No, engine is not the same as the one in the taxis, but has a single overhead camshaft driving 4 valves per cylinder. not the best setup, but done to conserve costs. yes, my intention is to change oil more often and from the web boards (Italian, English and Thai), no mention of water pipes bursting.

Before buying the car I have driven both the newest models of CRV and Fortuner for months (company cars). The Captiva beats them both, not in the same areas of course, but on average, NOT considering the cost and resale value (mine's second hand and intend to keep it for a while),

Of course, buying second hand is always a risk, but as I said before, for what I paid for it, it's value is unbeatable.

PS: prices in Europe are in line with the prices here, at least for the top spec 2.2 diesel AWD LTZ

Before buying the car I have driven both the newest models of CRV and Fortuner for months (company cars). The Captiva beats them both, not in the same areas of course, but on average, NOT considering the cost and resale value

Could you elaborate on this, because these are the models I would choose from too?

Sure,

compared to the CRV, the trim of the Captiva, both inside and outside, are of better quality, especially the dashboard. Ride on the Captiva is firmer due to the nearly 2 tons of weight, and everything from shocks to bushings to brakes are bigger. It is also a longer car, with 7 seats. mind you, i'm comparing my 2007 model with the 2013 CRV, the 2007 model might have been better. seems Honda has been putting in less effort in the newest model, IMHO.

compared to the Fortuner, the same reasoning for the ride applies, with rear drums, smaller shock absorbers and even heavier weight, the Fortuner braking systems seems to be on the weaker side. Third row of seats still has to hang on the sides, leaving the luggage area smaller than it could be, same reasoning for the trim, inferior and with less accessories than the Captiva. The engine of the newest Fortuner is more ready than the one on my 2007 Captiva diesel, but that will be taken care of soon with a complete remap, NOT an extra box to fool the common rail pressure sensor!

Again, IMHO.

PS: Chevrolet resale values are pretty bad, which is an advantage to second hand buyers, like me.

bought used, had the car for a year now. upgraded the seats to Italian leather.

as this is a 2007 model, I had to do some work on it to keep it in shape, namely: bushes, wheel bearings, belt tensioner, gear cable. All the rest are consumables.

prices for parts are reasonable and there are several sources to choose from.

diesel engine is still going strong. ride and handling are great.

only thing that is bugging me is that the disk brakes keep warping (probably skimmed them too much).

unlike the xtrail, the 3rd row of seats can accomodate adults too .

only drawback is the price i guess...better buy second hand .

I bought a 2013 Chevy Captiva 2.4l Petrol, AT 2wd. Brand New.

The door handle came off after six months.

Drive belt tensioner bearing and pulley went out after 12 months.

The "infotainment" system failed to turn on a few times.

The Bluetooth playback quality from device to stereo was very poor.

It is not a Chevrolet. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

I bought it because it was the cheapest Seven Seater, had 8 airbags and the wife wanted it.

Sold it after 18 months and lost a TON of money. 995,000 New and Sold it for 572,000 (This was in a neighboring ASEAN country but I put prices in THB for you folks)

I bought a 2013 Chevy Captiva 2.4l Petrol, AT 2wd. Brand New.

The door handle came off after six months.

Drive belt tensioner bearing and pulley went out after 12 months.

The "infotainment" system failed to turn on a few times.

The Bluetooth playback quality from device to stereo was very poor.

It is not a Chevrolet. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

I bought it because it was the cheapest Seven Seater, had 8 airbags and the wife wanted it.

Sold it after 18 months and lost a TON of money. 995,000 New and Sold it for 572,000 (This was in a neighboring ASEAN country but I put prices in THB for you folks)

Heard similar complaints from other owners...

I bought a 2013 Chevy Captiva 2.4l Petrol, AT 2wd. Brand New.

The door handle came off after six months.

Drive belt tensioner bearing and pulley went out after 12 months.

The "infotainment" system failed to turn on a few times.

The Bluetooth playback quality from device to stereo was very poor.

