Hyundai ix55: which version to buy

One generation of Hyundai ix55 was built from 2006-10-01 to 2013-10-31 as an SUV 5-doors with four catalogue versions. There is no second generation to step up to, so the buying choice is entirely inside those four lines: 3.0 AT at 250 hp, 3.0 AT at 239 hp, 3.8 AT with AWD, and 3.8 AT with FWD.

One generation of Hyundai ix55 was built from 2006-10-01 to 2013-10-31 as an SUV 5-doors with four catalogue versions. There is no second generation to step up to, so the buying choice is entirely inside those four lines: 3.0 AT at 250 hp, 3.0 AT at 239 hp, 3.8 AT with AWD, and 3.8 AT with FWD. All four share a 6-speed Automatic gearbox, a Front, transverse engine, Independent, spring suspension at both ends, Ventilated disc front brakes, Disc rear brakes, a 78 L tank, and 205 mm ground clearance. The split is fuel, power, torque, drive, weight, and how much fuel the trip actually uses.

Which Hyundai ix55 version to choose

3.0 AT (250 hp) is the diesel that does the most work per litre and per tank. 3.0 AT (239 hp) is the same 2959 cm³ Diesel architecture with 11 hp and 25 Nm less, 0.3 s slower to 100 km/h, and 1.8 L/100 km more mixed fuel — same kerb weight, same AWD. 3.8 AT AWD is the Gasoline line that wins the 0–100 run by 2.1 s over the 250 hp diesel and sits 110 kg lighter, at the cost of 4.6 L/100 km more mixed fuel and 10 km/h less top speed. 3.8 AT FWD is the same 264 hp Gasoline engine without AWD; consumption, CO2, kerb weight, and top speed are not measured, so it cannot be ranked on economy or mass.

If the priority is torque and range on one tank, the 250 hp 3.0 AT is the arithmetic winner. If the priority is the shortest 0–100 time and the lowest kg per horsepower among versions with a measured kerb weight, the AWD 3.8 AT is the winner. If the priority is a Gasoline 3.8 without AWD, only the FWD 3.8 AT exists — and several of its figures are not measured.

Hyundai ix55 generations compared

There is 1 generation. Production of that generation runs 2006-10-01–2013-10-31, body SUV 5-doors, 4 versions. No restyling is listed as a separate generation. Year-to-year change inside the generation is not given as a separate date set: every version in the data uses the same start and stop. The buyer is not choosing a later generation; the buyer is choosing among four versions that sat in the catalogue at the same time.

What “changed” between versions is therefore not a facelift year but the engine and drive:

Hyundai ix55 engine specs by version

VersionhpNmcm³FuelCylindersLayoutBoostGearboxDrive
3.0 AT (250 hp)250 (184 kW) at 6000475 at 1750–35002959Diesel6V-shapedTurboAutomatic 6AWD
3.0 AT (239 hp)239 (175 kW) at 6000450 at 1750–35002959Diesel6V-shapedTurboAutomatic 6AWD
3.8 AT AWD264 (194 kW) at 6000348 at 45003778Gasoline6V-shapedNoAutomatic 6AWD
3.8 AT FWD264 (194 kW) at 6000348 (rpm not measured)3778Gasoline6V-shapedNoAutomatic 6FWD

All four use Distributed injection (multi-point). Fuel for the diesels is Diesel; fuel for both 3.8 AT lines is 95. Compression ratio is 10 on the AWD 3.8 AT and not measured on the other three. Bore × stroke is 93 × 85.8 on the AWD 3.8 AT and not measured on the other three.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres):

The 250 hp diesel makes 14.6 hp/L more than either 3.8 AT. The 239 hp diesel still makes 10.9 hp/L more than the gasoline 3.8. Extra displacement on 3.8 AT does not buy extra specific output; it buys 14 hp over the 250 hp diesel (264 − 250) and 25 hp over the 239 hp diesel (264 − 239), on 819 cm³ more.

Torque per litre:

The 250 hp 3.0 AT has 127 Nm more peak torque than 3.8 AT (475 − 348) and delivers it from 1750 rpm; the gasoline peak is at 4500 rpm on the AWD line. The 239 hp 3.0 AT still has 102 Nm more than 3.8 AT (450 − 348). Between the two diesels, the 250 hp line adds 25 Nm (475 − 450) in the same 1750–3500 rpm window.

What the extra output buys, in the numbers given:

Hyundai ix55 performance, mpg and fuel consumption

0–100 km/h:

The gasoline 3.8 AT is 2.1 s quicker than the 250 hp diesel and 2.4 s quicker than the 239 hp diesel. The two diesels are 0.3 s apart. The FWD 3.8 AT matches the AWD 3.8 AT 0–100 figure; the data does not show a 0–100 penalty for FWD.

