T3 Engine
 

Interested to know what people think of the T3 engine, is it a bit underpowered for the xc40 and what average mpg do you get?

Thanks

We have a T3 automatic and I was a little worried about the power before we bought it, as I had only driven the Diesel engined demonstrator.
It has proved to be ok; the power is more than enough for normal day to day driving, and the only time that the relatively low power is obvious is under hard acceleration, when it gets a little rough and runs out of steam quickly.
We have had the car 15 months and were averaging just less than 900 miles per month before lockdown, doing a mixture of short local journeys with a couple of weekly 70 mile trips thrown in. Over that mileage, it has given a reasonably steady 39 mpg. Longer, 100 mile plus, journeys see it get well into the mid 40’s.
We are generally very happy with it.

I have a T3 FWD manual R Design which I bought new last December, having come from a T2 V40 that I leased for 4 years. Our current second car is a 2006 Mini Cooper Convertible with a 1.6 NA petrol engine. In the last 15 years we've had a RAV4 diesel, Saab 93 diesel, a couple of Audi A3s with the 1.8 and 2 litre turbo petrol engine, Mazda 3 2 litre petrol NA, Kia Ceed 2 litre diesel and a Zafira with a 1.6 NA petrol - so a decent range to compare against.

I REALLY like the engine in the T3. The 3 cylinder is "interesting" - the noise it makes and the slight external unevenness is reminiscent of a V8. To drive it is quick but not fast, yet is quiet and flexible. I really liked the 1.8T in the Audi A3 I had, which had 160 BHP in a lighter car, but the T3 has more character. The power arrives nicely so you don't have to think too hard about driving it, compared to the Mini where you need to get in the right power band to make it shift (although when you do it is faster - but the Mini has other qualities, especially the joy of a "rawness" with the roof down and the lack of power everything).

Does it feel underpowered? In August I towed a 1 tonne caravan, with a full boot and myself and four children in the car (the Mrs had the dogs and one passenger in the mini) and it was acceptable, never feeling out of breath and probably no slower than the Zafira without anything on board.

MPG I would say is a bit lower than expected, but the car only has 4k miles on the clock and my experience is that is takes up to 15k before you get the best MPG figures. Pootling around town will see 20-30, but a 10 mile cross country trip to a county football game last Saturday and same again home saw 42 on the trip computer. The towing trip above (~90 miles on 60 MPH A roads) claimed 38. In comparison the V40 probably gave me 4-5 MPG more, but was at 40k miles when it went back and was well run in.

The T3 XC40 is FAR quieter than the V40. Frequently the Mrs will sit at 70 in 4th on the motorway as the noise doesn't penetrate the cabin to prompt you to change up, while the pre-Covid adult passengers almost all commented on how quiet the car was.

All round very happy with the car. I wanted a manual and a petrol, I didn't need more than the 163 BHP and at 6'3 need the perfect ergonomics of all Volvos. It's approaching a year old now but with a job change reducing my mileage by 6k a year and then Covid reducing the "SDP" miles I've decided to pay the PCP and keep the car for 6 years - there's nothing out there to tempt me away, probably until the full EV version is "affordable" (available?).

As those above have said, it's an interesting engine and provides enough power for my driving. On motorway runs, I see mid-40s and, since I've had the car, VOC says it's done 37.1 mpg - most of which has been local(ish) driving.

Thanks I think you’ve convinced me, garage is letting me have one for the day just to make sure, will take it up hill and dale, with some dual carriageway driving too!

Well taken the plunge and ordered a T3 Auto Inscription Pro, Glacier Silver with blonde interior, added intellisafe surround as an option, delivered beginning of March, so now the wait!

I don't think you'll regret it. I still love my T3. The engine makes some unusual sounds under load but it just gets on with it. The car is so comfortable and the ride excellent (coming from a Mercedes Benz C200, that's praise indeed). And the boot space is so useful compared to the Merc.

I've got a T3 Inscription Pro on order due any time now and I'm well excited, except for the nagging feeling that it's stuck somewhere near Calais and I might get hit with further import taxes if we leave the EU with no deal :shocked:

Hope it arrives soon, ours isn’t due to March next year, lots of sleeps yet!

I have had the T3 R-Design for 3 months now. The engine is good enough to dart about. Sounds funny though, when pushed to the upper limits, expected from a 3 pot engine.

Not done even 1K miles, so my mileage is unrepresentative for now - 30mpg
All in all, love the XC40's design, quiet ride and so well engineered.