Hello there...
I am neu to Volvos having been a VW person for decades due to
brainwashing but as I am considering changing my present car a 1987 VW
golf (a city rat with a once a fortnight 200 mile excursion) Iam
wondering if the newer but not brand new Volvos have as good economy
as a late 80s VW? in which case the obvious comfort superiority of a
Volvo for my aging bones would make me switch I think...

What would be the most economical to fuel late model Volvo in North
America ? Not sure of all the models yet but reliability is also
important. Our budget woulf be around 10,000 CAN

THANKS

Michael

mkl18@pobox.com wrote:
> Hello there...
> I am neu to Volvos having been a VW person for decades due to
> brainwashing but as I am considering changing my present car a 1987 VW
> golf (a city rat with a once a fortnight 200 mile excursion) Iam
> wondering if the newer but not brand new Volvos have as good economy
> as a late 80s VW? in which case the obvious comfort superiority of a
> Volvo for my aging bones would make me switch I think...
>
> What would be the most economical to fuel late model Volvo in North
> America ? Not sure of all the models yet but reliability is also
> important. Our budget woulf be around 10,000 CAN
>
> THANKS
>
> Michael
>

There is no Volvo model sold in the US - ever - that will
match the fuel economy of your Golf. The closest you will come
(and it won't be very close!) will be a 240 or base model 850
(later called S70) with a *standard* shift. If you get one with
an automatic you will be very unhappy with the fuel economy. Even
with the standard, you will need to drive it gently and keep your
tires inflated to the top of the normal range to get even decent
fuel economy. Figure an average of about 28 at best, less if you
do mostly city driving. I know how to drive for best MPG, and the
best I've ever done with our 240 automatic is 26mpg... in mostly
highway driving.

mjc<DELETETHIS>13 wrote:
> mkl18@pobox.com wrote:
> > Hello there...
> > I am neu to Volvos having been a VW person for decades due to
> > brainwashing but as I am considering changing my present car a 1987 VW
> > golf (a city rat with a once a fortnight 200 mile excursion) Iam
> > wondering if the newer but not brand new Volvos have as good economy
> > as a late 80s VW? in which case the obvious comfort superiority of a
> > Volvo for my aging bones would make me switch I think...
> >
> > What would be the most economical to fuel late model Volvo in North
> > America ? Not sure of all the models yet but reliability is also
> > important. Our budget woulf be around 10,000 CAN
> >
> > THANKS
> >
> > Michael
> >
>
> There is no Volvo model sold in the US - ever - that will
> match the fuel economy of your Golf. The closest you will come
> (and it won't be very close!) will be a 240 or base model 850
> (later called S70) with a *standard* shift. If you get one with
> an automatic you will be very unhappy with the fuel economy. Even
> with the standard, you will need to drive it gently and keep your
> tires inflated to the top of the normal range to get even decent
> fuel economy. Figure an average of about 28 at best, less if you
> do mostly city driving. I know how to drive for best MPG, and the
> best I've ever done with our 240 automatic is 26mpg... in mostly
> highway driving.


thanks for this I was thinking the same thing and have concluded that
it is a trade off on long distance comfort. I had a Peugeot 504 diesel
once and it was VERY comfortable You could sit in the back seat put the
front seat back down and it turned into a couchette A very nice nights
sleep was possible on cross country jaunts But sigh Peugeot is no more
in North America I wonder if the overnight possibilities in a volvo
wagon make up for the not so great fuel consumption? Its a tricky thing
when all one wants is a decent effing diesel in North Americ without it
being a cowboy truck...ah Europe How lucky you are

Michael

mkl18@pobox.com wrote:
> mjc<DELETETHIS>13 wrote:
>
>>mkl18@pobox.com wrote:
>>
>>>Hello there...
>>>I am neu to Volvos having been a VW person for decades due to
>>>brainwashing but as I am considering changing my present car a 1987 VW
>>>golf (a city rat with a once a fortnight 200 mile excursion) Iam
>>>wondering if the newer but not brand new Volvos have as good economy
>>>as a late 80s VW? in which case the obvious comfort superiority of a
>>>Volvo for my aging bones would make me switch I think...
>>>
>>>What would be the most economical to fuel late model Volvo in North
>>>America ? Not sure of all the models yet but reliability is also
>>>important. Our budget woulf be around 10,000 CAN
>>>
>>>THANKS
>>>
>>>Michael
>>>
>>
>> There is no Volvo model sold in the US - ever - that will
>>match the fuel economy of your Golf. The closest you will come
>>(and it won't be very close!) will be a 240 or base model 850
>>(later called S70) with a *standard* shift. If you get one with
>>an automatic you will be very unhappy with the fuel economy. Even
>>with the standard, you will need to drive it gently and keep your
>>tires inflated to the top of the normal range to get even decent
>>fuel economy. Figure an average of about 28 at best, less if you
>>do mostly city driving. I know how to drive for best MPG, and the
>>best I've ever done with our 240 automatic is 26mpg... in mostly
>>highway driving.
>
>
>
> thanks for this I was thinking the same thing and have concluded that
> it is a trade off on long distance comfort. I had a Peugeot 504 diesel
> once and it was VERY comfortable You could sit in the back seat put the
> front seat back down and it turned into a couchette A very nice nights
> sleep was possible on cross country jaunts But sigh Peugeot is no more
> in North America I wonder if the overnight possibilities in a volvo
> wagon make up for the not so great fuel consumption? Its a tricky thing
> when all one wants is a decent effing diesel in North Americ without it
> being a cowboy truck...ah Europe How lucky you are
>
> Michael
>

There is a car that offers the size and safety of a Volvo,
but with much better fuel economy: the four cylinder Camry. At least
for the models through '96, you can average 30+mpg with the
*automatic* version. The ergonomics aren't great, though; if you
want to be able to sleep in it, I suggest you try to find a
relatively rare Camry wagon, with four cylinder. The seats are
ok, but they put in lots of little ridges, especially on the
doors, that seem designed to make any driving position other than
'legs fully extended' uncomfortable. And the back seat is awful.

>
>
> thanks for this I was thinking the same thing and have concluded that
> it is a trade off on long distance comfort. I had a Peugeot 504 diesel
> once and it was VERY comfortable You could sit in the back seat put the
> front seat back down and it turned into a couchette A very nice nights
> sleep was possible on cross country jaunts But sigh Peugeot is no more
> in North America I wonder if the overnight possibilities in a volvo
> wagon make up for the not so great fuel consumption? Its a tricky thing
> when all one wants is a decent effing diesel in North Americ without it
> being a cowboy truck...ah Europe How lucky you are
>
> Michael
>



You won't find much at all in the way of diesel volvos here, they
haven't been offered in over 20 years and were never very common, so
running ones are rare and usually pretty tired.