Top speed:

The 250 hp diesel is the only version with a 200 km/h figure. It is 10 km/h faster than both the 239 hp diesel and the AWD gasoline, even though it is slower to 100 km/h than the gasoline. Top speed and 0–100 do not rank the same way.

Fuel consumption (L/100 km), city / highway / mixed:

City gap, 250 hp diesel vs AWD gasoline: 7.6 L/100 km (17.6 − 10). Highway gap: 2.9 L/100 km (9.1 − 6.2). Mixed gap: 4.6 L/100 km (12.2 − 7.6). The AWD 3.8 AT uses 60.5% more mixed fuel than the 250 hp 3.0 AT (12.2 ÷ 7.6). Versus the 239 hp 3.0 AT, mixed gasoline use is still 2.8 L/100 km higher (12.2 − 9.4).

On a 78 L tank, mixed-range arithmetic (tank ÷ mixed × 100):

The 250 hp diesel tank goes 196 km farther than the 239 hp diesel (1026 − 830) and 387 km farther than the AWD gasoline (1026 − 639) on the same 78 L. That is the practical meaning of the mixed figures: same tank, different distance.

CO2 is 249 on 3.0 AT 250 hp, 3.0 AT 239 hp, and 3.8 AT AWD. It is not measured on 3.8 AT FWD. Eco class is not measured on all four. The three measured CO2 values are identical, so CO2 does not separate those three versions.

Hyundai ix55 dimensions, weight and ground clearance

Wheel sizes are not measured on all four versions.

Ground clearance is 205 mm on all four. Tank is 78 L on all four. Those two do not change the choice.

Kerb / gross weight:

Payload from the measured pairs: 2780 − 2220 = 560 kg on both diesels; 2700 − 2110 = 590 kg on AWD 3.8 AT. The gasoline AWD carries 30 kg more payload and 110 kg less kerb mass.

Weight per horsepower (kerb ÷ hp):

The AWD gasoline is 0.9 kg/hp lighter than the 250 hp diesel and 1.3 kg/hp lighter than the 239 hp diesel. That lines up with the 8.3 s 0–100: less mass, more peak hp, less torque. The 239 hp diesel is the heaviest per horsepower of the three measured versions because it shares the 2220 kg kerb of the 250 hp line with 11 hp less.

Hyundai ix55 problems, reliability and the buying split

No failure rates, recall lists, or service-cost figures are in the data. Reliability cannot be ranked from this source. What can be ranked is which numbers move together.

Buy 3.0 AT (250 hp) when mixed use is 7.6 L/100 km, city is 10, highway is 6.2, torque is 475 Nm from 1750 rpm, top speed is 200 km/h, and AWD is required. It is the highest specific output (84.5 hp/L, 160.5 Nm/L) and the longest mixed tank range (1026 km). Trade-off: 10.4 s to 100 km/h, 2220 kg kerb, 8.9 kg/hp.

Buy 3.0 AT (239 hp) only if that is the diesel that is actually on the car. Versus the 250 hp 3.0 AT it is the same 2959 cm³ Turbo Diesel, same AWD, same 2220/2780 kg, same 249 CO2, same 78 L, same 205 mm — with 11 hp less, 25 Nm less, 0.3 s more to 100 km/h, 10 km/h less top speed, and 1.8 L/100 km more mixed fuel. There is no measured weight saving to offset the lower output.

Buy 3.8 AT AWD when 8.3 s to 100 km/h, 264 hp, 8.0 kg/hp, and 2110 kg kerb matter more than fuel. Mixed use is 12.2 L/100 km, city 17.6, highway 9.1, torque 348 Nm at 4500 rpm, top speed 190 km/h, tank range about 639 km mixed. Fuel is 95. Boost is No. Compression 10 and bore × stroke 93 × 85.8 are measured on this version only.

Buy 3.8 AT FWD when the catalogue line must be Gasoline 264 hp without AWD. 0–100 is still 8.3 s. Torque rpm, top speed, all three consumption figures, CO2, kerb weight, and gross weight are not measured. Do not treat FWD as “the light one” or “the economical one”: those claims are not in the data.

Same-name pairs: both diesel versions are named 3.0 AT — separate them by 250 hp vs 239 hp. Both gasoline versions are named 3.8 AT — separate them by AWD vs FWD (both 264 hp). Using the name alone is not enough to pick a car.

For a buyer who will keep AWD and wants the least mixed fuel among measured versions, the 250 hp 3.0 AT is the one the numbers point to. For a buyer who wants the lowest 0–100 and the lowest measured kg/hp, the AWD 3.8 AT is the one the numbers point to. The 239 hp 3.0 AT is the same diesel package with less of every measured performance and economy figure. The FWD 3.8 AT is the Gasoline 3.8 without AWD and without a measured economy or weight case.