Calling all Holden Captiva owners !!

[dmce]

Hi all...
I have started this thread in hope to get some feedback.
I took the plunge back in mid October and bought a new Captiva LX to replace my ageing '97 VT Commodore which was plagued with problems.

At first, i was very happy with the car, but now i am questioning my purchase with possible intentions to get nasty toward Holden.

Firstly, here is my list of problems :

- High fuel consumption

My wife is in no way a lead foot, and drives responsibly with our 2 kids in the car. Our fuel figures are always around the 16 - 16.5 L/100 mark. A long way from the claimed 11.5 L/100 average. The only way i have ever gotten it to this level, i by driving on the Princes Hwy for 45 minutes.
I have spoken to my dealer about this, and i got the usual response : " Every person has different driving habits ".
Whilst i agree with this comment, i find it hard to believe it would increase by 5 L/100. We are averaging about 320 - 350Km per tank. Pathetic for a new car in my opinion. My VP 5.0L was better.

- LH Passenger door not always unlocking

This one started about 6 weeks after purchase. Every now and then, the LH Pass door will not unlock, and cannot be opened from inside or outside the car.
I don't know about you guys, but in my opinion this poses a potential serious safety issue. Again, i raised this issue with my dealer, but they tell me that they cannot ( and will not ) fix the problem unless they can find the actual cause. They did not care about the safety factor.
Also, i have found another post on the drive.com.au blogs, where another Captiva owner had the same problem, but with another door.

- Slight buzzing noise

This is a minor one, but still annoying. When accelerating, you can hear a buzzing noise coming from the engine bay. Almost like the old 'static' noise from old car radios. My guess is that it could be a belt rubbing on something. I noticed this as soon as we drove the car home, but did not notice it in my initial test drive. Will have another test drive before approaching dealer.

- Hand brake

Never worked since new.. at all.. Having it fixed today.

- Safety recall

As far as i was aware, there was only one issue. I was only contacted about this one : The fog lamps need to be rewired to stay on with the high beams.
When i dropped it off this morning, they made me aware of another. A power steering hose problem. I was never contacted for this, but was known about since mid November.

- Wind noise

Maybe i am being too picky here, but other Captiva owners are reporting almost non existent wind noise at high speed.
Not the case here.. very audible. Lower than my old VT, but its there to be heard..

- Rough idling

Very slight vibration can be felt in the cabin due to rough idling.
I don't think its too much to ask for a $47000 brand new car to not have this problem... Should be as smooth as a baby's bottom. I have friends with much older and cheaper cars that do not have this issue.

Anyway, i am eager to hear what you other Captiva owners have to say.
Please give your feedback, GOOD or BAD .. We can all benefit from this..

Thank you.

;)

[Holden Man]

- High fuel consumption

My wife is in no way a lead foot, and drives responsibly with our 2 kids in the car. Our fuel figures are always around the 16 - 16.5 L/100 mark. A long way from the claimed 11.5 L/100 average. The only way i have ever gotten it to this level, i by driving on the Princes Hwy for 45 minutes.
I have spoken to my dealer about this, and i got the usual response : " Every person has different driving habits ".
Whilst i agree with this comment, i find it hard to believe it would increase by 5 L/100. We are averaging about 320 - 350Km per tank. Pathetic for a new car in my opinion. My VP 5.0L was better.

- Hand brake

Never worked since new.. at all.. Having it fixed today.


Fuel consumption seems way too high.

How did it pass the dealer check with no hand brake ?!

I was only looking at one on the road this morning thinking how good they looked. I hope it is not a trouble vehicle for holden.

[dmce]

Fuel consumption seems way too high.

How did it pass the dealer check with no hand brake ?!

I was only looking at one on the road this morning thinking how good they looked. I hope it is not a trouble vehicle for holden.

Hey Holden Man..

I agree with fuel consumption, but i don't think i am alone on this. I did read a post where it was about 15.5 L/100, but i cannot remember where i saw it.

I don't think they did a dealer check when i picked it up. Who knows.

Finally, i don't think that it is a troubled vehicle. Too early to tell. Every new car has some teething problems. What worries me is the lack of post sale support.
I started this thread to get an idea wether it is a troubled vehicle or not.
Time will tell.

;)

[Maz]

I took a relatives captiva for the weekend before the christmas holidays.

Fuel consumption is less than my V6 commodore, the front two doors both unlocked fine. No buzzing noise or rough idle.

Traction is also very good with the pseudo all wheel drive.

Bloody brilliant car. Every time i walked up to it i thought how pimp it would look as dumped on 22inchs. So I couldn't help but measure and 22inch rims will bolt on perfect without changing a thing, dont even have to roll the guards :driving:

Could even fit 24inch rims with a bit of effort using the same tyres Pirelli made for the 300C's.

I reccon you should stop complaing about such minor things. The captiva is more refined than any commodore besides the VE in my opinion.

[dmce]

I reccon you should stop complaing about such minor things. The captiva is more refined than any commodore besides the VE in my opinion.

Thanks for your reply, but please note that I ( not you ) have spent $47000. I have every right to complain as this is not a cheap Barina or Hyundai Accent.

I am aware that other Captiva owners have not the same issues, which is another reason why i am "complaining " .

Please, i ask that people post their Captiva experience only, so i can gauge my rights to " complain " ..

[csv rulz]

I reccon you should stop complaing about such minor things. The captiva is more refined than any commodore besides the VE in my opinion.

Mate if i had any problems with a new car i would expect the dealer to fix them straight away, just because the example you drove was an excellant car does not mean that his is an excellant car as well.

Like any new cars there are always those that are produced with faults. As nothing is perfect

[SSBarney]

II reccon you should stop complaing about such minor things. The captiva is more refined than any commodore besides the VE in my opinion.

Minor complaints:werd:

I would be pissed off if it was my car.
Dealer hands the car over with no hand brake WTF:cussing:
Passenger door becomes unopenable has obvious safety issues and is ridiculous that the dealer has not fixed it, or atleast made reasonable efforts to identify the fault.
You may as well got a VESS as far as the fuel consumption is concerned.

[dmce]

Minor complaints:werd:

You may as well got a VESS as far as the fuel consumption is concerned.

I have just finished reading an article on the " MY NRMA" website which quotes similar fuel figures...
I would love to hear from other Captiva owners what their fuel usage is.
I would also love to know how car manufacturers get their figures..

Ok.. i have just finished reading an article. I am amazed at this, and explains a lot about my fuel problem...
It is on the drive dot com dot au website and it is the article called " Liquid Assets " in the news section

Sorry.. i cannot post links just yet..

[csv rulz]

I have just finished reading an article on the " MY NRMA" website which quotes similar fuel figures...
I would love to hear from other Captiva owners what their fuel usage is.
I would also love to know how car manufacturers get their figures..

Ok.. i have just finished reading an article. I am amazed at this, and explains a lot about my fuel problem...
It is on the drive dot com dot au website and it is the article called " Liquid Assets " in the news section

Sorry.. i cannot post links just yet..

I wouldnt read into what drive write to much.

Bunch of w**kers that dont know what there talking about

[dmce]

I wouldnt read into what drive write to much.

Bunch of w**kers that dont know what there talking about
thats fair enough, but it actually makes sense..

[Dacious]

In Australia legally manufacturers have to use the Euro average standard but it's pretty meaningless. I'm not surprised at your consumption, with a lot of stop/start you'd get that in a largish V6. Around 15l/100 in town, 10 on the open road. If your missus is an on/off the throttle sort of driver, or her average speed is 25km/h - not necessarily a leadfoot - 16l/100 easily. I would judge a Captiva as marginally less economical than a Commodore because of weight, AWD stuff, big tyres etc. All that stuff costs in terms of economy.

It seems to me your dealer is not taking their responsibilities seriously. Holden retails the car, the dealer is responsible for pre-delivery and aftersales etc. It sounds like this car was not prelivered properly. Delivering a car with no handbrake is criminal. I think about that and the other items I'd be talking to Holden Customer Relations - a polite letter seeking assistance to have your problems addressed. It sounds to me the rough idle and consumption (if it is worse than another similar car) might point to a sensor fault or something like an air leak (which should bring up a ECU warning). The noise when accelerating might simply be something rubbing or rattling against metal because it is not secured properly.

I have a rear centre bolster in my 3 y.o. car where the stitching is coming apart due to shrinkage of the leather in the sun. I just pointed it out when I dropped it at service last week and the staffmember immediately volunteered and organised a new one. That is how a dealer should operate.

I don't think the 'recalls' were recalls - more likely Tech Notes to Holden dealers of things to be aware of during servicing. If it was a recall Holden would have sent you a letter, put ads in the paper and no doubt our friends at 'Drive' would have been dancing about in glee re: Daewoo problems for Holden. In some states the driving lights are not allowed to come on with the headlights so that is not a 'recall'.

[Rick76]

Try a different dealer, tell them your problems and see how you go. Quite often if they know you are unhappy with your current dealer's servicing/warranty work they will try harder so they get your business in future.

Possibly you have already tried multiple dealers.... but most of the time when people complain on here (rightfully so if you have spent a lot of $ on a new or near new car) about the manufacturer with problems not being fixed, its the dealer who should be copping most of the blame for not fixing it. Especially relatively minor/annoying faults.

Quite often with warranty work dealers will quickly throw a a fault that cannot be immediately replicated into the 'not enough profit for us to make here' so wont waste time on it basket. Its easier to do services that mark the oil price up X 3, then charge $140+ labour for a simple oil change and 5 minute inspection.

[Danv8]

I wouldnt read into what drive write to much.

Bunch of w**kers that dont know what there talking about


Yup and they are still have them pathetic blogs as well.

[Jac001]

In Australia legally manufacturers have to use the Euro average standard but it's pretty meaningless. .

The fuel consumpion test is actually a ADR test (can't find the link ATM) and is run on a dyno. It consists of part simulated suburban driving and part simulated highway driving. This is done in a very specific way to reduce the impact of different driving conditions and different drivers.

This is a standard test that all cars do, so they can be compared against one another.

[dmce]

ok.
I have my car back.
- I had the Fog lamp problem fixed ( i did receive a letter regarding this issue )
- I had the p/steer hose fixed ( did not receive letter because Holden said not safety issue. What would happen if sudden loss of power steer caused my wife to have accident ?).
- Hand brake fixed.
- Door problem in the works. I was lucky because it actually played up whilst i was there. They are ordering a door mechanism for me.

Now, the fuel issue.
I wil now accept that my figures are correct and normal, after doing some research today. The way cars are tested is pathetic to say the least and bears no indication to actual fuel usage. As Jac001 stated, it is merely a guide to compare cars against one another, but is still a very crude system.

BOTTOM LINE --- CAPTIVA's ARE VERY THIRSTY BEASTS !!! BUYER BEWARE !

All the other problems listed will be dealt with in good time.

cheers

[B-REX]

It certainly would piss you off to have a new car with obvious faults.
But common sense needs to be used here as well.
No manufacturer is going to build a product that is designed not to work.
If the door lock doesn't work there is obviously something wrong.
Same with the handbrake and the other issues.
Get the dealer to fix it.

Its a shame though that some dealers and their lack of interest in helping customers are spoiling the experience of owning an otherwise good car.

[dmce]

It certainly would piss you off to have a new car with obvious faults.
But common sense needs to be used here as well.
No manufacturer is going to build a product that is designed not to work.
If the door lock doesn't work there is obviously something wrong.
Same with the handbrake and the other issues.
Get the dealer to fix it.

Its a shame though that some dealers and their lack of interest in helping customers are spoiling the experience of owning an otherwise good car.
I agree B-Rex.. it is a real shame.
The story is as follows:
With the door problem, they looked at it and as expected, a fault could not be found. The man behind the counter showed no interest in helping, no hello, no smile... like a robot.
He basically said to me that if they could not find any fault, they were not prepared to start changing parts just to see if it would fix the problem.. Money was more important than safety. He said that when it happens again, to bring it in straight away.. Like it's that easy !
Anyway, i told him not to worry about it, and i will take it up with Head office in Victoria.. He didn't care.
When i got back to the car, i was pleasantly suprised to find that the problem had returned.. I quickly raced inside and told him. He sent out a technician, who upon looking at the door ( without removing door trims or anything else for that matter ) miraculously worked out that the problem was caused by the electronic machanism and that he had another Captiva a little while ago with the same problem... Suprise suprise..
Now, they will start replacing parts for me, but only because they can no longer deny that there is a problem.

I guess once they have your money all care goes out the window.. and i am sure that it is not a "Holden only" problem, but more so the person behind the counter. It is a rare thing these days to find a friendly, smiling and helpful person behind a counter. A classic example is McDonalds staff who look like they just woke up and would rather be dead than being at work..
BTW... this bloke was the manager of the service centre.

sad.

[VooDoo]

Thanks for your reply, but please note that I ( not you ) have spent $47000. I have every right to complain as this is not a cheap Barina or Hyundai Accent.

I am aware that other Captiva owners have not the same issues, which is another reason why i am "complaining " .

Please, i ask that people post their Captiva experience only, so i can gauge my rights to " complain " ..

You spent $47k on a daewoo with a Holden badge. Just remember that.

[GMH-TWR]

I did about 500kms of driving in a Captiva, I also was shocked by the fuel consumption. Averaged approx 9-10L/100km on the FWY. City driving i was trying very hard to be as gentle as possible on the throttle, averaged approx 12-13L/100km. Only managed to get 410km from a full tank and the low fuel light was on.

Overall, i reckon it handles really well for an SVU, well built, no issues apart from fuel consumption and it looks pretty good :)

[dmce]

You spent $47k on a daewoo with a Holden badge. Just remember that.

So what is your point ?? Are you saying that i should just accept these problems ?

Don't get me wrong, i am happy with the car, just not the aftersales support.
If the problems get fixed, there is no problem..
With the fuel tho, all car manufacturers play the same game with these stupid little stickers on the windscreen which really mean nothing.

I really don't care what badge the car has.. even if it had a Daewoo badge i would have bought it. I like it !


I did about 500kms of driving in a Captiva, I also was shocked by the fuel consumption. Averaged approx 9-10L/100km on the FWY. City driving i was trying very hard to be as gentle as possible on the throttle, averaged approx 12-13L/100km. Only managed to get 410km from a full tank and the low fuel light was on.

Overall, i reckon it handles really well for an SVU, well built, no issues apart from fuel consumption and it looks pretty good :)

Couldn't have said it better myself.. :bravo:

[cashie]

That fuel economy is high, higher than my LS1, seems to be the trend with SUVs though, Territorys get similar economy.
Glad to hear the other issues are being sorted.
I think you are justified to be pi55ed off with the issues you identified in your original post, keep at the dealer until you are happy.

[planetdavo]

I did about 500kms of driving in a Captiva, I also was shocked by the fuel consumption. Averaged approx 9-10L/100km on the FWY. City driving i was trying very hard to be as gentle as possible on the throttle, averaged approx 12-13L/100km. Only managed to get 410km from a full tank and the low fuel light was on.

Overall, i reckon it handles really well for an SVU, well built, no issues apart from fuel consumption and it looks pretty good :)
You musn't know anyone with a larger AWD to be "shocked" at figures like that! They are large(ish), heavy(ish), and like almost every other AWD, have a large frontal area, plus a V6 with a fair bit of power.
Some of the complaints are quite valid, some are pretty nit-picky really. Fair enough they bug the owner, but hardly worthy of a big grumble on a forum, seriously....
As for going on the way he does about the door lock, have a thought for all the VY-VZ owners with the problem!!!!!!!
There has been the odd report of door lock failure, but that doesn't imply any right to have all sorts of parts freely replaced with no form of testing.
Just stay calm, don't stress out, and work through your issues with the dealer. If you don't like their attitude, go to another one!

[VSSII]

I remember fuel consumption was a sore point when road tested. With all available engines.

[ROGUE]

advice?

park it at the top of a steep hill.

let it roll down and write itself off.

then sue holden for selling a dodgy car with a dodgier hand brake...

[dmce]

That fuel economy is high, higher than my LS1, seems to be the trend with SUVs though, Territorys get similar economy.
Glad to hear the other issues are being sorted.
I think you are justified to be pi55ed off with the issues you identified in your original post, keep at the dealer until you are happy.

THanks cashie.. ;)


You musn't know anyone with a larger AWD to be "shocked" at figures like that! They are large(ish), heavy(ish), and like almost every other AWD, have a large frontal area, plus a V6 with a fair bit of power.
Some of the complaints are quite valid, some are pretty nit-picky really. Fair enough they bug the owner, but hardly worthy of a big grumble on a forum, seriously....
As for going on the way he does about the door lock, have a thought for all the VY-VZ owners with the problem!!!!!!!
There has been the odd report of door lock failure, but that doesn't imply any right to have all sorts of parts freely replaced with no form of testing.
Just stay calm, don't stress out, and work through your issues with the dealer. If you don't like their attitude, go to another one!


I wasn't aware of the VY-VZ problems...
I have been very calm about the whole thing actually.
Please understand that i take the issue with the door seriously, as it can be a potential safety problem.
I have been in the security game for a long time, and there is very good reason why doors must have a free egress from the inside in case of emergency. Same applies with cars... i would assume that the doors would automatically unlock in the event of an accident ( please correct me if i am wrong ).

All the other nit-picky problems can wait until i have more time to go to get them fixed. I have not yet made them aware of these problems.

Also, the " grumble " was mainly to point out the fuel issue, which i have now accepted as normal for this vehicle. I just included the other problems to make it more interesting.. ;)

[RED R8]

My wifes last car a Jeep cherokee KJ (I know its no a captiva) but same sort of set up was a V6 3.7 auto and averaged wife my put around wife 17-18 L-100ks and 12 ish on a long run we did own it for 3 years with Zero waranty claims so your fuel is about what fourbies run my sisters 2003 V6 pajero averages 20 L per 100k.We have recently bought the 2.8 CRD Cherokee ltd and get 610ks to the same 60L the V6 got 360ks.

[BOF crewman X8]

The Deewoooooo is a deewoooo doesnt matter what badge you want to put on it!


I looked at one the other day just out of interest and it isnt in the same class as the Territory, built and designed in Australia for Australia!!

Give me a Turbo Terri with a ZF 6 speed and an EDIT mmmmm :driving: :yahoo:

[Danv8]

My wifes last car a Jeep cherokee KJ (I know its no a captiva) but same sort of set up was a V6 3.7 auto and averaged wife my put around wife 17-18 L-100ks and 12 ish on a long run we did own it for 3 years with Zero waranty claims so your fuel is about what fourbies run my sisters 2003 V6 pajero averages 20 L per 100k.We have recently bought the 2.8 CRD Cherokee ltd and get 610ks to the same 60L the V6 got 360ks.

Pity that 4x4's and softroaders have the aerodynamics of a brick.
That does not help with the fuel consumpsion

[Fnomna]

The fuel consumpion test is actually a ADR test (can't find the link ATM) and is run on a dyno. It consists of part simulated suburban driving and part simulated highway driving. This is done in a very specific way to reduce the impact of different driving conditions and different drivers.

Some detailed info here on the tests.
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=684765#post684765
The speed profiles shown in the PDFs:

CITY (Part 1) . Part 2 is HIGHWAY.
http://xs511.xs.to/xs511/07014/city.png

HIGHWAY
http://xs511.xs.to/xs511/07014/highway.png

[Aus8]

Hi all...
I have started this thread in hope to get some feedback.
I took the plunge back in mid October and bought a new Captiva LX to replace my ageing '97 VT Commodore which was plagued with problems.

At first, i was very happy with the car, but now i am questioning my purchase with possible intentions to get nasty toward Holden.

Firstly, here is my list of problems :

- High fuel consumption

My wife is in no way a lead foot, and drives responsibly with our 2 kids in the car. Our fuel figures are always around the 16 - 16.5 L/100 mark. A long way from the claimed 11.5 L/100 average. The only way i have ever gotten it to this level, i by driving on the Princes Hwy for 45 minutes.
I have spoken to my dealer about this, and i got the usual response : " Every person has different driving habits ".
Whilst i agree with this comment, i find it hard to believe it would increase by 5 L/100. We are averaging about 320 - 350Km per tank. Pathetic for a new car in my opinion. My VP 5.0L was better.

- LH Passenger door not always unlocking

This one started about 6 weeks after purchase. Every now and then, the LH Pass door will not unlock, and cannot be opened from inside or outside the car.
I don't know about you guys, but in my opinion this poses a potential serious safety issue. Again, i raised this issue with my dealer, but they tell me that they cannot ( and will not ) fix the problem unless they can find the actual cause. They did not care about the safety factor.
Also, i have found another post on the drive.com.au blogs, where another Captiva owner had the same problem, but with another door.

