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Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
My partner has finally discounted the CHR on cost grounds and settled for a new Captur.
Understand the diesel is the best engine but is the petrol versions performance acceptable being a 1.2 and is this a three cylinder engine.
Everyone these days cringes when you mention a French car but are these nice looking cars fairly well made and reliable ?
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Falkirk Bairn

Look at Renfault website - engine descriptions, 0-62 mph times etc etc

https://www.renault.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/new-captur/configurator.html#configure/A/engine

New model - so reliability etc is still to be decided only after time BUT Renfault in the past had issues - engines, autoboxes & electronics

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

I'm not sure stevieb is talking about a new car, if so, it would be a 1.3 not a 1.2. The 1.2TCE has more power (120bhp) than the most powerful version of the diesel (90 or 110bhp), so if the performance of the diesel is considered adequate, i'm sure the 1.2 will be too, especially since the petrol has less weight to lug around.

As for the car itself, mixed reviews with space and comfort being praised but quality and driving manners not so much. The HJ review of the Captur points to the Peugeot 2008 being better to drive and with a higher quality interior. In addition (and i'm sure he will be along at some point), i'm pretty sure SLO has mentioned reliability issues for Renault's small turbo petrol engines.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

Also, the 1.2TCE is a 4 cyl, though not sure why that would be a factor?

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Falkirk Bairn

>>'m not sure stevieb is talking about a new car,

He said he was looking at a Toyota CHR - they are comparatively new so even 2nd hand they would be as expensive as a new small engined Renfault.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
I’d go diesel here. The 1.2 TCe motor has a bad reputation for failure especially in the heavier Nissan Qashqai. The 1.5 diesel is well regarded but timing belts are known to fail early so don’t stretch the interval plus as with all modern diesels DPF issues aren’t unheard of but relatively rare compared to other diesels. Personally though it’s not a car I’d buy however but did almost end up with one when’ve swmbo took a fancy to one.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - 3mpv

In July,I was here asking advice about a used Mazda 2;nice smooth petrol motor,but too much road noise.Hire car(after Mrs Suzuki splash1.0 written off) was a top of the range Captur 1.5dci 6 speed 110bhp,leather seats and nice red paintjob;swmbo was really taken by it and i was too;having avoided diesels for a decade or so because of fears dmf,injectors,dpf etc,it was nice to have some torque and poke again.So swmbo now has 2016 Captur 1.5dci 90bhp,metallic orange,1owner,fmdsh;bought from supplying dealer ,they did the servicing,1yr approved renault warranty.£8k,(dealer wouldn't move much on price);we both like the car,done nearly 3k,avg about 53.5mpg;eco mode maybe 55mpg.No spare wheel yet,must get that sorted;any major bills though and it will be gone and back to small petrol engine.Hope we get lucky.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Happy Blue!

We have a 2015 Captur 0.9TCe on the fleet. 35,000 miles, and no issues at all from new. Performance is reasonable and with the turbo, not torqueless.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Ian_SW

I had a 0.9TCE Captur as a hire car for a few days and about 1000 miles. It was the worst hire car I'd had in quite a while. It didn't go wrong as such, but found it truly awful to drive. I wasn't expecting a performance car, but compared to the 1.0 EcoBoost Focus and the similar engine in an i30 it felt really gutless as well as being noisy, combined with a really awkward gearshift and snatchy clutch. Also every time I turned off the engine at the end of a journey, the radio turned itself on at full volume!

A few weeks later, for another trip, the hire company dropped another Captur off on the drive. If I'd been at home, I would have asked them to swap it for something better as it was on hire to me for a few weeks and I was needing to do a few thousand miles in it. I wasn't so had to put up with it. This one turned out to be the diesel, and surprised me by being a pretty decent car! It still had the issue with the radio though, which I resolved by leaving the radio on permanently and turning the volume down instead.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Happy Blue!

So, you either like a Captur or you don't but they appear to be reasonably reliable!

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb

Its the looks and the red paint that SWMBO likes but the diesel seems to be the one to go for.

