No I don't want one but the last few times I've been driving around mid Wales this week I've followed a few being driven hard in any weather conditions. I can hold my own going from point to point on these roads as I know them well but I really had to try at times to keep up especially in the wet. Checked the registrations when I got home and while they were 4wd, they were pedaled very well.

Spec wise there's nothing extraordinary either (2.0 CRDi 182bhp) but I was surprised at how well they went. Could just be locals knowing the road and having better visibility.
 

http://www.hyundai.co.uk/new-cars/ix35

Could be because there big and there chances will be better than yours. Woman over the road has one and she drives it like a loony. 

Lots of iX35 drivers do go like they are in a AWD (4x4) in bad road conditions on the standard tyres fitted.

 

Many iX35 are not 'all wheel drive' and the driver gets a shock when they are not quite as good as they thought they are as they drive too fast for the conditions.

A case in the point was the nutter overtaking me last night when the road surface was below 0*0c, air temp 0.5*oC.

He really was on the ragged edge as i picked my way carefully in a 4x4 on winter tyres.

No idea what engine or drivetrain he had, could have been AWD and Ice tyres, but it really did not look like it, just somebody unaware of the temperature, or could not care less.

 

http://www.broadspeed.com/new_cars/Hyundai/ix35

 

Nice and comfy inside and some nice leather interiors

 

This weeks Auto Express Winter Feature has the Best 70 SUV's as the Kia Santa Fe.

Almost the same Difference as the Hyundai.

(Auto Express put the xi35 at no.21, but thats the oddness of Auto Express.)

Roads aren't the smoothest in parts either so where I'm lifting to look after the car they just crash through it.

Big wheels/tyres, maybe even still low profile, can often mean 'no problem, lets batter on',

or often just

'who cares' lease or hire car so not mine & i have Kia/Hyundia/LR/Toyota/Nissan/Audi/BMW/Skoda/VW 'assist',

i will not even have to change the wheel myself.

No I don't want one but the last few times I've been driving around mid Wales this week I've followed a few being driven hard in any weather conditions. I can hold my own going from point to point on these roads as I know them well but I really had to try at times to keep up especially in the wet. Checked the registrations when I got home and while they were 4wd, they were pedaled very well.

Spec wise there's nothing extraordinary either (2.0 CRDi 182bhp) but I was surprised at how well they went. Could just be locals knowing the road and having better visibility.

 

http://www.hyundai.co.uk/new-cars/ix35

 

The i35 driver might be handier than you thought, i35's only have 134 bhp looking at the Hyundai web site. Maybe you have come across some team vehicles doing sighting runs for the GB rally 

http://www.walesrallygb.com/spectators/route_information.php

I quite like them and may get one in the future. Its a lot of car for the money.

 

They used to sell a 182bhp automatic 4x4 diesel, which they have since pulled. I think it even used a LUK double clutch gearbox (the same as a VAG DSG).

 

The attitude of invincibility is generally present in the driver of any car that looks like it might be able to go over a grass verge, though

The i35 driver might be handier than you thought, i35's only have 134 bhp looking at the Hyundai web site. Maybe you have come across some team vehicles doing sighting runs for the GB rally 

http://www.walesrallygb.com/spectators/route_information.php

These were nowhere near the routes for the rally but not far from where it's been in the past. As Huskoda said there's a 182bhp auto which isn't longer made and the standard one is 130ish. They didn't get away and one of them I stuck with for almost 20 miles until they turned sharply off with no indication. But I think it was more the shock that I came across someone else wanting to make progress on those sorts of roads. Normally you find cars like this dawdling but it was a pleasant surprise. 

My dad has just bought a top of the range one, and as others have said they are only 138bhp, he has the AWD auto one and I am very impressed with it, so much kit. Also we managed to get £6k off the asking price.

He is not too concerned about resell value as his last car was a 11yr old Octavia which he had from new and this one he aims to keep for the same amount of time.

As it's now only done 300miles I will update when it has a few more miles under its belt.

The ix35 Premium CRDI 4WD Auto is 181 bhp