- Slight buzzing noise

This is a minor one, but still annoying. When accelerating, you can hear a buzzing noise coming from the engine bay. Almost like the old 'static' noise from old car radios. My guess is that it could be a belt rubbing on something. I noticed this as soon as we drove the car home, but did not notice it in my initial test drive. Will have another test drive before approaching dealer.

- Hand brake

Never worked since new.. at all.. Having it fixed today.

- Safety recall

As far as i was aware, there was only one issue. I was only contacted about this one : The fog lamps need to be rewired to stay on with the high beams.
When i dropped it off this morning, they made me aware of another. A power steering hose problem. I was never contacted for this, but was known about since mid November.

- Wind noise

Maybe i am being too picky here, but other Captiva owners are reporting almost non existent wind noise at high speed.
Not the case here.. very audible. Lower than my old VT, but its there to be heard..

- Rough idling

Very slight vibration can be felt in the cabin due to rough idling.
I don't think its too much to ask for a $47000 brand new car to not have this problem... Should be as smooth as a baby's bottom. I have friends with much older and cheaper cars that do not have this issue.

Anyway, i am eager to hear what you other Captiva owners have to say.
Please give your feedback, GOOD or BAD .. We can all benefit from this..

Thank you.

;)

I hate to say it mate but you should have bought a Territory. My misses tested both and wouldnt go back to the Daewoo even with the $$$$ saving.

Aus8

[SS Enforcer]

ok.


BOTTOM LINE --- CAPTIVA's ARE VERY THIRSTY BEASTS !!! BUYER BEWARE !

cheers


Of course they are, big ugly poor handling unsafe tanks that should be banned unless they are for towing and off road driving.
Why would anyone think that they are some sort of fuel miser .

cheers

[planetdavo]

I hate to say it mate but you should have bought a Territory. My misses tested both and wouldnt go back to the Daewoo even with the $$$$ saving.

Aus8
People need to stop calling these a Daewoo. Yes, they come out of that factory, but the Daewoo of old went bust. The Captiva is engineered by Holden, and designed by Max Wolfe and Mike Simcoe, designers of the VY and of course the Monaro.

[dmce]

People need to stop calling these a Daewoo. Yes, they come out of that factory, but the Daewoo of old went bust. The Captiva is engineered by Holden, and designed by Max Wolfe and Mike Simcoe, designers of the VY and of course the Monaro.

Ignore them planetdavo.. not worth it.

They can't help themselves.. I started this thread to attract Captiva owners and get their opinions, but they just wanna throw their 2 cents worth.
And the Territory isn't without it's problems either.

cheers

[Danv8]

Ignore them planetdavo.. not worth it.

They can't help themselves.. I started this thread to attract Captiva owners and get their opinions, but they just wanna throw their 2 cents worth.
And the Territory isn't without it's problems either.

cheers

Agreed a relo of mine has a Territory and its been in and out of dealerships getting things fixed and replaced and its only 6 months old. When eveything is working ok its a great car but as you said it isn't without its problems.

And also its bloody thirsty compared to many softroaders.

[HRT 8]

People need to stop calling these a Daewoo. Yes, they come out of that factory, but the Daewoo of old went bust. The Captiva is engineered by Holden, and designed by Max Wolfe and Mike Simcoe, designers of the VY and of course the Monaro.

Davo, the comments being seen here are the ignorant ones you'd typically expect to find on an internet forum.
If people actually bothered to find out a little bit about the product then they might be better qualified to make a statement. See as you pointed out the Captiva is designed by Australians for Australina conditions. Its merely built at GM's plant that used to be owned by Daewoo.

As for the feul consumtion issues. My Cappy's done just on 3000klm. Having bought 2 new cars previously, I have learned not to take too much notice of the fuel consuption until around the 5000klm mark. Both my new LS1's have taken about that to settle down with fuel usage.
In saying that, on the last tank we did 500klm with some left when refuelled. I dont think that is too bad considering your driving a 3.2 V6 in a relatively heavy car.
I think if you got serious with testing both the Ford Territory and the Captiva, you'd see the feul usage by the Captiva is actualy a fair bit less. I know the mileage that the Terry's at wotk get. No where near 500klm form a tank.

I dont think its wise taking too much notice of the fuel consumption on a new car.

[FunkyPig]

The Deewoooooo is a deewoooo doesnt matter what badge you want to put on it!


I looked at one the other day just out of interest and it isnt in the same class as the Territory, built and designed in Australia for Australia!!

Give me a Turbo Terri with a ZF 6 speed and an EDIT mmmmm :driving: :yahoo:
Good to see they don't restrict the forum to just adults...

[chops]

Slightly OT as not a captiva experience, but I'm inclined to agree with HRT 8 here, the Focus I have for work is 2l/100km better economy wise now at 12000km than it was when brand spankers.

[C4B]

Ah the good old Ford Territory:

- Fuel economy of a V8.
- Performance of a 4.
- Handling of a couriers van.
- Price of an "SS".
- Offroad ability of a Barina.

They've got all the boxes ticked :stick:

http://bonjblog.home.mchsi.com/FordTerritory.jpg
Photo Courtesy "Brokeback Mountain" :lmao:

[dmce]

Ah the good old Ford Territory:

- Fuel economy of a V8.
- Performance of a 4.
- Handling of a couriers van.
- Price of an "SS".
- Offroad ability of a Barina.

They've got all the boxes ticked :stick:

http://bonjblog.home.mchsi.com/FordTerritory.jpg
Photo Courtesy "Brokeback Mountain" :lmao:

Gee... the Territory in the pic looks really clean... couldn't have driven very far.. even the tyres are unmarked..

Are they really THAT good ??

[HRT 8]

Give me a Turbo Terri with a ZF 6 speed and an EDIT mmmmm :driving: :yahoo:


MMMMM all the way to a 13 sec quarter. I think HPF proved this with their Tow car Terri.

[Dacious]

The Deewoooooo is a deewoooo doesnt matter what badge you want to put on it!

I looked at one the other day just out of interest and it isnt in the same class as the Territory, built and designed in Australia for Australia!!

Give me a Turbo Terri with a ZF 6 speed and an EDIT mmmmm


Ah, is that the Oz designed and built Ford with the German-designed, Mexican-made transmission which Ford supplies the Oz-designed bellhousing for? The one with the US-designed and made Garrett AiResearch turbo that Australia designed the manifold for?

But hey, it was Ford's idea to create a big, thirsty hypertruck-SUV swallowing bucketloads of premium unleaded fuel and riding on practical low profile bling rims for 'heavy duty AWD work'. Oh no, hang on, that was BMW, wasn't it? :yahoo:

Yes, Ford Oz is really as big on 'Buy It Yourself' as Holden, aren't they? :woot:

[csv rulz]

People need to stop calling these a Daewoo. Yes, they come out of that factory, but the Daewoo of old went bust. The Captiva is engineered by Holden, and designed by Max Wolfe and Mike Simcoe, designers of the VY and of course the Monaro.

I know its the same as calling a 350Z a datsun and a porsche a VW

[dmce]

I know its the same as calling a 350Z a datsun and a porsche a VW

HE HE HE... well said. :lmao:

[Nobby]

- Any body quoting economy of work vehicles need their head read. No work car has ever had good economy since humans have been adding engines to wheels.
- Ford trip computers LIE about their fuel economey. In Falcon based vehicles the economy is frequently showing 1.5/2 ltr/100km higher than the actual economy. No one knows why, but the maths dont lie between fill ups.
- Captivas have little engines in big cars. Territorys have big engines in big cars. The Captiva will have seemingly high fuel economy as it has to work harder to produce the same results as the Territory.
- People will have high fuel usage as they treat every traffic light as a drag race and still expect 5 ltr/100km "cause its a modern engine". Dont let the weight get in the way of your fantasy mathematics.

[Aus8]

Ah, is that the Oz designed and built Ford with the German-designed, Mexican-made transmission which Ford supplies the Oz-designed bellhousing for? The one with the US-designed and made Garrett AiResearch turbo that Australia designed the manifold for?

But hey, it was Ford's idea to create a big, thirsty hypertruck-SUV swallowing bucketloads of premium unleaded fuel and riding on practical low profile bling rims for 'heavy duty AWD work'. Oh no, hang on, that was BMW, wasn't it? :yahoo:

Yes, Ford Oz is really as big on 'Buy It Yourself' as Holden, aren't they? :woot:

I dont think Ford would be too worried with your expert "Analysis" Its the number 1 selling SUV in the country.

HRT8: Thanks for the comments on my "ignorance" I take pride in my postings. All I have done is passed on the misses's impressions of both cars. If that upsets yourself and planet Davo then so be it.

Cheers

Aus8

[jerrel]

Ah the good old Ford Territory:

- Fuel economy of a V8.
- Performance of a 4.
- Handling of a couriers van.
- Price of an "SS".
- Offroad ability of a Barina.

They've got all the boxes ticked :stick:

http://bonjblog.home.mchsi.com/FordTerritory.jpg
Photo Courtesy "Brokeback Mountain" :lmao:

lol go post that on a ford forum :lmao:
"Offroad ability of a Barina":whip:

[planetdavo]

HRT8: Thanks for the comments on my "ignorance" I take pride in my postings. All I have done is passed on the misses's impressions of both cars. If that upsets yourself and planet Davo then so be it.

Hang about, what this???!!!!!!!!!
I don't feel upset about anything......:hmmm:

[FunkyPig]

I agree with Planetdavo, I am also sick of people palming this car off as 'daewoo crap', when really its the first "Korean GM". Which is a leap ahead of any old Daewoo.

[HRT 8]

I dont think Ford would be too worried with your expert "Analysis" Its the number 1 selling SUV in the country.

HRT8: Thanks for the comments on my "ignorance" I take pride in my postings. All I have done is passed on the misses's impressions of both cars. If that upsets yourself and planet Davo then so be it.

Cheers

Aus8
Your ignorance I was referring to is calling the car a Daewoo not your wifes impression of the car. Can you tell me why makes it a Daewoo. In fact can anybody tell me why its a Daewoo.
Desinged by Australian, Holden designers for Australia. But because its made in Korea, its a daewoo???? Is that it??

As pointed out above, bit like calling a porsche a VW.


- Any body quoting economy of work vehicles need their head read. No work car has ever had good economy since humans have been adding engines to wheels. I drive one at work. I should know what its like on fuel based on how I drive.



- Captivas have little engines in big cars. Territorys have big engines in big cars. The Captiva will have seemingly high fuel economy as it has to work harder to produce the same results as the Territory.
But hats the whole point. The Captiva doesn't need to harder. It already surpases what the Terri does with better fuel usage to boot.


- People will have high fuel usage as they treat every traffic light as a drag race and still expect 5 ltr/100km "cause its a modern engine". Dont let the weight get in the way of your fantasy mathematics. There's a really good generalisation.

[Danv8]

I agree with Planetdavo, I am also sick of people palming this car off as 'daewoo crap', when really its the first "Korean GM". Which is a leap ahead of any old Daewoo.

Just have to look at Hyundai how far ahead they have improved in build quality in their cars. They use to be a joke but now they are a serious contenter now. I am not a fan of softroaders at all. but surely the Captiva isnt all bad.

[Funk]

if you are going to get upset about the fuel usage compared to the sticker value on the window when you bought don't aim at holden as all cars from all makers are test under the same standard test thats the whole reason for the sticker so you can compare between to totally differnt model's and use them as a guide you 99% of the time the car will always use more fuel around town then the sticker value and about that value or less on the highway

talking about the captiva i have a customer who owns an LX and on a trip of 300km with average speed of 130km/hr he only used 12.5L/100km
this was when the car only had 800km on the clock he has now travelled 5000km and on the highway cruising at 100km/hr averg 9.5-10.5 depending on load in the car

15-16L/100km around town would be well and truly acceptable if you jump in a demo LX at a dealer the avg will be much higher as the get driven harder by lots of differnt customers

:thumbsup:

[dmce]

if you are going to get upset about the fuel usage compared to the sticker value on the window when you bought don't aim at holden as all cars from all makers are test under the same standard test thats the whole reason for the sticker so you can compare between to totally differnt model's and use them as a guide you 99% of the time the car will always use more fuel around town then the sticker value and about that value or less on the highway

talking about the captiva i have a customer who owns an LX and on a trip of 300km with average speed of 130km/hr he only used 12.5L/100km
this was when the car only had 800km on the clock he has now travelled 5000km and on the highway cruising at 100km/hr averg 9.5-10.5 depending on load in the car

15-16L/100km around town would be well and truly acceptable if you jump in a demo LX at a dealer the avg will be much higher as the get driven harder by lots of differnt customers

:thumbsup:


Thats right.. i understand it.
But the way it is done is so deceiving it's not funny. In other countries, car makers have to quote 2 figures : Suburban and Highway figures... Much, much more accurate !
For some reason, in Australia they only have to give and average fuel figure which heavily leans in favour of highway driving. Go figure..
So, to get a true idea of fuel consumption for a particular car, you have to do more research and ask more questions.. which defies the prupose of the stickers in the first place which are meant to do the hard work for you.. True ??

I know all this now, because i have done my research. But i didn't know it before i bought my car as i "trusted" the little sticker.. Another deceived joe blow i guess..

In all fairness, i still would have bought the car, but at least i wouldn't have felt " sucked in " so to speak..

[Y2kGoofball]

not trying to start anything here but seeing as the family own a V6 Adventra we've been in the center of such "hi fuel" debates, many on this forum.

When Holden brought out a 3.6 litre V6 Adventra everyone cried that they were too thirsty, proclaiming the extra weight and the lack of power is what does it. The reason why the V8 was so thirsty is because of the extra weight it was carrying around, keep in mind this is when compared to the equivellent VY/VZ Acclaim station wagon.

So going off this logic how are you supposed to expect better fuel economy out of a bigger car with a smaller 3.2 litre engine?

Im sure theres various factors and someone will explain to me, but from a simple ignorant standpoint thats how I see it.

What we found with the Adventra is people were giving such high fuel economy readings on the V6 no matter what. They were also putting the foot into it and trying to get it off the line in the same amount of time as a station wagon, and when the weight pinned it down the drivers whinged. Theres a topic somewhere here where someone said something like "if you want the performance and acceleraton of a Clubsport then buy a V8 Clubsport, not a V6 Adventra". What ive found is that gently off the line until it builds momentum, then the thing builds up speed at an incredible rate and still keeps fuel economy fair for what the car is.

Although personally Ive got nothing wrong with the Adventras fuel economy because we accept that it does weight more then the station wagon and it does a bloody good job fuel wise under load when towing, I can only assume the Captiva would be the same sort of theory.

[dmce]

not trying to start anything here but seeing as the family own a V6 Adventra we've been in the center of such "hi fuel" debates, many on this forum.

When Holden brought out a 3.6 litre V6 Adventra everyone cried that they were too thirsty, proclaiming the extra weight and the lack of power is what does it. The reason why the V8 was so thirsty is because of the extra weight it was carrying around, keep in mind this is when compared to the equivellent VY/VZ Acclaim station wagon.

So going off this logic how are you supposed to expect better fuel economy out of a bigger car with a smaller 3.2 litre engine?

Im sure theres various factors and someone will explain to me, but from a simple ignorant standpoint thats how I see it.

What we found with the Adventra is people were giving such high fuel economy readings on the V6 no matter what. They were also putting the foot into it and trying to get it off the line in the same amount of time as a station wagon, and when the weight pinned it down the drivers whinged. Theres a topic somewhere here where someone said something like "if you want the performance and acceleraton of a Clubsport then buy a V8 Clubsport, not a V6 Adventra". What ive found is that gently off the line until it builds momentum, then the thing builds up speed at an incredible rate and still keeps fuel economy fair for what the car is.

Although personally Ive got nothing wrong with the Adventras fuel economy because we accept that it does weight more then the station wagon and it does a bloody good job fuel wise under load when towing, I can only assume the Captiva would be the same sort of theory.

These are all fair comments.

[Dacious]

Thats right.. i understand it.
But the way it is done is so deceiving it's not funny. In other countries, car makers have to quote 2 figures : Suburban and Highway figures... Much, much more accurate !
For some reason, in Australia they only have to give and average fuel figure which heavily leans in favour of highway driving. Go figure..
So, to get a true idea of fuel consumption for a particular car, you have to do more research and ask more questions.. which defies the prupose of the stickers in the first place which are meant to do the hard work for you.. True ??

I know all this now, because i have done my research. But i didn't know it before i bought my car as i "trusted" the little sticker.. Another deceived joe blow i guess..

In all fairness, i still would have bought the car, but at least i wouldn't have felt " sucked in " so to speak..


You don't have this quite right. In Australia they have to give the combined overall figure based on the standard ADR test.

They aren't allowed to give 'city' and 'highway' figures for which no standard exists. That is why you often can't relate to it if you either A) sit in gridlocked traffic B) only do gentle country kms.

[Dufus]

Chevrolet Captiva among Top Three in 2007 Car of the Year Contest (http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/chevrolet-captiva-among-top-three-in-2007-car-of-the-year-contest-ar18668.html)

Quote: "A total of 50 cars, all launched in 2006, participated in the Spanish Car of the Year contest. With the Chevrolet Captiva, which is a true allrounder for everyday use, a four-wheel drive vehicle reached the third position for the first time in the history of the competition – beating competitors like the Audi Q7, the Mitsubishi Montero and the Toyota RAV4."

[EddieVE06]

To those complaining about cars made in Korea etc etc give it 10 years and Ford and Holden will have their assembly plants in sth east asia. Australia will probably remain the design hub but all else will be assembled there due to labour costs and to keep the cars priced competatively

[andrewslr]

An acquaintance of mine purchased one of the first Captivas. In the first week of ownership he returned it to the dealer a number of times. His issues with the car were many and varied. After the car sitting at the dealer for over a week, and many discussions with the dealership concerned, he was refunded his money, less $800. He's back to driving his 5YO Pajero, and finds it pretty good by comparison to the Captiva.

[lumina ss]

So A Chrysler 300c is designed in the states, built in the mercedes plant in Germany and sold in australia hmmm it doesnt matter where a car is designed, the same man who couldnt put the plastic trim on a "deawoo" cant put the same trim on a "holden" properly, they didnt sack everyone, including the manufacturing engineers and hire a new batch or people that are better at building cars for westerners. If you get on the pontiac forums you will see that australian build quality is a larger selling point for GTO's than australian design quality. I guess the question is would a ve be as good if it was built in mongolia?

As for fuel economy my V8 adventura averages 17l/100k and Im happy, its a hell of a lot better than a v8 landcruiser, and it isnt much different in size truth be told. I actually think 15l/100km for a v6 4wd is good especially with around town content.

[Danv8]

So A Chrysler 300c is designed in the states, built in the mercedes plant in Germany and sold in australia hmmm it doesnt matter where a car is designed, the same man who couldnt put the plastic trim on a "deawoo" cant put the same trim on a "holden" properly, they didnt sack everyone, including the manufacturing engineers and hire a new batch or people that are better at building cars for westerners. If you get on the pontiac forums you will see that australian build quality is a larger selling point for GTO's than australian design quality. I guess the question is would a ve be as good if it was built in mongolia?

As for fuel economy my V8 adventura averages 17l/100k and Im happy, its a hell of a lot better than a v8 landcruiser, and it isnt much different in size truth be told. I actually think 15l/100km for a v6 4wd is good especially with around town content.

Irc the Aussie 300C is built in Canada.

[Nasty Canasta]

I'm a noob to this Forum, but I'm on the hunt on everything "Captiva" coz I'm gonna trade up my wife's little 2000 TS Astra City Hatch for a "Family size" SUV (need to carry 4 with an otion to carry 7). Looking at the Territory and the Captiva. Took the Captiva for a spin the other day and was very impressed with thing. What it's got over Terry is Price and Fuel comsumption. A relative owns a Territory and I was also suitably impressed with it and the build finish. I'm suspect about Ford build quality and issues, just as I am about Holden (our Euro Astra was an exception - top marks). Given my wife 'll be driving this, I'm not so fussed about the quasi AWD arrangement, suffice to say that most of the time it'll be a FWD and that's good enough for the missus. If it gets into strife, it'll go 50/50 spilt with the rear. But just like eveybody else I'm just not convinced this Koren built thing won't fall to bits after 60k of city driving. No one's mentioned longevity of the Terri vs Capt. I know the Capt is new. The Ford isn't anymore.

Can anyone comment ?

BTW - no one should get sucked in about Aussie content, both makers are global and source their designs to some extent from absolutey everwhere. Build quality now simply comes down to the pre-production decisions they make about component sourcing and quality, assembly tolerances and assembly technology (quality of the line & robotics). For the Captiva, that is now GM, not Daewoo, that's a huge difference. Who actually stands next to the production line, and what country it's in, is now irrelevant. You only need to look at Toyota as an example. So which one would you buy and why ?