Incidently has the 1.3 petrol got three cylinders ? You can tell I hate three cylinder cars because of their lack of smoothness and all or nothing power delivery

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

Incidently has the 1.3 petrol got three cylinders ? You can tell I hate three cylinder cars because of their lack of smoothness and all or nothing power delivery

It was the 1.2 you asked about earlier, and i answered that, it has 4 cylinders. So does the 1.3.

3 cyl motors are only 'not smooth' at low revs, but they are actually smoother at higher revs than a 4 cyl. As for an all or nothing power delivery, that has nothing to do with how many cylinders a vehicle has.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Going to try the Captur now we are back from holiday but can I have your opinion on the Vauxhall Mokka as an alternative. Is this a Peugeot underneath ?
And how do the petrol and diesel compare .
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

Going to try the Captur now we are back from holiday but can I have your opinion on the Vauxhall Mokka as an alternative. Is this a Peugeot underneath ?

No, the Mokka was from before the PSA tie up. When it first came out, it was roundly criticised by the motoring press for it basically just being a 'by the numbers' SUV, having nothing at all to mark it out as being worth buying over anything else in the segment. But the ride was also singled out as being particulalry poor. For the facelift (when it became the Mokka X) the ride was apparently improved, and while it is a better car than the Ford Ecoboost, it remained a car you'd buy primarily due to the proximity of a dealer (and of course, not wanting to be left behind on the SUV merry-go-round!) as opposed to actually wanting it.

As for the engines, the 1.4t petrol would definately be the best bet as the 1.6 diesel is a Fiat unit. The Crossland X and Grandland X are both based on PSA platforms and use PSA engines.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - paul 1963

Thought I'd jump in here, I've got a moka x and it's lovely! quiet, comfortable plenty of go when needed ( 1.4 t), the controls are easily operated, can't think of anything I don't like about it...........oh yes I can..the colour! we chose a dark blue but I've since seem them in other colours that personally I think suit it better.

Had it just a year now from new and nothing has fallen off.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
Nothing much wrong with the Mokka. It’s no great shakes to drive but then few small SUV’s are. They’re robust and well enough made. Stick with the petrol engines and it’ll be reliable.

Best small SUV type car is the Mazda CX3 but it’s more money ditto the Honda HRV which is also a good option. Both will depreciate more slowly than a Captur or Mokka so although dearer to buy it’ll probably cost less overall.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Lee Power

If your talking new then the current Peugeot 2008 is shortly to be replaced so there should be some good deals coming up.

Puretech 130 petrol powered version is the one to go for if you can, the 110 version is no slouch either, 2008 well worth a look / test drive.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Thank you everyone.
So it sounds as if the Mazda is no one followed by the Captur diesel then the Mokka petrol.

Roughly how do the prices compare ?

Have booked a test drive with the Mazda first.

Cheers
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

Not sure it is a good idea to put them in order of preference till you have tried them yourself. Different folk like different aspects of different cars, and assign these aspects in different levels of importance!.

Take the Mazda for example, lovely looking car, great to drive, well made and reliable, but it is hampered by its engine. 2.0 may well be a big engine these days for a car like this, but it only makes 120bhp, and, going by what i have read both in the motoring press and comments from forum members who have tried Mazda's with this engine, it feels 'strangled'. Fine if you are only using 2/3-3/4 of the available rev range, but not very nice beyond that and feeling like it has a distinct lack of torque (despite the actual figures not being too bad with 158lb/ft @2800rpm) compared to the turbo petrol Mokka and diesel Captur.

As for prices, not sure how the Captur and Mokka compare, but i'd guess pretty similar, with the Mazda being the most expensive like for like.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Avant

Interesting to see from the above that the diesel Captur seems to have the edge. It makes me cast my mind back to the reasons why we went for our first diesel car, a Peugeot 205 GRD for SWMBO back in 1988. Quite apart from the economy, it was livelier and easier to start than the petrol, and had much more lowdown pull. It wasn't all that much noisier either compared with the awful old Simca nail that they put in petrol 205s.

