2007 Holden Captiva Road Test
17 Jul, 2007
120 Comments 
CarAdvice rating: 
Test model: 2007 Holden Captiva CX 3.2 litre automatic - $38,990.00
- A bit of history
- Models & Engines
- Safety, Interior & Exterior
- Ergonomics, Road test, Price & Service
A bit of history:
Since the departure of Holden’s faithful Isuzu sourced Jackaroo in 2003, SUV buyers loyal to the Holden marque have been left begging. The Adventra filled that need for a time, at least that’s how Holden saw it, but many customers who wanted the looks and practicality of a full size wagon shied away from the station wagon on steroids. Enter Captiva.
As part of GM’s global design project, the Korean sourced Daewoo Windstorm was developed under the prototype name ‘S3X’, and, in its final guise, is marketed all around the GM globe (Chevy Equinox and Opel Antara being a couple of examples).
Our version, Captiva, is the brain child of former Holden heavy weights Simcoe and Wolff, who saw an opening in our market, and introduced the model to the Holden line-up in late 2006.
Although smaller, Holden set Captiva to rival Ford’s all conquering Territory and insisted this was what the motoring public wanted. But would patriotic Aussie buyers go for it? Surely Holden loyalists are not ones for taking the Korean alliance to heart. The sales figures seem to disprove this theory.
Since its release, the Captiva has quietly grown its sales numbers against the aging Territory, totalling almost 4,000 units to date, (Ford sold 6,958 Territory models over the last twelve months) and with the more fuel efficient diesel variant now available, these numbers could well increase.
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Boring boring boring
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
for the money its not a bad car
but personally id go for the Ford Territory once they update the damn thing
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Hmmm, if i was replacing the VS and wanted to go off road i’d get a prado, otherwise i’d stick with a normal car for round town - better performance, better handling, better fuel economy, something like that GT2 looks okay
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
obviously your not in the market for this then :D
this isnt an off road car, its a, “i have an suv to drive the kids around” car
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I should take the opportunity to compliment you on your site alborz - Good down to earth articles, quality pics, easy access comment forum - keep it up
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July 17th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Fantastic review, sums up this pointless car nicely.
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July 18th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Matt, that was a good honest review, but I’m curious as to how you measured that the speedo was out by 6kph.
alborz, it would be good to see a breakdown of how many petrol vs. diesel engines Holden are selling in this vehicle. Also, does the diesel have a particulate filter?
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July 18th, 2007 at 10:06 am
G’day Foggy. I use a window mounted GPS to determine speed. I don’t trust factory speedos. As for the particulate filter, I will look in to this for you. Matt.
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July 18th, 2007 at 10:25 am
The GPS speed accuracy is quite good, especially on straight long roads, far more accurate than your speedo anyway! Remember regulation allows for a 10% margin of error on your speedo, unfortunately the men in blue are less forgiving.
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July 18th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Thanks Matt. Some quick googling indicates that the diesel does indeed come with a particulate filter.
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July 18th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Territory has been updated alborz.
Not in terms of styling, but driveline which was the only area it may have been lacking. It is now smoother, quieter, more efficient and quicker than the first series released in 2004.
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July 18th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
A good article on the Captiva. 2 comments. 1 I doubt that Ford only sold 6958 Territory’s in the last 12 months,maybe in the last 4 months? 2 It’s good to see a 3 year old Aussie car is still ahead of the best similarly priced/specced imported cars. Can’t wait for the 2008 SZ Territory.
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July 18th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Hey Joe, The figures quoted are compliments of the FCAI website. Hope this helps. Matt.
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July 18th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Axe, I meant in terms of looks, the territory is somewhat lacking, its rather bland and boring!
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July 18th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
sales figures are wrong,i think the figures are closer to 16958 to the figures supplied
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July 19th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
I declare myself as a “life-long soldier of the General!”
Dear alborz,
I liked your writeup, but I currently drive a Suzuki SX4, and all I can say is that the Captiva sounds like an SX4 on HGH!! Bigger but with the same characteristics, especially w.r.t. the auto gearbox. Size for half as much cost again is NOTHING. Mr. Holden would have done better with a Cruize MkII, than a Captiva.
Tony.
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July 19th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Tony, Matt wrote this review, you should thank him :)
We are getting the SX4 in the next few weeks, expect a review
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July 20th, 2007 at 2:16 am
This is just another part of Holden’s cynical terd-polishing ruse used to lure the faithful towards sub-standard products. I’d buy a Mitsubishi Outlander of Ford Territory any day.
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July 22nd, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Have a Captiva LX, done 3oookm and very pleased with the performance. Had it on the sand dunes at Stockton (north of Newcastle NSW) and it performed well.
Only complaint the driving seat is VERY uncomfortable with pressure on the right thigh. Have a complaint running with Holden, at this stage they are very negative, hope to change that situation.
Bill
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July 29th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
What would the Captiva be like for a tow vehicle -thinking of a CX diesel
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August 2nd, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Well I have just got the LX Captiva — for the price I am happy with the overall package– I have had Large 4WD veh’s for over 20 years the Captiva LX is nice to drive and feels good on the open road — have taken it off road although not a real 4WD it went were I wanted to go without to much trouble all round not bad value for money
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August 7th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Kotare - towing capacity is 2,100kg (braked).
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August 14th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Matt & Kotara and anyone else for that matter,
I am looking at a 2.0D LX Auto how do you think it would handle towing a 1500 Pop Top caravan.