[payaya]

i beg to differ. Same car maker, same car, but different country does make a difference sometimes.

Ford/Holden (GM) have never been a big one for refinement.

Daewo might be building better fitting cars, but they seem to overuse cheap materials, which in tern over time make the car seem like a loosly put together car.

Also people need to think about it when asking the question why my car uses so much petrol.

Take for example, manufactureres test their car with probably 1 person in car, while most test with more than 1 and load.

City driving doesnt always mean you'll get the quoted figure. Imagine 100km in Sydney CBD, then 100kms in say Perth. Theres going to a massive difference there. The time you drive is also a massive factor.

Manufactuers probably accelerate slower than miss daisy to keep fuel consumption down.

So there is so many difference factors its not funny!


So A Chrysler 300c is designed in the states, built in the mercedes plant in Germany and sold in australia hmmm it doesnt matter where a car is designed, the same man who couldnt put the plastic trim on a "deawoo" cant put the same trim on a "holden" properly, they didnt sack everyone, including the manufacturing engineers and hire a new batch or people that are better at building cars for westerners. If you get on the pontiac forums you will see that australian build quality is a larger selling point for GTO's than australian design quality. I guess the question is would a ve be as good if it was built in mongolia?

As for fuel economy my V8 adventura averages 17l/100k and Im happy, its a hell of a lot better than a v8 landcruiser, and it isnt much different in size truth be told. I actually think 15l/100km for a v6 4wd is good especially with around town content.

The 300C is based on an old Merc chassis isnt it??? Im 90% sure it is.

Your kidding bout weight right??

Lancruiser can range betwen 2.3-2.5 tonnes. Your V8 is under two tonnes. .3-.5 of a tonne is a lot.

I find if a car relies on a small engine, then obviously gear ratios are geared more toward acceleration. They rev high on freeways which is a drawback.

Ford/Holden rev under 2k when at 100km/h. Get some smaller engined car on the freeway they use more juice!

I know this is the case for a 2.0L (300kg lighter) i got, it uses more fuel than a 4.0L on freeway.

[dmce]

An acquaintance of mine purchased one of the first Captivas. In the first week of ownership he returned it to the dealer a number of times. His issues with the car were many and varied. After the car sitting at the dealer for over a week, and many discussions with the dealership concerned, he was refunded his money, less $800. He's back to driving his 5YO Pajero, and finds it pretty good by comparison to the Captiva.

He got a refund ?? No way !! How is that possible ? Refunds are not given on cars... They are only obligated to fix it as far as i know..

Can you elaborate on what problems he had with the car ? And what action was taken to rectify these before refund ? I am very very curious...

[csv rulz]

Ford/Holden rev under 2k when at 100km/h. Get some smaller engined car on the freeway they use more juice!

I know this is the case for a 2.0L (300kg lighter) i got, it uses more fuel than a 4.0L on freeway.

My 1976 Alfetta GT does 3400rpm at 100km on the highway (higher RPM for 110km) yet going to lakes Entrance from Eltham (Melbourne) i got 7.1L/100km

In my VT which does under 2000rpm at 100km the best i have ever gotten is 8.3L/100km

So that puts that theory to rest:thumbsup:

[chevypower]

the Barina revs at 3000rpm at 100km/h but uses 6.5L per 100km - i dont see that as being more than the Commodores 9L per 100km on cruise control at 100km. The Astra, Golf and Polo diesels all cruise at 100 at under 2000rpm also, and get 4L per 100 on the hwy.

[lumina ss]

Jeez if your sick of paying for petrol buy a bike, it aint gunna get that much better so just get over it.

if you dont like the extra cost of fuel for a 4wd status symbol for your wife to stoush with the prada mom's at the school crossings then get her a barina, if you really needed a 4wd you'd own an fj60 landcruiser, Me I own an AWD, its just a V8 subaru wagon equivalent, it gets crap fuel economy and I dont care.

My wife drives a VT Calais on gas, the reason its on gas is because I know all her K's are city cycle so I put it on gas, Its cheap to run but it doesnt rate high on the school carpark status list I suppose.

[Nobby]

The 300C is based on an old Merc chassis isnt it??? Im 90% sure it is.
I think it was the CrossFire that was based on an a Merc.

[V-Car]

I think it was the CrossFire that was based on an a Merc.

Both the 300C and Crossfire are based on Mercs.
The Crossfire is basically a re-bodied last gen SLK, and the 300C very loosely on a 90's E Class.
Speaking of W124 E Class Mercs, anyone for a Ssangyong Chairman? :shiner:
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=9590&vf=24

[CapLX]

Hi all

I’m new to these forum things – but I find them quite enlightening to know what others are experiencing with their cars. I was reading the Ford Forum the other day and geez did that get bitchy – I hope this one isn’t like this (haven’t seen that in this forum yet).

Anyway – I’ll get on with it. In November we bought the Captiva LX - I really wanted the VE SV6 to upgrade our VYII S…but the ‘Time and Finance Manager’ won that one for the 7 seat capacity to operate as the pseudo school taxi and oversized shopping trolley.

So far I’m still on the fence about it (the wife loves it)– it certainly isn’t as much fun to drive as the ‘S’ but I should expect that from an SUV style. We chose the Captiva over all others as it was a HOLDEN, flexible 7 seat configuration, the proclaimed fuel efficiency for that size car and when we test drove it it felt “right” in terms of control and ride quality. The price for extras was also great.

What I like about it.
- fuel usage is reasonable (getting about 12-13.5 L/100 town, 10L on open road – more on that below)
- flexible 7 seats – which means we can separate the waring siblings (to stay sane)
- great standard inclusions
- tiptronic to hold revs and speed when towing and mountain driving

Some of my “issues” (other than the recalls)
- bonnet protector has poor anchoring points and centre of it has “pulled” from its double sided sticky tape and resulted in “flapping about” causing damage to the bonnet . A really bad design on this protector (how ironic that it damaged what it was supposed to protect! – having the debate with Holden dealer now about who’s fixing the design and the damaged bonnet). Therefore if you have a bonnet protector then check the sticky tape and if it works loose and you hear a bad vibrating noise from the front then remove the protector asap.
- Stereo won’t always hold the AM stations on the set frequency. After 10 minutes operating it sounds as if it’s lost the signal (really annoying when the Ashes were on!!!) Of course the dealer can’t replicate the problem so can’t fix it but they just can’t seem to pay attention for more than 1 minute on any one problem so can see this as an ongoing battle with them)
- Cruise control is a bit weird…it seems to wait minus 20km/h on an incline before it kicks back a gear and/or accelerates to set cruise speed (unlike VY S ! iit picked up speed if it dropped back even 3km/h below cruise setting). Anyone else noticed this ‘feature’?
- At 110km/h get an annoying “buzzing” sound from the front…like the dash has a vibration..of course dealer can’t replicate..but then again hard to replicate a road condition when you don’t even take the car out of their work sheds! I’m hoping the noise is related to the “faulty” bonnet protector)
- Leather has these random weird white patches on door or seat. Nothing major - but I’ve tried a good leather cleaner and conditioner to remove it but without success (anyone else with this problem and any suggestions?)

Now for the fuel usage to compare with others.:fewl: We’ve done about 6000km, generally on the open road we get 9.5-10L/100km which I’m very pleased with. Around town we’re getting about 12.5-13.5L/100km which seems ok compared to some of you others.

Overall – I’m “content” with the car. I’m hoping the quality stands up and I don’t find any more issues with it - I expected a few things like this but not as many in such a short period. If more things start to go wrong – then I might start to regret the purchase. At this stage I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone – so if you're not in a hurry for a new car purchase then I'd hold off and see what this forum reveals in the next few months or maybe I’m still just home sick for an SV6? :hmmm:

On another note – a friend recently acquired a Territory and we compared them side by side. They’re very similar in dimensions – but the slightly higher looking Captiva made it not appear as wide as it is but they are about the same (no doubt someone will provide the actual dimensions - but i've never bothered to check the specs of a Territory). For mine, the Terrritory is looking a bit old school too.

cheers

[Ghia351]

Oh no, hang on, that was BMW, wasn't it? :yahoo:

Yes, Ford Oz is really as big on 'Buy It Yourself' as Holden, aren't they? :woot:
Funny you mention BMW...which for the next X5 has a new front suspension that has "Territory design" all-over it...but then again BMW could never be accused of copying an Oz design....
Can someone explain why whenever the word Territory is posted in this forum it causes so much angst and incredibly long threads?
PS. 1st post in '07 so happy new year to all.


People need to stop calling these a Daewoo. Yes, they come out of that factory, but the Daewoo of old went bust. The Captiva is engineered by Holden, and designed by Max Wolfe and Mike Simcoe, designers of the VY and of course the Monaro.Did Holden design the Captiva platform?

[commodoreone]

:wave: dmce it sounds like you have a reason to complain. We bought a CX just before Xmas and we don't have any of those problems you mentioned.

Mind you, then hand brake is not the best, but other than this it is quite a nice car and drives very smoothly.

[teamkiwi]

http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2299237.aspx

Words - Joe Kenwright

Placing aside tradition, Holden's best family package might not be the VE


Road Test

Model: Holden Captiva LX
RRP: $41,990
Price as tested: $41,990
Also consider: Subaru Forester (here), Honda CR-V (here), Toyota RAV4 (here), Mazda Tribute (here), Ford Escape (here), Ford Territory (here), Hyundai Santa Fe (here), Mitsubishi Outlander (here).

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Pricing/Packaging/Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

You won't find the Captiva in any 2006 awards and it will struggle to raise a mention at a dinner party. It's too easy to dismiss it after concluding that it doesn't excel at anything. At the launch, however, CarPoint suspected there was more to the Captiva than met the eye -- hence our first Australian 3000km shakedown in the new model.

Initially overshadowed by the VE launch hype, the Captiva is in fact now generating more showroom traffic than the Commodore for several key reasons. It offers full-size seven seater capacity in a vehicle that is a half-size smaller than the Territory. It is close enough to a RAV4 in price and size not to matter, yet offers a V6 engine that has half a chance of hauling everything you can fit into it. And finally, it fits into most $35-40,000 user-chooser budgets and its clever seat-folding arrangements deliver a huge luggage platform that even extends to a folded front passenger seat.

The withdrawal of popular Camry and Magna wagons wiped-out practical family transport for many company car drivers. The Commodore/Falcon wagons are often seen as too extravagant for some workplaces while a softroader or peoplemover can generate political and image issues when nominated as a work vehicle. Only recently, politicians and senior government workers who opted for a Territory instead of a Falcon were blasted by the tabloids for indulging in a four-wheel drive.

The Captiva's relatively low height, compact size and generic looks might help it slip under the radar. Its unassuming presence, rejected by those who wouldn't buy this type of vehicle anyway, could prove to be its greatest asset.

Indeed, it is the first affordable alternative to a now unobtanium medium-sized V6 family wagon with the extra benefit of seven seats and all-wheel drive on demand. This premise is supported by the unexpectedly high demand for the test car's top shelf LX specification which has created shortages after Holden expected the under-$40K models to be the big sellers.

Buyers are spending Captiva savings on the better model.

Like all vehicles in this segment, the Captiva is a very fine balancing act between engine size, weight and function. Where the Hyundai Santa Fe's tiny 2.7-litre V6 and basic auto are too small for this segment and gulps fuel as soon as you make it work, the Captiva relies on a just adequate 3.2-litre petrol V6 with 169kW and a smooth five-speed auto.

Because the Captiva is a genuine adult seven-seater, it requires the safety structure to restrain and protect up to 700kg of human cargo.
As it also offers 100kg of roof carrying capacity, luggage space and a braked towing capacity of 2000kg -- it can't afford to be a cream puff hence it weighs 1770kg. Because this load and towing capacity is close enough to a heavy duty one-tonne ute, it must also have suspension that can cope with such a big variation in laden and unladen weight.

Anyone who drives it one-up around the block then dismisses its hard seats and firm ride as examples of flawed Asian engineering has already missed the point. Not only was the suspension developed in Australia, the engine is built here and the vehicle was styled by an Australian team. Because Holden is adamant that it is tailored to Australian requirements and its Korean manufacture is incidental, we threw everything we could at the Captiva almost fully laden over Aussie distances.

After starting in Melbourne, we proceeded to Cann River in far east Gippsland then up the Monaro Highway to Canberra via the alpine areas and into Sydney along the Hume. After several days of criss-crossing Sydney in traffic, the trip was reversed.

The variations in fuel economy highlight the fragile balance between economy and performance in this type of vehicle. The first Melbourne-Bairnsdale leg spent cruising at 110km/h wherever possible delivered a 10.74lt/100km figure. From Bairnsdale to Goulburn via Canberra which is mostly uphill, consumption climbed to 11.35lt/100km. The Goulburn-Sydney-Canberra leg which featured an equal mix of highway and city work boosted consumption to 12.22lt/100km versus Holden's claimed combined figure of 11.5 litres/100km.

The mainly downhill Canberra to Cann River return run was followed by a long section through the Gippsland bushfires where a police escort kept us to a strict 80km/h. Despite the searing radiant heat, the Captiva dropped back to a frugal 9.9lt/100km.

The final Bairnsdale-Melbourne stage which placed the Captiva headlong into a welcome but stiff cold front boosted consumption to 12.17lt/100km despite speeds and terrain identical to the first stage.

The Captiva formula depends on a low-slip automatic with close ratios and tall final drive that transmits power off the mark smoothly and efficiently. Around Sydney, its jack-rabbit pick-up was particularly useful where there are no second chances if you don't stake your place in the traffic. Once cruising, it then does its best to hold its tall fifth ratio with minimal revs whenever it can.

It is at this point that the Captiva's extra frontal area seems to create a wall at around 90km/h which then makes it too easy for extra weight and wind resistance to upset the equation. Locked into cruise control at 100 or 110km/h, the Captiva struggles to hold either of these speeds in fifth as soon as it is confronted with even a moderate rise or headwind.

The engine's 297Nm (at 3200rpm) torque figure explains why the Captiva has to constantly drop in and out of fifth in conditions where a passenger car of similar power would just serenely sail through with lower fuel consumption. At these speeds with weight onboard, it also doesn't have enough engine braking to hold a preset speed downhill and the driver must be ready to brake to be certain of staying within a speed limit.

This is not dissimilar to the Territory which always seems to be working harder than the equivalent Falcon for fuel consumption figures usually 2-3lt/100km higher than the Captiva. Although the Territory seems less affected by variations in wind and hills when loaded or towing, its 2075kg ensures it cannot deliver the lower fuel figures generated by the Captiva under light duties or stop-start conditions.

Thus the Captiva caters to a very different set of parameters than the Territory, and its lighter four-cylinder rivals for that matter.

It will excel in medium outer urban journeys where speeds rarely exceed 80km/h with seven onboard, for example, on a cross-town basketball run. At these speeds, it has more than enough grunt to run the climate control and stake its place in the traffic.

Hitch up a boat with the same seven onboard and you might force the engine and transmission to work too hard on some open road trips with a corresponding climb in fuel consumption and engine noise. The third seat row also places passenger heads too close to the rear window for comfortable long distance travel. If the resulting loss of luggage space is addressed with a roof top carrier, it will further upset this fuel economy-performance balance.

Despite this, the Captiva's smaller version of the Commodore's V6 and its five-speed auto achieves levels of refinement and smoothness of which the base VE Omega can only dream.

Providing you stay within its comfort zone, the Captiva is more impressive the further you travel. Its relatively long 700km cruising range is matched by a cabin that can deliver the first two seat rows fresh at their destination. It has an unbreakable feel thanks to a tight structure that doesn't groan or creak.

The Captiva's instruments and controls are simple and intuitive. Despite the fussy decorative white band in the main instruments, they are easy to read. The LX's leather bound steering wheel, extra silver highlights and leather trim, while bland, help generate a practical environment complemented by proper tilt and reach steering column adjustment and electric driver's seat adjustment.

Even if Captiva seats, which are firm like those in an Astra or Vectra, can seem uncomfortable initially they didn't create any sore spots after several eight-hour stints in the vehicle.

At highway speeds, the Captiva's firm suspension settings make sense especially when there is a load onboard. With the Level Ride rear end on the seven-seat models, there is little to suggest from the driver's seat, apart from the commanding view that the Captiva LX, is a high-riding SUV.

It handled the joining strips of Sydney's concrete roads at suburban speeds better than the choppy secondary highway surfaces out of town where the LX's big and grippy 18-inch alloy wheels seemed to follow the bumps too well. Yet over bigger dips and rises, there was little bounce or sway which is quite unusual for a vehicle of this weight and ground clearance. At no point, did the Captiva feel out of its depth on variable open road surfaces at speed.

It is unfortunate then that the ungainly rear styling criticised at launch can generate the impression that the Captiva is tall and unstable compared to the Territory. When the Captiva has a relatively low height and wide track for its size and type, it defies explanation why Holden opted for this look.

Handling is also remarkably neutral for a model that spends all its life in front-drive -- no doubt helped by the lightness of the all alloy engine relative to the rest of the vehicle.

The Captiva will transfer drive to the rear wheels on demand, albeit reluctantly as it is not difficult to provoke wheelspin at the front before torque is sent to the rear wheels. The Captiva neither pretends to be an offroader nor a better dirt road handler as a result of its extra drive to the rear wheels. Unlike an increasing number of rivals, it does not offer a centre lock-up facility for a fixed equal split front to rear.

Indeed, it is a front-drive model, end of story -- it happens to have the added ability to climb up a slippery boat ramp or a slippery or sandy track to access a secluded campsite. We didn't go looking for any nasty offroad situations as we didn't have a back-up 4X4 but it was confidence-inspiring to know that if the police needed to send us up a dirt track to escape the fires, it could handle it easily.

Because my co-driver's property was uncomfortably near the perimeter of the fires that flared up again after New Year, we decided on an early return to monitor spot fires.

It is a sobering sensation driving through the bush with the radiant heat of a fire just over 15 km away cooking your right arm and sending a shower of black leaves over the vehicle. As the burned leaves crunched under the tyres, it was a timely reminder that the Captiva for many rural owners could mean the difference between life and death.

As the police and other officials desperately tried to get broken down private vehicles moving again and out of the way, the Captiva serenely travelled onwards.

Like Ford did with the Territory, someone at Holden has thought about what a family needs over long distances. There are several dash compartments with lids to hide mobile phones and iPods. There are two central drink holders and one each in the front doors. The centre console's cubby hole is big enough to hold a soup or coffee pot or large water container.

The second row is equally well-served with slide-out cupholders and storage compartments. The full-sized spare wheel is dropped out from underneath which in our case would have saved us from emptying car parts, bedding and personal effects all over the road. The opening rear glass (via key fob only) was a real asset when it left the load undisturbed while accessing food and drinks.

The LX climate control's air quality sensor and particle filter were highly effective and screened out the bushfire smoke as we drove through. The LX glovebox cooling might be useful for fruit or chocolate but it might create arguments over whose drink is chilled.

There were two glitches. There was a bug in switching-on the cruise control system which was more frustrating than usual when it had to be cancelled so often on downhill sections. The 'clever' third-row seat access which tumbles the second row seats in one simple movement had also stopped working.

Overall, the Captiva's performance with its flexible and spacious cabin over non-stop long distance running under some of the hottest climatic extremes that Australia can deliver was impressive. If getting there without drama rates above the excitement of driving, the Captiva is worth a closer look.

Fairly good review, hopefully it will be able to help a few potential buyers out

[AussieTone]

Heard an interesting rumour today when at work. Apparently Q Fleet (which is the state government vehicle pool) will not be buying any more Commodore Wagons but replacing them with the Captiva.

Now that will boost Captiva sales especially if all Government departments go down this road

[HRT 8]

A good and unbiased write up of the Cappy.
Im still very happy with mine and it goes in this morning for some cosmetic enhancements. ;)

I've also found that 245/45/20"s keep the overal diameter the same. :D

[CapLX]

A good and unbiased write up of the Cappy.
Im still very happy with mine and it goes in this morning for some cosmetic enhancements. ;)

I've also found that 245/45/20"s keep the overal diameter the same. :D

Just don't get the Bonnet Protector installed (although it looks good) - as I mentioned in my previous posting the design is faulty as it easily works its way loose from the silly double sided tape that it's stuck to (which also means you can never take if off to clean behind it!) and can cause damage to the bonnet when driving over 80km/h. It damaged our bonnet and Holden have agreed to fix the damage. I'm waiting to see how they're going to fix the design and what they'll do with those of us that already have them.


Heard an interesting rumour today when at work. Apparently Q Fleet (which is the state government vehicle pool) will not be buying any more Commodore Wagons but replacing them with the Captiva.

