Road Trip to San Jose - 2015 Volvo S60 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Road Trip to San Jose - 2015 Volvo S60 Long-Term Road Test

I took the 2015 Volvo S60 for a road trip to San Jose. Here's how it went.

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fordescortgt

Really Disappointing gas mileage. I had commented that with a couple extra gears on my 2015 AWD R-design, I could easily get 28-30 MPG at real Highway cruising (I can get that at 55-60 MPH). The fact that the 2,0l is not getting in the 30's for highway shots is sad. IT seems like it has enough miles on it. Hopefully it improves. I notice if I am spinning past 2100 RPMs my mileage drops to 24-26, and around town my 3.0l really pulls down mileage below the posted city MPG. I hope this improves since this will be the only option for a non hybrid top spec powerplant.

legacygt

+1 on the disappointing gas mileage. I commented on the earlier post about performance testing saying something to the effect of: the acceleration numbers are not impressive but will be acceptable if the car delivers impressive real world fuel economy. From this post I worry that it doesn't. I'm also getting a little more worried about the XC90 which may follow in the footsteps of the Ford Explorer with the 2.0 Ecoboost powertrain. When these boosted powertrains make their way into larger vehicles and have to deliver adequate performance, they end up guzzling as much fuel as naturally aspirated engines.

prndlol

This motor pumps out ~300hp and torque, I think 27mpg at real-world highway speeds is about as good as it gets.

legacygt

@prndlol. Maybe so. But this motor gets this car to 60 in about the same time as a V6 Accord. It beats the Accord in EPA efficiency numbers but I'm not so sure it does in real world driving efficiency.

desmolicious

"This motor pumps out ~300hp and torque, I think 27mpg at real-world highway speeds is about as good as it gets."

The Vette does that with 450hp.

chol92594

I'd never trust the pressure gauge at a gas station air pump. I'd imagine that most gas stations have at least one type of pressure gauge you can buy, even if they're more expensive than what you'd find at Walmart, AutoZone, etc. Edmunds should really just buy some cheap but accurate pressure gauges and keep one in every LT car.

As far as TMPS systems not showing individual PSI readings; some manufacturers are starting to ditch traditional TPMS sensors and are instead just using the wheel speed sensors to determine if a tire is under-inflated. If one wheel is rotating at a slower speed than the other three, it's a good sign that it's under-inflated and the system uses this to trigger a warning. This means that it doesn't actually have a certain PSI value to display. Nevertheless, it would still be nice if systems like this would at least indicate which wheel seems to be under-inflated.

schen72

This cheaper type of TPMS is obviously better than nothing at all, but for something as important as tire PSI, I think manufacturers shouldn't be so cheap and continue using the sensors that allow for individual PSI readings. On long drives, I like to switch on the PSI display often just to make sure everything looks good. It gives me some peace of mind while driving.

mlin32

Wait, how could one not have a tire pressure gauge in the vehicle? Like a warning triangle and first aid kit, it should always be there! Okay, it's a press fleet car, understandable......

No thanks to direct TPMS sensors. Unneeded extra cost to both the manufacturer and consumer when it comes time for replacement tires or a spare set of wheels for winter. Plus, they get all wonky in the autumn when temperatures fall or vary widely between night and day. Thankfully all of our cars use the ABS sensors so it is just a simple reset.

legacygt

Regarding TPMS, my Mazda CX-9 (2009) has a primitive system that has been nothing but trouble. I've spent a small fortune replacing sensors over the years and it worked so rarely that I've just been ignoring the light and relying on an old fashioned gauge for the past 3 years. The mechanic I use (when I don't take the car to the dealer) has told me that 70% of the cars that come into his shop have TPMS warning lights on. Maybe the technology is improving but it's scary that this is a case where car manufacturers (and legislation) are making customers believe they being protected by systems that are so unreliable.

dm7279

I have a 2014 S60 with the old turbo 5 cylinder and have gotten up to 32 mpg in highway cruising, and this car is rated for only 30 mpg highway. Economy has improved as I've put mileage on the car and really only nosedives above 75 mph. That said, the S60 is a super highway cruiser (for one or two people anyway) with a firm but comfortable ride, superior seats, quiet interior, and an excellent sense of straight ahead (doesn't need a bunch of steering corrections and isn't upset by wind).

saulster

My 2015.5 T6 gets an average of 33 - 35 MPG on road trips from LA area to San Jose area. I set the adaptive cruise control at 73 in the 65 zones, 76 or 77 in the 70 zones. Are you using the recommended "premium" ( if California craptacular 91 octane can be considered such ) fuel? My "local" commuting mileage is averaging around 22 - 23 MPG. All of this strikes me as reasonable for a 300 HP sedan.

I continue to agree that this is the best car seat ever, super comfortable locally and on longer trips.

Now, about that TPMS.... There is no excuse for Volvo cheaping out. I believe the manufacturers are now required to put in TPMS, right? Someone who knows for sure, please comment further. That said, this is a so - called "premium" car from a so - called "premium" manufacturer. So, no excuses, this is simply a fail. And the issues RM noted on his trip when the TPMS alerted illustrate exactly why this is a fail.

As I have previously noted, Volvo cheaped out on more than one electronic system in the latest S60. RM noticed the speed limit indicator issues previously noted in an earlier report. This system is so completely unreliable that I simply turned it off to avoid further frustration. And please don't get me started again on the navigation system POI search mess, just wait until you try this out for yourself and see what you say. Good luck finding Costco, Barnes & Noble, etc.