XC40 MPG - should I be disappointed?

XC40 MPG - should I be disappointed?

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Discussion

elanfan

Original Poster:

5,527 posts

234 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Opinions sought.

In January I got a new Volvo XC40 B4 which is a 2 litre petrol mild hybrid automatic. I’m disabled and travel about 4 miles each way 3 times a week along with local shopping etc. I’m not a big mileage person as you can see. In the first month it was barely getting 21mpg. The dealer said I’d need to run it a bit more reset then check again.

About a month or two ago I took it on a 300 mile day trip, reset the trip and got 35.7 mpg. I’ve not reset it since and it’s back down to 22.7mpg. Seems very low to me, am I right. The car has done 1000 miles now.

Robert Green

39 posts

172 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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I’m not expert on that particular model, but your journey profile is likely to give very poor economy with a ICE as it will never get up to temperature and it is likely quite low speed driving. A hybrid would suit you perfectly as you would do everything local electrically, and have the ICE for longer trips. Sorry that doesn’t help you much.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

261 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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Cars use a lot of fuel when cold, short trips are the absolute worst for efficiency.

A phev or ev would have been more appropriate. Distance that short a bike would work tbh.

thebullettrain

1,050 posts

246 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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The two litre mild hybrids aren’t the best for fuel economy, particularly when cold and used for short range driving. You may not get much better but may get a bit more by using eco mode (appreciate that impacts things like heated seats etc).

sagarich

1,245 posts

156 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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RobDickinson said:
Distance that short a bike would work tbh.

OP said he’s disabled, so probably not a great suggestion.

Whataguy

1,033 posts

87 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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I had one for a few days as a service loan car, sadly the MPG was awful.

The T/B4 petrol engine on paper looks like it should be good but I found it not to be in the real world.

Not much faster than a T3 but with much worse fuel economy. In fact, some tests show it has worse fuel economy than the T5 but without anywhere near the performance.

I did around 500 miles, mainly country roads and some motorway.

My average was only 26mpg on Shell V Power! That's driving under the road speed limits of 50/60/70. I only saw 32mpg once on a longer motorway trip.

W201_190e

12,738 posts

220 months

Saturday 24th April 2021
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It's about normal for that sort of journey. They do get better with more use. Give it some time.

elanfan

Original Poster:

5,527 posts

234 months

Saturday 24th April 2021
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Thanks all for your thoughts.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

231 months

Saturday 24th April 2021
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If you don't do many miles just enjoy it mate.

Put it like this, 6000 miles a year will cost you around £25 a week in fuel.

If you had bought a horrid rattly diesel it would cost you around £20 a week in fuel.


Is £5 a week worth worrying about? Nah, not when you have such a nice car to drive round in.


Switch the MPG readout off so you don't see it, and just enjoy the car. beer

elanfan

Original Poster:

5,527 posts

234 months

Saturday 24th April 2021
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Absolutely right. It’s so prominent on the display that it’s in you’re face all the time.

Will try to forget it.

I do enjoy the power from time to time.

unseen

182 posts

168 months

Sunday 25th April 2021
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My other half has a B5 xc40 and the mpg is pretty much identical to the OP (similar short journeys). Only downside of what is actually a really good car so we can live with it and it does improve significantly on a longer run.

Whataguy

1,033 posts

87 months

Friday 7th May 2021
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Following on from my earlier comment about the B4, I've recently been given a T3 auto XC40 loan car which is useful to compare.

The MPG on that is very impressive & better than some diesels!

On a 110 mile motorway journey the T3 averaged 39mpg on Vpower - that's virtually all at 70mph and up hills too.

When I picked it up it had done 70+ miles since the trip was reset & had averaged 35mpg there too.

I had a diesel RR Evoque loan car that only got 32mpg on similar roads so they have managed to get good performance and economy.

RammyMP

7,011 posts

160 months

Friday 7th May 2021
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The wife’s got a XC40 T5 and the economy is woeful but she does short journeys. Best so far was a 100 mile trip on the motorway which it did 35 mpg. My 2.0 diesel did 60 mpg on the same trip but I regularly do long journeys, she doesn’t so she’s better off with a petrol.

interstellar

3,784 posts

153 months

Friday 7th May 2021
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I have an xc90 2.0 inscription and I know it’s a bigger car but also woeful. Averaged 20mpg over 13000 miles. Can’t wait for it to go back at xmas.