It is not a Chevrolet. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

I bought it because it was the cheapest Seven Seater, had 8 airbags and the wife wanted it.

Sold it after 18 months and lost a TON of money. 995,000 New and Sold it for 572,000 (This was in a neighboring ASEAN country but I put prices in THB for you folks)

Heard similar complaints from other owners...

i better hold on to mine then

Chevrolet? it's a Daewoo. everyone knows that. what steered me into the purchase is VM

I have owned one of the first 2006 LT Captiva's in Thailand. Sold it in 2012. Pretty much trouble free other than battery, tires and changed the brake pads after 100,000 kms. Bought A 2012 LTZ Captiva and it has been a good ride thus far. Very nice to drive long distances. The loves driving it in Bangkok. Yes they are a little bit on the pricey side, but I think it is worth it. I do not know the resale value at the moment, but when we sold the 2006 to a tent in Pattaya it had 116,000 kms and we got 750,000 baht which I was happy with.

I know Mitsu own Isuzu now, but despite the changes in ownership, a bit of Ford still bolts on a Mazda, and a lump of Isuzu bolts on a Chevy Truck. I don't mind if they sell a Vehicle as a Clonker G.T. as long as i'm not conned .Chev selling Daewoo as a Chev years back Stinks. Anyway , watch this space for my Clarkson Grumpy assessment next week.Wont be as hard as Him, i love Yank Cars, warts All.

Isuzu was Honda's trucks division.....It is not anymore?...or...Honda bought Mitsubishi? The first Captiva in the US was a Nissan model....and had very good reports....The Captiva is one of the cheapest SUV you can get in the US..but here is one of the most expensive of its type...and with higher devaluation.

Why do not buy the best Japanese SUV for the right price? SUBARU.

I know Mitsu own Isuzu now, but despite the changes in ownership, a bit of Ford still bolts on a Mazda, and a lump of Isuzu bolts on a Chevy Truck. I don't mind if they sell a Vehicle as a Clonker G.T. as long as i'm not conned .Chev selling Daewoo as a Chev years back Stinks. Anyway , watch this space for my Clarkson Grumpy assessment next week.Wont be as hard as Him, i love Yank Cars, warts All.

Isuzu was Honda's trucks division.....It is not anymore?...or...Honda bought Mitsubishi? The first Captiva in the US was a Nissan model....and had very good reports....The Captiva is one of the cheapest SUV you can get in the US..but here is one of the most expensive of its type...and with higher devaluation.

Why do not buy the best Japanese SUV for the right price? SUBARU.

just took ownership of one. great so far. good value for money.

found a latest model CR-V without rear bumper:

here's the difference with a Captiva (2007 model)

please note that in the CR-V there's nothing between the bumper and the chassis, while on the Captiva, there is a metal bumper...

as they say, FYI

Raffo,time to visit Specsavers, look closely.

found a latest model CR-V without rear bumper:

here's the difference with a Captiva (2007 model)

please note that in the CR-V there's nothing between the bumper and the chassis, while on the Captiva, there is a metal bumper...

as they say, FYI

Not sure what you're wanting to point out here - but it seems to me that in a minor rear-ender the CR-V would likely only need a new bumper - the Captiva however looks more likely to need body work as well.

I suppose an important part of modern design and engineering revolves around the effectiveness of crumple zones, and the attendant costs of repair. I think IMHO's point is good, in that it might appear Honda's engineers have designed theirs to be cheaper and faster to repair than the Chevy.

Not sure which would be safer though in a rear collision.

I suppose an important part of modern design and engineering revolves around the effectiveness of crumple zones, and the attendant costs of repair. I think IMHO's point is good, in that it might appear Honda's engineers have designed theirs to be cheaper and faster to repair than the Chevy.

Not sure which would be safer though in a rear collision.

right, probably cheaper to repair, but less safe for sure

i drive both on a regular basis and seeing what is missing behind the bumper of the CR-V has me a little preoccupied...