Holden Captiva vs Hyundai Santa Fe 2007

The idea of a people mover sounds about as appealing as recycled water.

But the prospect of captaining a large offroad juggernaut is daunting to say the least.

That makes you a candidate for what's known as a sports utility vehicle (SUV), a cross or crossover between a car and an off-roader.

SUVs offer the functionality of people movers, with the added versatility off a four-wheel drive the best of both worlds.

Like most of us you don't have a fortune to spend, but you still want an auto and you've heard diesels are cheaper to run.

That narrows the field to two main contenders Holden's Captiva CX and the Hyundai Santa Fe SLX CRDi (priced from $39,990 and $43,490 respectively).

Cheaper petrol powered versions of both are available, but they simply don't perform as well especially when fully loaded.

Before beginning we'd like to point out that both vehicles are excellent and offer fantastic value for money. It's only when driven back to back that differences start to emerge.

Captiva is newer, sleeker and wears the Holden name. Santa Fe has been around longer, quietly earning accolades even from the four-wheel drive mags.

Although one wears an Aussie badge, both vehicles are built in Korea.

Captiva is $3500 cheaper and that cannot be ignored, but there's more to the equation.

Santa Fe has a larger 2.2-litre turbo diesel compared to Captiva's 2.0-litre unit.

Both engines produce about the same power (110kW versus 114kW) but Santa Fe at 343Nm produces 23Nm more torque and does so 200rpm lower down.

It makes a big difference in performance, particularly on hills, overtaking and carting the children.

Even though it has a larger engine, Santa Fe returns better economy at 8.2 litres/100km and has a larger tank (Captiva is rated at 8.7 litres/100km).

Both vehicles are fitted with a five-speed auto that allows drivers to change gears manually. But Captiva is slow to respond below 2000rpm.

In terms of safety both vehicles come with the full quota six airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.

Captiva adds rollover protection while Santa Fe's active front head rests move forward in the event of a crash for better protection.

Both vehicles sit on 17-inch alloys, but Santa Fe is fitted with a slightly taller 65 profile tyre. It also has a wider track (distance between wheels), both of which contribute to a smoother ride and quieter interior.

Both seat seven but the Hyundai is roomier and its third row of seats is larger and more comfortable, with additional air vents and fan controls provided.

Suffice to say it was Santa Fe's third row that got the nod from our young guinea pig.

With the third row of seats folded (they fold flat in both), Santa Fe also has more cargo area.

Inside, the Holden has a darker, sportier Euro finish, with less glass area while the Hyundai makes use of lighter, more airy greyer shades.

Also, the Holden's tailgate glass opens separately for quick access.

Entertainment in Captiva is catered for with a six-stack CD player and MP3 auxiliary input, while Santa Fe makes do with a single CD and has no input (but can play MP3 CDs).

Both vehicles perform strongly onroad, the narrower Captiva with a little more body roll.

Even though they are unlikely Leg 1 to spend much time there, both wagons are surprisingly competent offroad.

Front-wheel drive most of the time, power is transferred to the rear wheels when they slip.

Captiva has hill descent control to automatically brake the vehicle, while Santa Fe's all-wheel drive can be locked equally between the front and rear which ultimately gives it an edge.

Those who venture offroad regularly will welcome Santa Fe's full-size spare (Captiva's space saver is limited to 80km/h).

Both vehicles can tow a two-tonne load.

That's it in a nutshell, but we recommend buyers take both vehicles for a drive and compare equipment lists before deciding.