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August 15th, 2007 at 8:07 am
The car will safely tow up to 2,100kg (with trailer brakes)so your caravan should be fine. You may find the 2.0 will struggle a little on bigger hills and overtaking though, especially if you’re also carrying passengers and their baggage.
Perhaps also consider the diesel Kia Sorento or Hyundai Terracan. Both are in the same price range, offer manual, have a little more power, but more importantly, both have a lot more torque.
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August 19th, 2007 at 12:21 am
I own a LX Captiva since Jan 07 and i can agree with your review the quality of the plastic interior is average at the best, we have found it marks very easily.also the fuel economy is no-where near what holden has quoted i find it approx 14.5-15lts per 100ks and thats driving economically in suburbia.
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August 30th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I have had the CX for about 2 months and love it. It’s a great family car the 7 seats are very useful when the kids bring their friends along. It easily tows a 1600kg boat. It’s light and easy to drive, I love the styling the price is good and I can’t find fault with it.
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August 30th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Last trip in South West Queensland of 450 kilometres at 100 k. Av. speed gave 10.7 L/100 klm. Around town around 15 / 17 L/100 klm.
Perhaps people should also think and investigate before they spout bullshit about “Australian ” Fords or Korean Holdens , Ford uses an old US based six with up to date refinements . The gearbox is German . Holden uses an Australian designed and built V6 and a Japanese Auto. BUT look a bit closer and you will find Bosch ( Germany ) Yazaka ( Japan ) Delco ( US ) Goodyear ( US ) Bridgestone ( Japan) and similar parts from all over the world in all cars. I doubt if any vehicle is built entirely of parts from it’s home country.
So don’t carry the Patriotisim too far.
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August 31st, 2007 at 9:39 am
Purchased a Captiva LX. Car looks great but we have had nothing but problems since we picked it up. Numerous recalls and faults. When car was 4 months old, battery went flat after car sat still for 14 days. Problems with air-conditioner which is still not fixed. Very long delays in receiving accessories. Overall very unhappy with our purchase.
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August 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am
Hi Bryce and any one with warranty complaints,
We strongly recommend forwarding us any and all information about your issues via the ‘Warranty Complaints’ tab on our home page.
As we have many contacts through out the industry there’s a chance we can put a little squeeze on your behalf.
Cheers.
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August 31st, 2007 at 11:23 am
Agree with Alborz… the Territory is rather tediuosly bland and lacking character in terms of style and appeal and it needs to be improved in that area.
The Captiva looks refreshing, vibrant and smart; and Holden in this example have to be congratulated for the work on this vehicle. Hopefully in the immediate future the bar is lifted on the Viva, Barina, Epica as they are below par somewhat.
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September 1st, 2007 at 11:12 am
Purchased a captiva in Feb it is a lovely car to drive BUT It had a dent in the bonnet when we picked it up we had to fight to get it fixed they offered to bog it up, not likely…. then it stuck me up and wouldnt start some switch needed adjusting and now we have a oil leek from the motor wow what a great car just a nother holden lemon. Just like the anniversary holden we bought brand new in 1998 no end of troubles. Who has time to be at the dealers every other week with a fault. They dont offer to pay your petrol bill running back and forwards to get stuff fixed.
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September 1st, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Hi,
just after some advice on which car to buy. I am deciding between the new 2007 Captiva LX petrol and the 2007 Honda CR-V luxury sports model. Both are very similar and i would like some opinions on both? Cheers
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September 2nd, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Bryce, I am interested to know what you issue was with the air cond, i am getting an awful rotten egg type smell coming through which i had the dealer look at but their efforts seem to not have addressed the issue.
Also just a question to other users there is a fairly strong rotten egg smell that comes from the exhaust - it’s fairly noticeable when i park the car in the garage. I don’t know a lot about cars but this doesn’t seem normal.
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September 3rd, 2007 at 8:09 am
Hi Dee,
If those were your only two choices, I’d go the Honda. Better build quality, more fuel efficient, solid reputation, and no reports of ‘issues’ so far.
There’s a few others you may wish to consider too. Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute & Mitsubishi Outlander.
All have pros and cons, but drive as many as you can before making your decision.
Cheers Matt.
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September 3rd, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Purchased an LX Diesel in June, now done 5000klm and not a single fault. We love the car. It’s mostly run around town with average of 11L per 100k’s. One trip Sydney to Melbourne return averaged 8.2l per 100k’s. Diesel is possibly a little underpowered for the car size and weight (1800kg) but it just loves to cruise at 110klm to 120klm on the open road. Very good car so far!
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September 6th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Ford Territory??! Jesus crist! Do you drive any crap that is sold in australia or just the ugly ones? Have you ever seen what we drive in Europe? Please, don’t you have any selfrespect? And Holden is not an aussie car, it’s a rebadged GM-car, sold as Opel, Vauxhall, you name it. There is no such thing as an aussie car.
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September 14th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Hi AP,
Have the same issue with egg smell. Have taken it to dealer and they confirmed the problem but apparently they don’t know how to fix it. They’re waiting for a fix from Holden. Let me know if you have any more luck with this. It’s downright annoying.
(LX petrol)
cheers,
Roshec
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September 19th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
I’m exactly the same as Dee! My partner and I are trying to decide on the Holden Captiva LX Petrol or the new Honda CRV Luxury. There both nice cars and drive well but I’m so confused on choice! Please help!!
