Hyundai ix35 (10 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 19 May 2010
The ix35 may effectively be the replacement for the underwhelming Tucson - but it's also much more than that. It represents a huge leap forward for Hyundai in terms of interior quality, exterior design and refinement. Elements such as the distinctive grille and modern cabin design make their debut in the ix35 and it leads the way in terms of economy and emissions too with impressively efficient and cheap to run engines. Despite its off-roader looks, most ix35s are two-wheel drive and its surprisingly compact with an overall length shorter than a Vauxhall Astra, making it easy to park. Comfortable and quiet on the move, there's little to find fault with and the icing on the cake is the ix35's superb value for money. It comes incredibly well equipped, has a five-year warranty as standard and is easily a match for more mainstream alternatives from Toyota and Volkswagen.
4 out of 5

Other Hyundai reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

With affordable prices, high equipment levels and excellent build quality, the ix35 is a great buy. It's also cheap to run with economical engines and low CO2 emissions. However, be aware that the Style and Premium trims have differing emissions and consequently the latter is more expensive to tax. The 2.0 CRDi Style emits 147g/km of CO2 (149g/km for the 4WD) while upgrading to the Premium sees this rise slightly to 153g/km (154g/km for the 4WD) - and move up one VED band as a result. The five-year warranty gives good peace of mind and is also transferrable to subsequent owners.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,395 - £1,659 *

Diesel

£1,187 - £1,644 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12 months or 20,000 miles.

Warranty

Five years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£120.00 - £250.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
    135
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
    189
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Both engines in the ix35 are efficient considering their size and power outputs. The 2.0 CRDi is the greener choice as you'd expect with the 2WD version (in Style trim) emitting 147g/km of CO2 and returning 51mpg. But unusually, there's no penalty for choosing the 4WD - it emits just 2g/km of CO2 more and sits in the same VED band while economy is still 50mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2