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What kind of gas mileage are you getting from your "aggressive driving"? Does your wife get different mileage (assuming she's less aggressive ;-)?
Thx!
I have had one problem so far and that is a strange whistle and grinding sound coming from a rear brake/wheel. The dealer said that a piece of metal was left from the factory that was rubbing the e disc. Don't ask me what that means. The mechanic removed the metal and problems are gone. AC is great, stereo is great, doors are staying shut. I can't imagine a better designed car. My husband wants to trade in his Audi for one now and we fight over who is going to drive on the long trips. It is a real treat.
well, this really belongs in the problems & solutions forum. oops. ttfn...
I am hoping to get people's experiences with XC90's(base model) and Gas Mileage on Highways. It would ultimately be a commuter car for me and I am on a budget. I spend 95% of my time on the highway.
Car anyone help me with real expectations for highways mileage.
Thanks,
KA
more speed, less mpg. we use exclusively 87 octane. 2.5T AWD.
imho commuting in an xc90 is sort of a waste, but i do appreciate a reason to do it - it's the safest vehicle sold in USA. in my opinion and that of one of the editors here
thanks,
tony
Bottom line is it's a heavy car and sensitive to driving conditions and style. Stop-and-go, rapid accelerations or continuous speed over 65 kill the gas mileage. Things that can help are to keep the tires inflated for the load, use synthetic oil and drive deliberately.
I would settle for your number. We have a 2005 XC90 2.5T AWD just like yours for about a year now, and get only 14 MPG on mostly short distance driving (5 miles radius) with lots of stop signs. It is disappointing, but seeing the results posted by others on this board, I guess we can only blame on our driving pattern.
In mostly city commute, with 2 people, no cargo and A/C on all the time, using premium (91) gas exclusively, I get 15 to 17 mpg, though on most tanks this summer it's been below 16mpg. I've only done a couple of all-hwy road trips in it, and I got 21 to 22 mpg cruising at 70.
Steve, Host
Volvo Working on Compact SUV for Beneath XC90 (Inside Line)
Steve, Host
The XC50 has been killed and re-started a couple of times now.
Looks like 2008 for it to arrive.
My wife takes all the back county roads into work - about a 20 mile drive. Lots of curves and several stop signs - thus, about 17.5 to 18 mpg to and from work. She hates taking the interstate because of traffic. With the rise in gas prices, she was forced to reconsider driving the interstates to and from work. She re-evaluated her driving habits and changed them. She still takes the back way to work, but accelerates slower at take-off and comes to a more gradual stop.
Amazingly, she now gets anywhere from 20 to 22 mpg on back country roads. Carrying this over to interstate driving has allowed us to get about 25 mpg hwy.
Could any of you give me some tips regarding the best winter preparation for the XC90 in what concerns weels/tires and snow chains, according to your experience?
Tks
It used to be, back in the 70's and such, that a period of time with lower RPM's was recommended for a car engine to "settle in" and seals/gaskets to tighten up. Just wondering.....
So far, no problems with our '06 V-8 :shades:
Summer stinks, think snow!
Just a quick message on my MPG Experience. I am actually a real stickler when it comes to Air Pressure in my tires (I actually have a digital gauge and my neighbors have seen me more than once pumping up/taking out air in my tires), however when the seasons changed from summer to fall I overlooked a fairly large change in my tire pressure. I checked it on all 4 tires the other day and noticed 33 PSI in each tire. I thought, "Wow", maybe that is the reason we have only been averaging around 14 MPG/City and 18/19 Highway (my wife and I are not aggressive drivers).
Well... since inflating all 4 tires to the recommended 39 PSI, I can verify that our mileage has gone up quite a bit. We recently took a 75 mile trip and I noticed an average MPG of approx. 24 (cruise control set at 65 MPH). I was really amazed. Also, our city MPG has improved to 16-17.
In conclusion, I can say with much confidence, that checking your tire pressure, especially during seasonal changes, can be one of the most important things you can do to help with fuel efficiency. It worked for me and I am sure it can work for you.
Form here on out, I will be checking my pressure every 2 weeks. The benefits far outweigh the 5-10 minutes of work for this routine maintenance schedule.
Take Care...
Volvo's Overseas Delivery Program (Inside Line)
Steve, Host
I notice that the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (is that available yet?) requires a constant 39 psi according to the manual but they don't tell you that will cause a harsher ride and loss of traction. Personally, I run 34 psi most of the time and air up to 36 front/39 rear when towing.
The one thing that bothers me is that the sunvisors don't move once you swing them to the side. Has that been a problem for any of you? It seems that all of the Volvo's have non-sliding sunvisors.
When the sales manager heard that I was comparing the XC to the Commander, he wanted to point out that the Jeep is on the the extended chassis from the Grand Cherokee...
A fellow on the Jeep site told me that the XC is an extended frame from the S80 Volvo, the sales manager never mentioned that! So, I'm going to assume if a frame has been extended for a new and different model, it shouldn't be a problem.
Also, the S80 is not a truck frame like the Grand Cherokee, that would make me wonder about the strength of the Volvo frame compared to the Commander frame.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated as I'm going to decide in about 3 weeks which vehicle that I will choose.
PS. Just a note, the Volvo is $54,000 loaded out and the Jeep is $44,000 loaded out. The Jeep has tire pressure monitors built in.
Mark156
It has a roof crush limit of 78,000 lbs.
Boron steel integrated into the roll cage.
Pretty strong car.
What does "strong" mean to you?
