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Volvo V70 MPG-Real World Numbers

40 messages,  Last post on Jun 25, 2009 at 1:17 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volvo V70, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Wagon

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#12 of 40 feedback on MPG for the 1999 v70 XC? by wileyl Nov 24, 2006 (9:35 pm)
I was thinking about buying one second hand, but a friend who has the exact same model and year told me she is only getting 15MPG in-city and 19MPG on the highway. Is her volvo's performance typical or way below average? thanks
#13 of 40 Re: Fuel use: 2004 V70 2.4L non-turbo 5-spd auto [jim314] by jim314 Nov 27, 2006 (8:00 am)
Replying to: jim314 (Jun 14, 2006 6:30 am) Result below of 770 mile camping trip with 2004 V70 non-turbo with Thule Altantis 1800 roof box. Tires (195/65-15) inflated to 36 to 38 psi. I was very satisfied with the results.   1st fillup: 25.0 mpg (mix of 240 mi city and only 59 mi highway with roof box) 2nd fillup: 27.0 mpg (highway up to 65 or 70 mph with some short trips, 318 mi/11.797 gal) 3rd fillup: 31.8 mpg (highway, a lot of backroads, much at 60 mph, 393 mi/12.353 gal)   Ave of 2nd and 3rd: 29.4 mpg (711 mi/24.15 gal).   The difference between the results for 2nd and 3rd fillups may be due to a difference in driving conditions, or may be partly random variation.   Prior to this Thanksgiving camping trip I bought a car top box to carry gear for 4 days and 3 nights, for two adults and 3 dogs. I would have bought a light sport trailer (either Thule or Let's Go Aero), but couldn't get one locally in time. With the roof box some light, soft gear was carried in the the right rear beside one of the dogs. Both parts of the rear seat back were down and all 3 dogs were secured with serious cainine auto restraint harnesses.   I selected the aerodynamic Thule Atlantis 1800 (18 cu ft, $510 from REI, + 8.25% sales tax, less dividend) because it was a good fit on the the V70. I could position it far enough back so that the front of the box was still well back of the top of the windshield, but there was no interference when opening the rear hatch. This reportedly lowers wind resistance. Getting back into agressive Dallas freeway traffic I got a little bit of a lead foot and even up to 80 mph there was absolutely no wind noise from the roof box.   The 21 cu ft Thule Atlantis was not in stock or I might have gotten that. However it is 8 or 9 inches longer and might project far enough forward to have significantly higher wind resistance because it would make more of a air scoup with the car top.
#14 of 40 1st trip by kburton66 Jan 03, 2007 (7:11 pm)
My first road trip (375 miles one way) in my newly acquired 2002 V70 w/53k was 23 mpg down 24 mpg back. I was a little disappointed. Replies to this message: jim314 (Jan 05, 2007 11:29 am)
#15 of 40 Re: 1st trip [kburton66] by jim314 Jan 05, 2007 (11:29 am)
Replying to: kburton66 (Jan 03, 2007 7:11 pm) That is a little lower than one would like. Is this the naturally aspirated or the turbo-charged one? I assume this is the FWD V70 and not all AWD V70 or V70 XC right?
#16 of 40 volvo gas milage by santanareigel Jan 28, 2007 (10:22 am)
I have a volvo 2005 s60 2.5T with the geartronic. Reason I am here is because we are thinking about a V70. Gas mileage is an issue but I would like to relate what happened to us. Bought the s60 new. my wife drove it to work regularly until about 22,000 mile. The car came with free oil changes from the dealer . The last oil change the mileage display had been indicating 19.4 avg (i reset it every sunday going to church ). The free oil was added in the morning i switched to AMSOIL ASL (5W30). My wife calls me from work the next morning and tells me the computer is showing 23.5 now. The avg now is 22.8. On a road trip with this oil the avg went up to 28.5 (75-80 mph) it was 24.5 on the previous trip to the same location on the same road   so my question would be is anyone using synthetic oil or just anything the dealer throw in ? Replies to this message: jim314 (Jan 28, 2007 11:37 am)
#17 of 40 Re: volvo gas milage [santanareigel] by jim314 Jan 28, 2007 (11:37 am)
Replying to: santanareigel (Jan 28, 2007 10:22 am) I have used Mobil1 10W-30 in my wife's 2004 V70 (base model, 168-hp, 2.4L, non-turbo, 5-spd auto) since its first change which I got done at 4000 mi and 7.5 months. I now use Mobile1 XP(extended performance, "guaranteed" for 15 kmi or 1 yr) at about $7/qt because I only get it changed about once a year. We only put on about 8K mi/yr.   I'm not claiming this "cost-effective" in the long run, but a V70 is to me a fine car and I'm willing to spend an extra $40/yr to protect the engine and maybe to get higher fuel economy. We get about the EPA for this model year, 22 mpg city/30 mpg hwy.   I supply the dealer with 6-quarts of 10W-30 Mobile1 XP and they supply the filter and O-ring and change the oil at no charge. The service advisor seemed to think that this would be cheaper for me than what they would charge for Mobile1.
#18 of 40 Re: Volvo V70/XC70: MPG-Real World Numbers [kamala95] by twobigdogz Feb 01, 2007 (5:58 pm)
Replying to: kamala95 (Jun 13, 2006 6:33 am) Our '05 2.4 V70 is also in that range, 23-24 around town and over 30 on the highway.