Now that will boost Captiva sales especially if all Government departments go down this road

But typically this means it creates a massive over supply in the used-car market of these vehicles when they're at the end of their 2-year leases which in turn causes a drop in the re-sale value. I hope it just remains a rumour!

[andrewslr]

He got a refund ?? No way !! How is that possible ? Refunds are not given on cars... They are only obligated to fix it as far as i know..

Can you elaborate on what problems he had with the car ? And what action was taken to rectify these before refund ? I am very very curious...

Got a refund less $800 from a melbourne Bayside Dealer. To be fair he is a large customer of that dealership, so relationship would have played into it.

He said there were may things he wasn't happy about, but his main gripe was sloppy steering and major suspionsion 'clunks'. Possibly issues only related to his vehicle, but he wasn't happy.

[Haze_V8]

Thanks to all who have posted on this thread, particularly Captiva owners. The feedback has been VERY useful in helping my wife and I decide on our new car purchase. The Captiva has moved down the list of possible new purchases based on some of the comments here and inspecting the car closer.

Still finding it very hard to get a car that can satisfy all our criteria (Easy access to luggage space for pram etc, Able to comfortably fit tall driver (me!), fuel economy better than 15L/100Kms and something not too big for the wife to drive/park etc) but getting closer.

Cheers!

[andrewslr]

Have you considered the Mazda CX7 (I think thats it:idea: ).

Sorry if it's already been suggested.

[Holden Man]

Still finding it very hard to get a car that can satisfy all our criteria (Easy access to luggage space for pram etc, Able to comfortably fit tall driver (me!), fuel economy better than 15L/100Kms and something not too big for the wife to drive/park etc) but getting closer.

Cheers!

MAZDA 2 - I know they look small but you would be surprised how much cargo they will swallow. We have a child so have done all the pram / toys bags etc with no problems. Plenty of roof height, easy access to everything, piece of piss to drive and park, about 8L / 100km (but I thrash it a bit so you could get better than that). Very fun handling, you don't need to slow for corners as it just goes where you point it.

( I may be bias as I own one !!)

[csv rulz]

What about something like an outback or liberty wagon??

[Haze_V8]

Liberty was the first one we looked at.. beautiful.. except I can't fit. The driving position is tiny.... :cussing:

Mazda CX-7 is the same... way too small in the cabin. Thanks for the Mazda 2 suggestion, will check it out but don't think it will have more room than the CX-7.

I'm leaning toward a couple of Europeans at the moment as they are designed with larger drivers in mind but are more expensive....

Cheers!

[Dufus]

Liberty was the first one we looked at.. beautiful.. except I can't fit. The driving position is tiny.... :cussing:

Mazda CX-7 is the same... way too small in the cabin. Thanks for the Mazda 2 suggestion, will check it out but don't think it will have more room than the CX-7.

I'm leaning toward a couple of Europeans at the moment as they are designed with larger drivers in mind but are more expensive....

Cheers!

Audi Q7 is huge, ...... but so is it's price.

[CalaisOwner]

Liberty was the first one we looked at.. beautiful.. except I can't fit. The driving position is tiny.... :cussing:

Mazda CX-7 is the same... way too small in the cabin. Thanks for the Mazda 2 suggestion, will check it out but don't think it will have more room than the CX-7.

I'm leaning toward a couple of Europeans at the moment as they are designed with larger drivers in mind but are more expensive....

Cheers!

If the CX-7 is too small for you, you should consider the new Kluger. It'll be out in six months time. The new one will be bigger than the current model but won't be as big as the Territory. Like the Territory it'll be available in both RWD and AWD. It'll have the 3.5 liters V6 engine - same as the RX350, ES350, Aurion, US Camry, US V6 Rav4, V6 Tarago.

[FunkyPig]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_CX-9

[csv rulz]

What about mitsubishi outlander?

[Haze_V8]

I'll be checking out the Outlander this weekend..... :)

Apologies for hijacking this thread .... we should hand it back to Captiva stories now....

[Danv8]

I know this is dancing with the devil.
But here is a review on the Outlander
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=22703&vf=2

Seems ok i guess.

I wouldn't buy a softroader personally.

[Ako]

Haze

Don't discount the Rav4 so qquickly as well. I used to hate the older ones due to their small size, but after spending months looking at what to get the missus for her daily driver, we purchased a new Rav4 the other day. Damn great car for the price.

We test drove the Nissan X-Trail, but it just wasn't up to par in many area's that we wanted.

Yes I know its not a 4WD off roader, but good for the missus to drive daily and plenty of room in the back ro anything you need to move (we did buy it with family in mind, although long term view).

Brad

[budabing]

Hi all, thought I would give you my oppinion on my Captiva. I took delivery of my CX Captiva in mid Nov and cannot be any happier with the car.

Overall I have not had any quality problems with the car and have used the car for all types of situations including towing a boat, carrying 7 adults on short trips as well as the normal day to day taxi schedule with the kids. The Captiva is so flexible and it's interior packaging is best in class.

For a car that is priced at mid 30's to low 40's it's hard to beat. The japs charge you this much for 4 cyl plastic rubbish and the locals want to charge an extra 10-15 grand on top.

The main reason for my message is regarding fuel consumption. I find it difficult to believe anyone can complain about fuel consumption when their car has not been driven in. Even modern day engines need km's to settle in. My car has just completed 9,000kms and I am really starting to see the fuel economy differences.

We recently took the Captiva on an interstate trip with an estimated 500kg of luggage and passangers. I averaged between 9.75l/100km to 10.75l/100km. I thought this was awsome considering the weight in the vehicle and the types of roads we encountered. The car did not skip a beat and kept up with a 5.7ltr Commodore that was leading with ease.

A Territory that was also part of the convoy averaged 14.1l/100km!!!

Around town I average aroud 12.5l/100km - 13.5l/100km which is very acceptable. I averaged around the same in a VZ SV6 so go figure.

You also made the comment about your wifes driving habits and how she is not a lead foot. This may be true, but does not mean your wife is using excessive fuel to get to the speeds she does.

For excample my wife always uses more fuel than I do because she always accelerates from start positions hard for some reason.

Captiva's pedal and launch feel is very aggressive. It means you can launch off at the lights very easily. I think you and your wife may be getting caught out here and accelerating too hard too fast ALL the time!

So, what I would say is 1: be patient and allow your engine to work itself in and 2: look at your driving techiques partuculary at stop/start traffic.

Cheers

[budabing]

Hi all, thought I would give you my oppinion on my Captiva. I took delivery of my CX Captiva in mid Nov and cannot be any happier with the car.

Overall I have not had any quality problems with the car and have used the car for all types of situations including towing a boat, carrying 7 adults on short trips as well as the normal day to day taxi schedule with the kids. The Captiva is so flexible and it's interior packaging is best in class.

For a car that is priced at mid 30's to low 40's it's hard to beat. The japs charge you this much for 4 cyl plastic rubbish and the locals want to charge an extra 10-15 grand on top.

The main reason for my message is regarding fuel consumption. I find it difficult to believe anyone can complain about fuel consumption when their car has not been driven in. Even modern day engines need km's to settle in. My car has just completed 9,000kms and I am really starting to see the fuel economy differences.

We recently took the Captiva on an interstate trip with an estimated 500kg of luggage and passangers. I averaged between 9.75l/100km to 10.75l/100km. I thought this was awsome considering the weight in the vehicle and the types of roads we encountered. The car did not skip a beat and kept up with a 5.7ltr Commodore that was leading with ease.

A Territory that was also part of the convoy averaged 14.1l/100km!!!

Around town I average aroud 12.5l/100km - 13.5l/100km which is very acceptable. I averaged around the same in a VZ SV6 so go figure.

You also made the comment about your wifes driving habits and how she is not a lead foot. This may be true, but does not mean your wife is using excessive fuel to get to the speeds she does.

For excample my wife always uses more fuel than I do because she always accelerates from start positions hard for some reason.

Captiva's pedal and launch feel is very aggressive. It means you can launch off at the lights very easily. I think you and your wife may be getting caught out here and accelerating too hard too fast ALL the time!

So, what I would say is 1: be patient and allow your engine to work itself in and 2: look at your driving techiques partuculary at stop/start traffic.

Cheers

[CapLX]

Just to add to the fuel consumption "debate" of the Captiva.

Just been away on a camping trip (from ACT to South Coast) and averaged about 12.5-13.5 /100km over that trip towing a 6 x 4 box trailer with cage chocka block full of camping gear and inside was also full to the rafters (including 2 adults and 3 kids) with the usual "extras". Considering the mountain climbing we had to do the car did exceptionally well and held its speed very easily. The tiptronic gears worked a treat up and down the mountains. Hardly had to brake heading down and made it easy to keep revs up going up to maintain to keep momentum (fuel usage was up to about 14l/100 during that stretch).

The handling was great - I didn't feel that the trailer was pushing me about at all and steering was quite responsive though there was the odd under-steer issues a few times but that was just me getting used to the SUV feel (compared to the VY 'S').

Overall - I'm warming to the car much more than initially. I also had a drive of a friends new Pathfinder diesel who was holidaying with us. That drove sluggish and was noisy. He was carrying similar to me and used 14l/100 with diesel!!! I think the Captiva is a looking to be great mid-sized SUV.

cheers

From a previous posting: "bonnet protector has poor anchoring points and centre of it has “pulled” from its double sided sticky tape and resulted in “flapping about” causing damage to the bonnet . A really bad design on this protector (how ironic that it damaged what it was supposed to protect! – having the debate with Holden dealer now about who’s fixing the design and the damaged bonnet). Therefore if you have a bonnet protector then check the sticky tape and if it works loose and you hear a bad vibrating noise from the front then remove the protector asap."

Further to this issue. My Holden dealer has recognised and agreed to the poor design of this bonnet protector which resulted in the damage. They (Holden) are happily fixing the damage. Not sure what they're going to do with the design fault though?

[VYSV8]

It's a Daewoo! It might have an Aussie built GM V6, but it's still a South Korean manufactured Daewoo!!

And because fundamentally it's a Daewoo, Holden should be ashamed of what they're charging for them!! Kia (another South Korean manufacturer) can't get away with charging that much for their V6 SUV's.

[EddieVE06]

It's a Daewoo! It might have an Aussie built GM V6, but it's still a South Korean manufactured Daewoo!!

And because fundamentally it's a Daewoo, Holden should be ashamed of what they're charging for them!! Kia (another South Korean manufacturer) can't get away with charging that much for their V6 SUV's.

Notice how call centres and manufacturing is all moving into asian and indian nations. Cheap labour but we still pay normal prices. IMO holden and ford will over the long run move all production to these nations and use Oz as their design hub.

Its happenning everywhere, my boss cab have an 80gsm 500 sheet of paper sent from sri lanka to oz for around $1.50 door to door while here it costs around 5 to 6 bucks for a ream of the same paper and they probably source it from the same place.

[budabing]

Hey VYSV8, you should research some pricing before you post such a ridiculous and incorrect message!

The price for the Sorento 3.8 liter EX auto is unchanged and the new 3.8 liter EX-L auto and EX-P auto are priced at AUD 39,790 and AUD 39,990, respectively.

Captiva CX is priced at 38,990 and LX at 41,990!

So this so called other "Sth Korean" manufacturer also charges similiar levels of pricing!

I know 9 out of 10 aussies will choose the Captiva over the Sorrento any day!

[CAPTIVALX]

Hi all my name is bob and i've placed an order for a captiva lx last week so thought i'd join up and share my experience with the new car when it arrrives. My choice was the captiva over the competition for the following reasons.
Outlander- great car,great looks,struck out for small cabin(rear seat and 3rd row tiny) priced 5 grand too high and cheap 3rd row design especialy the head rest's.

Rav 4- only comes in 4 cylander, horrendous looking dash feels cheap, style outside not to my taste.

Territory- Too large for the missus to drive, dad owned too full of quality and engeneering isssue's, ford,s poor customer service on previous new ford's i've owned, also 5 grand over priced.

For me captiva ticked all the right boxes, 7 seat, that fold and store flat, roomy back seat for kid,s and cars seats, great 3.2 v6 ,quality feeling plastic's, smooth driving dynamics, good towing capacity and jamed full of technology. My only gripe's are the lack of sat nav, cheap looking steering wheel with silver highlights and the dash cluster also looks cheap.

[Dufus]

My only gripe's are the lack of sat nav....

Not only is a Diesel now available, listed in the features brochure it now mentions Sat Nav, an Overhead DVD player plus more available as accessories.

Captiva Full Features Brochure (http://www.holden.com.au/pdf/chooseavehicle/fullfeatures/CAPT1006_SpecFeat.pdf)

Optioning the Sat Nav would at least fill that massive void in the dash!

[Black AH CDX]

it says the Nav system is Portable???

[Dufus]

it says the Nav system is Portable???

Doh!

:confused:

[razorram]

Irc the Aussie 300C is built in Canada.

actually it's built in austria

[FunkyPig]

because fundamentally it's a Daewoo, Holden should be ashamed of what they're charging for them!! Kia (another South Korean manufacturer) can't get away with charging that much for their V6 SUV's.
This shows how much marketing BS there is in the market, if the Captiva is good (it is) why can't it be priced similarly to its Japanese and Australian competitors? Examples of this; Hyundais are underpriced for how good they are and Mercedes' are overpriced for how good they are.

Being Korean is no longer a bad thing, Daewoo's are now good cars and Hyundai/Kias are the next big force as acknowledged by most big car makers. Once Jap cars carried the reputation that Koreans are now trying to kick.

[RED R8]

Don't rule out the Jeep KJ guys I am on my second one this one is a Diesel though it has just done 4 days away camping with over 200 kg of kids and luggage with 160ks off road (beaches etc) and did it effortlessly it is a good size for the Mrs very very solid and returned 839ks from 70L of diesel. My last Kj I have for three years with ZERO warranty claims.

[commodoreone]

:wave: Being an all GM/Holden family, we bought a Captiva just before Xmas.
The only thing that really bugs me is a strong sulphur like smell that fills the cabin from time time, particulalry when excelerating.

Have any of you Captiva owners experienced the same problem ?? (it appaears to be some type of exhaust/cat system issue, but I jsut don't know. Any ideas what the cause may be ???

[CAPTIVALX]

Pity it's a portable sat nav. A top holden engineer said it's at least 12 month's away so probably ready for the next update. The sulfer smell means your caneing it too much , most cars do get it. Hope to pick the new lx up friday complete with reverse camera and sensor's.

[Mojo]

Hey guys while you're in comparison mode just wondering did any of you check out the CX7 - mate of mine just got one - a nice drive and plenty of poke with the turbo...though a bit heavy on the juice for a 2.2...any comparison notes? Havnt seen the inside of the Captiva though seen a few on the road and they look the goods..

[CAPTIVALX]

I didnt go there as the style is not my taste, the same with the murano , too sleek looking with small window view. Mazda is supposed to be great for the price just too small.

[CAPTIVALX]

Picked up the new lx tonight on time as promissed by sunbury ford. No more than 5 minutes into the drive home and bang a big stone chip on the bonnet and a small chip in the windscreen. :cussing: Oh well at least everything else is fine and drives like a dream:thumbsup: Roof cross bars are a bit noisy on the highway and reverse camera with the sensors as well gets a bit confusing as you dont know where to look mirrors/ camera/ head turn/ listen too sensors/ rear view mirror.:teach: I'll get used to it.

[5.7heaven]

well for a 3.2L 6 cylinder to pull around over 1.7T it would need to work a bit, im not a pro but thats what im thinking here, and the fact that its also 4WD isnt helping, you are no longer using 1 diff and 2 wheels, you are driving 4 wheels through 2 diffs.. redbook says it should average 11.5L/100km but that for sitting on the freeway, uninterrupted at 110km/h
my 2001 GEN3 statesman pulls the same weight a little easier but still averages about 13L/100km but thats for city stop-go driving. and it only goes up to about 16L if i get trigger happy
:cussing: is what i'd be saying

[CAPTIVALX]

Dont quite get your post point 5.7 as they are front drive 95% and there's more to economy than power and wieght. Comparing v8 to v6 also??? Today went for a highway cruise with 20 kays on the clock and a full tank. Returned 8.5 ltrs per hundred with four people in the car and 80% highway, on return with 420 kays now on the clock. Not bad for a new engine and also had the roof bars fitted which wouldnt help the slip stream. So far very happy how it drives and handles.

[payaya]

This shows how much marketing BS there is in the market, if the Captiva is good (it is) why can't it be priced similarly to its Japanese and Australian competitors? Examples of this; Hyundais are underpriced for how good they are and Mercedes' are overpriced for how good they are.

Being Korean is no longer a bad thing, Daewoo's are now good cars and Hyundai/Kias are the next big force as acknowledged by most big car makers. Once Jap cars carried the reputation that Koreans are now trying to kick.

Because the Koreans still dont make a good car. They might be good quality, semi smooth engine, but its still a league below what the Aussie and Japs offer.

Its just like saying why cant Aussie cars be as expensive as Euro cars, because they arent, simple. You may think aussie cars are as good as a euro, but little things in quality, a slighter smoother engine, a slightly smoother shift it hundreds of millions in development dollars.


well for a 3.2L 6 cylinder to pull around over 1.7T it would need to work a bit, im not a pro but thats what im thinking here, and the fact that its also 4WD isnt helping, you are no longer using 1 diff and 2 wheels, you are driving 4 wheels through 2 diffs.. redbook says it should average 11.5L/100km but that for sitting on the freeway, uninterrupted at 110km/h
my 2001 GEN3 statesman pulls the same weight a little easier but still averages about 13L/100km but thats for city stop-go driving. and it only goes up to about 16L if i get trigger happy
:cussing: is what i'd be saying


yeah but then my friends 5.7L gets about 18 litres per 100kms from highway and peak hour driving. It just all depends on where you live and how much of a lead foot you are.

You really think driving 100kms in Adelaide CBD will give you same millage as 100kms in Sydney CBD??? So if the current commodre is the same weight as your car, has a 3.6L which is .4 l bigger that means it should use the same as your 5.7??? Too many factors involved dude. You can say with a certainty the 3.2 will use less way less that your car on the same trip.

[CAPTIVALX]

[QUOTE=payaya;857817]Because the Koreans still dont make a good car. They might be good quality, semi smooth engine, but its still a league below what the Aussie and Japs offer.


Dont know there a league behind the aussies as my last new ford was a bucket of crap to say the least and so far my captiva is holding it's own. The japs( subaru anyway) have proven the test of time for quality in my house anyway. Only time will tell how far they have come with the captiva.

[Guy Incognito98]

My thoughts on my new Captiva after only a couple of days of ownership.

Good

Looks - with the 18s on the LX and chino paint it looks a million bucks, far more stylish than the dismal Territory.
Gearbox - coming out of a VXII auto the 5 speed with tiptronic (or whatever the Holden marketing wank calls it) is a revelation, smooth and fun to drive using the sequential option.
Interior/equipment - nice place to be, flexible, well built and luxurious with lots of standard stuff. Have even used the third row of seats twice in 3 days of ownership.
The drive - smooth and quiet (well mostly, see below) with natural feeling steering, good ride and the handling on the trip to the south coast from Canberra was nicely controlled.


Bad

The motor - usual whinges about the Alloytec, loud, annoying, buzzy engine note, no guts below 4 grand and not very economical unless cruising.
Left footrest - haven't heard anyone else mention it but I reckon it is an ergonomic disaster. Too narrow and situated way too far to the left so you have to sit with your left leg splayed out uncomfortably, also means your leg is jammed hard up against the the transmission tunnel. Must have been designed by someone with a dislocated left knee that stuck out at a 30 degree angle.
Electric window lockout switch - grasping at straws now, but when it is locked the front passenger can't use their button, would prefer if it only disabled the rear windows.

Overall though am very happy with the car, if you fixed the footrest and put in even the base 3.6 out of a VE Exec (more torque and less flogging the guts out of it for a more relaxing drive and to hopefully improve economy) you would have pretty much the perfect family car.

[CAPTIVALX]

Same as mine( chino,lx) Do you not run the engine in??? Mine has yet to see 3 grand and the power is more than enough so far but havent loaded it with seven yet just four. I'll save the power test untill it is at least 3000klms old.The foot rest is comfortable for me as l like to rest my knee on the tunnel but it needs to be a solid rubber one as i'm tipping i'll wear the carpet out in a few months. My engines buzzy when it first starts then when warm is quite.