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September 19th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Have you seen the add for the Captiva? The guy jumps out of one on top of a 30 story building {so would I if I owned one}hehehe
Dont limit yourself just to a Honda though,costs nothing to test drive!
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September 19th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Yeah but I’m not interested in any other cars. I used to like the Ford Territory but I’m a little bit over that… they need a new look!
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September 19th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Agree Margo, the Terrotory is oldish. What about the Mitsubishi Outlander as looks good. Even the Toyota Prado is great.
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September 19th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Yeah never been a fan of a Mitsubishi and I really like the Toyota Prado but thats a bit to big for what were after… It’s only the two of us!!
Do you like the Honda CRV or Holden Captiva LX?
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September 20th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Hi,
Just thought I’d let you know, just received a call from Holden Head-Office, they have a fix for the rotten-egg smell now!, wohooo! (Captiva LX petrol), just have to book the car in, but we’ll have to call the head-office so they can coordinate with the dealer.
cheers,
Roshec
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October 17th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
If you think the Territory looks old, how about a 70 series Landcruiser? Only just replaced withor minor cosmetic changes. What was it? 20 year-old design? They still sell ok as far as I know! How do they do it with such an old design?
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October 31st, 2007 at 12:39 pm
All,
I have been following these comments with interest as am in the market for a “soft roader”. I travel 200km’s per day, mostly highway driving, want occassional off road capability for trips around the paddock and the odd ski trip, plus space in the back for a couple of dogs and/or some luggage.
Want the fuel economy of a diesel and have reduced choice set to Captiva and the Santa Fe. Currently driving an 01 Pajero and am tired with its weight and sloppy handling.
I would appreciate advice from both Captiva and Santa Fe drivers.
Cheers
Mike
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December 5th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Re Paul Dreir,s comments. My LX petrol is returning identical petrol consumption. What I can’t figure out is I get better consumption pulling a 16 ft caravan [16ltr/100] than town running [17ltr/100]
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December 7th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
[…] on the likes of Kluger, Captiva, Outlander, Pathfinder, Sorento and Territory, Santa Fe faces some pretty stiff competition. All […]
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December 16th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
OK Margo, what did you go with? Captive of Honda.
I’m in the same paddock. I think what I am really waiting for is the Diesel Rav. Sold in Europe but not imported to Oz yet
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December 21st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
The Captiva is the best and only Daewoo so far and probaly always will be!
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December 28th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Picked up my LX petrol Captiva in early December. No problems to date, just about to take it on its fist decent trip. Fuel economy around 14-16l/100km around town but very pleased with the 10.5-11l/100km on the freeway at 110km/hr. Agree with the interior trim and exterior such as around the wheel arches and doors marking badly; however Armoural does a good job of clearing the smears. Got the extra package of DVD and side steps which is like ‘bling’ for the car but the side steps come in very handy when cleaning the roof and the DVD provides peace when taking teenagers for a lengthier trip than to the local supermarket. Like the engine bay which clearly says touch only the areas marked in yellow and nothing else.
Not all that impressed with how the rear number plate is mounted with two ugly bolts in the middle of the plate.
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December 30th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Laurie
Anyone contemplating buying a holden captiva LX petrol model, forget about it i have had problems from day one beginning with delivery being three mths over the expected delivery date. Let me list the problems
1. Fowl egg smell
2. Car lags
3. All the features on the dash ocassionally appear whilst driving.
4. Indicator ocassionally becomees louder
And finally fuel consumption is absolute crap. You would expect a car which you have paid over fortyfive thousand dollars not to have these problems. Should have spent another ten thousand and got the toyota prado. NOT HAPPY WITH HOLDEN. The car is a LEMON>
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December 30th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Bad choice to buy a rebadge low quality Holden (Daewoo) in the first place, buy something more decent like a Territory or CX7 in future, you will only encounter driving satisfying miles with no problems..
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January 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Greg,
A Territory and a CX-7 is still a bad choice still, id go for a Kluger maaaaaaaaate! Or nissan X trail!
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January 11th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I am hoping to buy an LX CAPTIVA DIESEL at the HOLDEN SALES tomorrow, For anyone interested in buying a CAPTIVA, I found out the following information the other day from a DEALER, the upgraded CAPTIVA those with a build date JUL onwards 07, eg. LX CHROME ROOF RAILS AND HANDLES ETC AND NEW COLOURS, are all now coming out of the ISUZU PLANT IN THAILAND, this may put to bed some of these doomsayers puting down the CAPTIVA cause it came out of KOREA. I will update everyone on my purchase and mileage / fuel economy etc as I am a REP and will be doing some good runs early.
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January 14th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
BOUGHT LX DIESEL CAPTIVA YESTERDAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO PICKING UP THIS WEEK.
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January 14th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
^Where the hell is greg to tell you off because you brought a S*** car? :D
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January 14th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
SPOT ON OZ, how sad to see more suckers buying Daewoo products, not only are they lemons on three and a half wheels, apparantly when you get inside them they smell like rotten eggs, :-) hahahaha at least the purchase includes an atmosphere to die for…..
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January 15th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Greg, It is clear that you have not even been in or driven a Captiva, you enjoy your car and I will enjoy mine.
Yes the Captiva is based on the GM/DAEWOO PLATFORM, as per earlier email ISUZU is now the preferred plant for Australian sourced Captiva’s. I dont know a lot about Trucks however there is a hell of a lot of ISUZU trucks on the road, so build and engineering should not be an issue out of this plant. I am aware that HONDA and many vehicles are being put together in THAILAND.
