Volvo XC60 Real World MPG

saltsman

We are seriously looking at the XC60 as our next vehicle. We live in Texas so AWD isn't a must have feature like it might be in a snow state, but we do have a ranch where AWD is handy from time to time.

The 3.2 FWD lists milage a 18/27, T6 AWD at 16/22. The only thing I can find lists the 3.2 AWD as the same 16/22 as the T6. I find it hard to believe that adding AWD drops the milage 5 MPG's. I'm assuming the 3.2 AWD hasn't undergone EPA testing so they listed it the same as the T6 just to get it to market quicker. Does anyone have real world numbers on a 3.2 AWD?

volvomax

No. Typically a Volvo turbo subtracts 1 mpg city and 2 mpg highway over the same engine without a turbo. So, my guess would be 17 City and 24 Hwy for the real world on an XC60 3.2 AWD.
For an example of this look at the S40 2.4i vs the S40 T5.

4mercoachrick

We're a bit over 10k miles on our XC60...average mileage right at 19mpg. 22mpg is about it on the hwy although I would believe one could pick up a couple of mpg by cruising closer to 60mph, especially with A/C off. Happy that stop and go mileage hasn't been too bad...hard to stay out of that turbo when heading toward 60mph from the red light...then another stop....then 65mph...welcome to Texas.

radoncgs

I am interested in getting a XC60 AWD to replace my 2007 S40 T5 AWD. I get 19-22 on mixed and 27-28 mpg on highway with my S40T5AWD.

msj09

I am interested in knowing what kind of MPG people with the non-turbo engine are getting.....especially on the highway. I do 90% Hwy/10% city driving.

mikey38

currently showing 21.5 on the computer but that is only after 2 tanks of gas (just got car last week). I will report manual calculations after a few more tanks. 3.2 AWD This is mostly suburban driving.

mikey38

What are folks using for fuel? regular or premium? Has anyone noticed any difference in performance/economy with different octanes?

mikey38

XC60 3.2 AWD last tank was 20.2 with mostly suburban driving on 91 octane. Still only about 2300 miles on the car so it may improve a bit. Haven't taken an extended highway trip with it yet so can't report on that.

samara

Last year Volvo brought their 2010 XC60 D5 to the US for a media event and testing. Below is an excellent article by Popular Mechanics on their impressions. As American consumers continue to demand more fuel efficient crossovers, it seems Volvo is much closer to returning diesels to its line up. Its about time:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/4302658

crsovr1

We've had our T6 for 2 months and taken one 1300 miles r/t roadtrip a 400 mile r/t road trip and the rest is 'suburban' driving. We're averaging 20.2 mpg. Prior to our long road trip with 3500 miles of mostly suburb driving we average 17.8. I'm actually fairly happy with the mileage...I was fearing the worst. It's still nothing like my CRV I got rid of it but the ride makes up for it.

fantom

On a 2,000 mile road trip we got 23.7 MPG.

Around town short trips with stop and go about 18.5 MPH.

We've got 5,500 miles on a T6 AWD that is a blast to drive. I am soooo very happy the dealership talked me out of a 3.2 AWD that while nice, struggles at times. They let me drive a loaner for 2 days, and that flipped me to the T6.

mikey38

Just got back from the first extended highway driving with our 3.2 AWD. Using 87 octane we got 22 mpg (hand calculated) driving 75 mph most of the way. I noticed the computer showed increasing mpg while driving 50-55 on the country roads.

Next trip we are going to try 91 octane and see if there is any difference.

mikey38

3.2 AWD using 91 octane on a trip through the mountains getting 21.2 (hand calculated) driving 75 mph most of the way. Computer shows 22.1. As with the first trip I noticed the mileage jumped up while driving 60-65 and dropped off over 70.

I was hoping for better mileage but the car responds well and is comfortable to drive for extended periods.

saltsman

I'll respond to my original message (is that the same as talking to yourself?).

We ended up doing an OSD on a 2010 3.2 FWD about a year ago. With 15K on the odometer, on regular fuel, we typically get 21 to 22 city (85% streets/15% freeway) and 25 highway (around 70 MPH). We see a 2 to 3 MPG hit on I-10 where the speed limit is 80 and everyone is driving 90. For the record, the computer is almost always 1MPG over hand calculated.

I've used higher octane fuel from time to time but can't tell a difference in milage - perhaps .5 or so (too many other variables to say for sure). Performance might be better but I might be imagining it too. Given that I can't remember the last time I needed 100% of the engine, I think we made the right choice in the 3.2 for the kid haulin, grocery gettin, church goin, football game travelin, and vacation takin car we needed this for. Love it.

mikey38

Was held down to 45-60 mph by ice and snow on the return trip. Mileage went up to about 22.7. 3.2 awd

mikey38

Two sidelights
- the AWD performed well in the snow/ice we encountered along I-90. Car felt stable all the time.

- after getting to the flatlands on the return trip, MPG jumped up to 23.3 (hand calculated), computer showed 24.4

vehicle now has 12000 miles.

