Life expectancy 3.2 vs T6

[Aeromagic]

Hi,
I have just ordered a 2012 xc70 3.2 premiere white/black and can't wait for it to arrive next month. Do you think I made the right engine choice? As a family we drive A LOT! 60% will be back country roads and the rest will be trips to NYC and fishing, camping out in Colorado as well as the occasional trip to NewfoundLand. The reason I chose the 3.2 was longevity and durability. I figured a engine that doesn't run as hot and has no turbos will be less problematic. I would rather have the T6, since it is more fun to drive and has the same gas mileage. I meticulously maintain all my cars, but I really need to get at least 200k without too many problems. I still have a little bit of time to change the engine. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for a wonderful website!
Tom

[XCovlov70]

Hi,
I have just ordered a 2012 xc70 3.2 premiere white/black and can't wait for it to arrive next month. Do you think I made the right engine choice? As a family we drive A LOT! 60% will be back country roads and the rest will be trips to NYC and fishing, camping out in Colorado as well as the occasional trip to NewfoundLand. The reason I chose the 3.2 was longevity and durability. I figured a engine that doesn't run as hot and has no turbos will be less problematic. I would rather have the T6, since it is more fun to drive and has the same gas mileage. I meticulously maintain all my cars, but I really need to get at least 200k without too many problems. I still have a little bit of time to change the engine. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for a wonderful website!
Tom

Hi Tom,

On the basis that you meticulously maintain your cars I would not think you will have a problem with longevity for your new XC.

I normally keep my Volvo's for 10 years, the one previous to our current one was the exception but it was the wrong interior colour for me, and I knew when I saw the colour of my jeans getting ingrained into the seats (Beige Leather) that it would look absolutely awful in a few years time, then it went in part exchange for our current Flamenco Red with black ventilated leather, so no 'funny blue marks on the seats!

Each one I have had has given us high trouble free mileage and like you maintained meticulously, with some TLC thrown in as well, but I always make a point of taking it easy for the first 1000 miles just to settle things down with the engine and transmission, and I truly believe that helps!

This new one now feels and drives like it is built to last!

I am sure you will enjoy driving it.

When you get it, how about dropping a couple of pictures onto the website?

Best wishes

[budrichard]

You already ordered the vehicle, why second guess yourself?
I picked the 3.2 in our 2011 because I did not want additional power even if the mileage was supposedly the same and it was a lot more money anyway.
I'm very happy with the 3.2 but it suffers as all Volvo engines do from not enough torque and frequently downshifts but the Transmission is so smooth that unless your looking for the shifts, you don't really notice. Mileage is on a par with my 2003.
As to longevity, I don't even know if the 3.2 is a Volvo design and manufacture?
The old 4 cylinder engine in the 740's would run forever.
We have about 130 K on our 1999 and 100 K miles on our 2003 with the 5 cyl low pressure turbo, so the jury is still out on the longevity of these engines.
The 3.2 is anyone's guess but Post back in 20 years and let us know how it went!.-Dick

[jrt67ss350]

You already ordered the vehicle, why second guess yourself?
I picked the 3.2 in our 2011 because I did not want additional power even if the mileage was supposedly the same and it was a lot more money anyway.
I'm very happy with the 3.2 but it suffers as all Volvo engines do from not enough torque and frequently downshifts but the Transmission is so smooth that unless your looking for the shifts, you don't really notice.

The T6 definitely does not suffer from a lack of torque - it has gobs of low end torque and definitely doesn't downshift nearly as much as the 3.2. I personally think that there wouldn't be much of a difference in longevity between the T6 and the 3.2 as long as the oil is changed on schedule in the T6, as it should be in any turbocharged engine. I doubt the T6 really runs much hotter than the 3.2 unless you are really getting on it all the time. The T6 does have an oil to water oil cooler - I don't know if the 3.2 does. I think the bigger question should be if the extra cost of the T6 over the 3.2 is worth it to you for the increased power, increased torque, much better refinement of the engine, better shift algorithms, visible polished dual exhaust tips, the bigger (and better looking) wheels, the better interior trim, and nicer-looking instrument panel gauges. For me, it definitely was.