Honestly, I probably will never tow anything, but, I have an antique car that is quite heavy and if I need to tow it, I want the ability to do it. I'm sure it weighs 6,000 lbs or more. I'll have to check it. It has a 6.25 liter engine to pull it's weight and does manage it quite well.
Back to the Volvo, if there is not a 'fix' for the non-moving sunvisors (looked on the internet for an attachment) then I can't get it as the sun will burn the side of my face while driving across country which I do every December and January going from my home in the south to my home in the southern California desert (1,800 miles). The sun is low in the sky at this time of year and is a necessity
Mark
Maybe there is a solution to the visor issue. I haven't come across that one.
I should have mentioned why I made that statement as you can't read my mind. :P
When I was a looking at the Volvo XC90, my salesman mentioned to the sales manager that I was comparing the XC to the Jeep Commander. The SM said, did you know that the Jeep is an extended chassis of the Grand Cherokee. I didn't know that and really wasn't concerned about it. That's when I found out that the Volvo XC90 is an extended chassis of the S80 (not even a truck frame, if that makes any difference). The SM didn't mention that.
So, my assumption is that it must not make a big difference if a frame has been extended for another model. The Volvo SM made it sound like it was "taboo" that the Commander is on the Grand Cherokee frame. The Commander is only 3 inches longer than the GC.
The Volvo is a sharp looking vehicle as is the Commander. It is going to be very tough to make a choice. My salesman's assistant said I could easily find an extender for the Volvo sun visor but I have not found anything but a real bulky type that is banded around the sun visor. It wouldn't look very attractive. When the assistant told me that, I said, "are you sure?" he said, yes. So, when I go back in early December to test drive the Volvo, I will want him to show me on the computer where he has found it.
Also, I'm surprised that this sun visor issue has not come up before, is it just me that it bothers? :confuse:
Mark
It appears that way :P
I don’t even know if any of the cars I’ve ever owned had “extended side visors”...or side sun visors.
If the sun gets in my eyes I put on my shades...if too much sun is consistently getting through I get it tinted.
Mark
(1) $54,000 is too much to pay for an XC90 V8. They are being discounted by $6,000+ here in the DC area, and I can't imagine not being able to get a nicely loaded one for the mid to high $40's.
(2) $44,000 is WAY too much to pay for a Jeep anything. They depreciate like a rock and their fit and finish is despicable. Sorry, I just have no tolerance for that. It's one thing to buy a Liberty for $18k because that's all you can afford. But to hand Jeep $44k is rewarding failure.
(3) Really want a truck frame, get a $50k GX470 instead of the Jeep. Want bigger, get a Sequoia, Either will be worth twice as much (or more) than the Jeep in 3-4 years. And I say this not as an owner or particular fan of Lexus or Toyota. We have an MDX.
(4) Making any $50k +/- decision on the basis of window visors? Are you nuts?!? :confuse: I sympathize with your situation, but there has to be an acceptable solution that doesn't cause you to buy a piece of crap vehicle with a great sunvisor (and a few were suggested).
based on the previous post of maybe towing once, just rent the appropriate vehicle or hire someone.
I disagree with about everything you just said in the above post.
First, no one needs to pay list for an SUV...the discounts should be rather large. Of course people are paying less. You try to find a vehicle as loaded as the Commander and tell me which one you find for less money. And, please don't say Ford, it's not in the running. Maybe the Cadillac SXR, but the egress and ingess is difficult. I do like the automatic third seats tho.
Second, the fit and finish of the Jeep is not bad at all. And again, $44,000 is not what people are paying. My two Jeeps didn't depreciate like a rock ('96 and '99).
The Jeep Commander at $44,000 is fully loaded with leather, Navigational, rear bumper sensors, Quadra drive II, a 5.7 HEMI V-8, three seats and tire pressure monitors. Seems like a good value to me.
Thirdly, the GX is a not that great of a vehicle as far as that huge "backwards" swing-out door... I don't understand that. Will not work for me. And, the third seat does not fold flat, they hang on the side taking up space.
The MDX is nice but getting ready to change; they are nice vehicles for sure.
I know it sounds crazy, but when I drive across the country during the winter months, the sun is very low in the sky. I need for my visors to move once your swing them to the side. It is so important if you have ever been in that situation. The sun will burn the heck out of your face. It happened with my '99 Jeep, they didn't have adjustable sun visors in '99. I noticed in 2000 they put them in and I replaced mine and I was a happy camper.
Fully adjustable sun visors are a must! I'm surprised Volvo doesn't have them as they are supposed to be the "safest" vehicle. I am still considering buying one and if I do, I will come up with something to accomodate the low sun in the winter sky whether it be heavy tinting or an attachment to the sun visor. I just can't believe no one has a had problem with this.
I have 3 weeks before I decide on the SUV I buy...
1) Jeep Commander
2) Volvo XC90
3) Land Rover LR3
Happy Motoring to everyone! Mark
BTW, the more I drive it, the more I like (love?) it!
Guy
You have 2 sides of the spectrum for depreciation between the Volvo and the Jeep.
What do you say to your customers when they see you drive up in your Aztek and that are you are not driving a Volvo?
I didn't know that Cadillac made a revision on the egress of the SRX. Getting out of the vehicle WAS a problem.
I haven't driven the XC90 yet nor the Commander or the LR3. That will happen in about 3 weeks when I will be ready. There may be no comparison as one vehicle might immediately jump to the top or I might be confused as ever. :confuse:
Thanks, Mark