Captur: the real 5-year cost
The Renault Captur hybrid is the quiet efficiency star of the small-SUV class: 60.1 mpg combined is the best figure of any non-Toyota hybrid here, and it shows in the £877 annual fuel bill. At £21,995 to buy, five years at 8,000 miles a year costs £24,262 — about £404 a month — with insurance at £576, maintenance at £438 and road tax at £190. Renault's E-Tech hybrid system is cleverer than its modest price suggests, and the Captur wraps it in a practical, comfortable package.
If fuel economy is your top priority in a small crossover, this is the car the rest of the class has to beat. Below we break down the full five-year cost line by line. The numbers are impressive.
| Purchase price | £21,995 |
| Fuel (5 yrs) | £4,387 |
| Insurance (5 yrs) | £2,880 |
| Maintenance (5 yrs) | £2,190 |
| Road tax (5 yrs) | £950 |
| Minus estimated resale value | −£8,138 |
Captur depreciation is the car's weak point — Renaults do not hold value like Nissans or Toyotas, so the first-year drop is significant. That makes a nearly-new Captur one of the great used bargains in Britain. To minimise costs: buy at twelve months old and let someone else absorb the hit; service at a Renault specialist; and drive smoothly to extract the full 60 mpg potential from the E-Tech system. Have the E-Tech system checked by a Renault specialist before buying used, for peace of mind.
Our verdict: the Captur hybrid is a brilliant used buy and a decent new one. New-car buyers pay for the privilege; smart buyers let depreciation do the heavy lifting and enjoy one of the most economical crossovers on sale. Patience at purchase time pays dividends for years afterwards. Few nearly-new buys offer this much efficiency for the money.