[budrichard]

"gobs of low end torque"

"increased power, increased torque, much better refinement of the engine, better shift algorithms, visible polished dual exhaust tips, the bigger (and better looking) wheels, the better interior trim, and nicer-looking instrument panel gauges"

If I wanted a Porsche I would be driving a Porsche and not Volvo XC wagons. With the T6 Volvo had joined the herd of SUV types blasting around in dual exhaust wanna be sports cars.
Dual exhausts sell SUV's and Crossovers, just witness that just about any of these types now has dual exhausts, its just marketing.
Even Porsche got into the act. When I went to purchase a Porsche C4, they tried to sell me a Cayenne.
I guess I don't fit the mold that Volvo or others do but want an AWD Volvo wagon with high mileage and would like a diesel engine and unless Volvo brings a diesel to the US, this will be my last Volvo.
I'm glad you like the T6 but don't disparage the standard 3.2 engine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engine or any of the other features, it's all in your mind.-Dick

[jrt67ss350]

Do I want a Porsche? Hell no. Do I want an SUV? Absolutely not. However, I do want a relatively roomy wagon with AWD, and the only way you can get that in the US short of buying a used outrageously-expensive 535xi touring is to buy the SUV-wannabe XC70. If Volvo allowed us to buy a 3.2 or T6 V70 AWD in the US, that is what I would have. Is the XC70 T6 a sports car? Far from it. If you want a sports car, do you buy a Volvo wagon? No.

I'm not disparaging the 3.2 - it's a fine engine. My opinion is that it's nice to have the additional power and torque of the T6 when you need it, with no detriment to the mileage when you don't. A bonus is the T6 does seem to be smoother and more refined than the 3.2. It simply has a better torque curve than the 3.2 and is able to get a very heavy car up and moving with less fuss and less shifting.

Both the 3.2 and the T6 have dual exhaust, but in my opinion, the visible exhaust on the T6 just looks better. My other point is that with the way Volvo packages the equipment on these cars, there are other differences between the 3.2 and the T6 except for the addition of a turbocharger. The T6 comes standard with AWD and the other stuff I mentioned. When you look at the whole package, I personally think the T6 is a sharper car than the 3.2, plus you get a lot more power for the same MPG.

I'm glad you like your 3.2, but I like my T6 and the other stuff that it comes with that you can't get on a 3.2.

[Boris Badenov]

I am sure that with proper maintenance either engine will last longer then everything around it...

[cattlecar]

Get the T6. If you ever go above 3000 ft the 3.2 will wimp out SEVERELY.
I have had both engines and the T6 powerplant got better MPG when there was any load in the car or if the terrain involved hills.
The T6 engine is far less complex. It does not have the double height intake cam lobe system with the required solenoids and odd tappets.
Go back to dealer and drive both and accelerate to get on an expressway. Then decide.

[RichS]

The discussion is appreciated. Performance notwithstanding, it would be helpful to hear from owners with either engine that have encountered difficulties and/or have put significant mileage on their (latest gen) XC70s.

Just for perspective, I have an 02 XC70 with increasing oil consumption. At least one mechanic has suggested that the turbo will need replacing in the not-too-distant future.

[cattlecar]

I know several currently employed Volvo techs from a previous job and I buy parts at a large Dallas dealer pretty regularly. I hung out with one of my friends there not long ago and asked him about the 3.2's since they had been around long enough to see some high milers. He said that both 3.2 and T6 motors were starving him. Nothing was really going wrong out of warranty. They had done some bearings on the cam/serpentine belt drive gearbox (the bearings have been changed from tapered to ball in late 2010 production, ball do not require hardly any preload, tapered require a lot of preload) on cars with poor oil change history.
He had seen a regular customer T6 S80 with over 100K and no issues.
The lack of timing belts and the longer interval on serpentine belt drops service requirements a lot. He also said the front bushings and sway bar links on 850, x70's, and P2 models were not requiring much service at all on the new P3 models.