Hey everyone.
Ordered a Captur 90tce dynamique over the weekend and went for a little road test so thought I'd share my thoughts. Currently own a 2007 Honda civic 1.8 and it was time to get rid before it fell to pieces. I have 2 children (2 & 6 years old) and wanted something with a bit more space and height without the hassle of a large engined/ high emission SUV (qashqai, sportage etc were too large and unsuitable for parking in the cramped spaces on the school run!) choice was pretty slim pickings, the juke, mokka and 2008 being the only other viable options at the moment. The interior and boot space of the juke was laughable, the 2008 a bit too dull and conservative (I'm only 27 myself) and the mokka hadn't even piqued my interest (really expensive in comparison too!)
So I'd heard a bit about the captur and it sounded like it might be a nice alternative. I'm glad to say it really was, size was perfect; much better looking than the competition, high commanding seat position, loads of headroom and legroom throughout (I'm 6'2 and even with my seat pushed way back there was space for another me behind) boot space equalled the tardis of a boot in the civic with the boot floor removed.Even exceeded the civic with the rear bench slid to its foremost position. Shut lines were tight and the paint finished to a really high standard. Even the body panels felt premium compared to the thin, tinny ones on my current car. Interior quality was of the same standard, soft touch plastics mainly as expected in a mid segment motor.Even so I'd say the overall appearance was more luxury than middle of the road. Would have liked a few more concealed storage areas though and it's a shame we don't get that huge drawer in the dash like the folks on the continent.Also when the rear bench is at its foremost there's a gap between the rear seats and the boot floor if it isn't removed. I'm sure Renault could have found a way around it,could cause problems in some situations with items falling through etc. Removing the false floor does solve the problem though. The lg screen in the centre console looks awesome though. But why no CD player?! I understand that mp3's have taken over but to remove the CD player is a bold statement. Not a massive problem however and all the extra gadgets more than make up for it. Cornering lights, led daytime running lights, auto lights and wipers, key card, climate control ,stop start, cruise control, hill start assist, sat nav, Bluetooth, apps and voice activation with r link. Basically a truck load of kit without breaking the bank balance.
The showroom model was cream with a black roof and black alloys, which looked stunning, but with that colour combo I'd have been stuck with the grey and chrome interior from the Manhattan pack, very clean and sophisticated but a tad drab in my opinion. So instead I opted for black with an orange roof, orange alloys and matching gloss accents. As I'm not a massive fan of too much chrome. French car companies seem to like blinging their new cars up like glitter balls.That colour combo may be a bit gawdy for some but from the picture I saw the orange accents definitely added something to the overall look of the car. Plus it meant I could add the orange interior pack that I'd seen from a customer ordered captur sitting outside. Which really livened up the interior without being overbearing.Zip off seat covers a great idea with 2 messy little'uns. But all this would be moot if it didn't drive well.....
So on to the road test, as me and my wife only make short trips mainly the diesel would have been pointless, we'd never cover enough miles to see a decent return on the extra £1400 it costs.Not a big fan of auto's either which left the 0.9 tce. After hearing about this tiny little 900cc 3 pot turbo unit I was skeptical that it would even get the seemingly large, heavy captur off the forecourt. I was informed that the captur weighs the same as the last generation Clio which surprised me.....
And surprise me it did, it was a great little motor. I like driving and this engine encourages just that. Happy at high revs and very smooth, not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, but by concentrating on gear changes and keeping the revs within the powerband so the turbo didn't drop off, it made swift progress. However I would imagine the extra emphasis on keeping the right gear at the right time to maintain power could understandably be a bit draining to some people. Personally it put a smile on my face. On the plus side as there's not a boatload of power you could thrash it now and again and due to the power limitations, not feel too bad about it (and avoid run ins with the law for breaking speed limits!) Overtaking ability was limited once in higher gears but a quick change down would solve that. Gear changes were smooth and the clutch light. Refinement was impressive and there was little to no noise intrusion at speed.The engine seemed comfortable at motorway cruising speed without feeling too strangled. Due to the higher stance the car wallowed in turns slightly and the steering was a bit lighter than I'm used to. Overall it handled nicely for this type of car,don't expect any sporting credentials though! I think as long as you accept the car for what it is (and if you're after a car for similar reasons to mine) you won't be disappointed.
On first impression it suits my situation well, cheap to run, barely any tax to pay, packed full of gadgets, spacious, economical, rewarding little engine within its own right if its pushed a bit and good looking. 4 years free service and roadside assistance is a definite bonus. and when I eventually pick it up I'll have a better idea of the whole package and report back. Let's hope the car I drove wasn't a one off!!
0.9 tce Dynamique medianav
Black / Arizona roof & mirrors
Arizona interior pack with Arizona seat covers and steering wheel decal.