CHEERS
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January 15th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
HaHaHaHa, Yes I do know all the facts about those horrible platforms Holden have to embrace, blame GM for bad business practices, the reason I wouldn’t drive one cause it smells like a permanent lingering FART and after driving a Ford Territory, Pajero, Mazda CX7 etc, the reviews speek for themself’s, Captiva just don’t cut it and just about all the Holdens I have sat in leaves a very sore butt, most uncomfortable cheap cars on the road….
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January 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Captiva LX Petrol now 12 months old and 20,000 kilometres . No problems at all apart from my stupidity in jamming a burnt CD in the Stacker. Eagers Holden replaced FREE OF CHARGE ! . Very Happy , Paul.
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January 21st, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Greg , I don’t know how old you are but try to find about every Ford Zephyr and Falcon from XK to XC to AU , and some other great Fords like Probe , Cougar , Exploder ( Explorer ) and 4 cylinder Mustangs .
Great Cars every one ! Mention some of these to any mechanic or Dealer who had to provide Warranty . regards Paul.
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January 21st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Paul, so you saying any mechanic will say all Falcons before the AU are s#!t in those days when Ford was on top? Well unfortunately I know mechanics myself who don’t think bad about them and if a mechanic says all Falcons before the AU are crap, the same goes for any Holdenwoo or they just biased Holdenwoo fans.
By the way….
The new VE Commodore cost more than 1 Billion dollars in development. In that case it MUST BE A GOOD CAR don’t you think?….
Go to caradvice.com.au/9166/ve-commodore-recalled-again/ and you think Fords are crap due to faults? Looks at how much the VE Holdenwoo cost in development and look at the problembs they having already, like the battery drain. So the point I’m making is if you think Fords are crap if they have problems, the same goes for your beloved Holdenwoos.
Cheers :)
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January 21st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
OZ…….true what you say. KO to OZ right flush on his snoze. Laugh out loud!
WHAT IS EVEN MORE DISTURBING THE MEDIA AND ARTICLES ON VE MAINLY ALL SAID “WORLD CLASS CAR AS QUALITY GOOD AND BETTER THEN PREVIOUS”……………
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January 21st, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Don’t forget the “Misfire-4″ in the VC and VH.
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January 22nd, 2008 at 10:40 am
Just did a quick calculation , between my late father , myself and my two brothers ; we have owned ( not just sat in ) over the last 55 years the following.
1 x Aerial Motorcycle , 3 x Austin cars , 1 x BMW M/c , 3 x BSA M/c , 2 x Bultaco M/c , 2 x Chryslers , 2 x Dodge , 17 Fords , 23 Holdens , 1 x Honda M/c , 6 x Husqvarna M/c , 1 x Kawasaki M/c , 4 Mazda’s , 2 Mitsubushi , 4 Morris Cars , 2 Nissans , 1 Panther M/c , 1 Peugot , 2 Range Rovers , 7 Suziki M/c , 7 Toyotas 1 Volkswagen , 1 Volvo , 8 Yamahas .
Nearly a 100 vehicles not just Holden’s .
Anyway if you have or use a vehicle and you like it , then it is a good vehicle , end of correspondence , Paul.
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January 23rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I’ve had enough,at approx 4.45pm melb time wife and daughter were in the HOLDEN CAPTIVA LX MODEL going through a roundabout when the car just seized, tried to press the accelerator and the car would not go as another car was approaching them. Lucky for them the other car stopped in time and her car went again.Holden tell me that their isn’t a problem with this car.I am going to make it well known throughout australia that this car is a LEMON.
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January 25th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Picked up LX Captiva Diesel last Wednesday, I absolutley love it made the right choice in taking DIESEL worth the extra price. I have already been down to ACT fuel economy on the way back got as low as 8.3 I am wrapped as this is a brand new engine. Have 08 Upgrades and believe this vehicle will serve me well. I am a rep and will be able to give everyone good economy figure updates. Cheers
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January 27th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
To Laurie\’s comments from Jan 21st…
I am a LX Captiva owner and have done 20k km in just 8 months. Yes I to experienced the error lights and loss of power and was a frustrating problem.
My Holden dealer has todate rectified the problem and todate this has not occurred again. I was informed it was a sensor issue where the sensors needed to have some adjustment made.
HOLDEN DEALER CALOUNDRA CITY AUTO Sunshine Coast QLD
I have a rough idle on start up on some occassions where it appears to choke…..have made sure I use good fuel like VPOWER (Shell) and appears much better.
No other issues and love my CAR.
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January 27th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Geeeeeeeeeeez Laurie and family, you are lucky to get away with that, I would be pissed, as I said earlier, don’t let Holden and Daewoo walk all over you, someone could of been in an accident and I surely don’t need to be tangled up with a Captiva anytime soon…
Peolple are saying Daewoo platformed Holdens don’t have recalls which makes them a superior build, though often for the blind roped in by advertisng jingles, well everything I buy these day’s is researched, I want to know what I’m buying, where it came from, who built it, etc etc etc, no recalls for Daewoo because they essentially build cheap quality crap, continuously hearing bad stories from owners scares the hell out of me and others who purchase lemons.