For the sort of use that most small SUVs like the Captur will be put to, I can see why a diesel makes sense, provided that it isn't used only for very short runs.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Speaking to the Mazda salesman it sounds like the company is slowly withdrawing from the diesel market , in view of the problems they have had and introducing the Skyactiv engine which is direct injection petrol boosting bhp from 120 to 180.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
Now there was a car I was fond of from the 80’s, the 205 diesel was a fantastic thing. Nice to drive, great on fuel and amazingly long lived. I’ve seen them with 250k upwards still going fine.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

I worked at a Peugeot dealer in the mid 90's and, believe it or not, they had a 305 van for delivering parts. It was a great thing to drive, with the 1.9 diesel engine.

Mind you i also enjoyed my (£200) MK2 Fiesta diesel!.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
One further question.
Which of these cars has an electric handbrake which SWMBO considers a no no !
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - badbusdriver

Googling interior pics, it appears all 3 have a manual handbrake (though the iminent new Captur probably won't). I was surprised that was the case with the Mokka in particular, as we had a 2011 Meriva which had an EPB.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Lee Power

I worked at a Peugeot dealer in the mid 90's and, believe it or not, they had a 305 van for delivering parts. It was a great thing to drive, with the 1.9 diesel engine.

My dad bought a 1.9 diesel 305 van brand new back in 1989, brilliant reliable thing that took all the abuse he could throw at it over many many years.

Apart from a heater matrix that leaked & a wiper mechanism spindle that seized ( both replaced DIY ) it just required normal servicing / replacement parts.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Tried the Mokka 1.4 T and found it to be ok in most respects including the run out price of around £16 k for a pre registered car in straight paint.
Apparently made in Korea so build quality should be ok but the model may dissapear from the range once these last few cars have been sold and replaced by the rebadged Peugeot equivalent.

Next car on the list is the Renault Captur diesel !
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb

Settled for the Captur Petrol 1.3 130 bhp in the end.

Balance of manufacturers warranty and extend to 5 years for £289.

The Mazda and Toyota CHR are far more expensive but arguaby better cars!

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
Well the new 1.3 motor is supposed to be very pleasant and it’s likely that it’ll be more robust than the 1.2 it replaces. 5yrs of cover for £289 sounds good value if it’s manufacturer backed too. Enjoy your new car.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb

Three months old demo model 3000 miles in that great red metallic colour and decent spec.

SWMBO satisfied with the car which goes against everything i have preached about French cars.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
As predicted we got the usual hard sell for paint protection and gap insurance. I wonder how many buyers fall into this trap.
Next step is taking delivery and pre delivery inspection on the day.
Given the car is a used demonstrator registered on a 19 plate, is there anything we she be aware of on collection please ?
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
As predicted we got the usual hard sell for paint protection and gap insurance. I wonder how many buyers fall into this trap. Next step is taking delivery and pre delivery inspection on the day. Given the car is a used demonstrator registered on a 19 plate, is there anything we she be aware of on collection please ?

Make sure they give you the new owner green slip and you sign the V5. Some dealers illegally hold back on sending off the V5 as they’re obliged by the manufacturer to hold onto the car for a set time in order to receive any discount for using it as a demo. It must be registered to you straight away, accept no excuses. If the firm goes bust and the car is still in their name you’ll have a fight to retain it.
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Thanks for this and all your previous advice SLO . Brilliant and so helpful when dealing with this complex transaction.
And thanks to everyone who contributed.

One final , I hope , request. SWMBO has said she wishes to wax the car.
Is this a good idea and if so what would you recommend to apply.
Also should she avoid certain kinds of car wash.?
I have heard that some use brick acid to clean the wheels ?

Cheers

Steve
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Well just one more question.
Does the new 1.3 engine have a cam belt or chain ?
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Xileno

I had a hire Captur back in July for a long weekend and found it a perfectly decent car. Infact here is my review:

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=131878

I agree that the 1.5 diesel would make a better choice, I had that same engine in a Megane and found it refined, economical, quite perky and reliable. No problems with the engine at all.

Renault reliability is much improved these days, the poor models were in the 2000 to 2004 period especially with the Espace MK2, Laguna Mk2 and Megane MK2. Most of these models will have been scrapped by now. There will be the odd duff newer model around but I would be just as happy buying Renault these days as VAG. I think for greatest peace of mind the Japanese still are best.

