My first 1110 miles

[barrysharp]

FYI...

I drove my first 1110 miles on a MY2003 XC70 while travelling thru Sweden and Norway from Mar 28th to Apr 3rd. I did not reset the computer's average MPG readout during this 1110 miles so that I could obtain an accurate number.

The driving conditions for the 1110 miles were

City roads -- less than 10% (aaprox)
Secondary roads in Sweden/Norway -- 80% (winding 2-lane)
Freeway roads in Sweden -- 10%

Weather conditions: dry, snow, ice, wet, windy

Temp: hovered around 32 deg F or below most of the time

Geartronic used for 99% of the time.

Drivers: Me for about 70% and my son for 30%.

Occassional overtaking with rpm reaching around 4000 at times.

Computer readout

Average MPG = 23.2
Average Speed = 34 mph

[Filibuster]

Mpg is like greek to me...   http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
My car consumes until now 11.4 liters per 10 km.  
How do you like your new car?  How does it compare with the S80?

[wiz]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (fly by day @ April 06 2003,12:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Mpg is like greek to me...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
fly by day, to convert U.S. mpg to km/l, multiply by 0.425. To convert Imperial mpg to km/l, multiply by 0.354.

So Barry&#39;s 23.2 mpg translates to 9.86 km/l.

[barrysharp]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (fly by day @ April 06 2003,14:07)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Mpg is like greek to me... http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
My car consumes until now 11.4 liters per 10 km.
How do you like your new car? How does it compare with the S80?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
fly by day:

wiz gave you the direct conversions. These are derived from

1 mile = 1.609344 Km and 1 US gallon = 3.785412 litres

thus

23.2 x 1.609344 = 37.33678 km and 1 x 3.785412 = 3.785412 litres which gives 37.33678 per 3.785412 litres or 9.863333 km/litre

Your 11.4 litres per 10 km sounds kinda strange. It says you&#39;re getting 10/11.4 or 0.877193 km/litre. Maybe you meant you&#39;re using 11.4 litres per 100 km.

The XC70 drive was without faults and I was very satisfied. It doesn&#39;t drive like the S80 T6 which has 60 more HP and twin small diameter fast spinup turbos each feeding their own 3 cylinders and is geared differently. The XC70 sits higher than S80 from driver&#39;s seat perspective. The cockpits are very much the same with instruments being in almost exact locations. This makes the transition between S80 and XC70 seemless. Rear visibility in XC70 is better and I can tell where the rear is much better than when in my S80.

The S80 T6 can be driven like a rocket if so desired whereas the XC70 although very responsive lacks the rocketing forward acceleration of the S80 T6. They are cars serving different purposes obviously. Both cars are great for long haul drives and at the end of a days drive you feel rested as apposed to having struggled getting to your destination. Both cars provide me with a very relaxed driving experience -- that is, very little effort and attention is required apart from following the road and speed limits etc.

The S80 feels more open inside whereas the XC70 feels closer to one&#39;s body but having the advantage of more room behind.

The biggest difference between S80 T6 and XC70 is the engine power. The S80 T6 has enormous amounts and will propel you anywhere very fast. Torque steer on the S80 is severe under hard acceleration but very easily controlled.

I feel that the steering response on the XC70 is just a bit tighter than on the S80 but this might be that I drive the S80 quite fast at times around bends and as of yet haven&#39;t done that on the XC70. I was treating the XC70 with some respect during the first 1000 miles and also being in a foreign country I tried to be good http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif &nbsp;My son drove it for around 400 miles and he&#39;s used to driving a Peugeot 405Mi16 5-speed at home. He was very very impressed with the XC70&#39;s handling.

Hope that helps.

[Willy]

Hello Barry,
Congratulations with your new car&#33;
The fuel consumption sounds good as well.
Willy

[Filibuster]

You are right Barry, of course i meant 11.4 liters per 100 km. &nbsp;It is all a bit extra confusing because you imperalists use distance per amout of fuel where as we use amout of fuel per distance. &nbsp;In native sweden we use liters per 10 km (10km = 1 swedish &#39;mil&#39http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif and in germany they use liters per 100km.

I suppose the XC70 would need a T5 engine to match your S80 in accelleration. &nbsp;(Perhaps something for Volvo to consider.)

[littlewaywelt]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (fly by day @ April 07 2003,14:12)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It is all a bit extra confusing because you imperalists use distance per amout of fuel where as we use amout of fuel per distance. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif &nbsp;http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif &nbsp;http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[dcawd]

It only gets really bad when you have to mix the two systems, as owners of the luxo-barge SUVs need to do--you end up with gallons per mile &nbsp;http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif

[barrysharp]

fly by day:

So what does your XC70&#39;s computer display show for average fuel consumption? I assume your computer is configured for metric readouts -- that is km instead of miles and deg C rather than deg F.

My computer readout for Average fuel consumption is given in Miles/US-Gallon. What&#39;s yours?