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February 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Hi Everyone,
Drove back from Naranderra to Sydney on one tank with still some fuel left over. The fuel economy is great most of the way 8.4 ltrs to 8.7 around 690km to a tank. I am happy with the Car, and think it is about time everyone gets back to the positives, the Captiva is a great car and once again I would recomend DIESEL OVER PETROL. Cheers
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February 4th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hi all,
Thanks for all of the information on the Captiva. Ignoring the comments that only demonstrate a bias against either Holden or Daewoo with no background, I have decided to take a chance on the LX Diesel (delivery in March). Although I feel sorry for Laurie and his family, ALL manufacturers will sometimes produce a vehicle that is a lemon but it does not mean that all vehicles of that make are lemons. The issue is also in how the manufacturer/dealership handle the issues (in Laurie’s case not very well). I had a Subaru Touring Wagon that spent more time in the workshop than it did on the road and in the end I had to get rid of it as Subaru could not resolve the issues. My brother has had nothing but problems with his Territory and even though his dealership have been very helpful in resolving his issues (hopefully they have now esolved them all) it has still been very frustrating for him. The real issue here is that we as consumers have no real protection against purchasing a lemon. If the industry as a whole won’t address the issue, maybe we need a manufacturer to take a stand and offer some form of protection themselves. I’m sure the others would follow if it had a negative impact on their bottom lines. Otherwise government regulations may be the only solution.
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February 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
bad marketing move John
If a car manufacturer offers ‘lemon protection’, what does that say about the manufacturer itself?
especially if its Tata or Shuangching choinga or whatever those growing nations are calling them
final conclusion? dont risk $40 on a shitbox…. end of story
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February 4th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Hi John,
You will not be dissapointed, I think Holden should start bringing in more Diesel Captivas, as I can not see any compelling reason to buy the petrol model. It would be interesting to see monthly sales of petrol to diesel and I am sure the Diesel Captiva will take over the Territory in the coming months providing Holden can supply enough diesel models. Cheers
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February 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
just bought a captiva sx turbo diesel auto.done 5000km and not 1 problem.getting 9 l/100 kms.found it to be smooth and quiet and comfortable to drive.build date is august 2007 and so going on what earlier comment said was built at isuzu plant in thailand.so far very happy with it and i was going to but a ford territory.glad i didn’t.
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February 21st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Good Day all, I have ordered a Captiva Maxx MY08, its due to be delivered next week, currently its in the spearwood holding yard awaiting a minor repair (dont know what that is tho)… I have test riven the LX ad lvoed it, smooth ride and fuel was good, I was driving a series II Berlina and tha chewed more fuel!! Sure its not as quick as the new Calais (fathers Car) or SV6′S but the engine is smaller and the car is slightly heavier… I think they are a good car. I have owned other brands as have my friends… EVERY CARE MAKE has lemons… they are there, the more cars sold the more lemons sold… if you like the look of the car, how it handles etc… then thats the right car for you.
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February 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Have owned an Captiva Lx diesel for four weeks the car has travelled 920 klm, the fuel economy is 16litres per 100 klm
have called the dealer to complain about this.They responded
by saying that this is “normal” as the car will need to travel between 5000 and 6000 klm before the fuel consumption
will decrease as the car has not been run in. I tried to peg them down into stating to what level the fuel economy will decrease to but they would not respond ,as they stated that this will depend on my driving pattern. I would appreciate a response from other captiva owners about their experience with the diesel as the consumtion is nearly double to what they claim in the brochures
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February 27th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Hi Thomas,
That does sound excessive, I have nearly done 5000k on my LX DIESEL, I am getting 8.4ltrs HWY around town metro most of my driving around 10.2ltrs which is acceptable given weight of vehicle.
I am not one to comment on driving style, however take of slowly from standstill and always try to keep revs around 2000 this really helps fuel usage, hope this helps.
Cheers
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February 28th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Wow, this is truely scarey stuff. I cant believe holden are selling so many captivas with so many bad reports coming through on the captiva. Even owners are bagging it! Its amazing that Daewoo couldnt even give away cars in this country yet stick a lion on the badge and consumers are crazy enough to buy them on trust value.There is a good reason Daewoo didnt make it here, Reliability and safety come to mind!!. If your looking for a good value AWD with a far better track record, you cant look past the Hyundai santa fe. Yes, like the Captiva, it may be made in korea but that is where all similarities finish.
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March 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Okay, so as normal for a website, you have the extremes of both ends regardless of any experience with the vehicle’s in question.
We looked at the Territory - worst build quality of any car I have seen. Poor paintwork, shoddy plastic trim, old engine and boring to look at. So we bought an LX Captiva Petrol. Have not had a single problem like any reported here. Averages 11.9L/100KM with mixed freeway and town driving. Very, very quiet, smooth, no smell of rotten eggs (normal for many catalytic converters on startup - ask a Honda owner) and very easy to drive.
Complaints? Yes, it was delivered with a minor dent next to the fuel cap (booked-in to fix), dashboard squeaks a bit (also booked-in to fix).
We have now driven 14,000KM and apart from the over-firm ride (the unmaintained NSW roads don’t help) this is the most comfortable, reliable, easy to live with car we have owned.
Previously been a fan of Toyotas but the quality isn’t what it used to be and the design is a little eccentric at times. That didn’t stop us from buying a Toyota Yaris - a great and fun car to drive.
Past car was a Mistsubishi Pajero - the worst, most unreliable car I have ever owned. Features many design faults that can be prevented if only Mitsubishi would admit to them but raking in over $1700 to fix them makes them a lot of money money.
