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