V70: Engine What MPG can I expect?

[Smudgster]

I did home to london and return which is about 400 miles and only returned 35mpg in my 2008 V70 D5 SE Sport. Really disappointed with that!!!

[I-S]

The 2008 car has the gen 2 engine, whereas 2010 onwards cars have various forms of the gen3 engine, which seems to bring about genuine improvements in fuel economy.

[PEGE63]

Originally Posted by Smudgster

I did home to london and return which is about 400 miles and only returned 35mpg in my 2008 V70 D5 SE Sport. Really disappointed with that!!!

Just bought same model and drove it back from the dealer and averaged 36 odd on motorway using cruise, was needless to pushing it a bit at times ( like the power...) then eased off a bit, reset av.MPG and was very light with my foot, MPG did not improve a lot. Was reading on forum that keeping rpm under 2000 would improve MPG and its possibly correct but gosh driving becomes so boring by thinking like this all the time and sit at truck speeds. Now filled up and will do my local 5-6-7 Mile trips n will keep an eye on things, hoped to get 40 but think I'll have to forget about this and just better enjoy the car, great locally on the A roads. Been watching instant MPG readings and sometime get high when I DO NOT expect it and vey low when I DO EXPECT it to read high, weird, still, driving an auto again is brilliant and I love having heated seats again AND the ventilated version is a new for me and is equally brill. ( just wonder how one maintain the leather with all, the holes in it....)

[I-S]

Your D5 is the older gen 2 engine, which is less efficient than the gen 3s (twin-turbo D5, D4, D3) anyway.

If you're referring to my thread about the sudden drop in mpg, that refers specifically to the twin-turbo engine - I don't know if it applies to the older engine as much, but experiement and find out. The critical figure is 120 km/h.

However, my real view on this is (and it applies to myself also)... you bought a D5. If you wanted to hypermile it and push constantly to get the maximum mpg then you should have got a 1.6 or 2.0d. You have a D5 - enjoy it and don't worry about the odd mpg.

[Smudgster]

Im getting mid 20's out of mine around town and upto 38 on a run. Having just had an enforced pay cut I am thinking of downgrading, but I love the car so in a bit of a dilema at mo

[I-S]

Generally any "savings" made on fuel will be massively outweighed by factors like depreciation and maintenance.

Our old Honda Accord Tourer was a petrol and over the 49000 miles we had it, it returned just over 33mpg and cost £250 per year to tax. Our diesel volvo is so far looking like it will average 39mpg and costs £200 per year to tax. The "savings" in running the volvo are totally destroyed by depreciation (which on the accord worked out to about 10p/mile).

Then you bring into play the normal issues of sorting out a few things on a new car (getting the odd accessory, never feels like your own car until it's got proper tyres on, etc) - changing car is likely to be a false economy if your car is reliable and known to you. Maybe diesel will cost you a few quid more, but changing the car won't save you anything, unless you went bangertastic and bought a £500 fiesta (which tbh is going to cost almost as much to fuel as the volvo).

[PEGE63]

Originally Posted by I-S

Generally any "savings" made on fuel will be massively outweighed by factors like depreciation and maintenance.

Our old Honda Accord Tourer was a petrol and over the 49000 miles we had it, it returned just over 33mpg and cost £250 per year to tax. Our diesel volvo is so far looking like it will average 39mpg and costs £200 per year to tax. The "savings" in running the volvo are totally destroyed by depreciation (which on the accord worked out to about 10p/mile).

Then you bring into play the normal issues of sorting out a few things on a new car (getting the odd accessory, never feels like your own car until it's got proper tyres on, etc) - changing car is likely to be a false economy if your car is reliable and known to you. Maybe diesel will cost you a few quid more, but changing the car won't save you anything, unless you went bangertastic and bought a £500 fiesta (which tbh is going to cost almost as much to fuel as the volvo).

Cold not agree more to this, I would be a rich man if I got a £1 for everyone I have heard changing car for a 'more economical one' only to then upgrade things and ending up spending 4-5-6-7K more in the process. My car will cost me £300 more per year in fuel ie £1500 over 5 years and (subject to behaving...) and will bring a smile to my face every time I use it, the T never did this in the same way.

[cookie]

how accurate is the fuel computer nowadays, as the P1's were very acurate (compared to brim to brim, over thousands of miles), was always within 1-2mpg, same with the V40, the P2's are way out - about 15-20% exagerated, I have 2 05MY S60 D5's (due to being facelifts but pre DPF models) drove one back from wrexham to kent, got 63mpg acording to computer, but was 55 in reality, best I have seen is Leicester and back, 70.4 on display

[tommyweaves]

Originally Posted by cookie

how accurate is the fuel computer nowadays, as the P1's were very acurate (compared to brim to brim, over thousands of miles), was always within 1-2mpg, same with the V40, the P2's are way out - about 15-20% exagerated, I have 2 05MY S60 D5's (due to being facelifts but pre DPF models) drove one back from wrexham to kent, got 63mpg acording to computer, but was 55 in reality, best I have seen is Leicester and back, 70.4 on display

Hmmm... been mulling this one over! (My experience is based on my MY2011 D3 manual now with 65k on the clock, which I've had from new.)

Best brim to brim I had was 743 miles, took 68.5 litres - My sums suggest nearly 50 mpg and the trip was reading pretty much the same. Therefore I'd say reasonably accurate.

As an average experience (I always reset everything after a fill-up and 95% of the time I fill up when I'm empty) I get between 550 and 650 to a tank. Depends on the mix of trips/traffic etc. This equates to somewhere in the region of 37 and 43 mpg. Again, pretty much what the trip computer says.

In summary, fairly accurate.

However, the bit that really makes my sh*t itch is the prediction stuff, i.e. range and fuel gauge:

After a really good economical run and then a fill-up, I've had the computer tell me that my range is 890 miles - that equates to 60mpg! (And clearly b*llocks)

With regards to the fuel gauge, it suggests the first quarter from a full tank can give you 200 miles, the next quarter (down to half a tank) you've done 350 miles (cumulative total), the third quarter will read 500 miles. You'd surmise therefore, on average, you'd still have another 166 miles in the tank.

Oh no, not that easy, it hits the last quarter and tells you you have 150 miles to go. Ok, you think, but then it plummets like a Cormorant and in the blink of an eye your range is in double digits, so you push on and go easy on the right foot, but it makes no difference, then at 15 miles to go it says "Range_ _ _ "

So, after a long day, you're hoping to get home without having to fill up, you reckon you can just about do the distance, careful driving, A/C off, windows up, computer in the car says 15 mile range, then.............nothing.

And you can't remember what your mileage was at the point it said "Armageddon - Range _ _ _" so you don't know how far you should push it.

In summary: I'm not a baby, so give me a fuel gauge and other monitors that tell me the truth.

[tt82]

Mine has been reading about 2-3mpg over when I'm acheiving mid 30's.