2015.5 or 2016

[tranmkp]

Follow up - so I was going to get a 2016 xc70 - in the configuration I notice that the T6 is no longer available - only the t5 and the 2 liter buzzbomb. Which is a better engine in the long run - the 6 or 5? Any issue like motor mounts, nose being heavy, tire wear? Is that T5 the same block as the one in my 99xc? I was going to get a Ford Flex but after seeing the offset crash test... nope - I want the safety - Ill pay for maint...

Of note I had a chance to drive a xc90 - the new one - ahhh, it was ok - that 2liter is ok. I will say that if you can sell a car based on smell - the inside of the xc90 smells like a million dollars - it is techno overload - I worry about the maint though - it was actually noiser on the road than I expected, road noise really comes through from the front wheel wells. Steering feels like a electric something - effortless but sort of numb.. I switched to the xc70 and it was so much better for me.

[brissim]

What you are asking is a choice between the 2015.5 T6 AWD vs 2016 T5 AWD? Its actually an interesting question. If this question had been asked 6 months or more ago I would have said take the T6 AWD (ie 2015.5) engine. Appreciably more power than the T5 plus, much the same fuel consumption, and with the added plus of a Polestar tune being available for the T6 engine to boost power & torque even more. As far as I know there isn't a similar Polestar tune available for the US-spec T5 engine.

Now the bad news. I've only really become aware of it in the last 6 months or so but it appears there is an oil consumption problem emerging with some - and I repeat some - of the 3.0l 6-cylinder in-line T6 engines. From what I'm reading over at the Swedespeed forums (not just the XC70 subforum but also the S60 & XC60 forums) its even progressed to the point where dealers operating under instruction from Volvo are replacing engines rather than trying to diagnose and fix the actual problem. It has surprised me because I really had come to believe the T6 engine as a "bullet-proof" as the old faithful T5 engine. Apparently not.

Yes todays 2.5l 5-cylinder T5 engine is pretty much directly related to the 2.5T/T5 engine from the late 90s. Its Volvo engine designation remains the same - B5254T - with gradual improvement in power output over the years with new larger turbos etc. Very arguably the best engine Volvo ever made.

Not sure I've answered your question - certainly all things being equal I'd take the T6 over the T5 but you may just want to do a bit more research on the oil problems with the T6 engine.

Tony

[v70+xc70]

Interesting to spot this thread. We are looking at getting a second xc maybe a 60 or a 70 to become a two XC family. As I understand it the 2.5 is pretty much near identical to the 2.5 Turbo in our 2003 except for the natural progression and I hope a better transmission.
My only disappointment is the apparent lack of meaningful mpg improvement in the 13 years since our first xc. I blame the fact that in the rest of the world, Volvo sells mostly diesels so gas engines get less attention. On the flip side all the extra safety features definitely work.

[brissim]

.............................My only disappointment is the apparent lack of meaningful mpg improvement in the 13 years since our first xc. I blame the fact that in the rest of the world, Volvo sells mostly diesels so gas engines get less attention. ...........................

Not entirely correct. Certainly the world's automotive world is very Euro-centric these days with the ever tightening emissions standards in Europe pretty much dictating what happens in the rest of the world. But that's not the reason for the lack of development on the 2.5l 5-cylinder T5 engine - that's very much down to Volvo itself.

Between 2000 and 2010 Volvo Cars was of course owned by Ford. These were dark days for Volvo's own internal technical development as Ford starved Volvo of development funds and obliged Volvo to adopt Ford engines, transmissions and even the platforms the cars were built on. Apart from incremental improvements in the power output of the T5 engine there was no major development of the engine such as the conversion to direct injection which would have certainly improved fuel efficiency. Then right from the moment that Geely bought Volvo in 2010, Volvo made it clear they were going to develop their own car platforms (the SPA and CMA platforms) and a new line of modern fuel efficient 4 cylinder engines - what we now call the Drive-E engines. So again, no real development work on the T5 engine.

Tony

[tranmkp]

ok, I really have to close this today - 2015.5 XC70 - T6, dealer is throwing in a Polestar chip - very good price (43k for a premier) Zero down and zero percent for 60 - whats not too like? I just want to know what to expect for this end of platform ride. All I have ever owned are Volvos, old ones and P1's - I suspect it wont be cheap but does anyone know the details on the current T6? Any insight would be helpful

[tranmkp]

ok, I really have to close this today - 2015.5 XC70 - T6, dealer is throwing in a Polestar chip - very good price (43k for a premier) Zero down and zero percent for 60 - whats not too like? I just want to know what to expect for this end of platform ride. All I have ever owned are Volvos, old ones and P1's - I suspect it wont be cheap but does anyone know the details on the current T6? Any insight would be helpful

never mind - pulled the trigger - 2015.5 silver xc70 T6 with Polestar -

dont look back

[brissim]

Congratulations and good on you. There's probably no correct answer to the question you were asking. As I said in one of my posts above, all things being equal I'd take the significantly better performance of the T6 over the adequate performance of the T5. Yes, in the long term you may run into some oil consumption problems but the probability of this is very very small. And to Volvo's credit, for the small proportion of those experiencing oil problems with the T6, Volvo have been there with the necessary support. Happy XC'ing.

Tony

[tranmkp]

Thanks - I have the warranty out to 100k plus the wear and tear items - it cost a bit more but hey, all I have ever owned are Volvos - I know the story. I will say it is a very powerful car. More powerful that I expected. After a couple of hours with the cars UI, not to bad actually - its logical. One of these days I will figure out how the DRl's work...

[tranmkp]

Have about 5k on the car now - no issues at all - got most everything figures out - oil is still clear in yellow. I have never been fond of electronic throttles - you have to drive like a egg is under your foot so as not to surge too much - I will tell you that this car is almost too powerful. The first time I really had to get into it was leaving a rest stop and doing a U turn - Torque steer? Boy, I'll ell you about torque steer!. I really had to hold on the wheel to keep it getting away from me. The car just lit up when I floored it - before I knew it I was bumping 95 before I slowed down - now, dont get me wrong, the car is not a GT-350. But for a Volvo wagon it was damn surprising. Fuel consumption is not fantastic but not that bad - about 16-17 in town and about 22-23 on highway. I am very pleased. May even go for a new xc70 for the fleet once some CPO's are out...