So we got a 2011 Chevrolet Captiva

So we got a 2011 Chevrolet Captiva


The Chevrolet Captiva is the forgotten crossover. Competing in the hot compact segment dominated by the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV-4, we never gave the original one a second look. But the General offered us a drive of the facelifted 2011 model, and it could possibly be the best compact crossover SUV that no one has heard of.

With the facelift, the Chevy Captiva finally looks a bit more aggressive. This Korean-built model seems to be better-built than GM’s American-buiilt offerings as well.

There are no changes anywhere else on the outside that we can figure out. Maybe the tail lights are new.

The Captiva has the best interior materials in its class, with extensive soft-touch materials on the dash and doors, something that neither the Japanese nor even the Captiva’s own U.S. brethren get. Almost all others in this category are hard-plastic tubs.

There is good space up front, and the driver’s seat offers a tall commanding position over the road, something lacking in some other car-like 4x4s.

There are some rather special features in the Captiva. One is the front cup-holders panel that slides away to reveal a huge storage cubby underneath. Another is an electronic button-operated parking brake, something we’ve only seen in premium cars so far.

Rear legroom and headroom is also excellent. But the hugely-surprising bit is the third-row seat. If the second-row seatbacks are tilted a bit forward, we could actually fit back there without scraping our knees. It is pretty good for average-sized adults, even if a little cramped.

Cargo room with all three rows in use is limited to a few shopping bags. But put down the third row, and the space is immense. The second row folds almost flat too. And there is even a sizeable storage compartment under the load floor.

The 2011 Chevrolet Captiva is likely the first crossover we’re thinking of recommending, because the feat of stuffing three rows into a compact size, and mating the package to a premium cabin and a small V6 engine, all for a competitive price. There are some omissions, like a lap-belt instead of a three-point seatbelt for the rear centre seat, and the lack of rear a/c vents. But on the whole, among the best in the segment, if not the best. More in the full review

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Comments

  1. lack of rear vents ,why ??is there a budget crossover with this feature ?

  2. Wow! This is actually really impressive. I never imagined Captive would be so good. It really is in a way, the best of the ‘budget crossovers’

  3. I don’t know why firms omit rear vents, seriously! Even the Murano needs some I feel for this region. Its one of the criteria I had when picking up the Ford Edge along with rear space.

    How does this compare to the Edge otherwise (apart from the third-row seat and engine)?

    • Author

      The interior is more generously padded in the Captiva, on the doors. Otherwise, the Edge is a midsize so it is wider. Captiva is compact and cheaper.

  4. Hey can u mention the prices ,please.Are you guys aware chevorlet is offering lifetime warranty and service packages on certain models ,would anybody know which are those models.

  5. Specs are good, but after facelift it looks like the Mit Outlander. anyway, thanks for the quick review.

  6. The Hyundai Santa Fe is similar crossover but has seperate AC with seperate switch ON/OFF for the 3rd row

  7. why no updates on back end? front appears that this is a new version from the captiva

  8. Good model. i believe this is bigger thn the previous one. Personally, i think 3.2 v6 seems to be a smaller engine for a 7 seater. Hope the maintenance cost is not high.

  9. The 2011 Chevrolet Captiva is likely the first crossover we’re thinking of recommending, because the feat of stuffing three rows into a compact size, and mating the package to a premium cabin and a small V6 engine, all for a competitive price…………

    mash you forgot the sorento, it has a nicer interior, separate switches and air vents for the third row, dual glass roof, rear camera/ dvd/ navegation… terra-x is right too, santa-fe too offers the same… i recommend either one rather than the captiva..

  10. ^ no.. thats the pecanto… sorento is other story.. 🙂

  11. ^ no thats the pecanto..;), the sorento/ santa-fe are different… i too recommend the sorento/santa-fe they are nicer and better than the captiva.

  12. sorry for the double comment..

  13. i test drove the crv, rav4 and the captiva 3l v6 must say the captiva is top in terms of drive comfort and features but what abt long-term durability, that’s where the other 2 are far ahead? CAN SOMEONE ADVICE PLS??

  14. We test drove the RAV4, Mazda CX9?, Captiva, Sorento, Santa fe, and CRV. The captiva was the best and we ended up buying it. It is the 2.4 litre 4 cylinder and gets around just fine with its 170 HP. It seems more luxurious than the others (softer features). We solved the issue of no air vents in the back by having solarguard tints (from Titanium in Doha) cover every window. Even in 50 degree heat, the air con sits on 2 and the whole car, even the 3rd row, stays cool and the kids don’t melt. Bought sidesteps so that the kids can crawl in and out OK. I guess it all comes down to taste, ideas and opinions. Mine are with the 2011 Captiva. Love it!

    • Where did you buy the sidesteps from in Doha? I think the captiva is a great vehicle, 10 year unlimited mileage warranty – only a car company confident it is well built would offer that….

  15. Oh, I also forgot to mention (vivek) that the new Captiva came with a 10 year/unlimited km warranty.

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