17' Arizona alloys
Arizona Gloss exterior pack
R-Link with Arkamys 3d sound
Parking sensors
Due end of October
Edited by: Cj86
Ordered a Captur 90tce dynamique over the weekend and went for a little road test so thought I'd share my thoughts. Currently own a 2007 Honda civic 1.8 and it was time to get rid before it fell to pieces. I have 2 children (2 & 6 years old) and wanted something with a bit more space and height without the hassle of a large engined/ high emission SUV (qashqai, sportage etc were too large and unsuitable for parking in the cramped spaces on the school run!) choice was pretty slim pickings, the juke, mokka and 2008 being the only other viable options at the moment. The interior and boot space of the juke was laughable, the 2008 a bit too dull and conservative (I'm only 27 myself) and the mokka hadn't even piqued my interest (really expensive in comparison too!)
So I'd heard a bit about the captur and it sounded like it might be a nice alternative. I'm glad to say it really was, size was perfect; much better looking than the competition, high commanding seat position, loads of headroom and legroom throughout (I'm 6'2 and even with my seat pushed way back there was space for another me behind) boot space equalled the tardis of a boot in the civic with the boot floor removed.Even exceeded the civic with the rear bench slid to its foremost position. Shut lines were tight and the paint finished to a really high standard. Even the body panels felt premium compared to the thin, tinny ones on my current car. Interior quality was of the same standard, soft touch plastics mainly as expected in a mid segment motor.Even so I'd say the overall appearance was more luxury than middle of the road. Would have liked a few more concealed storage areas though and it's a shame we don't get that huge drawer in the dash like the folks on the continent.Also when the rear bench is at its foremost there's a gap between the rear seats and the boot floor if it isn't removed. I'm sure Renault could have found a way around it,could cause problems in some situations with items falling through etc. Removing the false floor does solve the problem though. The lg screen in the centre console looks awesome though. But why no CD player?! I understand that mp3's have taken over but to remove the CD player is a bold statement. Not a massive problem however and all the extra gadgets more than make up for it. Cornering lights, led daytime running lights, auto lights and wipers, key card, climate control ,stop start, cruise control, hill start assist, sat nav, Bluetooth, apps and voice activation with r link. Basically a truck load of kit without breaking the bank balance.
The showroom model was cream with a black roof and black alloys, which looked stunning, but with that colour combo I'd have been stuck with the grey and chrome interior from the Manhattan pack, very clean and sophisticated but a tad drab in my opinion. So instead I opted for black with an orange roof, orange alloys and matching gloss accents. As I'm not a massive fan of too much chrome. French car companies seem to like blinging their new cars up like glitter balls.That colour combo may be a bit gawdy for some but from the picture I saw the orange accents definitely added something to the overall look of the car. Plus it meant I could add the orange interior pack that I'd seen from a customer ordered captur sitting outside. Which really livened up the interior without being overbearing.Zip off seat covers a great idea with 2 messy little'uns. But all this would be moot if it didn't drive well.....
So on to the road test, as me and my wife only make short trips mainly the diesel would have been pointless, we'd never cover enough miles to see a decent return on the extra £1400 it costs.Not a big fan of auto's either which left the 0.9 tce. After hearing about this tiny little 900cc 3 pot turbo unit I was skeptical that it would even get the seemingly large, heavy captur off the forecourt. I was informed that the captur weighs the same as the last generation Clio which surprised me.....
And surprise me it did, it was a great little motor. I like driving and this engine encourages just that. Happy at high revs and very smooth, not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination, but by concentrating on gear changes and keeping the revs within the powerband so the turbo didn't drop off, it made swift progress. However I would imagine the extra emphasis on keeping the right gear at the right time to maintain power could understandably be a bit draining to some people. Personally it put a smile on my face. On the plus side as there's not a boatload of power you could thrash it now and again and due to the power limitations, not feel too bad about it (and avoid run ins with the law for breaking speed limits!) Overtaking ability was limited once in higher gears but a quick change down would solve that. Gear changes were smooth and the clutch light. Refinement was impressive and there was little to no noise intrusion at speed.The engine seemed comfortable at motorway cruising speed without feeling too strangled. Due to the higher stance the car wallowed in turns slightly and the steering was a bit lighter than I'm used to. Overall it handled nicely for this type of car,don't expect any sporting credentials though! I think as long as you accept the car for what it is (and if you're after a car for similar reasons to mine) you won't be disappointed.
On first impression it suits my situation well, cheap to run, barely any tax to pay, packed full of gadgets, spacious, economical, rewarding little engine within its own right if its pushed a bit and good looking. 4 years free service and roadside assistance is a definite bonus. and when I eventually pick it up I'll have a better idea of the whole package and report back. Let's hope the car I drove wasn't a one off!!
0.9 tce Dynamique medianav
Black / Arizona roof & mirrors
Arizona interior pack with Arizona seat covers and steering wheel decal.
17' Arizona alloys
Arizona Gloss exterior pack
R-Link with Arkamys 3d sound
Parking sensors
Due end of October
Edited by: Cj86