[BLQWN]

We have a Territory, and apart from the fuel usage being a bit high, they're a very good car, we use the 7 seater often ferrying children from school and with dvd the kids love it.
It's done 55k and we've had it coming on 2 years, looking into the Captiva atm, so keep this thread going.
cheers

[CAPTIVALX]

Just an update on the first week of lx ownership. Traveled just over 1300 klm's this week and really getting settled into it ( driving position, finding all gadgets, pockets, etc) and so far my only complaint would be the position of the driver's air vent which blows air onto the steering wheel and not your face. Happy with the power, handling, style, quality, fuel economy ( ranges from 8.4 up to 12.8) Reverse camera built into the rear view mirror works magic and l cant wait to get the bluetooth kit fitted at 3000 service. So from me it's a big :yahoo: :thumbsup: :driving: :love: :deal:

[vecommo]

Picked up the new lx tonight on time as promissed by sunbury ford.


You bought a new Captiva from a Ford dealership? Please explain.....

[CAPTIVALX]

You bought a new Captiva from a Ford dealership? Please explain.....

Hahaha sorry i'm a closet ford man and just used to typing ford. It was mantello holden in sunbury.:p

[matthewfnorbert]

captiva looks like a great car, my choice would be diesel if it is the latest genration (aka vw) and i totally agree the koreans are all over the car market now with a great quality product. Kia and hyundai are superpowers in heavy industry and you don't get there with a poor product.

I believe the aussie car makers need to catch up with the koreans based on product range, quality and reliability.

congrats on your new ride

[CAPTIVALX]

Almost talking to myself in this thread. 2 weeks and 2000klms old and the only two complaints l have is a slight rear left suspension creak when travelling under 20 k/h and the steering makes a god awful creaking/crack sound when slight pressue is put on the steering wheel???? Apart from that it is travelling well and i'm still very impressed.:wave:

[CAPTIVALX]

3500klms/ 3 1/2 weeks of ownership and still very happy with my purchase. Has done a few towing trips now with my 1.5 ton tandem work trailer and does a great job. Fuel wise it varies from 9 highway up to about 14.5 when heavy towing which i'm happy with. Only one more minor anoyance to add is a creak coming from the drivers seat springs. Any questions people want to ask??? or any other owners out there with anything to report on there captiva????

[Martin_D]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys....but why would anyone buy a lightly warmed over Daewoo with a Holden badge at a bargain price....and wonder why it had problems?...Maybe go listen to John Lennons "Imagine" and think of a perfect Captiva Cayenne :eek:
Accept it as cheap, unsophisticated and reasonable transport :)

[CAPTIVALX]

Because aussie built crap has taught me to just accept all cars will have trouble and it is what after sales service does to fix them that really counts. Good luck to you if you think your aussie ve is far superiour than my koreon captiva.

Also where in my post was l wondering why, and upset that l have a few very very minor things??? Read it properly and you'll find that i'm very happy with my cheap crap as you put it.

[mac06]

The GMDAT plant in Korea is regarded as the latest and most sophisticated under the GM banner. Most work is done by robots these days, not people. So much for it being "cheap crap" just because it's built in Korea. Much of the input for the Captiva was from Holden (Mike Simcoe) so if it's that bad then Holden must be equally bad. I don't think so.:werd:
Most people I know with Captiva's love them. I don't own one and aren't likely to buy one, but good onya to those who do. You support the Holden brand.;)

[Waughy]

I'm ordering an LX diesel in the next fewweeks, I'll see how it goes once I get it. Have heard the petrol version is a bit thirstier than claimed, both here and in another review, one reason to go the diesel. One other reason I chose diesel, I drove one yesterday and it drives very much the same as thepetrol version, not as good off themark, but once the turbo kicks in it gets moving. Just read in another post that there's a chip to take it from 110kw to 135, interesting. See how things go once I get into one.

[F6 Hoon]

That fuel economy is high, higher than my LS1, seems to be the trend with SUVs though, Territorys get similar economy.
Glad to hear the other issues are being sorted.
I think you are justified to be pi55ed off with the issues you identified in your original post, keep at the dealer until you are happy.

Yeah my Territory Ghia Turbo is averaging 15.1l/100kms city driving, but I'm pretty sure it's performance is well above a Captiva. It's tuned and boosted up to 15psi. Drives like a rocket. Get's around 9.5-10.5l/100kms freeway/country driving.

Probably as good if not better than the F6 for daily driving/usage and better than a Captiva IMO. Would love a turbo diesel option though.

[Waughy]

The territory was one option for me, but I need 7 seats, and the 3rd row in the territory is shit, can't think of any othewr way to put it. The dealer tried to tell me you could comfortably fit adults in there on a long trip, maybe if they were 4ft tall. The seat cuishion was about 2 inches thick and sat right on the floor. Then you had about 4 inches of floor before it went down to give any sort of leg room, a child up to about 12 years wouldn't be able to comfortably bend thier legs in there.
I sat in the back of the captiva LX, and while I only had about 3 inches between my knees and the seat in front, it was comfortable and not squashy, easily good enough for a trip from Newy to somewhere like Canberra or Port Macquarie, don't kow about any further though. Easily go to QLD with kids in the back, no room issues there.

[CAPTIVALX]

So far my captiva has been very good on petrol as the trip computer has been at 11 lts per hundred on mixed highway and town towing a 7x4 trailer with 5000ltr water tanks and half full of crushed rock so pretty heavy. Just highway without trailer l can see 8 ltrs and the most i've managed has been 15 pulling my tandem scaffold trailer thats around 1600 kg's around town with no highway. The initial fast pick up of the petrol version is what sold it for me and makes towing heavy loads a breeze. The seven seats are excellent compared to all this side of a people mover.

[who_me_?]

The territory was one option for me, but I need 7 seats, and the 3rd row in the territory is shit, can't think of any othewr way to put it. The dealer tried to tell me you could comfortably fit adults in there on a long trip, maybe if they were 4ft tall. The seat cuishion was about 2 inches thick and sat right on the floor. Then you had about 4 inches of floor before it went down to give any sort of leg room, a child up to about 12 years wouldn't be able to comfortably bend thier legs in there.
I sat in the back of the captiva LX, and while I only had about 3 inches between my knees and the seat in front, it was comfortable and not squashy, easily good enough for a trip from Newy to somewhere like Canberra or Port Macquarie, don't kow about any further though. Easily go to QLD with kids in the back, no room issues there.

Well, there may be room in the 3rd row but frankly I don't think it is safe to have anyone in there. No crush space at all with the way that the seatback almost touches the tailgate. I wouldn't knowingly want my child sitting in the back row.

[superoo]

Well, there may be room in the 3rd row but frankly I don't think it is safe to have anyone in there. No crush space at all with the way that the seatback almost touches the tailgate. I wouldn't knowingly want my child sitting in the back row.

I have directly compared the captiva and territory and whilst I think that both 3rd rows could be better, I came to the same opinion. The captiva has a big advantage in that the third row is split folding but it looked like a complete after thought and I just wouldn't feel comfortable having my child sitting there. The backrest of the third row appears flimsy and as mentioned, sits extremely close to the tailgate. The larger sized territory has the advantage in this regard.

[Waughy]

Having seen both in the 7 seat version I don't think the territory is much better if any for space behind the seat. The captiva has room at the bottom of the seat where any impact would push the back of the vehicle inwards. Also the thing has had to pass all the safety regs to be allowed on the road, would the rear seat have not been tested for security in a rear end collision.
Most 7 seat 4WD's are just the same, the extra seats in the back practically sit right against the tailgate, as does the Torago. I can't think of any 7 seater that gives a great deal more room than the captiva, if any more room. The likelihood of a rear end collision isn't much greater than being t-boned, where there's no room between the door and the occupant. I chose the captiva as it felt a hell of alot more comfortable to sit in than the territiry in the 3rd row seat, and as I said before, it must have passed crash testing or it wouldn't be on the road.

[who_me_?]

Having seen both in the 7 seat version I don't think the territory is much better if any for space behind the seat. The captiva has room at the bottom of the seat where any impact would push the back of the vehicle inwards. Also the thing has had to pass all the safety regs to be allowed on the road, would the rear seat have not been tested for security in a rear end collision.
Most 7 seat 4WD's are just the same, the extra seats in the back practically sit right against the tailgate, as does the Torago. I can't think of any 7 seater that gives a great deal more room than the captiva, if any more room. The likelihood of a rear end collision isn't much greater than being t-boned, where there's no room between the door and the occupant. I chose the captiva as it felt a hell of alot more comfortable to sit in than the territiry in the 3rd row seat, and as I said before, it must have passed crash testing or it wouldn't be on the road.

Well, two star rated Barinas are on the road - doesn't make them safe...

http://www.caradvice.com.au/2159/why-you-shouldnt-buy-a-holden-barina/

You can be fairly sure that there have not been any tests done for rear impacts with 7 crash dummies on board a Captiva... And yes, they are probably compariable to many other 7 seaters but that just makes them all unsafe really... Don't let the kids sit back there if there is a 2 row seat available anyway !

[Ghia351]

Having seen both in the 7 seat version I don't think the territory is much better if any for space behind the seat. The captiva has room at the bottom of the seat where any impact would push the back of the vehicle inwards. Also the thing has had to pass all the safety regs to be allowed on the road, would the rear seat have not been tested for security in a rear end collision.
Most 7 seat 4WD's are just the same, the extra seats in the back practically sit right against the tailgate, as does the Torago. I can't think of any 7 seater that gives a great deal more room than the captiva, if any more room. The likelihood of a rear end collision isn't much greater than being t-boned, where there's no room between the door and the occupant. I chose the captiva as it felt a hell of alot more comfortable to sit in than the territiry in the 3rd row seat, and as I said before, it must have passed crash testing or it wouldn't be on the road.
Did you try sliding the Terry's second row seat forward to increase third row seat legroom?

[moose]

Had to travel in a captiva the other day for work, not for the first time, but this time we had to put one of the guys in the third row seat, medium sized bloke. He reckons he was comfortable enough, and he had enough head room. Probably wouldn't want to do interstate travel in it, but for the kids it should be roomy enough.


Well, two star rated Barinas are on the road - doesn't make them safe...

They pass australian standards. Plenty of cars on the road less safe than the barina.

[Abacus]

I have directly compared the captiva and territory ...

But really, what's the point in directly comparing Captiva and Territory. The Territory is just a bigger car. Be kind of like comparing Territory and Pajero - just doesn't make any sense because they are in different markets.

[SV346]

mate the diesel captivas are an absolute shocker up untill about 2000rpm, u could beat it just by running next to it for 15ish metres :p literally, but they are absolutely great after 2000rpm surprisingly they pull hard all the way from 2000 to 500rpm before cut out, tall gearing though 1st is out to 60 - 70 ish? but the gearing doesnt seem to harm it at all because of the torque it makes, impressive car overall, needs a manual!

[superoo]

But really, what's the point in directly comparing Captiva and Territory. The Territory is just a bigger car. Be kind of like comparing Territory and Pajero - just doesn't make any sense because they are in different markets.

Considering Holden's marketing of Captiva, I dare say they think it may be in the same market thus, I thought I would be silly not to compare the two as I am in the market for such a vehicle. My comparison proved you correct - the Territory is larger in pretty much every way and the interior layout for a 3 year old design stacks up very well against the Captiva interior. The Territory costs more but you still get what you pay for.

[Waughy]

mate the diesel captivas are an absolute shocker up untill about 2000rpm, u could beat it just by running next to it for 15ish metres :p literally, but they are absolutely great after 2000rpm surprisingly they pull hard all the way from 2000 to 500rpm before cut out, tall gearing though 1st is out to 60 - 70 ish? but the gearing doesnt seem to harm it at all because of the torque it makes, impressive car overall, needs a manual!

Agree with the slow takeoff, but the one I drove took only about 2 metres before it got going, which it did. Takes off better when you use the sports shift and change manually. Had a tradey in a Turbo diesel Navara have a go at me at a few sets of lights, he was revving and rolling before the lights changed to get a jump, which he did, but the captiva gave it a good run, easily catching up before hitting the speed limit. I don't drive like that all the time, but hey it was a demo car.:)

As for the 3rd row seat and room, it won't be used unless needed, and really, if you're going to be in an accident that's serious enough to injure 3rd row occupants, I don't think it will matter which vehicle you choose, if you're unlucky enough to get hit the damage will be much the same in any of those cars.

[cappy]

:wave: Being an all GM/Holden family, we bought a Captiva just before Xmas.
The only thing that really bugs me is a strong sulphur like smell that fills the cabin from time time, particulalry when excelerating.

Have any of you Captiva owners experienced the same problem ?? (it appaears to be some type of exhaust/cat system issue, but I jsut don't know. Any ideas what the cause may be ???

Hi there,

Yes I have the exhaust prob also!! Have had difficulty finding out if anyone else had the same prob. We took it back to the dealer and they told us it happens with all new cars and will go away. It has gone away abit but is still present on steep climbs or fast excellerating.

Have you had any luck finding out the prob??

Does anyone have problems with driving at night? The lights don't seem to throw far enough making it impossible to see what is coming 10-15 metres in front of you!!

Thanks:love:

[sandmanls1]

looked at the Captiva, Mazda CX7 - looks great but sucks fuel, terribletory, santa fe etc.... Ended up with a Vee Dub Passat Wagon Diesel with the DSG six speed box... Current distance to empty after a drive from geelong is still showing 1020km!! Solid as a bank vault, DSG gearbox is butter smooth, grunty off the line (almost like the old VN V6) and heaps of features. Got an awesome deal and fleet discount from Rex Gorell in Geelong. If you don't need the seven seats etc they are worth a look... Fuel economy 8/9 litres per 100km around town to high to mid five's on the open road and not run in yet. Not being rude how can you pay 47g for a Captiva, the Passat was less than that with leather and sunroof options... Hope you get all your problems sorted.

[Waughy]

looked at the Captiva, Mazda CX7 - looks great but sucks fuel, terribletory, santa fe etc.... Ended up with a Vee Dub Passat Wagon Diesel with the DSG six speed box... Current distance to empty after a drive from geelong is still showing 1020km!! Solid as a bank vault, DSG gearbox is butter smooth, grunty off the line (almost like the old VN V6) and heaps of features. Got an awesome deal and fleet discount from Rex Gorell in Geelong. If you don't need the seven seats etc they are worth a look... Fuel economy 8/9 litres per 100km around town to high to mid five's on the open road and not run in yet. Not being rude how can you pay 47g for a Captiva, the Passat was less than that with leather and sunroof options... Hope you get all your problems sorted.

For me I think that explains it. My quote was for around $46k but that included a heap of extras, side steps, bluetooth kit, tow package and a few more, close to $4k all up. As I said earlier, I didn't like the 3rd row seats in the territory, and speaking to a guy at work with one, they are thirstier than quoted too, around 13-14L/100k. Another guy has just been to Hawaii and bought back a car mag that reviewed a few of the upcoming models, there's a 7 seat CX-9 out there, but it's pretty ugly. The new RAV4 didn't look too nice either, bigger and more squarish around the rear, still not 7 seats though.

[who_me_?]

looked at the Captiva, Mazda CX7 - looks great but sucks fuel, terribletory, santa fe etc.... Ended up with a Vee Dub Passat Wagon Diesel with the DSG six speed box... Current distance to empty after a drive from geelong is still showing 1020km!! Solid as a bank vault, DSG gearbox is butter smooth, grunty off the line (almost like the old VN V6) and heaps of features. Got an awesome deal and fleet discount from Rex Gorell in Geelong. If you don't need the seven seats etc they are worth a look... Fuel economy 8/9 litres per 100km around town to high to mid five's on the open road and not run in yet. Not being rude how can you pay 47g for a Captiva, the Passat was less than that with leather and sunroof options... Hope you get all your problems sorted.

VERY intelligent choice. I am so close to getting one - the only bad thing for me is a lack of ground clearance. Part time AWD would also be good.

I also got a VW Jetta for my partner to replace her TS Astra. You can't get a Astra sedan now and although it was a bit more expensive than some other options, you also get a lot more features. Lovely car to drive and built nice and solid.

A Passat wagon would be such a better choice than many people who insist on buying these SUV's like the Captiva...

[seldo]

Well, there may be room in the 3rd row but frankly I don't think it is safe to have anyone in there. No crush space at all with the way that the seatback almost touches the tailgate. I wouldn't knowingly want my child sitting in the back row.

Too true. I also wouldn't want them sitting in the back seat because they are close to the door in a side impact, nor in the front seat for the same reason....In fact they shouldn't be in a car at all in case the roof caved in in a rollover...
Give me a break... a rear impact is usually the least intrusive of any crash deformation...

[superoo]

For me I think that explains it. My quote was for around $46k but that included a heap of extras, side steps, bluetooth kit, tow package and a few more, close to $4k all up. As I said earlier, I didn't like the 3rd row seats in the territory, and speaking to a guy at work with one, they are thirstier than quoted too, around 13-14L/100k. Another guy has just been to Hawaii and bought back a car mag that reviewed a few of the upcoming models, there's a 7 seat CX-9 out there, but it's pretty ugly. The new RAV4 didn't look too nice either, bigger and more squarish around the rear, still not 7 seats though.

Any vehicle I drive in my lovely slow commute to work will use more fuel than stated on the fuel guide. A very large number of factors affect fuel economy so the stickers are purely a way to make a very (very) rough estimate.

The vee-dub is nice but a passat 5 seater will become a 4 seater once you have two child seats in the back - an issue a few of us here obviously face. I never gave any "SUV" a second thought until I had to consider kids.

I saw the CX-9 at the motor show and it is huge and in my opinion, not the best looking thing.

[Ghia351]

Too true. I also wouldn't want them sitting in the back seat because they are close to the door in a side impact, nor in the front seat for the same reason....In fact they shouldn't be in a car at all in case the roof caved in in a rollover...
Give me a break... a rear impact is usually the least intrusive of any crash deformation...but the most common....

[Black AH CDX]

but the most common....

Actually side on crashes are more common if i recall correctly

[CAPTIVALX]

looked at the Captiva, Mazda CX7 - looks great but sucks fuel, terribletory, santa fe etc.... Ended up with a Vee Dub Passat Wagon Diesel with the DSG six speed box... Current distance to empty after a drive from geelong is still showing 1020km!! Solid as a bank vault, DSG gearbox is butter smooth, grunty off the line (almost like the old VN V6) and heaps of features. Got an awesome deal and fleet discount from Rex Gorell in Geelong. If you don't need the seven seats etc they are worth a look... Fuel economy 8/9 litres per 100km around town to high to mid five's on the open road and not run in yet. Not being rude how can you pay 47g for a Captiva, the Passat was less than that with leather and sunroof options... Hope you get all your problems sorted.

The equivelent passat 4 motion is a heap more than the 47 captiva. Besides the passat bieng a great car and my choice over most new cars it didnt suit my needs. Needed to tow a 1500kg tandem trailer full of scaffold daily with ease, fit the family 2 young kids, 2 dogs and luggage on the weekends and then take me up into the high country and off the beaten track towing my camping trailer on the getaway weekends with dragging it's guts on every rut and rock. Wifes subaru liberty wagon does everything as good as a passat anyway and has awd, leather, and great economy to boot.

[wagnman]

Barina, Captiva, Viva, and now that new mid sized Holden whats its mane? I cant recall.

THEY ARE ALL BLOODY DAEWOO"S! Get over it and realize they are probably over priced from the start. Dont expect Mercedes build quality and performance from a Daewoo!

Im sure the Cappy has loads of good points and as I have never driven or been in one I cant comment on their performance but I for one would not be buying one unless they had been on the market for a few years and have proven them selves.

[HRT 8]

Barina, Captiva, Viva, and now that new mid sized Holden whats its mane? I cant recall.

THEY ARE ALL BLOODY DAEWOO"S!

That ignorance. I suppose you call Porsche's VW's and Jaguars Fords too.

Uninformed people should reserve judgment until they sample the goods!!!

[Waughy]

[QUOTE=wagnman;904636]Barina, Captiva, Viva, and now that new mid sized Holden whats its mane? I cant recall.

THEY ARE ALL BLOODY DAEWOO"S! Get over it and realize they are probably over priced from the start. Dont expect Mercedes build quality and performance from a Daewoo! [QUOTE]



Ummm, the Captiva is actually based on a Holden concept displayed at the 2004 motor show, Australian designed and engineered. They are only built in Korea, and since GM bought out Daewoo the factory has been overhauled so what's coming off the line is of better quality than previously, though I will admit I don't like the rebadged Daewoo's being flogged here under the Barina and Astra names. The Euro imports were much better, especially to look at.

I've driven the Captiva about 4 times now, the most recent being in the diesel version and I don't mind it at all. It's the one I'll be going for, hopefully lease paperwork will be approved and the order placed in the next 3 weeks or so. spoke to the dealer today and it could be up to 3 months before it would turn up after ordering, unless you're lucky and what you want is already in country and unsold.

[Mikhael]

The Captiva's are selling up a storm as well.

995 sales in April '07 a new record.

And just under 150 sales behind Territory for the month which was the top selling SUV in April '07.