4mercoachrick

Our overall mileage seems to be right on 19 with our central Texas expressways and 65 to 0 to 65mph driving around Austin. A/C is about 50/50 now that it's Thanksgiving! We've got 1100 highway miles over the next week. I don''t expect more than 21 or so cruising @ 70mph...we'll see. ~25K miles so far in 19 months. BTW, switched to the Scorpion A/T...much more aggressive tread design...haven't noticed a change in mileage but a HUGE difference in noise! I'll shoot for a compromise tread next time, I believe. '10 T6 AWD

BTW.2 SURE wish they could shoehorn this engine into the C70! That would be something!!!

BTW.3 If you've read this far, what octane petrol are we using? I usually go for Chevron, Exxon or Shell 87 for the 'loss leader' price and combine with Costco 93 since it's usually priced like the mid-grade brand name gas. I figure I'm getting a little 'better' cleaning with the Techron even though it's 1/3 to 1/2 the tank mixed with the presumably more 'basic' Costco petrol. If no trip to Costco is in the offing, I usually run 89 Chevron, Exxon or Shell. Honestly, can't tell which one is in the tank at any given time. Anybody's experience significantly different?

4mercoachrick

Update from our holiday trip...Drove ~1200 miles since Tuesday; 300+ on Texas secondary highways with speed reduction and some stops in cities/towns along the route. Another 600 on 70mph interstates with at least 50 miles of nasty stop-and-go gridlock and construction zone traffic. 100 miles or so of around town driving at our holiday destination= 23.3mpg overall, according to computer. Ran Shell 87(mostly) on the trip out, added a bottle of Techron concentrate to Chevron 89 for the trip home. Kept the expressway speeds +- 75mph with a few miles ~ 80(gotta watch those La and Tx po-lice as you travel through their 'hoods ). Used A/C most of the way out, no A/C on the way home. 2010 T6 w/~29k miles

bkvolvo

Looking to purchase a 2011 XC60 3.2 but have heard that the overall MPG (80% street)
would be 14 /15 MPG. Im in NYC with lots of stop and go at practically every corner. Does anyone with this model (or 2010) have any input? This is making me look at the 2012 s60 just for decent MPG. I know city driving brings down MPG but thats a bit too low. I love everything about the XC 60 but with all this turmoil in the middle East, gas will only go higher. All feedback appreciated. :confuse:
how is the PCC? worth the $500? is it possible to leave the car running with this option?

saltsman

Have the 2010 XC60 3.2 FWD. Love it. We see 21/22 city (85% streets/15% freeway) and 25-ish highway (around 70 MPH) on regular fuel. Never been as low as 14/15 but never had NYC type traffic for a full tank. Would like to see what that would be. A hybrid version would per perfect for your situation but...

harbour

I am in Chicago with XC60 T6. I got about 11 MPG in the city (live in downtown area) in the winter, and around 24 MPG on highway. If you use your car in Manhattan most time, I think your MPG should be around 11-12MPG, assuming a better winter in NYC.

bkvolvo

I wish they offered a hybrid but thats a year or so away im sure. How is the fwd in the snow/ ice ? if you have that type of weather where you are. Thanks for the reply. harbour replied that they get 11 MPG in Chicago city driving in winter (t6) . This 14-15 MPG avg might be right for NYC . Damn.

saltsman

I logged several thousand miles last year in middle/northern Norway and Sweden driving exclusively on packed snow and ice. The 3.2 FWD did great (even started up just fine in -35C). With studded snow tires, I never felt on the edge of a skid. The traction control did a great job with starts on ice - much better than my 4x4 3500 pickup (that is a bit like a newborn antelope trying to stand).

During our one week of winter in Texas this year I used our old AWD CR-V to venture out - not because I didn't trust the XC-60, but because I feared having the Volvo hit by inexperienced drivers on ice (the speed limit still says 70...).

I'm sure others have more miles that I do, but I never had any issues on the packed snow and ice of Norway and Sweden with the 3.2 FWD. The traction control worked perfectly in my opinion so I never missed the AWD like I thought I might. For Texas, FWD is fine. For NYC.. I might think about AWD more seriously but the milage trade-off equates to real dollars at the pump. Buffalo or Chicago, I'd pick up the AWD. Either way, it is a sweet ride.

4mercoachrick

Thanks for the report. I do wonder what difference we would notice IF we went to the T6 FWD from our two year-old T6 AWD...significant change in mileage? different handling? We purchased from the first shipment two years ago and there were no FWD or non-turbo models available. I don't think I could go non-turbo but would consider FWD(might miss it during our central Texas gully-washers and yearly trip to the mountains---but at what cost/savings?). Overall, our C70 only averages 3-4mpg more than our XC60(spread is greater on the highway). Still worth thinking about as petrol heads north of $3/gal.

sjsm

Hi Guys:

I know this is the forum for MPG, but I can't find other forums that are related to my questions so please bear with me.

I just got my 2011.5 XC 60 T6 fully loaded. Is the "hill Decent" feature exist for the 2011 model? I thought it's standard with AWD model (at least for the 2010 model). According to Volvo US headquarter rep ( I found out they are not knowledgeable at all), it's a stand alone option but the dealer said Volvo no longer offers this feature starting the 2011 model year. Anyone knows the answer?