The 205 perfectly demonstrated why BL failed - at the time of the 205 BL were still churning out the Metro with its awful 'gears-in-the-sump' monstrous A series with no five speed or diesel. Those options weren't even available until 1990, seven years after the 205 was launched.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - galileo

The 205 was a Peugeot, not a Renault, so I don't see the relevance to the rest of the post?

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Wee Willie Winkie

Maybe because the 205 was mentioned further up in the thread?

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - paul 1963

Steve, can't answer your question about the engine but a Google search should tell you.

Regards waxing, good idea! first thing I do with a new car, ideally you should clay bar the paint first, you'll be surprised how much contamination comes off, as to wax everyone has their favourite brand, I use turtlewax as it's cheap compared to some, not the longest lasting but I'm a bit sad ( according to some) and wax once a month.

Another thing you could consider is waxing the wheels, really does help keep the muck from sticking, I use "auto finesse " mint rims.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - galileo

Maybe because the 205 was mentioned further up in the thread?

No, a 305 van was mentioned earlier.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - alan1302

Maybe because the 205 was mentioned further up in the thread?

No, a 305 van was mentioned earlier.

Have a look again - Avant mentions a 205

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Hope to take delivery tomorrow but just heard a tale of woe from a Renault Kadjar owner who has been back three times to the dealer with a complete infotainment and camera screen.
The dealer has now ordered a complete new unit as the old one has reached the max time of resets.

Hope this isn't a bad omen.

Has any one heard if this is a one off or a common problem ?

Cheers
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb

Not impressed with the dealer's salesman who has forgotten to book the car in for checks etc and gone on holiday.

Thanks for mentioning the green part of the registration document which is being sent from another branch. Otherwise it would have not been available.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
The mystery deepens with the news from the dealer that they cannot release the demonstrator until. They have been able to source a replacement.
So Friday collection delayed indefinitely .

Any idea what is going on ?
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Avant

What’s going on is that the dealer is rubbish.

It could be worthwhile ringing round other dealers to see if you can get an equally good or better deal on a new Captur. A facelift is imminent so there should be deals to be done.

Also if you haven’t already, try brokers like Carwow or Drivethedeal.

Edited by Avant on 11/10/2019 at 17:38

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
Promise to call back didn't happen.
Tried to find one on the sites that Avant mentioned but none available with the new 1.3 engine which develops 130 bhp and hopefully has a better track record than previous Renault/ Nissan petrol engines.
Decided to send an email to the owner of this family run dealership .
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - expat
Promise to call back didn't happen. Tried to find one on the sites that Avant mentioned but none available with the new 1.3 engine which develops 130 bhp and hopefully has a better track record than previous Renault/ Nissan petrol engines. Decided to send an email to the owner of this family run dealership .

If you are getting these kind of hassles before you buy then you may get considerably worse hassles if you have any warranty claims. It might be worth thinking about going elsewhere.

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb

The email did the trick and got a call first thing to say the car was ready for collection. But why the hassle ?

All documentation in place and SWMBO is pleased.

Thank you all for your support.

Suppose i will need to post in the Technical Section next when all the electrical problems develop !

Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - Steveieb
I'm really surprised how much I like the car especially in this Red edition with Flame red paint.
The 1.3 engine is impressive with 130 Bhp but there are not many around for some reason.

Given the choice SLO would you choose this engine over the diesel. And does the diesel suffer from Dpf problems ?
Renault Captur - Petrol or diesel - SLO76
“Given the choice SLO would you choose this engine over the diesel. And does the diesel suffer from Dpf problems ?”

It’s too new to tell if it’ll be reliable but from everything I’ve read so far it’s a very pleasant little motor. Renault can be a bit hit and miss but when they get it right they last well and get it right they did with the 1.5 dci which can cover 250k easy enough. DPF issues aren’t unheard of on low mileage cars but they’re not known to be bad here. I’ve sold them and I’ve run a Kangoo van with the same engine without any engine issues at all. The rest of the vehicle was sadly nowhere near as robust and was offloaded at 3yrs old after multiple wiring loom replacements, two steering racks and two o/s front suspension rebuilds to try and find a nasty clunk through the steering on corners which they never could solve.