looking cabin
The Captiva is dull to drive
The CarGurus verdict
The Captiva was never a class-leader when it was on sale and, despite Chevrolet’s budget nature, some of the better-equipped versions were quite pricey and got pretty close to the same cost as more accomplished rivals. However, low resale values means that those cars are now considerably cheaper than the competition second-hand, which makes them great value today.
Later Captivas, in particular, are safe and practical, and although their running costs can easily be bettered, they won’t bankrupt you. There are better and more comfortable cars to drive, and the fact that the Captiva was built to a budget really shows in the cabin materials.
By contrast, the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe are better equipped, better quality and more reliable, while the Honda CR-V also represents a step up in quality, and should uphold the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation for durability.
The SUV trend was gathering pace in the early days of the 21st century and, even as they were gaining the nickname ‘Chelsea Tractors’, carmakers fell over themselves to introduce new models. Chevrolet decided to get in on the action in 2006, launching the new Captiva, an SUV that was built on the same platform as the Vauxhall Antara. Both brands were owned by General Motors at the time, and both cars were made in the same factory in Korea.
First impressions are good. The Captiva has clean styling, with just a few lines along the body to create a sense of visual interest. Plastic mouldings around the wheelarches and at the lower reaches of the bodywork give an air of ruggedness and suggest it might be able to tough it out off-road. It’s not really all that away from tarmac, but it looks the part.
The cabin is where you begin to realise that the Captiva was built to a tight budget. The high driving position is good, but the plastics are brittle and cheap in comparison with rivals such as the Kia Sorento or the Hyundai Santa Fe, both of which are also built in Korea.
The ride and handling are decent enough in earlier cars, but not exactly class leading. A 2011 facelift also brought some mechanical adjustments, including stiffer suspension, which sharpened up the driving experience a little. The steering is accurate, so the driver can rely on the car going where it should, albeit with a little more lean in corners than you’ll find with many rivals.
A 2.4-litre petrol engine was available initially, but take-up was minuscule, so used examples of that version are rare, and you’re much more likely to find a diesel. Performance from the diesel powertrains is adequate; 0-62mph comes up in around 11 seconds in older 2.0-litre cars, or 10 seconds in post-2011, 2.2-litre models. They’re not the quietest of engines, though, so expect a bit of noise intruding into the cabin, especially at higher speeds.
Trim levels are straightforward, with the basic Captiva being the LS trim, which has alloy wheels, an electric driver’s seat, electric mirrors, electric windows, Isofix child seat mountings, remote locking, roof rails, a CD player, air conditioning and cloth seats. Curiously, the LT trim, has much the same specification as the LS, but loses air conditioning in favour of front fog lights.
LTX adds a CD multichanger, climate control, cruise control, front fog lights, heated leather seats, parking sensors and a space-saver spare wheel, while the range-topping LTZ has a very similar range of features as the LTX, but includes sat-nav.
The Captiva was launched with a 136bhp 2.4-litre petrol engine, which proved unpopular with British buyers. The 31.7mpg official fuel consumption figure, which will be even lower in real-life use, and that’s the main reason why it was ignored. It was withdrawn from sale in the UK in 2011.
The other available powertrain at the time of the Captiva’s launch was a 148bhp 2.0-litre VCDi diesel engine. The official fuel economy was 39.2mpg, which was competitive for the time, while CO2 figures ranged from 197g/km to 225g/km. However, those CO2 emissions mean current Vehicle Excise Duty is expensive.
Diesel Captivas from 2011 were fitted with a 2.2-litre VCDi diesel, available with two power outputs, 161bhp and 181bhp. Both came with a six-speed manual gearbox, while the more powerful version could be ordered with an optional six-speed automatic transmission. The manual isn’t great to use – it’s clunky and imprecise – and the automatic is thirstier. Depending on the specification, the 2.2-litre engine’s CO2 emissions can exceed 200g/km, so road tax, again, is expensive, and rivals can better it on fuel economy.
Chevrolet no longer has an official franchised dealer network in the UK, because it pulled out of the European market in the middle of the last decade. However, there are still authorised service specialists around the country and plenty of independent garages, while the common components it shares with Vauxhall mean it’s easy enough to find parts. It’s also worth noting that while Chevrolet exited the UK at the end of 2015, the supply of spare parts is guaranteed until 2025.
The Captiva’s insurance groups range from 21 to 32, so premiums should be about mid-level for an SUV.
There were no major issues reported when the Captiva was on sale, which makes sense, as all its components were tried and tested in other models. Build quality is decent too, which fits in with what we know about the reliability of Korean cars.
However, Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index rates the Captiva below average. The most popular claim against warranty is for issues with the axles and suspension, accounting for almost a third of all repairs. The next most frequent issue corresponds to electrical issues, at almost a fifth of all claims.
And a word of caution about the cabin, too: the finish of the interior materials is poor in places, so don’t be surprised if, after a few years of use, things start to feel a little worn and flimsy.
- The 2011 suspension upgrade made later Captiva better to drive than their predecessors. However, the inclusion of 19-inch wheels on higher-spec versions tends to counteract those improvements, because the ride quality is harsher.
- The Captiva’s safety record is decent, but not the best in its class. After its initial launch, independent safety organisation Euro NCAP awarded the Chevy four stars for adult occupants, three stars for children and two stars for pedestrians, which was pretty much par for the course at the time. It was tested again in 2011, after the mid-life facelift, and awarded the maximum five stars, with an 88% score for adult occupants and 82% for children. It also received a 71% safety assist score, but there are no advanced driver assistance systems like collision or lane departure warning, of the type that have become commonplace in more recent cars.
- Captivas come with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and most UK new buyers plumped for the latter. It can cope with light off-roading and has hill descent control to keep things calm when going down slippery hills, but it’s not a serious 4x4 with an advanced four-wheel drive system, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser or anything by Land Rover. If you want to tow with your Captiva, it has a maximum capacity of 2,000kg.
- If you must have a petrol: the early 2.4-litre petrol engine is an option, but not an especially viable one. It sold in very small numbers, so it’s hard to find used, and it’s expensive to run. Honestly, we’d stick with a diesel.
- The best all-rounder: The sweet spot of the Captiva’s range is a post-2011 facelifted model with the 2.2-litre diesel engine in LTX trim. Find one those, and you’ll have yourself a practical SUV that ticks a lot of boxes for not a lot of money.
- The best engine and the most equipment: the same as before – a post-2011 facelift car with the 2.2-litre diesel – just look for the top-spec LTZ trim to add sat-nav, and make sure it has four-wheel drive and that the engine has the higher of the 2.2-litre unit’s two power outputs at 181bhp.