How come my door mirror puddle light (both side) don't lit up when I open the door? Is this a defect?

Why the front LED light and rear parking light don't automatically turn off (or delay turn off) when the car was locked? This will drain the battery!!

According to the owner's manual, I can adjust the time by turning the trip meter switch (Trip 1 /Trip2). It doesn't work. I had to adjust the time from the "sensus" control. Can you guys adjust the time from that switch?

Does anyone has the PCC (especially, the the heart beat sensor) experience?

Thank you soooo much for your reply!!

sjsm

Just an update

I just got a call from a Volvo US headquarter rep, according to him, Volvo did eliminate the hill decent feature (and the front fog light) starting the 2011 model year.

Why???

We pay more for the car but get less feature and equipment!!

juxta

Yeah, fog lights and hill decent are gone. I believe the heartbeat monitor is gone too. We don't have the front camera either (I'm working on getting the dealer to install this though).

The puddle lights work on mine. Press your light bulb button on your remote to see if they come on. If not, maybe there is a My Car setting for this? My lights don't stay on after the car is locked so this might be a My Car setting also.

P.S. You can start a new thread in this XC60 forum anytime. No need to post in this MPG thread.

sjsm

juxta:

Thanks for your reply. The puddle light did come on when I pressed the light bulb button on the remote. I will check the my car setting as you suggested. Thanks again!

4mercoachrick

Interesting on the hill descent delete...Just last week I saw the Volvo ad >>>>>>>
touting the virtues of hill descent control as though it were standard.

Looks like one 400 mile trip last week yielded ~23.5mpg with 90% highway(65-70mph) driving...A/C on just an hour or so. 87 Chevron...perhaps the best tank of gas in 33K miles . Temps went from mid-50s to mid-70s during the day. 2010 T6 AWD

jc12171

2011 T6 AWD, just finished the tank come with the car...399 miles and re- filled the tank with 16.0 gallon of gas, so the gas milage is 399/16=24.6 MPG, while the computer on the car showing 22.9 MPG so far. This is with 85% highway driving around 72-74 miles per hour.

I think their 22 MPG highway milage is too concervative ( I think it is likely you will get 25-26 MPG if you drive all highway at 60 mph).

kyfdx

Sounds good.... but, it rests on the assumption that your tank was completely full..

It may have been, but you can't be sure... hopefully, the succeeding tanks are just as efficient.. In my experience, the computer calculation in the car tends to overstate MPG, rather than understate it..

Either number is pretty good mileage, though..

mikey38

First long trip during the summer months with our 2010 3.2 AWD:

27.7 computer calculated

26.25 hand calculated

Some mountain driving and averaging 70-75 mph using 87/88 octane. 22K total miles on the car.

kyfdx

That's awesome!!

mikey38

I was pleasantly surprised after the much lower mileage on our winter trip last year.

4mercoachrick

Good numbers! I'd expect that from our C70; but I'm looking closer to 21 with our '10 XC60 T6. We'll drive about 3K miles in three weeks during August, including some mountains. Been 'wishing' we could take the convertible; but the XC makes more sense. Wouldn't mind getting an extra ~5mpg on the trip!

I wonder what mileage folks are getting in FWD vs AWD models. I don't think we've 'used' our AWD more than a half-dozen times in two years.(Of course, it hasn't rained in two years here in central Texas!). I'm sure the day will come that we'll be really glad we have it...but that leaves 350 days a year that we DON'T need it!

avery1

We drove our AWD 3.2 4500 miles in Europe and averaged 24mpg. We spent a fair amount of time on the autobahn going 80 and up to 120 a few times. Up and over the alps and in and out of some big cities. I was happy with that considering the size and weight of the car.

rockinhead

I've had my XC 60 for 8 months now. I tend to be light on the gas, but not extremely so. I am getting 21-22 around town. I'm in Arizona, so our A/C season has started so I expect this to go down. Our streets cruise at 45-50, but it is still stop and go. I haven't noticed much better MPG on the freeway which is a bit disappointing. This is my first true luxury car (and first Volvo) and I love it. It is VERY comfortable and I love the leather. I do have two complaints which I've noticed else where on this board. The Volvo front sticker did come off. I was disappointed that it was just plastic. Also, the ride can get a bit stiff, but on a good freeway, it drives like a dream. Some of the controls are a bit quirky, but that's kind of fun once you have them figured out. Temple Volvo has been super and has repaired things I had no idea were covered under warrantee. Oh, I used regular most of the time and use Costco gas. When I use premium, I've noticed no difference.

woodinva

With non ethanol gas (89) and highway driving I get 23 mpg out of our T6 AWD XC60 2010 w/Polestar. With ethanol based (93) Costco gas we get 21.1mpg hwy driving and with ethanol based plus gas (89) we get 19.9-20.8 mpg in highway/suburban driving. Depends on how much of a lead foot you have and in adverse conditions expect your mileage to be less anyway.