Holden Captiva Review

FamilyCar Rating: Model Reviewed: Holden Captiva LX Diesel AWD 5 speed automatic with Active Select $43,990* Other models priced from: SX Petrol 3.2L Auto $36,990*

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Review

The Holden Captiva has only been available in Australia for about 2 years and is proving to be a popular model. It represents great value for money and offers all the goodies in a family car. For a start, it seats 4 adults and 3 children comfortably, even with 2 of the kids in booster seats. The model reviewed is a diesel, which offers good fuel economy and is better for the environment than its petrol equivalent. The car drives well with easy steering for parking and cornering. Whilst it's not powerful off the mark, it cruises very well, especially on the freeway.

Driver Comfort & Visibility

The driver seat is an 8 way electrically adjusted bucket style seat which hugs you in place. Combine this with an adjustable steering wheel and you can get a really comfortable driving position, no matter what your size. If you are on the taller side, your head won't hit the roof due to the generous height. The driver also has great visibility out of the front and side windows. However, with adults sitting across the middle row, the vision out of the rear left is limited. A proper setting of the left hand side mirror will help with this. Visibility is also limited out of the rear. Controls are conveniently located on the leather steering wheel (which matches the leather seats), including audio and cruise control.

Safety

The Captiva has as standard driver and front passenger front airbags and curtain airbags from front to rear. It's also got ABS, ESP and EBD which are some of the best safety advancements in recent years to give the driver greater control in "emergency" situations.

Seating

The Captiva seats 4 adults and 3 children comfortably with its 3 row configuration. The 3rd row of seats folds out of the boot floor and is really easy to set up. The 2nd row is a 60/40 split set up so you can put extra long items in from the boot. When the 3rd row of seats is up, there is very little boot space. You could squeeze in a couple of grocery bags, but that's it. When the seats are down, there is a perfectly flat space which is a good size and could easy swallow up an average sized family's weekly shopping. The spare tyre is cleverly located under the car which opens up space.

Comfort

The LX has climate control air conditioning that keeps the air in your car at a constant temperature. You can choose to keep it a little warmer at about 22 degrees or cooler on those hot summer days. The glove box also receives the cool air which is great for keeping drinks and other items cool.

All models in the Captiva range have power windows, power mirrors and of course power steering. The LX has a 6 disc in dash CD player that's compatible with an MP3 player. And with 8 speakers you get a good sound that everyone can enjoy.

Storage

There's been a lot of consideration when it comes to storage. There are 7 drink holders, including bottle holders in the front doors which hold a 600ml bottle of Mount Franklin water perfectly. In the front you've also got a sunglasses holder in the roof, a centre console box, good sized door pockets, a coin holder, a CD holder and another storage space in the dashboard. The middle row passengers get a storage net on the back of the front seats (great for books and pencils) as well as door pockets. There's also an armrest in the middle of the seat that has additional storage space. The right hand side 3rd row passenger gets a storage box while the left hand passenger gets a sturdy drink holder.

Kids' Comfort and Safety

As mentioned, the kids get cup holders and storage spaces in the 2nd and 3rd row sections. There are also child locks on the rear doors, so they can't accidently open them.

There are 3 child seat anchorage points located behind the middle row seats. 2 child booster seats fit well in the middle row and allow enough space for a small adult as well.

Green Factor

Whilst the Captiva is a larger car, generally less fuel efficient than smaller cars, the diesel version is better for the environment than the petrol version. Fuel consumption is good with a combined city/highway average of 8.6 litres per 100,000kms. It scores 3.5 stars on the Green Vehicle Guide rating system.

Overall View

The Holden Captiva is a stylish looking car that offers good features. It's easy to drive and easy to park and comfortably seats 7 people. If you're in the market for a 7 seater car, that offers good fuel economy then the Captiva LX diesel is worth considering.

Features of Model Reviewed

Seats:	7
Airbags:	Driver and front passenger SRS airbags, curtain airbag
ABS:	Yes
EBD:	Yes
ESP:	Yes
Driver visibility:
Storage compartments:
Drink holders:	7
CD player:	6 disc CD changer in dash
Air conditioning:	Climate Control
Power windows:	Yes
Power steering:	Yes
Power door mirrors:	Yes
Child restraint anchorage points:	3 (located on rear seats of middle row)
Transmission:	"Tiptronic-style" 5 speed automatic
Engine:	2.0L Turbo Diesel
Fuel type:	Diesel
Fuel consumption (combined cycle):	8.6 litres/100 km
Greenhouse rating#:	5.5/10
Green Vehicle Guide rating:
Warranty:	3 year/100,000km with 1 year Roadside Assist
Price:	$43,990*

 

*Excludes on road costs

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating. For more information, click here.  Please check with your local Holden dealer for the most recent information.

Date Reviewed: February 2008