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March 6th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
i am still waiting for my Maxx to be delivered… its been in aust for the past 6 weeks… there is a recall on all maxx\’s and they will not release it until the recall is fixed… no idea what it is, they will not tell me… I have been given several delvery dates but so far they have all been and gone… next delivery is now scheduled for next week… who knows! About to cancell the order and buy another brand… I really want the captiva cause its a bloody nice car (had one for a week to test) but cant stand the waiting esp when you know its only a few Kms down the road awaiting some \”recall\”… Bah!
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March 7th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Hi Richard,
I totally agree, I have LX DIESEL MY08, I am also very happy with the car, I have done 6000k now city and country driving very happy no issues. People have to remember this is a world car, selling in all parts of the world so quality has to be at a fair level. People need to look at the offering of the captiva and the price it is great value offering plenty of features, which on most other cars are accessories.
Cheers
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March 10th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Questin for the Captiva OWNERS, I understand its a soft-of-roader and is at the end of teh day a car with awd…
BUT has anyone used it off road as such? I mean I took my VY berlina on some very soft roads with no problems, I would assume the captiva is placed closer to a 2wd than a read 4*4?
I drove the Norseman-Hyden road (yes the full length) in the above berlina… I realise the captive would be better handeling… but what is the capabilities of the captiva?
Anyone have any links?
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March 11th, 2008 at 10:27 am
This vehicle is so ugly, I was following one the other day and I just thought man that is an ugly vehicle.
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March 13th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Richo,
you sure you were not lookng in the mirror?
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March 19th, 2008 at 7:48 am
I have had my Captiva since December 2006 and driven around 22000Km. To date, no issues other than the fuel gauge which seems to be a bit erratic. I must admit I am fairly surprised as I was a little cautious at first. As for fuel economy, mine is not bad. I do a fair amount of city and suburb driving and average around 12.5-13.5L p 100km. Long distance with fairly heavy load (4 adults) is really good and comes close to 10l per 100km. As for power, bit lacking in 3rd & 4th especially overtaking and up hills. Drivability is okay, pretty much what you would expect from a SUV. The thing I like the most is the space, pretty important if your kids are over 6ft. To me the Captiva fits the market segment for someone requiring space but not overly concerned about going off-road.
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March 19th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hey guys, I now have my Maxx… NICE CAR! few minor issues that are being fixed today.. the electric mirror controls are back to front (left hand controls right hand mirror and vice versa, rear doors dont open at times)
The ROTTEN EGG SMELL… my dealer told me today that its due to the SOLDER on the heater coil… they are going to remove the heater core, pressure clean it and re-paint it… apparently the solder gets hot and gives off the smell… they are going to check the cat at the same time but firmly believe it to be the solder on the heater coil.
Other than that she rides bloody well… nice car to drive, fuel is a little high but I only have 400Kms on the clock so she is still wearing in…
Going for a soft off road this weekend… will be good to see how she performs… going with some experienced 4WD guys and thier toys :)
Cheers
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April 8th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I am thinking of buying the holden captiva diesel cx and was wondering if anyone could give me advice on this car.
thanks
maree
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April 8th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
It’s korean for a start maree, me personally be careful, this would be like buying a mixed bag of lollies, if you are thinking of buying one, better buy second hand, shouldn’t lose too much value then… everyone is starting to wake up, as Holden keep selling Daewoo car’s…………the more people find out the less rebadged Daewoos car will resale……
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April 10th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Maree,
I have had my Captiva LX Diesel for a month now and have clocked up 4000KM’s. It is quite a nice car to drive and handles much better than the Santa Fe which I found to be unresponsive when I test drive one over a weekend before I settled on the Captiva. The diesel engine is a bit slow off the line but once you get moving it is very responsive and apart from when the engine is idling you don’t even realise you are driving a diesel. At the moment I’m getting around 10.6l/100KM around town and about 9.4l/100KM on the open road but it is still coming down as the engine is run in. I haven’t had any problems with the car thus far but I have noticed a few things that are not quite up to scratch. (i.e. the interior finish is not as good as I would have expected with plastic covers not always being flush and the material used on the roof is quite poor. Also, the Speakers seem to be of a lower standard as they get some distortion if the base is too high or when the volume gets above 10. In summary the car is nice to drive and I am pleased with my purchase. Also, don’t let the fact that it is Korean turn you away as they have come a long way in the last few years. Even with the interior quality issues I mentioned above, the finish was much better than the Australian built Ford Territory I looked at originally.
Regards
John
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April 13th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Maree,Before buying the Daewoo captiva, do your research. Start by going further up this page to the link holden captiva warranty complaints.
For a few extra bucks, the Hyundai Santa fe would be a lot smarter choice. Its fit and finish is first class and it is also more fuel efficient and more powerful.
Unlike the Captiva, there have been very few reported warranty issues either
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April 15th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Hi,
Has anyone taken a captiva off road on sand to try out the cars capabilites?
Thanks
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April 19th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Hi maree on the 28-2-08 I emailed a reply to this site stating that my Captiva Lx Diesel is consuming between 15 and 16 litres per 100 kilomteres ,two months down the track the car is still consuming 15 to 16 litres per 100 kilometers.Not being able to convince the dealer of the problem even after I showed the receipts and my calculations they dismissed them. I notified the ACCC and they advised me that I send them a letter requesting that they replace the car or offer me a refund to date this has not occurred. On notifying the ACCC of the situation they stated that they could not do anything about unless I was to conduct my own paid fuel consumption test with Vipac at a cost of $3500.00 Thus I am in situation where Holden and the Dealer Summit Holden are not prepared to do anything about the vehicle .Subsequently if you are prepared to put up with this situation after spending nearly $50,000 on a new car I wish you the best of luck.