And the Captiva diesel models have just arrived, this should kick sales along nicely. :thumbsup:

Could the Captiva, very shortly become Australia's top selling SUV ?


How f..king funny would that be LMAO, it would certainly put egg on the faces of the knockers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[V-Car]

Ummm, the Captiva is actually based on a Holden concept displayed at the 2004 motor show, Australian designed and engineered. want is already in country and unsold.

I think thats stretching the truth a little.
The Captiva is based of the older 'Theta' platform that first appeared in 2002 in the Saturn Vue, and was first shown as the S3X concept at the 2004 Paris Motor Show.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Theta_platform
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Captiva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Antara

Holden would like us to believe that they designed and developed it, but in reality its greatest input is probably that they supply the GM designed and Holden built 2.4 and 3.2 engines.
It was a Global GM product designed at Incheon that various GM divisions helped develop.

[wagnman]

HE! HE!:demon:
Stirred you up with the Daewoo comments hey?
I think that if you have actually researched into what you want your new car for, and have had a look at all your options in the price range you are willing to pay for said new car, you should be happy with what you bought no matter what badge it has on it!

[Ghia351]

How f..king funny would that be LMAO, it would certainly put egg on the faces of the knockers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not really, it's still very new to the market whereas the sales leader has been out since '04 and not due for replacement until early '09. Holden hasn't had a "high-body" family sized AWD since the Jackeroo which sold in double and then single digits near it's end and so many "Holden" fans are now switching to the Captiva especially where the current Commodore wagon is seen as maybe too big and near the end of it's model cycle. The real test is to see how many conquest sales from other brands the Captiva has won over because once the "brand loyal" customers dry up then the real marketing hard work is needed.

[Waughy]

Ok, so it looks as though I may not have had all the right information, so I stand corrected. But I was right in saying it's not a rebadged Daewoo like the Barina and Astra. Sorry if I seemed a bit touchy wagnman, it was one of those days. Other than the Captiva, the only other decent rebadged something else that Holden has released IMO is the Frontera. Made by Isuzu they're a pretty good car, not sure about the V6 version as I only had the 4cyl, but it was a nice car, plenty of features, comfy and drove well. Only sold it as it was impracticle at the time. If they came in 7 seats.........

[payaya]

That ignorance. I suppose you call Porsche's VW's and Jaguars Fords too.

Uninformed people should reserve judgment until they sample the goods!!!

But the Captiva started off as a Daewo, other manufactuers have very little in common.


Considering Holden's marketing of Captiva, I dare say they think it may be in the same market thus, I thought I would be silly not to compare the two as I am in the market for such a vehicle. My comparison proved you correct - the Territory is larger in pretty much every way and the interior layout for a 3 year old design stacks up very well against the Captiva interior. The Territory costs more but you still get what you pay for.

I still find it funny Holden did market the Captiva next to the Ford. Whats stopping ford now from releasing a commercial stating their escape is 30% better on fuel than the Captiva?? Or Ford releasing the Mondeo and comparing it to the Commodore.

Also the comparison with fuel enconomy from different owners with the same car is sort of pointless. One person may 20% better fuel economy than the other, but I can guarantee you, city driving with in Melb and Syd would mean more petrol than say Perth or Adeliade.


Hi all, thought I would give you my oppinion on my Captiva. I took delivery of my CX Captiva in mid Nov and cannot be any happier with the car.

Overall I have not had any quality problems with the car and have used the car for all types of situations including towing a boat, carrying 7 adults on short trips as well as the normal day to day taxi schedule with the kids. The Captiva is so flexible and it's interior packaging is best in class.

For a car that is priced at mid 30's to low 40's it's hard to beat. The japs charge you this much for 4 cyl plastic rubbish and the locals want to charge an extra 10-15 grand on top.

The main reason for my message is regarding fuel consumption. I find it difficult to believe anyone can complain about fuel consumption when their car has not been driven in. Even modern day engines need km's to settle in. My car has just completed 9,000kms and I am really starting to see the fuel economy differences.

We recently took the Captiva on an interstate trip with an estimated 500kg of luggage and passangers. I averaged between 9.75l/100km to 10.75l/100km. I thought this was awsome considering the weight in the vehicle and the types of roads we encountered. The car did not skip a beat and kept up with a 5.7ltr Commodore that was leading with ease.

A Territory that was also part of the convoy averaged 14.1l/100km!!!

Around town I average aroud 12.5l/100km - 13.5l/100km which is very acceptable. I averaged around the same in a VZ SV6 so go figure.

You also made the comment about your wifes driving habits and how she is not a lead foot. This may be true, but does not mean your wife is using excessive fuel to get to the speeds she does.

For excample my wife always uses more fuel than I do because she always accelerates from start positions hard for some reason.

Captiva's pedal and launch feel is very aggressive. It means you can launch off at the lights very easily. I think you and your wife may be getting caught out here and accelerating too hard too fast ALL the time!

So, what I would say is 1: be patient and allow your engine to work itself in and 2: look at your driving techiques partuculary at stop/start traffic.

Cheers

The others charge more because they arent made in Korea! Sorry had to say it

[V-Car]

I like your logic papaya! :thumbsup:

As good as the Captiva may be, i think credit should be given where due now.
For Ford Australia to design and produce a vehicle such as Territory on their own with the resouces they had, and for the price they sell it at, against a much newer (smaller) vehicle thats built in high volume in a low cost manufacturing country, shows just what good value the Territory really is.
I wonder just how much (or how little) Holden really land them here for?

Due to marketing hype and brand loyalty, most Holden buyers in Australia have no idea that apart from Commodore, everything else they buy is a rebadge of something else from somewhere in the GM world.
Long gone are the days of 'Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars'.

[Guzzles]

Ok, so it looks as though I may not have had all the right information, so I stand corrected. But I was right in saying it's not a rebadged Daewoo like the Barina and Astra. Sorry if I seemed a bit touchy wagnman, it was one of those days. Other than the Captiva, the only other decent rebadged something else that Holden has released IMO is the Frontera. Made by Isuzu they're a pretty good car, not sure about the V6 version as I only had the 4cyl, but it was a nice car, plenty of features, comfy and drove well. Only sold it as it was impracticle at the time. If they came in 7 seats.........

The Astra isn't a rebadged Daewoo. It's a rebadged Opel made in Europe not in Korea. Maybe you meant the Viva?

[Waughy]

My mistake if I'm wrong. I was sure I had heard both the Barina and Astra were no longer imported from Europe.

[Black AH CDX]

My mistake if I'm wrong. I was sure I had heard both the Barina and Astra were no longer imported from Europe.

You should listen more closley in class :p

Barina is no longer Euro, it was replaced by a rebadged/slightly re-enginered version of the Daewoo Kalos.

The Viva was introduced to sit between Barina and Astra and is rebadged/slightly re-enginered Daewoo Lacetti.

The Astra is still a Rebadged Opel Astra.


And the Frontera was hardly decent, against its competitors it was a bucket of crap on wheels.

[CapLX]

Hi there,


Does anyone have problems with driving at night? The lights don't seem to throw far enough making it impossible to see what is coming 10-15 metres in front of you!!

Thanks:love:

Gday

I have just knocked up 15000ks on out LX - so it's well travelled and 'worn in'. I haven't had the same probs with the lights - but I do wish the drivers spot lights were projected a little further out forwards and to the sides of the roads. But the spot/drivers lights that come with the LX make seeing 10-15 metres in front of you very clear - if you don't have them maybe they will help you (assuming your current lights are set properly to start with).

As we book the car in for the 15k kms these are the small teething problems experienced.

1) drivers seat electronic adjustment not working properly
2) the bumper protector issue still NOT resolved (I wrote about this a couple months back) - though Holden have fixed the damaged caused from the 1st poor design. But I now have a $280 bumper protector sitting in the garage collecting dust.:bash:
3) "white" patches appearing on the leather which wont clean off with leather cleaner? not sure what it is but it's random and doesn't appear to be a simple "spill" from kids grubby fingers. Anyone else having this trouble?

Some other observations of mine about the Cappy that you might be interested in:
1) Understeer - but you get that from SUVs I guess - just wish it was a little better than what it is.
2) Good fuel econ considering size - at 11.5-12.5 around town, 9 on the highways. (took 3 adults with golf gear and trimmings from ACT to Nelsons Bay - averaged 10ltrs/100km)
3) The 3rd row has been good, even for medium adults, great to separate waring siblings at times - plus super handy for school bus and taking a crowd to the footy (1 driver to 6 dinkers!)
4) AM station reception interfered with by tinting on the window panel holding antenae
5) engine a bit gutless when you need the getup and go - 3.6 would have been nice - but 3.2 ovbercome a bit by using tiptronic "actively".:driving:

All round good car - that suits a family with kids.:):yup:

I've stilll not been "offroad" with it (just mucked around with the descent control on a steep sealed firetrail - which worked really well) - so I would be really interested to hear from anyone who's used their Cappy for soft "offroad" on beaches/dirt trails/water crossings/snow - whatever...ie any hassles? limitations? get stuck? or just wasn't secure in "dicey" conditions?

Thanks

[CAPTIVALX]

Great post caplx. Agree with all your point's made and my fuel economy is the same as yours. Interesting the point you made about white patches on your leather as i noticed that on my drivers seat base and bottom of the back rest. Just presumed it was due to my dirty work clothes rubbing but now i'll have to investigate further. No other white patches but no one else hardly ever get's in the other seats. Also rear protecter do you mean the chrome bumper piece that protects the loading area as mine was replaced today due to it lifting slightly. Had an issue with the steering rack that i'll let you know about when i find out tommorow what the outcome and cause was.Went camping and soft roading in the mud trails the other week and handled it great. Had the traction light flashing a bit but never saw the awd light flash. Bottomed out on a few deep water ruts ( trailer not car)but the captiva just pulled the trailer out with no fuss.All up towing a camping trailer the engine performance was fine but you definatly need to use the tiptronic to keep the car moving.

[Haze_V8]

VERY intelligent choice. I am so close to getting one - the only bad thing for me is a lack of ground clearance. Part time AWD would also be good.

I also got a VW Jetta for my partner to replace her TS Astra. You can't get a Astra sedan now and although it was a bit more expensive than some other options, you also get a lot more features. Lovely car to drive and built nice and solid.

A Passat wagon would be such a better choice than many people who insist on buying these SUV's like the Captiva...

I posted earlier on in this thread after starting out looking at the Captiva and SUV's in general to suite the needs of my wife and I. And then we found the Passat.

It ticks almost all the boxes and is a great looking ride. I have read a few negative things about the VW build quality recently and wanted to know peoples thoughts. Also any feedback on the 2.0 FSI vs the Diesel version.

Cheers!

[V-Car]

engine a bit gutless when you need the getup and go - 3.6 would have been nice - but 3.2 ovbercome a bit by using tiptronic "actively".:driving:

Shame it cant be had with the 190kw VVT 3.6 and 6 speed auto that its twin, the Saturn Vue has.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/112_0707_2008_saturn_vue

[CAPTIVALX]

Shame it cant be had with the 190kw VVT 3.6 and 6 speed auto that its twin, the Saturn Vue has.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/112_0707_2008_saturn_vue


I'd much prefer they squeezed in a nice 6.0ltr ls2 thanks. Initial take off is excellent it's only about 100-120kays when the auto is stuck between not wanting to drop down 2 shifts and rev over 4500 and only wanting to drop 1 shift and rev at 2500 that is the problem. Any where else the power is ample.

[who_me_?]

I posted earlier on in this thread after starting out looking at the Captiva and SUV's in general to suite the needs of my wife and I. And then we found the Passat.

It ticks almost all the boxes and is a great looking ride. I have read a few negative things about the VW build quality recently and wanted to know peoples thoughts. Also any feedback on the 2.0 FSI vs the Diesel version.

Cheers!

The Turbo Petrol only has a standard Auto whereas the TDI has the (Good) DSG box. Also note that there is a new TDI on the water (on the way) with 125Kw. If you do more than 5000kms a year, I would go TDI...

Our Jetta (Mexican build) has been built well and seems nice and solid. Some of the Golfs (South African) had a bad reputation but Passats have now been in production for a while now and are built in Germany so I reckon they should be OK...

[CapLX]

. Also rear protecter do you mean the chrome bumper piece that protects the loading area as mine was replaced today due to it lifting slightly. Had an issue with the steering rack that i'll let you know about when i find out tommorow what the outcome and cause was.

Went camping and soft roading in the mud trails the other week and handled it great. Had the traction light flashing a bit but never saw the awd light flash. Bottomed out on a few deep water ruts ( trailer not car)but the captiva just pulled the trailer out with no fuss.All up towing a camping trailer the engine performance was fine but you definatly need to use the tiptronic to keep the car moving.

Thanks CaptivaLX - great to know that it handles ok in soft-roader situations. (i thought the AWD light only flashed when it was not working - or is that when it's a solid light? I'll have to check the manual).

As to the "protector" - I was refering to the Bonnet protector...not the bumper protector that I wrote! sorry about that.


Shame it cant be had with the 190kw VVT 3.6 and 6 speed auto that its twin, the Saturn Vue has.



I agree V-Car, thanks for the link - very interesting. Sometimes Holden do weird things - but there must have been a reason why they down-graded their 3.6 from the VZ/VE to just a 3.2 for the Captiva? I suspect they were worried about the extra fuel consumption it would bring (but I'm sure with different gear rations etc the negine wouldn't need to work as hard at times as the 3.2 does) and they wanted to stay below the thirsty Territory.

I'm sure the yanks put it in theirs Vues cause they don't care too much for fuel consumption when their fuel prices are cheap when compared to the rest of the world (ours is too when compared to Europe).

But now that I have one with the 3.2 - I would have loved the extra grunt the 3.6 would have given - especially on inclines.

[payaya]

Thanks CaptivaLX - great to know that it handles ok in soft-roader situations. (i thought the AWD light only flashed when it was not working - or is that when it's a solid light? I'll have to check the manual).

As to the "protector" - I was refering to the Bonnet protector...not the bumper protector that I wrote! sorry about that.



I agree V-Car, thanks for the link - very interesting. Sometimes Holden do weird things - but there must have been a reason why they down-graded their 3.6 from the VZ/VE to just a 3.2 for the Captiva? I suspect they were worried about the extra fuel consumption it would bring (but I'm sure with different gear rations etc the negine wouldn't need to work as hard at times as the 3.2 does) and they wanted to stay below the thirsty Territory.

I'm sure the yanks put it in theirs Vues cause they don't care too much for fuel consumption when their fuel prices are cheap when compared to the rest of the world (ours is too when compared to Europe).

But now that I have one with the 3.2 - I would have loved the extra grunt the 3.6 would have given - especially on inclines.

Think about it, did holden design the captiva for Australia or did GM design it for the world???

Think about holden attempts at a 4WD. There was only a V8 option. The captiva was never designed for the aussie market im guessing as our market is so small its not worth it. Think about vehicles of similar size the run the same sort of engines.

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

Captiva is more Jap, everything more on a smaller level.

[who_me_?]

Think about it, did holden design the captiva for Australia or did GM design it for the world???

Think about holden attempts at a 4WD. There was only a V8 option. The captiva was never designed for the aussie market im guessing as our market is so small its not worth it. Think about vehicles of similar size the run the same sort of engines.

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

Captiva is more Jap, everything more on a smaller level.

Uh ?

Holden did put a V6 in the Adventra - it wasn't V8 only. Not a great seller but at least get your facts straight !

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

You don't seriously think that BMW changed the front suspension on the new X5 just because the Territory had a variation do you ? - Don't kid yourself ! :limpy:

[Ghia351]

Uh ?

Holden did put a V6 in the Adventra - it wasn't V8 only. Not a great seller but at least get your facts straight !

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

Iou don't seriously think that BMW changed the front suspension on the new X5 just because the Territory had a variation do you ? - Don't kid yourself ! :limpy:
i think the more correct statement would be BMW made an improvement to their front suspension design for the '07 X5, which apart from the more expensive materials involved is now almost identical in design to the Territory front. Not surprising really as Ford had one of the first X5's imported into Australia while R&Ding the Terry and so took a cheaper option and then improved on it which now appears in the 2007 X5. Could it not be plausible that two groups of world-class engineers came up with the same result only the Aussie group won the race....

[CapLX]

Terry and so took a cheaper option and then improved on it which now appears in the 2007 X5. Could it not be plausible that two groups of world-class engineers came up with the same result only the Aussie group won the race....

Good to see you're sticking by the brand you adore so much - as I am, hence my purchase of my HOLDEN Captiva (yeah yeah we know - it's really korean blah blah blah...I'm pretty much over that chesnut in this forum). But if I had my choice I'd much rather park the X5 in my driveway than the territory - regardless of who's front end is proclaimed to be on it. X5 looks better and the quality far outshines ford (as does the cost of course!). Myth has been "BUSTED" - not plausible!:woot:

[Waughy]

You should listen more closley in class :p

Barina is no longer Euro, it was replaced by a rebadged/slightly re-enginered version of the Daewoo Kalos.

The Viva was introduced to sit between Barina and Astra and is rebadged/slightly re-enginered Daewoo Lacetti.

The Astra is still a Rebadged Opel Astra.


And the Frontera was hardly decent, against its competitors it was a bucket of crap on wheels.

Must have bought a lemon, ours was great.

Getting closer to the Captiva now, going the Diesel LX in Granada black.

[mac06]

Had a drive of the Captiva diesel the other day and was pleasantly surprised how well it drove. Other than a second or two before the turbo kicks in, it drives well for a small 2.0L diesel. Enough power for what it is intended for IMO.

[Ghia351]

Good to see you're sticking by the brand you adore so much - as I am, hence my purchase of my HOLDEN Captiva (yeah yeah we know - it's really korean blah blah blah...I'm pretty much over that chesnut in this forum). But if I had my choice I'd much rather park the X5 in my driveway than the territory - regardless of who's front end is proclaimed to be on it. X5 looks better and the quality far outshines ford (as does the cost of course!). Myth has been "BUSTED" - not plausible!:woot:
Errr...compare the suspension designs as Wheels did and then unbust you're myth....why is it Holden can be (rightly) credited with designing a world class VE platform and Ford can't be credited with a simple yet very well designed front suspension that is almost identical to the new BMW design..I never said BMW copied Ford, rather two sets of engineers came up with the (now) same design except the local boys did it first...this is not badge loyalty it's simple fact...you obviously watch Mythbusters, (great show as well)...and my purchase of a non-Ford vehicle for work at a considerable premium I think demonstrates that I do buy on product and not badge.

[Waughy]

Had a drive of the Captiva diesel the other day and was pleasantly surprised how well it drove. Other than a second or two before the turbo kicks in, it drives well for a small 2.0L diesel. Enough power for what it is intended for IMO.

Exactly how I found it when I test drove the diesel. Next to no guts for a second or two then it's off. Other than takeoff I found it drove pretty much the same as the petrol version, relatively quiet and good throttle response.
And with the reported chip to take it to 135kw, it could be more enjoyable. Supossedly there's still plenty ofroom for improvement after the chip as well. Will be interesting to find out more.

[seldo]

Uh ?

Holden did put a V6 in the Adventra - it wasn't V8 only. Not a great seller but at least get your facts straight !

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

You don't seriously think that BMW changed the front suspension on the new X5 just because the Territory had a variation do you ? - Don't kid yourself ! :limpy:
At risk of getting shot down because I can't be bothered reading the 160+ posts that came before this, it should be noted that the Adventra and the X5 have exactly the same transfer case sourced from Dana in the USA. It's also quite possible that this is also common to the Territory and Captiva and it's quite possible/likely that this the issue at hand. I guess that there are not a lot of drive-line component manufacturers able to supply a proven reliable component like this capable of handling the torque of this size engines at a sensible price and also small/light enough to fit within the limited confines of a soft-roader...

[Waughy]

Looking at this thread: http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=29604
Would have been nice if Captiva scored those lights and wheels, I think they look pretty good.

[Holden Man]

Think about it, did holden design the captiva for Australia or did GM design it for the world???

Think about holden attempts at a 4WD. There was only a V8 option. The captiva was never designed for the aussie market im guessing as our market is so small its not worth it. Think about vehicles of similar size the run the same sort of engines.

Ford followed a more Euro trend with their Territory. BMW in the latest X5 copied the front setup of the Territory, thats how smart the territory was.

Captiva is more Jap, everything more on a smaller level.

At least it was a better 4WD for off road than the Territory.

[Haze_V8]

I started reading this thread 90% sure of purchasing a Captiva, but as I discovered, there is a big variety of cars out there!

This may be a little off topic but wanted to briefly share my new car buying experience.

Looked mainly at SUV's as they seemed to fit the purchasing criteria and test drove CX-7, Captiva, Outlander, Compass and Tribecca, taking much time to research each of them.