[Filibuster]

the computer readout is in l/100km. &nbsp;The car is swedish spec. I guess l/100km would be the norm for all EU volvos (except the UK ones)

[Hiro's XC]

405mi-16.....droolllll....slober..Sorry&#33; I really loved that car when it came out. A poor mans version of the first M3. When P...... pulled out of the country I remember the local dealer selling them at a 10K off list. You know they will be back in the U.S. soon. They have been advertising.

Jason

[hrd_rok]

fuel consumption #&#39;s

fyi

just did, 1100 km interior bc to coast, &amp; back

highway driving mostly

average speed 110 kph (the speed limit)

4x ~1500m steep climbs

cruising speed 130-140kph

some city driving ~100km

the magic number 10.9 l/100km

h_r

ps sure is nice to be able go up 10% grades @ 160kph

there would never be radar set up there (i hope)

[Gundo]

Not very good mileage at all, if you ask me. &nbsp;Especially when you consider the premium cost of the premium gas you need to run.

[hrd_rok]

i don&#39;t think its that bad,

10.9 l/100km = 21 mpg

= right in middle of volvo 18 city 25 highway #&#39;s

i found that when we went above 130 kph (80 mph)

the fuel consumption shot way up (like 30% more) 28l/100km

and we were going at 80-100 mph up steep grades,

i could have got better gas mileage but somebody may have passed me....

they didn&#39;t (in 5 hours driving)

got some looks from the local rcmp (policia) when gassing up, kind of like he couldn&#39;t quite catch up..

somedays its worth paying the price to go fast...

h_r

[pico de luuks]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Gundo @ April 22 2003,20:50)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Not very good mileage at all, if you ask me. Especially when you consider the premium cost of the premium gas you need to run.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I think it&#39;s about average for these size cars, isn&#39;t it? I also get an avarage of 10.5L/100km (22.4 mpg), mainly short trips (less then 15 miles) On the occasional highway trips it&#39;s easily 8.5 to 9L/100km (26-27 mpg) It&#39;s say that&#39;s fair for a 200hp AWD automatic weighing almost 4000 lbs http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
(with the Suburban I&#39;m happy if I get more then 16mpg)


http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/pico.gif

[Fairfax]

The mpg that is being talked about here is making me feel good about retiring my 1993 Subaru Turbo wagon for my new XC70. I have loved my car through 10 winters going to Lk Tahoe and spending enough time there to ski between 40 to 60 days each year. The Subaru with it&#39;s lower ground clearance only needed to have a snow burm shoveled 3 or 4 times to get out of it&#39;s parking space. It&#39;s AWD &amp; turbo only got me about (no trip computer so these mpg #&#39;s are only estimates) 18mpg driving up to lake from bay area and 21mpg returning. While driving around when at Tahoe mpg was only about 14 or 15.

Even though I&#39;ve had 95,000 trouble free miles with the Sub. reading this tread has finally rid me of the last bit of buyers remorse about spending so much for a new car. I can still remember saying to the salesman when buying my 73 VW camper &quot;&#036;5000 for a Volkswagon&#33;&#33;&#33;&quot;.

Getting a larger, quicker, more comfortable car ,and hopefully as reliable a car as I have for the last 10+ years, that also is more fuel efficiant is good and makes me happy. The energy now will go into finishing our plans for our plans for the trip to pickup and enjoy the new car.

[barrysharp]

Fairfax:

I&#39;m positive if you drive your XC70 with a light foot and taking care to remove any throttle pressure whenever you anticipate you must slow down you will be able to get as much as 29 MPG.

I can achieve 29.4 (my best computer readout) in my S80 T6 that has 6 cylinders and twin turbos. At speeds less than around 30 mph when lifting off from the throttle gas consumption is dramatically reduced. Consistent use of this technique will produce excellent MPG.

Good luck and enjoy your new XC70.

[slender]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (barrysharp @ April 22 2003,23:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I&#39;m positive if you drive your XC70 with a light foot and taking care to remove any throttle pressure whenever you anticipate you must slow down you will be able to get as much as 29 MPG.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I agree.

In fact, I regularly do. A recent rip down to the smoke (that`s London, if anyone`s wondering) I achieved 34mpg. I kept at a steady 60 to 65mph and did not exceed 70 mph. A highly illegal 90mph+ coming home saw the consumption increase to 26mpg.

This was not a one off. A recent run to Exmoor saw 32mpg after a steady journey down with 28mpg attained whilst plodding around narrow country lanes then 26mpg after a very rapid late journey home.

For a large, heavy vehicle, regularly three or four up, with luggage, I think the fuel consumption is very good. Get stuck in traffic, mind, and you can look forward to sub 20mpg very quickly.

[hrd_rok]

slender,

is your mileage in us gal or uk gal?

uk is 20% larger so mpg of 32 would be ~27 i think..

one thing i noted, is that in my old toy(4runner) i knew gas mileage only by the distance per tank.

to see the instantaneaous consumption really lets you know what driving habits give both good and bad mileage numbers.

then you can drive accordingly....

using the cruise control reduces the consumption by up to 10% over running the pedal yourself i&#39;ve found

hrd_rok

[slender]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (hrd_rok @ April 23 2003,09:00)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">is your mileage in us gal or uk gal?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

UK gallons.