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I just finished reading several posts about AWD fuel mileage and thought I would post my "findings" so far.
I'm a new AWD owner but I've owned lots of Volvo's, would never buy anything else.
My last was a '98 V70 and I typically got 30 mpg. I just recently bought a 2001 AWD and was expecting somewhere around 20 mpg. On my trip home 120 miles, I got 27.5! I regularly check mileage whenever I fill up and use the info to judge the condition of my car. A decline in mpg is a good indicator of some potential problem.
I consistently get 26 to 27 mpg but nearly all my driving is highway in the mountains above 7000 ft.
I like the car so much that I just bot my second '01 AWD in Texas. On my way home, 700 miles, the second tank fill up calculation was 30 mpg. That was while running freeway speeds at 75-80 mph. I reset the computer when I picked up the car. It was showing an average of 21.5 mpg with 119xxx miles on the odometer.
There is lots of good advice here about fuel mileage but the best was to put an egg between your foot and the pedal. The highways I drive are lousy with cops so cruise control is essential. Driving slower and using cruise control even at slower speeds helps to improve fuel mileage. Keeping my car in good running condition is also important. Guess it comes down to where I would rather spend my money, at the pump or with my mechanic. BTW my wife regularly gets at least a half gallon better mpg. She is usually under the speed limit when she drives though.
Somebody do the math and tell me how my less she is spending on gas than me
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posted by
someone claiming to be bwik
on
Fri Jun 22 05:37 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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Well obviously it varies, but you are being optimistic in most respects. Of course if you have a 15 mph tailwind, your MPG will jump by 3-4-5 right off the bat. 30 mph tailwind will send you into loony bin MPG and make you feel great. But the vehicle is not a 30 MPG vehicle in straight level driving.
The 2001 XC is rated at only 22 MPG highway. I have one too, and at best it will get 26 MPG (and we had it since new). But more generally, around town, this is a 4,000 lb vehicle that's not very aerodynamic, that gets around 20.0 MPG combined city/highway. The laws of physics come into play.
Rather than special intervals, the only MPG that really matters is over a 5,000 mile period. For us, that's between 19 and 22 MPG, and we're not fast drivers. Again, that's since new.
We also have a BMW 330xi that gets around 22 MPG. If you want 30+ MPG overall, you can do it -- lose the AWD, lose the automatic. Then you can get there.
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You are generally correct.
However, I just filled up again, third tank, and it showed 27.0mpg. That is almost exactly what the computer shows. I am expecting my mpg's to be closer to what you are reporting and am surprised at the results so far.
I live and drive above 7000 feet. Wind is seldom a factor and I get the benefit of both up hill and down hill driving and there are few stops and little traffic to contend with. If I have to wait more than 15 seconds to get going again, I start to get frustrated with the "delay."
But then I'm "obviously" more optimistic than you. Maybe that is the secret??
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posted by
someone claiming to be bwik
on
Fri Jun 22 09:45 CST 2007 [ RELATED]
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That is the difference. You drive in an idyllic place without traffic like our urban/suburban area has. According to the EPA recalculated ratings (2008+), www.fueleconomy.gov, the 2001 XC gets:
16 CITY
21 HWY
18 COMBINED
Although I think this is a little low, I also do not think the vehicle can get more than about 27mpg, ever. When you get 27 on a whole tank, that is, well, amazing. Good for you. :)
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It took me a long time to get here. I used to live in Denver.
I did get 30mpg on one tank but I think that is a fluke so I discounted it. 27 seems to be a reasonable number though. I drove my wife's 2001 XC tonight and her computer says 27.8. Mine right now shows 26.7mpg. I'm a little jealous. They are identical except for the mileage; 67000 on hers, 120000 on mine. I put about 160 miles on mine today just driving in the county. There were 4 stoplights that I had to wait on, all in the same place.
Traffic is a bit heavier than usual because it is Friday night and the Denver campers are out in force. I had to wait about 30 seconds longer tonight to turn off my county road on to the US hwy to get to dinner, Bummer. Generally I just slow down to cross the cattle guard.
If this sounds like I'm braggin, I am. There are significant advantages to living in rural areas but disadvantages as well. Goods and services are not as plentiful here as in Denver and prices are higher. Petrol is $3.19 now. But friends are everywhere. There are a lot more Volvo's here now than when I came here 10 years ago. There are also a few more experienced Volvo mechanics as a result. I've happily introduced a few of them to Brickboard, with good results.