The conclusion was of this lot, the Mitsubishi Outlander was by far the best quality and match of our requirements - with the Captiva finishing dead last (each of the cars we tested, in every variant all had quality issues and the sales person... well.... let's just say they didn't help the experience).

I then discovered the VW Passat wagon and it is a pretty nice set of wheels (apart from the interior which is pretty ordinary). After weeks of research and test driving my wife and I tried to buy a Passat2.0 FSI Wagon only to be confronted by the worst service I can remember (with Qantas and Telstra being two notable exceptions!) at not one, but three different dealers.

We left not feeling very comfortable handing over such a large amount of cash to such idiots and visited a Saab dealer. Second to none service, cut us an excellent deal on a 9-3 Sportcombi wagon and we are very happy with the purchase. The car is great (a little underpowererd perhaps, but everyting is compared to the Monaro) and it 100% suits our needs.

Really the best advice I can give after my experience is to do your research and trust your gut instinct when you buy - if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't the right purchase for you.

[Holden Man]

....., cut us an excellent deal on a 9-3 Sportcombi wagon and we are very happy with the purchase. The car is great (a little underpowererd perhaps, but everyting is compared to the Monaro) and it 100% suits our needs.

Really the best advice I can give after my experience is to do your research and trust your gut instinct when you buy - if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't the right purchase for you.

Nice car ! (I do like the look of them)

Great to see that you considered a station wagon as well as all the "trendy" SUV's out there.

A station wagon can offer more space, safer, better handling (than suv) and can chew less juice / yet wagons are not that popular - WHY ?

Bring on the VE diesel wagon I say !!

[Ghia351]

A station wagon can offer more space, safer, better handling (than suv) and can chew less juice / yet wagons are not that popular - WHY ?
The psychology of sitting higher and the feeling of greater safety while up there has taken over...plus how many ever do more then a round the block roadtest to even discover anything else..?

[Waughy]

I'm mainly going for the Captiva as I need 7 seats but don't want a full blown 4WD such as a Prado for example, nor do I want anything like a Torago or Carnival. From what I looked at I liked the Captiva the best. I'm currently driving a VZ wagon that I'm more than happy with, but not enough seats, and the kids are too old for a dicky seat which has a 40kg limit, wouldn't get much use from it. Far from impressed with the territory's 3rd row, that's why it's out, not a bad vehicle otherwise, a diesel version would sell well I feel.

[CAPTIVALX]

I think we need to start up another thread for all those people that dont want a captiva to gather and tell each other about all the other great cars and why there better cause it's getting a bit boring reading all the crap. IF YOUR NOT INTERESTED IN A CAPTIVA GO ELSEWHERE. I'd love to see a 9-3 saab take a nice holiday up to the high country and survive all the great track's and river crossing's with a full load and trailer( you'd wouldnt get off the bitumin). The wife's liberty is a great wagon but doesnt have the ground clearence/ decent set of seven seats/ enough on the tyre sidewall/ v6 engine for decent towing capacity all which aid in making weekend getaway's that l partake in at least monthly, an easy enjoyable experience. Just to add took my captiva down a proper 4wd track up the grampians on the weekend and crossed a few deep and slippery river crossings and muddy climbs which had me in a few sidewards steering lock up's scrambling for traction and never got stuck. Found on the slippery stuff your best to turn esp off as it tried too hard to keep you straight and just slow's momentum. Cant wait for my next adventure as i'm still highly "captivated"

[HSVMAN]

The psychology of sitting higher and the feeling of greater safety while up there has taken over...plus how many ever do more then a round the block roadtest to even discover anything else..?

I can tell you that a Captiva is one hell of lot better in terms of handling and safety than a VZ wagon or any other wagon that doesnt have the crash avoidance technology for that matter. They are very stable in adverse conditions as I found out when someone did a U turn in front of me.

[parso33]

G'day, I purchased a Captiva LX Petrol about 4 months ago. It's Travelled about 4000km now and I get between 12.0 and 12.5lt per 100kms. It's a mix of City and Country driving. I have been totally suprised how good it's been . I was expecting problems as it is a Daewoo product I am still waiting for the rattles & squecks but they have not arrived yet. So far so good. Before this I had a 2001 Merc 4x4 ML430 and was sorry to see it go but wanted something under Warranty as things started to go wrong after 120,000km. Believe it or not I actually prefer to drive the Captiva. The only thing I would like to be improved is the option of a reverse camera (trying to get one fitted) at the top of the console under the climate control and also it feels like it there is a little bit of a flat spot betwwen 2000rpm & 3000rpm unless you really kick it in the guts.

[CAPTIVALX]

Welcome parso glad to hear your happy. Mines got an after market reverse camera that replace's the rear view mirror and is brilliant especially for backing back onto my trailer tow ball. (at least twice daily )Save's dreaded hit's to the bumper. Just an update on mine now it's just had its 15,000 klm service, fuel economy is around 13-14 ltrs which l think is brilliant for towing a tandem trailer all day and always sticking the boot in. Engine and drivetrain have been top class and works well getting me in and out of muddy paddocks and slippery hills. Interior plastics and leather are holding up well also considering the condition muddy work clothes and boots turn it into with only the silver highlights showing light scratches. Only complaint that l would change is a softer leather would be good.
Problems fixed so far have been lhs exhaust tip out of alignment , rear step garnish lifting, new steering column. So far i'd rate my captiva an 8/10 and have been extreemly impressed with it.

[Big_Valven]

I did about 500kms of driving in a Captiva, I also was shocked by the fuel consumption. Averaged approx 9-10L/100km on the FWY. City driving i was trying very hard to be as gentle as possible on the throttle, averaged approx 12-13L/100km. Only managed to get 410km from a full tank and the low fuel light was on.

Overall, i reckon it handles really well for an SVU, well built, no issues apart from fuel consumption and it looks pretty good :)

you can't say that's good fuel consumption at all eh, my 2002 VXII exec 3.8L, unmodified, consistently does 8.5l/100km on the highway (I once recorded 8.7l/100km on a 300km trip, all done at 150km/h! that's frugal!) I cane it around the city, regular acceleration to 5000rpm in 1st, and I haven't done worse than 15l/100 on a tank. I record highway and city driving seperate, I never mix the two.

[CAPTIVALX]

You also cant carry seven people, go off the beaten muddy tracks, tow anything decent without chewing out your rear tyres, ect....Mine also gets down to 8's just highway so whats your point got to do with captiva's????? :confused:The vx threads might be more suited to you bragging rights

[V-Car]

Wow! 13 pages about Captiva's.

Maybe owners need their own Daewoo sub-forum on here? :yahoo:

[CAPTIVALX]

Wow! 13 pages about Captiva's.

Maybe owners need their own Daewoo sub-forum on here? :yahoo:


Daewoo,chev,opel,holden call it whatever you like but i'll call it what it is and has been so far and that's "BRILLIANT" and also very "WELL BUILT". So i guess that "BABY I'M READY TO BL#W":party:

[aydayd]

My CaptivaLT is 2.0lt diesel, brand is chevrolet but the car is same. :)

- I received the p/steer hose letter.
- Door problem is same, door mechanism will be changed.

Now, the fuel issue.
I accept car is heavy and AT gearbox so my fuel avg. is 9.5-11lt/100km depends on the traffic. But my old car is a Ford C-max and my consumption is avg. 5.5-6.5lt/100km on the same traffic. Some ECU software upgrade seems needed.

[morz]

gday fellow members,

I strolled across this site and decided to become a member whilst looking for fellow captiva owners.

About 6 weeks ago I purchased a top of the range Captiva Maxx, beautiful looking car inside and out. I purchased this car based on the ADR fuel rating, in comparison to other cars within its range it was appealing. The fuel rating was 11.6lt per 100km, I am very disappointed with my purchase as im a averaging around 16 -17lts per 100kms and getting around 330 - 370km per tank.
I have taken the car to the dealer on numerous occaisions and they have agreed with me that it seems excessive. They conducted numerous test and are telling me that the car is running as it should be. Is this the norm with the captiva's or have I purchased a dud. A rep from GM told me that is was due to my driving habbits, which i beleive is a cop out considering it's my wifes car, I was also told that the fuel consumption would drop by time the car reaches 10,000 km...as it has to run in, Its a long way away considering it only has 1500kms on the clock, Im the one that has to fuel it Holden should be assisting as it is getting no where near their advertised fuel rating.

More accurate test should be conducted so as the consumer is aware of the cars performance prior to purchase. I will be taking this issue further as Im not happy with Holdens response to my issue.

Has anyone put close to 10,000km on there captiva, and if yes has the fuel consumption become more economical.
Holden need to take this issue serious otherwise the captiva will end up like the adventurer a failure

[Marco]

morz, what sort of driving have you/your wife been doing with it? 16-17l/100km does seem on the high side (as in, I get far better than that out of a VE SS driving around Canberra).

The fuel consumption labels are notorious for underestimating your actual consumption, though, especially if you do mostly city/suburban driving as opposed to freeway or country work.

[Guy Incognito98]

Morz, have just passed 10,000k in our Captiva LX. While I find the fuel economy a touch disappointing compared to our previous Commodore wagon (who said the Ecotec was a dud motor?) it is nowhere near as bad as 16-17 l/100km. I can't say there is any difference in economy from when it was new to now, driving around the Canberra suburbs it has always got about 13.5 to 14, and driving it hard or easy seems to make minimal difference. However it does improve markedly when cruising, around 10-11 l/100 km.

16-17 definitely seems excessive, unless you pull six and half grand in every gear every time you drive it and from my experience I see no reason why it would improve by itself. As much as it must be frustrating I reckon you might have to keep hassling them to see if they can fix it.

[CapLX]

Morz, I can re-iterate "Guy Incognito98" fuel usage.. I also get that sort of economy around Canberra suburbs (sometimes as high as 14 when the lead foot comes out).

Guy Incognito98 (and others) - Just took our Captiva for a bit of a AWD spin around the fire trails near Corin Forest after the recent snow and rain. Some of the trails were quite rough and muddy - not to mention steep when getting near the top of some of the mountains. The Captiva handled it quite well - though got a little out of shape when it got quite muddy. The assisted descent function worked a treat tho - it felt very secure and safe and controlled when coming down off the steepest of dirt/muddy trails. However a few times I lost traction when the tyre tread filled with mud - which unfortunately happened a little too easily with the factory fitted tyres. I would feel confident that the AWD is good in "poor" dirt/mud conditions such as fire trails - but combined that with slopes that are a quite steep then it's a little dicey. Having said that - I look forward to getting out in the bush a bit more to the more secluded places around our beautiful "bush capital".

[sphinx]

Took the LX for a test drive the other day and it seems to go alright. The missus seems to like it and has her heart set on a Chino one. Much better to see what actual drivers of the thing think rather than some motoring journalist.. To steal Mitsu's old ad.. Please Consider...

[Ghia351]

gday fellow members,

I strolled across this site and decided to become a member whilst looking for fellow captiva owners.

About 6 weeks ago I purchased a top of the range Captiva Maxx, beautiful looking car inside and out. I purchased this car based on the ADR fuel rating, in comparison to other cars within its range it was appealing. The fuel rating was 11.6lt per 100km, I am very disappointed with my purchase as im a averaging around 16 -17lts per 100kms and getting around 330 - 370km per tank.
I have taken the car to the dealer on numerous occaisions and they have agreed with me that it seems excessive. They conducted numerous test and are telling me that the car is running as it should be. Is this the norm with the captiva's or have I purchased a dud. A rep from GM told me that is was due to my driving habbits, which i beleive is a cop out considering it's my wifes car, I was also told that the fuel consumption would drop by time the car reaches 10,000 km...as it has to run in, Its a long way away considering it only has 1500kms on the clock, Im the one that has to fuel it Holden should be assisting as it is getting no where near their advertised fuel rating.

More accurate test should be conducted so as the consumer is aware of the cars performance prior to purchase. I will be taking this issue further as Im not happy with Holdens response to my issue.

Has anyone put close to 10,000km on there captiva, and if yes has the fuel consumption become more economical.
Holden need to take this issue serious otherwise the captiva will end up like the adventurer a failure
What's the average speed reading on the trip computer? I'd suggest that anyone that posts their average fuel use include the average speed otherwise it's too difficult to make any sort of comp between cars. Eg one of our cars was showing avg speed 28km/hr and 14.8L/100km (wife driving to CBD from bayside Melb all week in peak hour), after some longer distance driving it then showed 46km/hr and 11.9L/100km.

[CAPTIVALX]

What's the average speed reading on the trip computer? I'd suggest that anyone that posts their average fuel use include the average speed otherwise it's too difficult to make any sort of comp between cars. Eg one of our cars was showing avg speed 28km/hr and 14.8L/100km (wife driving to CBD from bayside Melb all week in peak hour), after some longer distance driving it then showed 46km/hr and 11.9L/100km.



Very wise suggestion there 351. Mine has now got 15,000 kays up and averages 48 km/h at 14.1l but this is done towing a 1500kg tandem scaffold trailer with the wind resistence of a brick 100% of the time. The only thing is though l always use 95 ulp ethanol blend minimun and if not around i'll use 95-98 from other servo's. Never used 91ron.

The Captiva handled it quite well - though got a little out of shape when it got quite muddy. The assisted descent function worked a treat tho - it felt very secure and safe and controlled when coming down off the steepest of dirt/muddy trails. However a few times I lost traction when the tyre tread filled with mud - which unfortunately happened a little too easily with the factory fitted tyres.


Too true about the tyres. Have done the all four wheel sideway's crab crawl a few times in thick mud myself but with a decent set of off road tyres the captiva would be almost unstopable in the light to medium stuff. Great to see your enjoying your captiva off the beaten trck. I havent had a chance to use decent control yet as the wife esp kicks in well before the hill's get too steep.

[CAPTIVALX]

Just found a great new bull bar available for the captiva. Looks very good but not too sure why it covers the front bar as opposed to replacing it. Cant wait for the snorkel to be available and hopefully some other good off road stuff to come on line. Check it out at www.ecb.com.au

[VE Turbo]

Thats right.. i understand it.
But the way it is done is so deceiving it's not funny. In other countries, car makers have to quote 2 figures : Suburban and Highway figures... Much, much more accurate !
For some reason, in Australia they only have to give and average fuel figure which heavily leans in favour of highway driving. Go figure..
So, to get a true idea of fuel consumption for a particular car, you have to do more research and ask more questions.. which defies the prupose of the stickers in the first place which are meant to do the hard work for you.. True ??

I know all this now, because i have done my research. But i didn't know it before i bought my car as i "trusted" the little sticker.. Another deceived joe blow i guess..

In all fairness, i still would have bought the car, but at least i wouldn't have felt " sucked in " so to speak..

Mate, you reckon your Captiva's heavy on the juice.
Friend of mine bought a CX-7 six months ago and it is only just starting
to come down from high 18's.
He spewed when I told him my LS1 gets 13 round town and 8 on the highway.
If I remember correctly, the quoted figure on a CX-7 was 10.5.

[traction]

Pretty much any medium sized SUV will delivery +15l/100km if ave speed is below 30kmh. The lower average speeds suggest the car sits in slow traffic/stop-start traffic/suburban-inner city runs.

I've had a number of different brand SUV's and people movers (Territory, Jackeroo, X-Trail, XC90...) and they all hurt when confined to parent duties in inner-city regions. The Territory and XC90 would get 16's, the Pathfinder 14's etc. It's not so much the car, or even how its driven (doesn't make quite as much difference as people think, within reason), but where it's driven that will determine overall economy.

So as mentioned by others, compare fuel usage against average speed to better understand your vehicle's usage. Captiva's widely varying usage here is no different to user reports on other SUV forums...it's not your car, it's the traffic conditions you drive in!


Just found a great new bull bar available for the captiva. Looks very good but not too sure why it covers the front bar as opposed to replacing it. [/url]

To maintain airbag callibrations, it's a lot cheaper to produce and certify a bar that doesn't replace the original bumper panel.

If the bumper panel is replaced by the new bar, the bar manufacturer should crash-test the product to ensure airbag callibrations remain operational. Think "legal liability and insurance viodance" when shortcuts occur.

[CAPTIVALX]

To maintain airbag callibrations, it's a lot cheaper to produce and certify a bar that doesn't replace the original bumper panel.

If the bumper panel is replaced by the new bar, the bar manufacturer should crash-test the product to ensure airbag callibrations remain operational. Think "legal liability and insurance viodance" when shortcuts occur.[/QUOTE]



Ahh now l understand. It's ashame because you lose alot of the benefit's of the bullbar by leaving a bumper on it ( ground clearence , aproach angle , winch option etc) Hopefuly tjm make a real replacement one soon then.

[Waughy]

About 6 days now til the diesel LX is due, hopefully they won't screw up. Was initially told July 24, then that went to August 5, latest is "it's due to land on the 6th". I was a bit annoyed with another change in date so didn't ask if that was landing off the ship in Sydney, or off the truck at the dealer. I'm not going to bother finding out, I'll wait for he call to say it's ready to be picked up.

Looked at the site with the bullabrs, I only think the 76mm nudge bar looks nice.

[CAPTIVALX]

It's a pain waiting for delivery. Mine came a week early as i told the dealer l didnt care about the colour so he got me which ever he could get quickest. That was chino and it has the reverse sensors already fitted so we split the difference as l already ordered the reverse camera. My previous new car deliveries blew out to 1 month over then the next was a wopping 3 months late so it could be worse. Looking forward to hearing your opinion on the diesel when you pick it up. Which option boxes did you tick???

[Waughy]

Hopefully the date won't change again, it's 4 days til it should be here, in country or at the dealer, then allow a day or 2 for the options. I ticked boxes for: bluetooth, tow kit, side steps, full set of floor mats, bonnet and headlight protectors, front weathershields, front mud flaps, radiator protector thing and bumper protector thing for the boot. Thought about the nudge bar but didn't go for it, maybe aftermarket. A friend of the family is going to tint the windows, he does it on the side and does a terrific job. He did my VZ wagon at a good price so I'll get him to do the Captiva too, should save me a few hundred.

[moose]

snip..Thought about the nudge bar but didn't go for it, maybe aftermarket. ..snip

Keep in mind the airbags and how a bar of any sort will effect them.

[CAPTIVALX]

Any news waughy, would love to see some pics of the options when you get it. Havent seen the side steps on one and i'm interested to see where they fit your blue tooth.

[HSVMAN]

Is everyone aware of the new specs for Captiva? From sep/oct on..
(In addition to current specs)
SX - petrol/diesel
. gets leather steering wheel

CX - petrol/diesel
· Leather Steering Wheel

· Chrome Exhaust Tips

· Front fog lamps

· Charcoal Roof Rails

· Electric Climate Control

· Trip Computer

· Reversing Sensors (rear parking sensors)

LX - petrol/diesel
· Chrome Roof Rails

· Chrome Door Handles

· Indicator on mirrors

· Reversing Sensors (rear parking sensors)

· Twilight Sensor Headlamp Control

Maxx
· 2nd Row Center Armrest

· Chrome Door Handles

· Chrome Exhaust Tips

· Front and Rear Parking Sensors

· Twilight Sensor Headlamp Control

· Cargo Cover (retractable)

· New Trip Computer

[Black AH CDX]

is that only in NZ?

If not then thats great!!!!!!

[HSVMAN]

is that only in NZ?

If not then thats great!!!!!!

Aussie spec which is what we get :)

There's a catch.

Prices have gone up slightly by $500 in NZ which is still great value for what you get. Except perhaps the leather steering wheel in SX.....

[Black AH CDX]

You also have to remember though that when the SX came to market it had 2 airbags, and when Curtains were made standard there was no price rise.


And its about bloody time the MaXX came with trip computer and chrome exhaust tips, why holden left these off from launch is just beyond me.

[Waughy]

Keep in mind the airbags and how a bar of any sort will effect them.

Bad wording, by aftermarket I still meant through the dealer, so a factory item fitted as it should be.

Still no news, it was due with in country or at the dealer on the 6th. I'm going to ring soon to find out what's going on.

[HSVMAN]

A friend of the family is going to tint the windows............. should save me a few hundred.

What does it usually cost to have done?

[CapLX]

What does it usually cost to have done?

It cost me about $240 to have the LX tinted (ACT). I thought that was a good price - and a great job done. Though as a tip - if you're an AM radio fan then I suggest that you don't tint the window panel that has the radio antenna contained in it. The tinting DOES upset receiving AM stations (not FM). I found that the preset AM stations don't receive the signal and I have to adjust up or down by one notch to get the station back...and it will be right (and then some days I don't have to adjust it). Holden blame the tint not the radio. I'm interested to hear if anyone has had this problem if they've had tinting?