I am now in the process of writing off this vehicle as a bad experience and trading in.
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April 29th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Thomas,
I am too in the middle of a hearing with the CTTT (Dept Fair Trading in NSW) and Holden, as my 2007 Captiva has been off the road 13 times for repairs, more that 4 months undrivable, needed to be towed twice…the list goes on. Holden dont care. They have sold me a car that appears to be a lemon and unfortunately in NSW we have no laws protecting consumers against defective motor vehicles. So the battle continues,me, an everyday consumer who is now $43000 out of pocket and Holden who should be ashamed of themselves. My Captiva is a LEMON and I wish I had never bought it.
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May 4th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Theres nothing wrong with Captiva its a very good car, but it would be good to see if holden could make a god full time 4×4 again. The same with ford. Though last time ford did that all they did was they rebadged a Nissan Patrol with a ford badge and called it the ford Maverick while holden just rebadged the Isuzu Jackaroo and rebadged it as the Holden Jackaroo. But i think it would be good if we saw a full time Holden and/or ford 4×4 averse cars like the Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol or even better the Toyota Landcruiser 200series. Thats always a thought for Holden and/or Ford.
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May 4th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Duck, Are you kidding ‘Theres nothing wrong with Captiva its a very good car’
Have you read the comments above? Did you read the the other article above “Captiva warranty complaints?”
Get your head out from under your wing man. This car is most likely to be the biggest lemon ever to wear the holden badge since the Camira!
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May 4th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Its way better than the epica and barina!
Here from best to worst GM Daewoo sourced car is………
1. Captiva
2. Viva
3. Epica
4. Barina
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May 4th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I would put it on par with Barina.
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May 4th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
I wouldnt.
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May 4th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
BEEP !!! BANG !!! BEEP !!! BANG !!! OMG,, BOOOOOOM BARINA… GM DAEWOO SHOULD BE SHOT FOR BUILDING INFERIOR VEHICLE’S….
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May 4th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I would like to see a comparison between captiva and captiva maxx because they are different cars! The captiva is Daewoo while the Captiva Maxx is Opel. I don’t know if there is a difference but it would be interesting. The Maxx certainly looks better.
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May 4th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry - I was a million miles away i completly forgot that they are the same
with different styling.
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May 5th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Can anybody tell me whats the deal with getting warranty on my 04 Territory. It has developed some major rust and my dealer is investigating it, but it has taken months with still no reply. I have since learned that it is a common problem, I had even written a letter to a Vic Newspaper, who agreed its a widespread problem.
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May 5th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Have read through all of these comments and am still no closer to making a decision for our next car.
I have just managed to write-off a 2005 Mazda6 that I loved (very minimal panel damage but unfortunately lots of water damage so they are calling it a total loss).
We have a 3rd child on the way and need something to fit 3 carseats. Hubby wants a diesel but would consider others that are fuel efficient.
Saw reviews dating back in 2006 that said Mazda had done a Mazda6 diesel but can’t find it on their website? Don’t think I could have fit 3 carseats across the back anyway.
So, would love to hear your opinion out of these or any others that fall around the $40k mark that can seat 3 babies:
1. Honda CRV (don’t do a diesel)
2. Holden Captiva
3. VW Jetta? Not sure if this is wide enough either
Thanks in advance!
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May 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Forget the Holden Daewoo Captiva the Ford Territory and Mazda CX9 are head and shoulders above this junk, just read all the endless complaints about GM Daewoo Craptiva..
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May 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Ford G Series, whats better WM series or G series?
I know which one, but which one do u think?
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May 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Anyone with issues or complaints in reagrds to their Holden Captiva, please feel free to email me at shame_on_holden@live.com
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May 26th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hi,
I’m looking at buying a Holden Captiva, CX7 (or 9) or a Suburu Forrester. Managed to have the sales man agree to let me keep hold of it overnight this weekend so we can ‘try it out’ properly. Can someone (ideally that has driven all three) give me some advice on what they would suggest and why?
I have read that many reviews I am now more confused than I was when i started.
Cheers
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May 31st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I’ve had my Captiva diesal for 6 months and have had no problem with it. I also own a 2005 Mazda Tibute, which feels tinny, is noisy (inside the cabin),and thirsty (15l/100km around town) and has drum brakes in the rear. In contrast, The Captiva feels solid, is quiet (a passenger commented that she can now hear the GPS talking) consumes 10.9l/100km around town, has curtain airbags and disc brake all round, and cost exactly the same as what I paid for the Mazda 3 yr ago. Sure there are more serious off roaders and better appointed cars, Landcruiser, Kruger, Mx7, Santa Fe etc but they all cost at least $8,000 more. Which other car offer diesel, with leather, 6 stack CD, capacity for 5 adults and 2 teenagers but can still park in a car space designated for “small cars”,plus all the safety gizmo, for $41.5k?
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May 31st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Hey Jason, Don’t mean to confuse you even more, but I am currently test driving the Mitsubishi Outlander VRX and I’d have to say, it’s a good car. I have only test driven the Captiva out of your list, and the Outlander is probably my pick against this car. Here’s why. Responsive 3.0litre engine. Firm ride, direct steering, good level of features, quality interior finish.
