Test drive - Renault Captur

So apparently it’s pronounced “CAP-TUR”, it’s not just “capture” without the “E”.

I’d never really considered a Renault before. My only real exposure was the Clio which I’ve never been a big fan of. But as we were booked in with Renault I thought I’d check out their SUV that might fit the bill. They have the Captur and the Kadjar, but the Kadjar is too big for our purposes so we went with the Captur. (“Our purposes” being to have a higher seating position and comfortable for the longer journeys.)

I suppose it would help you (and me) if I actually decided what I wanted and then measured these cars against that? Like I say, we want a higher seating position – I don’t want to be very high up, but I do like having a clearer view of the road. Not only that but with a higher seating position it makes it easier to get into and out of the car, and with both of our parents advancing in age (not sure either will appreciate that statement) it won’t be many more years before getting into a low-slung car is easy, but getting out is much harder (gravity, eh?). I also don’t want to downsize – medium to large cars are built for longer drives and with UK breaks being more prominent, along with most of my immediate family being over three hours away, we need something that will stand up to doing longer journeys, more often and around 15,000 miles a year.

Not only that but I want to do my bit for the environment. “Doing my bit” might be more along the lines of driving less, using public transport more or just staying home. Yes, I see that argument, but let’s say I’m going to ignore that and just try to lessen my impact on the environment. My current car (63-plate Astra) has CO2 emissions of 119g/km, which is pretty good for a diesel. The obvious answer would be to go full electric, but with my budget that’s probably not very viable. Also, I just don’t think the infrastructure is there just yet to support going full electric.

So, what do I want? A SUV/compact SUV that has lower emissions than my current car. So we started with the Captur.

Straight away I really liked this car. I got in and felt like I was much higher than my car (which is fairly low slung) but it was comfortable with a central armrest to be able to relax on the longer journeys. It was automatic but also had a flappy paddle should I need that extra bit of responsiveness, which may well come in handy when pulling out on to the country roads around our village. I’m not going in to the technical aspects as they will change depending on the trim and added extras but I test drove the S-Line with the turbo charged TCe90) engine. There is also a hybrid and plug-in hybrid version too which I would definitely consider later on.

The interior was roomy as you might expect from a SUV and the ride was really comfortable - we can say that because one of the roads on the test drive wasn't short of a few speed bumps and these weren't too onerous to go over - provided you actually slow down for them, of course.

To be honest I wonder why I ever drove a manual when automatic was so much easier, although the electric handbrake took a little while to get used to. And I say get used to but I mean put my faith in - once you've been stopped for a few seconds with your foot on the brake the e-brake kicks in and you can take your foot of the brake and just sit there, on a hill, not moving. Like actual magic!

Though I am a bit of a sucker for gadgets - I can easily go without them but when I use them my mind is ever-so-slightly blown. Keyless entry, push-button start ignition and parking sensors (including rear-view camera) are just some of the fairly standard tech bits that came with this car, even if these seem fairly straightforward options for most people.

I've driven both a van and a motorhome in recent months and worried this would feel just as big and I wouldn't feel comfortable manoeuvring it around the city but only on the wider suburban roads but that wasn't the case at all - it didn't feel at all cumbersome or difficult to handle.

We arrived at the showroom with very litle intention of buying a car, but left the showroom having had a stern talking to myself to not sign up for a 4-year finance deal! It was such an enjoyable car to drive and looked great too. Thankfully we're planning a house move so putting £200+ a month towards that feels like a better investment at the moment than a new car which I don't really need, however much I wanted this one!