I ticked boxes for: bluetooth, tow kit, side steps, full set of floor mats, bonnet and headlight protectors, front weathershields, ..........

I just read your option list. If it's not too late then DO NO GET THE BONNET PROTECTOR UNLESS IT IS A NEW DESIGN (get your money back). I've written about this earlier. The original version (and the only one I know of) is a flawed design - the way it is anchord to the car is a joke. They use good side anchors but the span across the middle between the anchor points is too long and so they double-side sticky tape it to the duco..not clever (cant take it off to clean behind it). In our case the tape worked its way free (at about 100kn/h) after only 2 weeks and flapped about like an injured bird and scratched the bonnet to the s#%house. Holden fixed the damage and told me to leave it off until they get a new design done (we were one of the first to get the overpriced protector). So I have a $290 protector sitting in the garage collecting dust.

My dealer knows all about it and hasn't told me of a new design so i'd be really disappointed if they were still selling this stupid design to its unsuspecting clients.

So best best is to ask your dealer BEFORE they install it if it is a new design or not.

[HSVMAN]

It cost me about $240 to have the LX tinted (ACT). I thought that was a good price - and a great job done. Though as a tip - if you're an AM radio fan then I suggest that you don't tint the window panel that has the radio antenna contained in it. The tinting DOES upset receiving AM stations (not FM). I found that the preset AM stations don't receive the signal and I have to adjust up or down by one notch to get the station back...and it will be right (and then some days I don't have to adjust it). Holden blame the tint not the radio. I'm interested to hear if anyone has had this problem if they've had tinting?

I just read your option list. If it's not too late then DO NO GET THE BONNET PROTECTOR UNLESS IT IS A NEW DESIGN (get your money back). I've written about this earlier. The original version (and the only one I know of) is a flawed design - the way it is anchord to the car is a joke. They use good side anchors but the span across the middle between the anchor points is too long and so they double-side sticky tape it to the duco..not clever (cant take it off to clean behind it). In our case the tape worked its way free (at about 100kn/h) after only 2 weeks and flapped about like an injured bird and scratched the bonnet to the s#%house. Holden fixed the damage and told me to leave it off until they get a new design done (we were one of the first to get the overpriced protector). So I have a $290 protector sitting in the garage collecting dust.

My dealer knows all about it and hasn't told me of a new design so i'd be really disappointed if they were still selling this stupid design to its unsuspecting clients.

So best best is to ask your dealer BEFORE they install it if it is a new design or not.

That is a good price. Only titanium or metalic based tints will effect your radio. Normal tints shouldnt bother it, so check with the people who tinted your car.
Dont know about the bonnet protector - havent seen one, although a couple of after market designs are pretty good and cost half that :)

[Waughy]

Well it's on a lease so I'm not too worried if they fit a dodgy bonnet protector, any issues with it they can sort out. I'll ask about it anyway, mention there's some dodgy ones and see what they say.
That's a good price for tint, sounds like it's a metal film too. I paid $180 to get my VZ wagon done, not sure it it's metal film or not, don't thik it is but it does the job, and the finish is very good (the guy that did it is a pro, just doesn't do it for a living anymore).
Rang the dealer, he said he's put down a delivery date of the 20th but went on to say any day now. It still hasn't been delivered at the dealer so I wouldn't expect anything before the end of next week at the earliest. Have seen one with the sidesteps, they look good.
I also asked about the SEP/OCT update with the extras for each model, he reckons reversing sensors will always be an option and was interested to hear about the twilight sensor for the headlights, wonder if they can be retrofitted to earlier models. Blinkers on the side mirrors are there already. BTW I'm only talking about the LX here as that's what I'm getting. Mine is black so not worried about the roof bars or door handles, I'd want them black anyway.

[CAPTIVALX]

Very interested in the twighlight sensor also. But only if it comes with an auto off when you turn off the car. I've already got reverse sensors and camera also and i'd much prefer my colour coded handles over chrome. My am reception is fine with my tint also. Just clocked up 17,000 and still smooth as silk. The only creak/ rattle comes from where the leather rubs on the plastic at the seat base. Makes an anoying creak.

[teamkiwi]

As HSVMAN mentioned a couple of weeks ago, The Captiva has had an equipment upgrade + a couple of new colours as well as a $1000 increase in price....

www.goauto.com.au

More features, new colours for Captiva

Extra kit: Captiva prices hike by $1000 by the end of this month.

Holden announces more features and colours for Captiva, a day after Prado upgrades

By MARTON PETTENDY 20 September 2007

GM HOLDEN has announced, a day after Toyota released a new entry-level version of its direct Prado rival, that it will beef up the standard safety, convenience and cosmetic features – as well as the prices – of its year-old Captiva SUV range.

Previously a $900 option, side curtain airbags will become standard equipment on the entry-level SX version by the end of September, as part of an upgrade that also brings range-wide price rises of $1000 for the Korean-built mid-size SUV.

Now priced from $35,990 for the 2.0 turbo-diesel manual (plus $2000 as an auto) and $36,990 for the auto-only 3.2-litre V6 petrol, the cheapest SX variants will also score a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

SX aside, the upgrade includes extra equipment like fog lights, a trip computer and climate-control for the mid-range CX, rear parking sensors for the CX and LX, and rain-sensing wipers for the Maxx flagship.

Along with a host of cosmetic updates from later this month, from early November all Captivas except Maxx will be available with a new paint colour palette comprising eight hues, seven of which will be metallic. Metallic paint costs $360 extra (see below for details).

Newly appointed marketing director Philip Brook was less than bullish about the impact Holden expects the upgrade to make on Captiva's less than stellar showroom performance since going on sale here in October 2006.

"Captiva continues to establish its strong position in the medium SUV segment by offering flexibility, performance, value and a very popular turbo diesel option," he said.

"We believe this product is clearly challenging traditional SUV thinking and is a point of difference in the segment.

"We're confident these product changes will boost Captiva's showroom appeal even more and provide customers with increased functionality," said Mr Brooks.

The GM Daewoo-designed Captiva shot immediately to third on the medium SUV sales chart, out-selling Mitsubishi's Pajero, Toyota's Kluger and the Hyundai Santa Fe, and helping reduce the Toyota Prado's segment share this year to 20 per cent and the top-selling Ford Territory's to less than 25 per cent (from 31.2 per cent this time last year).

To August this year, Captiva holds a 14 per cent share of the segment - still more than 10 market share points adrift of Territory, which has found almost twice as many new homes in 2007 (6715 v 11,948).

The Captiva diesel has been a boom seller since joining the line-up in March, when it undercut the Santa Fe CRDi price by about 10 per cent and when Holden forecast it would attract up to 200 sales per month and account for incremental sales of about 20 per cent. Currently, diesel comprises 50 per cent of all Captiva sales.

Last month Holden sold 919 Captivas, while Territory and Toyota's new Kluger notched up 1379 and 1075 sales respectively – both without a diesel representative. The harder-core petrol/diesel Prado was, as usual, the second-best-selling mid-SUV with 1114 sales.

Captiva equipment upgrades in detail:

SX:
• Leather steering wheel
• Curtain airbags (previously a $900 option)

CX:
• Leather steering wheel
• Charcoal roof rails
• Front foglights
• Driver Information Display (incl trip computer, compass and outside temperature)
• Electronic climate-control
• Air quality sensor
• Rear parking sensors
• Chrome exhaust tips

LX:
• Satin silver roof rails
• Chrome door handles
• Rear parking sensors
• Automatic headlights

Maxx:
• Trip computer
• Chrome exhaust tips
• Chrome door handles
• Automatic headlights
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Retractable cargo area cover
• Rain sensing wipers
• Second row centre arm rest/storage box


Revised Holden Captiva pricing:
SX diesel $35,990
SX petrol (a) $36,990
SX diesel (a) $37,990
CX petrol (a) $39,990
CX diesel (a) $40,990
LX petrol (a) $42,990
LX diesel (a) $43,990
Maxx petrol (a) $43,990
Optional metallic paint $360

New paint colours (except Maxx):
Galaxy White (solid)
Black Sapphire (metallic)
Sterling Silver (metallic)
Royal Grey (metallic)
Iceberg Blue (metallic)
Impulse Blue (metallic)
Tornade Red (metallic)
Imperial Blonde (metallic)


I wonder if Holden will follow Daewoos model lupdate and add the new features available on the Winstorm to the Captiva on future models....subtle changes such as mags, chrome highlights around the fog lamps, chrome inserts in bumper, blackened headlights, front parking sensors, clear(altezza style) tail lights, rear spoiler, red leather insert in seats and carbon interior insert. Actually makes it look a tad classer. More images on the gmdat web page....but its a bit of a bit of a mission trying to navigate your way round when every thing is in Korean:D

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/381/capbh9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6273/capinih2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[CAPTIVALX]

Not a bad update for us previous owners as not much has changed. New colours are good and headlights auto will be good if they dont charge to much to fit on mine next service. Should have given the lx more in the interior over cx like std satnav and dvd in the roof .

[Waughy]

Currently they're advertising free sidesteps and DVD. I paid for the sidesteps, might ask about the DVD when it goes in for it's 3k service in about a week. They changed the delivery date on me enough times and did nothing to make up for it. Blackened headlights would be nice, same as on the S3X prototype. Not too concerned about the update, I'm more than happy with what I got.

[v8mumbo]

A Daewoo rebadged as a Holden! Shame, shame, shame!

Boycott the Captiva, make holden produce a proper wagon!

[CAPTIVALX]

Hey v8dumbo i think your boyfriends calling you.:flipoff:

[Marco]

A Daewoo rebadged as a Holden! Shame, shame, shame!

Boycott the Captiva, make holden produce a proper wagon!

Seeing as Holden currently has four wagons in its lineup, I'm sure you'll find a "proper" one that pleases you if you don't like the Captiva...

[Hamico]

A Daewoo rebadged as a Holden! Shame, shame, shame!

Boycott the Captiva, make holden produce a proper wagon!


Don't think anybody is listening to you bro.......

The Captiva is a sell-out !!!!!!!!!!! :flip3:

[Guy Incognito98]

V8mumbo you might fit in better at Ford Forums or caradvice.com where the low IQ brigade hang out. Having got the Captiva to replace a VXII I can tell you there is simply no comparison.

Anyway I really got on to ask about oil, just had the 15,000km service and looking at the receipt the dealer used Mobil 1 oil for the princely sum of $118. Two questions, does the Captiva really need such oil and does the dealer need to charge such a price? Happy to have the engine looked after but it seems like a bit of a ripoff.

[CAPTIVALX]

That is high for oil as they buy in big drums. Normally about 75 for mobil 1 in my experience from dealers. If you only change oil at service i'd be happy with the good stuff. I change mine myself in between at 7500klm and by then semi synth oil in mine is already pretty black.

[HSVMAN]

V8mumbo you might fit in better at Ford Forums or caradvice.com where the low IQ brigade hang out. Having got the Captiva to replace a VXII I can tell you there is simply no comparison.

Anyway I really got on to ask about oil, just had the 15,000km service and looking at the receipt the dealer used Mobil 1 oil for the princely sum of $118. Two questions, does the Captiva really need such oil and does the dealer need to charge such a price? Happy to have the engine looked after but it seems like a bit of a ripoff.

Firstly that individual you addressed is obviously from one of those localities you suggested.

Secondly, that sounds real dear for the oil dude. No they dont need to use M1 either. Remember all the oil problems with LS1's? mobil one being used at run-in. Dont worry yours will be fine but it doesnt need it

I am probably buying a MAXX for the wife myself.

[mariod]

Have just bought Captiva Maxx, having done 3000k I am only getting about 320k per tank, using premium and driving like an old woman. By my calc that works out to 20l per 100.
Do you think i am happy!!! dealers not much help "will improve at 10,000 K apparantly.
love the car apart from above, the fact its the top of range but doesnt have a lot of basic features such as trip comp and even a engine temp gauge.
go figure

[Waughy]

My diesel LX has done just under 5,500k's and I'm beginning to see the economy improve slightly. At first I was getting around 520 per tank, no different than the VZ wagon I replaced it with, thinking I'd do better on fuel. Last tank it was at 600k's and so far, with about 1/4 tank left it looks like it'll go around 600 again before the light comes on. I can feel the motor is starting loosen up, hopefully economy will get a bit better in the next few months. Hopefully you'll see some improvement over the next few tanks.

[chevypower]

considering we were averaging 16-20L per 100km towing 3 horses in a gooseneck trailer with an 04 F350 crew cab with a 6L Powerstroke V8 diesel... 20L per 100 in a Captiva sounds very crappy. Something like that should get about 12

[Black AH CDX]

Have just bought Captiva Maxx, having done 3000k I am only getting about 320k per tank, using premium and driving like an old woman. By my calc that works out to 20l per 100.
Do you think i am happy!!! dealers not much help "will improve at 10,000 K apparantly.
love the car apart from above, the fact its the top of range but doesnt have a lot of basic features such as trip comp and even a engine temp gauge.
go figure

You should have asked for the MY08 MaXX as it has a trip computer, front and rear sensors, auto headlights, auto wipers and some other goodies.

As for the fuel your consumption should lower with time.

[max350]

If I spent 47 grand on a new captiva and was having problems getting the stealers to fix things under the warranty I would be straight off to the depatment of fair trading with my complaints, especially with issues like the door not opening and handbrake not working.

[Waughy]

Have just bought Captiva Maxx, having done 3000k I am only getting about 320k per tank, using premium and driving like an old woman. By my calc that works out to 20l per 100.
Do you think i am happy!!! dealers not much help "will improve at 10,000 K apparantly.
love the car apart from above, the fact its the top of range but doesnt have a lot of basic features such as trip comp and even a engine temp gauge.
go figure


Every car should have a temp gauge, I'm sure there's one there, drove the MAXX when they first come out, can't quite remember off hand now. And no trip computer? In the top of the line model, the LX has those, the MAXX should.

Just did some quick research, it's true, no trip comupter and no temp gauge with the instruments, not too nice of the designers.

[carlos65]

Our LX has done 4000k and uses 16.75l/100 with wife driving and 3 kids.
I can tow a 1500kg camper trailer up the beach with 7 people in my diesel patrol and use less fuel. the dealer has had the captiva for 3 days and put in new softwear but cannot find any problem. The trip computer shows 65 ks to empty but ran out of fuel.the trip computer shows 12.5l/100 but uses 16.5l/100 when you do the simple calculation on filling up. at this rate it will cost an EXTRA $650 every 10,000 k!!!

[Black AH CDX]

The MaXX, being an Opel design would be similar to the AH Astra. No Temp gauge. A light comes on to tell you when you're overheating. Its quite common these days

[Waughy]

Our LX has done 4000k and uses 16.75l/100 with wife driving and 3 kids.
I can tow a 1500kg camper trailer up the beach with 7 people in my diesel patrol and use less fuel. the dealer has had the captiva for 3 days and put in new softwear but cannot find any problem. The trip computer shows 65 ks to empty but ran out of fuel.the trip computer shows 12.5l/100 but uses 16.5l/100 when you do the simple calculation on filling up. at this rate it will cost an EXTRA $650 every 10,000 k!!!

Is that for the diesel? Damn. I get anywhere between about 10.3 and 11.3 as an average, depends on how I drive and the type of driving I do. Mostly it's 80-100 cruising stuff to and from work with some running around. The more "running around" I do the higher the average.

[FLI355]

Wife just bought a new MY08 Captiva LX on Friday, black with DVD, Sunroof, side steps and had the dealer tint the windows and fit black centred (with polished lip) 20s. Should pick it up Saturday. I'm hoping it looks as good in real life as it does in my head :)

[BigFella]

You spent $47k on a daewoo with a Holden badge. Just remember that.
Id feel better spending that on the territory or the kluger. I like the CX7 but that uses way too much fuel and should of had a V6 in it!



Ive even had dealers telling some of my customers it was made in germany lol.
I sent them back and said ask where it is 'built' not designed.
Then told them to go buy the territory or kluger.

[CAPTIVALX]

Id feel better spending that on the territory or the kluger. I like the CX7 but that uses way too much fuel and should of had a V6 in it!



Ive even had dealers telling some of my customers it was made in germany lol.
I sent them back and said ask where it is 'built' not designed.
Then told them to go buy the territory or kluger.


Hey knob some people around here actually like stylish cars not bland toyota's and territories:spew:. And also a lot more technology for the cash. You cant even get active on demand awd on the others for under 45k let alone leather,climate, 18's, dvd, and the list goes on. Shouldnt you be on the civic forum anyway?????

[surfer]

My Captiva is 3.2 V6. I was informed by the dealer that the comsumption will reduce after 9-10 000 km.
My car has run 13 000 but I do not experience any significant reduction.

[Waughy]

Id feel better spending that on the territory or the kluger. I like the CX7 but that uses way too much fuel and should of had a V6 in it!



Ive even had dealers telling some of my customers it was made in germany lol.
I sent them back and said ask where it is 'built' not designed.
Then told them to go buy the territory or kluger.

I went for the Captiva as I wanted 7 seats at the time, the Kluger didn't offer that back then and the third row seats in the territory are a joke, not to mention neither offer diesel.
As for it being a rebadged Daewoo, yes it may be, but it had a lot of input from GM designers, including Aussies, so isn't an all out Korean design like the shitty Barina and Viva, it's a nice car, great for the money.

[Hamico]

I went for the Captiva as I wanted 7 seats at the time, the Kluger didn't offer that back then and the third row seats in the territory are a joke, not to mention neither offer diesel.
As for it being a rebadged Daewoo, yes it may be, but it had a lot of input from GM designers, including Aussies, so isn't an all out Korean design like the shitty Barina and Viva, it's a nice car, great for the money.

Selling up a storm too.

It almost over-took the Territory in sales last month.

[jon69]

Picked One Up (lx V6) 2 Days Ago. Filled The Tank Till The Bowsers 1st Click.95 Ulp. Drove Round Town For The Weekend. After Diong 100 Ks Went Back To The Same Servo And Filled Again Until The Bowsers 1st Click And It Took 14.2 Litres.. Not As Much As I Thought It Would As From Some Of The Posts I Have Read.hwy Driving Should Be Much Better... Trip Comp Seems To Be Fairly Accurate.. I Hope It Gets Better When The Engine Frees Up A Little. At The Moment There Is 115 Ks On Odometer.. Everything Else Seems To Be Fine. As For Idle ,its Smooth ,almost As If Its Not Running.. No Door Lock Prob As Yet,fingers Crossed..very Happy With The Car So Far

my lx came standard with parking sensors. i was suprises as they were in the option list at the holden web site. built sep 07

[FLI355]

Picked up my wifes new LX on Saturday.

Black, sunroof, DVD, side steps, park assist and auto headlights. Had it delivered with 20 inch zenetti throwbacks in black. This photo really doesn't do it justice if anyone wants some more angles i can take some more pics.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/FLI355/DSC00243-1.jpg

One thing I am dissapointed in is that you have to use the headphones to listen to DVDs. I thought you would be able to play it through the speakers. I can't be bothered getting the FM modulator for it so headphones it is.

[surfer]

Hi. FLI355,

Would you pls post a picture of the interior of that beauty with the DVD on.

[FLI355]

I'll take a pic on the weekend.

Here's a better pic.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/FLI355/DSC00245-1.jpg

[Waughy]

Can't say I like the wheels, but each to thier own. Not fussed on the chrome door handles either. Thought about getting the stick on things that are on ebay, glad I didn't. Other than that, nice to see another black beast out there.
Here's mine:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa56/Waughy/014.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa56/Waughy/017.jpg

[FLI355]

Yeah each to their own. Everyone that's seen it has loved them so I guess it shows the people can have vastly different tastes, case in point I like the chrome handles as it brakes it up a bit and gives it a slightly classier appearance.

[Arclight]

I like it becasue individuality is always a good thing...

plus it gives me something to check out as i go past it :nyuk:

[lou69]

The chrome handles set it off, they look gr8, still deciding between the Captiva LX and Klugar, need 7 seats. Probably go the LX, like the idea of the sunroof and chrome handles, might have to option those.

[CAPTIVALX]

Love the wheels but hater them in black( not a fan of any wheels in black as they look like stockies) Love the new silver rails but dont like the chrome handles. Wish that i got the side steps now though. l cant work out how to post links and pictures of mine to break up all these nice black ones. Does the dvd roof mount replace the light or is it further forward????


The chrome handles set it off, they look gr8, still deciding between the Captiva LX and Klugar, need 7 seats. Probably go the LX, like the idea of the sunroof and chrome handles, might have to option those.

The3 kluger is a beautiful car inside and has a very practical set up but l just cant get used to the ugly outside styling. Save about 20 grand on the comparative top spec model and get the lx.

[jon69]

go for the chrome handles as that is the 08 model