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May 31st, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Not bad recommending your own website on someone else’s………Not to mention calling it her car…….you can imagine what the guys would get if they called a site his car web site……..s e x i e s t,I imagine.
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June 20th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hi Gents,
I have just had 15k service on LX DIESEL, I have found the captiva a great car, there is currently a recall on the right hand drivers mirror flasher. I am a rep and do a lot of k’s, just drove back from Griffith to Sydney on one tand with 70k’s left till empty, which would be in total 750k to the tank, not bad for size of car.
Regards
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June 22nd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
hi, im concidering buying a captiva sx turbo diesel manual, some say it’s good on fuel others say its not, if not what would be a similar AWD that is? i like the looks of the captiva and took it for test drive and it handled and drove really well, just off the mark it was a bit slugish but most diesels are, can someone give me some advise i want good and bad, thanks
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June 23rd, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Holden means great deal to Australia??
www.motorsm.com/complaints/upd.....p?aid=2139
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June 25th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Further to my previous posts in this forum re Lx Captiva
Diesel having a thirst for diesel at a rate of 15 litres per 100 klm ,well the car has now done 5000 klm and is still consuming the diesel at the same rate.
Complained to Summit Holden again and they did an 100 klm test on the vehicle which consisted of practically having the car roll down every hill and not touching the accelerator pedal or the brake the only thing that was missing in the exercise was a attaching mast and sail and waiting for a breeze to roll in ,but surprisingly using these methods they concluded that the consumption was 9.6 litres per 100 klm hence there was nothing to worry about.
I was not happy with this situation as it did not mirror a normal method of driving any vehicle and I complained but they stated that the car is performing correctly.
I started emailing Holden customer assistant rep a man called Anthony Laras I emailed him every day for nine days
with no response getting frustrated from this lack of response I called there 1800 number only to be told by them they had not received my emails.
They stated that I should email them again and someone will respond within 24 hours .
The next day their state rep a person called Olga Katsifolis called back and rudely stated “just listen to me
Holden does not determine their fuel consumption figures,
the government does and their is nothing they can do. and Holden is not in the business of giving people back their money
So thats were I stand they sell me a car stating X litres per 100 klm take my money and when you challenge their claimed figures they say bad luck and blame someone else.
Buy a Captiva or any Holden product thats were you stand.
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June 26th, 2008 at 9:30 am
re.Thomas
I am in no way standing up for Holden here, but did you do your homework on this vehicle before you bought it. It is a heavy vehicle 1800kg and it does have a 2ltr turbo diesel engine, it was never going to be a ferrari. I am a rep and drive around Sydney allday everyday in my LX DIESEL, I drive to the speed limit mostly and take my time and let the vehicle work easily. I consistently get 9.6ltrs to 10ltrs and are very happy. I know if I drive harder and do all the fast take offs which we know are not good for economy, than yes my fuel usage will go up. My advise take it easy enjoy, if still not happy take the car for an independent opinion.
Cheers
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July 24th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I have just picked up my Captiva and wow it looks great and goes well, it handles great and i cant wait to take it on a trip. I have had big 6’s for years and the 3.2 engine does a great job, the only problem is that the interior lights only light up the middle and 3rd row, the territory has power at more fuel cost and they do look very basic inside and out. i am so glad i got this car. well done GM, OPEL,CHEVORLET and who ever wants to badge this car. thats gold..
Thanks.
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July 28th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I have just purchased a 2008 CX Holden Captiva 3.2 petrol in May 2008. I have put 5000kms and have had no problem with the car. Recently did a trip to Lightning Ridge from Central West NSW and averaged 11.2Ltr per 100km. Just got back from Mt Selwynn this weekend. Very pleased with the performance. For those thinking of purchasing this car you should not make your decision based on some of the negative comments here, go see for yourself. Before I made the decision to purchase this car I drove 5 other suv/4wd’s including territory, forester, outlander, dualis, rav. Some I rated pretty well, such as the forester and dualis, one was dog ugly and the other a fraction small.
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September 26th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
we bought the holden captiva our first major problem is the electronic malfunction light always appearing on the dashboard the dealer tried to fix it up but it always appear we are not happy for the reasons that it is a safety issue that needs to be deal with because it might
cost life and we are a family that always travel with kids on board.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I really like the look of this captiva.
i just recentley got a ford territory,Best car i have ever been in,Smooth as.nice shape etc etc…
but after a long drive there is a really terrible smell that comes from the exauhst it smells like rotten eggs its horrible.does anyone know if its normal or if there is something wrong with it?
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December 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I’m so upset with my Holden Captiva; I bought it in June 2007. It’s had windscreen wiper problems and various other issues. This year a light came up on the dashboard indicating a fault with the emission control system. I took it to Newcastle City Holden who said they couldn’t find a problem and just cleared the error light. It came back on. I’ve since taken it back another three times and had a service with still no fix. They’ve adjusted timing, replaced the catalytic converter, flushed the injector and basically just don’t have a damn clue. Meanwhile the car is even worse and shakes and judders and won’t accelerate up hills and feels like it will die any minute. I’ve made a complaint to Holden and have a case number and hope for a resolution. Meanwhile Newcastle City Holden have had my car for the last two weeks and admit they just don’t know what to do. I am so frustrated and angry.
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