Three compact SUVs that won't break the bank

Two well-proven contenders take on the new Vauxhall Crossland in the red-hot £18k SUV market

1/11

16 September 2017

Got £18,000 to spend on an SUV?

Renault’s Captur has sold well over the last few years thanks to its low running costs, snazzy looks and useable space. It’s just been updated to improve its disappointing interior.

The Suzuki Vitara is a great compact SUV. It’s slightly bigger than the Captur, and cheaper than it too, even in high-spec SZ-T trim.

Vauxhall’s Crossland X is a new entry in this segment. It has loads of standard equipment and its turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine is 10bhp more powerful than the other two in this test.

Despite that, you’ll struggle to notice any performance difference between the three when you’re pushing them through the gears. Only when you leave a car in one of its higher gears and put your foot down does the Vauxhall gain an advantage.

The unturbocharged Vitara suffers in this company from a lack of low-revs power, though it does sound quite good when you rev it. The smoothest and quietest engine belongs to the Renault: that of the Vauxhall is the roughest, though it does beat the Vitara on refinement at cruising speeds thanks to its reduced wind noise.

The Captur has the comfiest ride on all types of road. The Vitara rides more firmly than both the others, but handles more comfortably than the Crossland X which is constantly jiggling its passengers, even on a motorway. From a handling perspective the Suzuki is the driver’s choice.

The Captur is less sporty and leans a fair amount through bends, but it has a natural feel to its steering, in contrast to the Crossland X which responds over-enthusiastically to small wheel inputs, causing unpredictability.

On driving positions, the Vitata wins. The Captur’s gear lever is too low and the Crossland X’s throttle and brake pedals that are too offset to the right. There are no real issues with any of their seats, but the Crossland X is the only one to offer adjustable lumbar support.

Renault’s work on the Captur interior has been well worthwhile, the old car’s hard plastics having been replaced by much nicer soft-touch materials. The Crossland X has some of these too, along with some neat chrome details, but the heater control panel is disappointingly insubstantial.

The Vitara cabin takes you back about a decade with its tough but shiny plastics. It has good door pocket storage, but not as many cubbyholes as the Crossland X. The Captur’s cupholders aren’t big enough for some bottles and travel mugs.

Space is good in all three. The Captur narrowly beats the Crossland X on front head room, but the Vauxhall fights back with longer fore-and-aft adjustment on its front seat and the most rear headroom. The best rear leg room and rear seat width is in the Vitara, however, with the Captur bringing up the rear despite having a sliding rear bench.

All three have standard variable height boot floors and 60/40 split-folding rear seats. The Crossland X boot took swallowed six carry-on suitcases, one more than the other two, but the Vitara’s wide boot made it best for pushchair transportation.

On infotainment, the Captur Dynamique Nav has a 7.0in touchscreen with DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, and USB and aux ports. We wouldn’t spend the extra for our test car’s R-Link upgrade, which adds better navigation, Android Auto connectivity and a better stereo. Some of the menus are confusing.

SZ-T trim Vitaras have a 7.0in touchscreen with smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink, satellite navigation, DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB port. It’s decent in its responses, but small icons are hard to target while you're driving and like the Renault it suffers from confusing menus.

The Crossland X’s IntelliLink infotainment system actually comes from Peugeot. Modern and easy to operate thanks to its large icons, it incorporates an 8.0in touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav with European mapping, Bluetooth and a USB connection. It can even include wireless smartphone charging.

On costs, up front you’ll pay the most for the Crossland X even after discounts. Cheapest list price is the Vitara’s, but big Renault discounts allow the Captur to undercut both its rivals.

Over three years, the Vitara will be the cheapest to run for private buyers. It should need the least amount of fuel in real-world use, lose less of its value and be the second-cheapest to insure after the Captur, which will also cost less to service, but the Renault will be hit worst by the effects of depreciation. The Crossland X is heaviest on fuel and insurance costs.

On PCP finance deals, the Vitara will cost you least, followed very closely by the . Captur which benefits from a big deposit contribution. The Crossland X will be £59 a month more expensive than the Vitara.

On leasing, Captur costs will be lowest, then the Vitara and then the Crossland X. Despite its CO2 emissions being higher than the Crossland’s, the Vitara is a good company car choice thanks to its low list price making it nearly £200 cheaper in benefit-in-kind (BIK) over three years for 40% tax payers. The Captur’s higher CO2 emissions and list price make it £470 dearer than the Vitara in BIK costs over three years.

All have cruise control and climate control (dual-zone on the Vauxhall). The Crossland X adds rear parking sensors, the Vitara a rear-view camera. Both these features are options on the Captur, which has keyless entry and start.

To get automatic emergency braking, you’ll have to pay Vauxhall an extra £500 or move up to SZ5 trim in the Vitara. It’s not on offer in the Captur.

Verdict

In last place we put the new Crossland X. It’s practical, with a big boot and good cabin space, but it’s the dearest to buy and run and drives quite poorly.

Runner-up is the Vitara. Its cabin isn't the best but it handles well, has the best rear space and will be the cheapest to run for any buyer.

Renault’s small updates have made a winner out of the Captur. It’s comfortable, classy and quiet and will do a good job for small families.

Specifications

Renault Captur TCe 120 Dynamique Nav

Engine size 1.2-litre petrol
List price £17,805
Likely price after discounts £15,873
Power 118bhp @ 5000rpm
Torque 151Ib ft @ 2000rpm
0-60mph 10.6sec
Top speed 113mph
Gov't fuel economy 51.4mpg
Real-world mpg 44.6 CO2 emissions 125g/km

Suzuki Vitara 1.6 SZ-T

Engine size 1.6-litre petrol
List price £16,999
Likely price after discounts £16,102
Power 118bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque 115Ib ft @ 4400rpm
0-60mph 10.4sec
Top speed 112mph
Gov't fuel economy 53.3mpg
Real-world mpg 47.7
CO2 emissions 123g/km

Vauxhall Crossland X 1.2 Turbo 130 Tech Line Nav

Engine size 1.2-litre petrol
List price £18,290
Likely price after discounts £17,736
Power 128bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque 169Ib ft @ 1750rpm
0-60mph 10.4sec
Top speed 128mph
Gov't fuel economy 55.4mpg
Real-world mpg 40.8
CO2 emissions 116g/km

MORE ABOUT

Vauxhall

Suzuki

Renault

Three compact SUVs that won't break the bank

Read More