#19 of 40 1998 V70R awd by mduvernois Feb 28, 2007 (7:23 am)
It gets 20-22mpg pretty much regardless of driving conditions. On the high end of that cruising eastern US highways (70-75mph) and on the lower end in mixed driving in Minneapolis or on western US highways (80-95mph). Not quite as good as I'd like, another gear or two and a standard tranny would have helped.
#20 of 40 2004 168 hp NA V70 5A tranny by jim314 May 22, 2007 (3:37 pm)
Roundtrip Dallas to New Orleans May 18-21, 2007: Over 4 days I drove 1220 miles in my 2004 Volvo V70 2.4L normally aspirated 168 hp 5-cyl 5A trans, consuming 36.5 galUS of gasoline, for an average of 33.4 mpgUS (7.03L/100km and 40.1 mpgUK). The US EPA mpg estimates on the 2004 168 hp NA V70 are 22/30 mpgUS city/hwy (10.7/7.83 L/100km, 26.4/36.0 mpgUK). The tires are the base 195/65-15 Michelins (max infl press 51 psi) inflated to 37 psi. Load driver only and light cargo load.   Right now when I fuel up I am mixing approx equal parts of 93 octane and 89 octane (or I use approx 2 plus 1 of 93 and 87) to get 91 octane. The manual says that 87 octane is the minumum which the engine can use, but 91 or greater is recommended for optimum operation. I want to get the absolute best mpg and don't want to hole a piston if the knock sensor would fail. The Volvo normally aspirated 2.4L 5-cyl has a compression ratio of 10.3:1.   Here's how the legs worked out:   Dallas to Ville Platte LA, nearly all IH20 and IH49 with speed control set at 67 mph: 366.5 mi/10.644gal => 34.4 mpgUS => 6.82 L/100km, 41.3 mpgUK. Camped at State Park and slept in the V70.   Ville Platte to New Orleans and back to New Iberia via US90, nearly all regular hwy and significant local in New Orleans and in New Iberia: 399.9 mi/12.929 gal = 30.9 mpgUS => 7.60 L/100km, 37.1 mpgUK.   New Iberia to Dallas, virtually all IH with speed control set at 68 to 70 mph: 453.4 mi/12.937 galUS = 35.0 mpgUS => 6.71 L/100km , 42.0 mpgUK. Replies to this message: jim314 (May 25, 2007 5:27 am)
#21 of 40 Passing technique by jim314 May 25, 2007 (5:27 am)
Replying to: jim314 (May 22, 2007 3:37 pm) On my recent trip to New Orleans I decided to set the speed control to about 68 mph and try to stay in the right lane. I was trying to get the highest mpg I possibly could. I did pass some cars that were going slower, but my idea was to just keep a constant speed and not have to summon the concentration required for passing. Most of the cars that passed me were going significantly faster than 70 mph and staying mostly in the left lane or making frequent lane changes so, in my opinion, my going slightly under the speed limit presented no additional obstruction to them.   What I did find was that large trucks would come up behind me and then change to the left lane and pass with clearly increased speed and fuel use. I cannot stand to have an 18-wheeler right on my tail and I don't want to obstruct them. It occurred to me to change to the left lane as the trucks approached and let the trucks pass in the right lane. The truck drivers seemed happy to do this. This is how the lead is changed in a bicycle pace-line.   I would change to the left lane and coast down using the negative button on the cruise control to minimize the time I was beside the truck and then shift back to the right lane and speed up to 68 mph after the truck had opened a gap. I suppose the truck drivers have trained some car drivers to do this and that must be the reason they come up close behind before changing to the left lane to pass. I figure this really saves fuel--a negligible amount in my car but a lot in the truck. I was not in a hurry on this trip.   As the truck would approach from the rear in my lane I would first signal a lane change, check that no vehicle was overtaking in the left lane (which wasn't a problem because the traffic on IH49 was light and not heavy on IH20), then change lanes. In the left lane I would slow down with the -button on the speed control so as to minimize the time I was alongside the truck, then signal and change back to the right lane after the truck passed. Then I would accel back to cruising speed with the + button on the speed control.   Another way I handled the speed control was to change to the left lane then disengage the cruise control so as to slow down quickly. As soon as the truck came alongside on my right I would signal a change back to the right lane, and after the truck passed, change lanes, then accelerate back to near 68 mph with slight enough pressure on the accelerator pedal that the 5A transmission wouldn't downshift, then re-engage the speed control.   I found on this car that if I used the + button on the speed control or I re-engaged the speed control when the speed was significantly below the set point, then the speed control would cause a downshift, which I figured would use more fuel and cause more wear on the engine and transmission.   On a freeway in New Orleans I needed to pass quickly to get around a vehicle to get to an exit and gave full throttle at about 50 mph. The tach went up to well over 5000 rpm (redline is 6000). I don't like to do that very often.

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