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I stopped by the Honda dealer on my way home today and the sticker on a Honda Civic EX said 30-40mpg. No awd. The CRV said 22-28mpg, with a thirsty 4 cylinder and only 160bhp. Not too hot for Colorado rarified air!
My last trip to CO, with a full load got me 27-28 mpg on the way home. NE is also 75mph, so I set my cruise at 84. Lots of cops on I 79...
Klaus
--
1995 854T and 1998 V70R
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I know I can get better mileage with another car. My V70 consistently got 30mpg and it wasn't much different if I was going 75 or 60. One time I checked the mpg after my wife had been driving it for a while and it was 31.5.
But the real reason I drive Volvo's is because of the safety record. A friend of mine was seriously injured in a high speed head on collision with a guy trying to get away from the highway patrol, just a couple of miles from my house. She spent several months in the hospital and more months in rehab. The other driver was killed. She was driving a new Subaru. If she had been in a Volvo, I believe she would have walked away. Why would you drive anything else?
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If this were back in 1990, I would agree with you about safety. The 240 was a great car "in its day". It had one air bag, abs, and heavy gauge steel. No one in the USA died in a 240 for 3-4 years. Amazing!
Today, we have curtain airbags, side air bags, dash bags, seat belt tensioners, and crash sensors. Except for the steel getting thinner, the Volvo is a safe car. But, so are Mercedes, BMW, Audi/VW, Lexus, and Acura. Of these cars, Volvo is the cheapest to buy and operate. Not too sure about Japanese dealer labor prices.
But, please do not compare a Subaru to a Volvo, et al. They are small, light, and will crumple a lot farther than a heavy weight. What was the stolen vehicle? An American SUV missle?
Klaus
--
1995 854T and 1998 V70R
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I figured someone would challenge me on my claims about Volvo's and I thought it would be you.
The older Volvo's were exceptional in their safety ratings. But other car makers copied some of the engineering and now most cars have similar crash test ratings.
To be honest, I haven't followed the crash test ratings of any newer cars and I base my opinions on old data. But.... and it is a big but, opinions die hard. Older Volvo's, 240's and 740's were called bricks for a reason, not just their shape. I had a 1990 245NA 5 speed last year that I probably should have kept just for the mileage, a solid 30 to 31 mpg. But I was uncomfortable in the narrow seat and it was rear wheel drive. I get stuck sometimes with RWD in my driveway. Same with my 745T(1989). Great cars. My first 855T (1994)was comfortable and economical; 30 mpg when in good condition. Safe too. But I still got stuck in my drive. (I still have my first 855 but it has a dead tranny)
I've tried out the AWD in snow on a steep sloping muddy driveway and it works great. I wouldn't have a chance in the 2/740's or even the 850/V70 but the XC performed like a champ.
I also have a 2001 F350 4WD for my business and the Volvo will out perform it any day, save for ground clearance and towing.
Personally though, I'm very tired of fossil fuel vehicles and looking forward to all electric models, not even hybrids. Someday....
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I am waiting for the small diesel generator, burning a mix of veggie oil, that powers my electric car. Of course, I want one with 4 motors, one at each wheel, and no transmission or driveshaft. No axles either! Don't need silly CV joints.
Klaus
--
1995 854T and 1998 V70R
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Said in jest of course.
But wait....
There is a company, in Frederick Colorado, building electric (not hybrid) cars with a converted full size SUV as proof of their utility. That SUV has a range of 130 miles and can recharge in 10 minutes; 0 to 60 in something like 10 seconds.
Their partners are Phoenix Motor Cars, Altair Nanotechnologies, the US Air Force, the US Army and the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. Oh yeah, Iee Iacocoa was in there somewhere.
Check it out. We have the technology, in fact electric motors for cars were the precursor to the gasoline engine.
How about an all electric Volvo?
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The original Humvee creators were concerned about mpg, so they did just that. They replaced all of the running gear with 4 electric motors, removed the heavy tranny and drivetrain, made the diesel motor to run at a constant speed, and found the Humvee to be lighter, get much better gas milage, and go 0 - 60 in under 10 sec!
And much lower maint cost!
Volvo, with an electric vehicle? What would that be like with all of the "green" plastic electrical connectors? I couldn't even begin to imagine replacing the wiring harness every 10 years :)
Klaus
--
1995 854T and 1998 V70R
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