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Yes, I know. But I don't get any meaningful results, hence this topic

 

As far as I know, the 4-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged engine only came out in spring/summer of 2015 with the new XC90. It hasn't been around long enough to generate much data for reliability or longevity.

As for character: it sounds raspy and rough, and it clatters (only the sound, not the feel). It does not sound like a smooth or powerful engine at all. The feel, however, is pretty good. I have owned it for a month now, absolutely no issues getting power from a start or at slow speeds or getting a quick burst for overtaking on the highway. Averaging 17mpg in mostly city driving, but that does include several hours of waiting in the parking lot with the AC on while my better half is in the stores...

 

I have taken quite a few test drives of the XC90 during my purchase research. Overall the motor is okay. Not really befitting a luxury large SUV like this compared to the competition (silky smooth inline six in the X5, sporty V6 in the Audi). However overall the power band is good and it scoots the SUV pretty decently. If this was my only car I would not be buying the XC90. Overall I find my X5 diesel much more fun to drive (even thought the steering is absolute crap and the primary reason I am done with the X5 after three of them) but for hauling the family and doing errands and long distance trips it will work just fine... went I want performance i'll jump in the 991.

 

Judging by your list of cars - you're most likely not in the target demographic for a T6.
Have you driven the T8?

 

I only have the experience of a couple of test-drives in the xc90 and q7, but I think that the criticisms of the I4 noise are largely unwarranted. Big surprise: the xc90 does not give the throaty roar of a V6, and if that is what you expect to hear in your car then you will be disappointed. I think that the sound of the xc90 is neutral and surprisingly restrained, given the load it has to push. The only times you can really hear the engine are under hard initial acceleration and punching it while going up a steep hill. If you want a deep exhaust sound to inspire you, it's the wrong car for you, and a 4-cylinder is the wrong engine for you.

The q7 will soon be available with an I4 in the US, and it will have the same "issues." All of the luxury models seem to be moving toward 4-cylinder engines, and Volvo is just a little ahead of the curve on that trend.

Maybe Volvo needs to take a lesson from Harley-Davidson, and spend a lot of money tuning their exhaust to sound more butch. It seems to be an important issue to a lot of people.

 

I'm very confused about the complaints about the engine. I own a T6. Acceleration is swift and frankly more than it has to be both around town and on the highway. It's also very quiet. A lot of people complain about the lack of sound insulation but at the same time want a roaring noise that "sounds expensive" (whatever that means) from a 4 cylinder engine that generates over 300hp. Like everything in life, you can't have it all ways. To me the XC 90 is a perfect balance of everything - solid performance with exquisite comfort and styling and one of the safest and technologically advanced cars on the road.

 

Agree completely.

 

Smooth and Quiet

I find the engine to be very smooth and quiet, things that I expect in a luxury SUV. If I wanted loud and rumbling, I would have gotten a sports car. With that said, the T6 has plenty of power.

 

I love the power I get out of it especially in dynamic mode

 

the only question i have is what is the protocol for carbon cleaning for Volvo?

It's ridiculously expensive in the Audi

 

the only question i have is what is the protocol for carbon cleaning for Volvo?

It's ridiculously expensive in the Audi

Carbon cleaning is the worst unintended consequence of the switch to direct injection. It is the main reason we sold our BMW 335d for the V60 (other than wanted a little more room in the boot). Virtually every 335d get's carbon build-up at around 50-70k miles and the cost to fix is several thousand dollars. It's just ridiculous!

 

Great question...that may have been posed early in production.

I'm curious about the direct injection and known carbon build-up that will occur on all (not just Volvo's) engines. As reported by Motorweek, not me.

It will be about 5-10 years before we know.

To your other question, I've had the true T-5, five cylinder and now this little 4.

The torque feels about the same, the reaction time of the trans/motor combo is hands down quicker in the 2.0L. That said, we have one S40 T-5 in our lineup that has been bullet proof for 110,000mi and going strong. Still gets advertised 28-29MPG as it did new. Yeah, we're amazed too. Son has it and drives like me, very conservative. Usually.

 

I thought the engine was slightly underpowered during test drive. When I custom ordered I had the dealer install Polestar and I'm very pleased. For anyone who wants higher performance I highly recommend it.

 

Fully agree. Get the Polestar upgrade and you'll feel the difference.

 

Compared to the 5 cylinder in ole days, this motor will naturally feel much smoother. Besides that, engine wise not too many complaints. FWIW, engines these days are not really going to be troublesome as mfg and design really are upto extreme good standards. What might be troublesome, and of course the biggest thing working against new engines like the Drive E family, are the electronic brains allowing them to run. If those fail, doesnt matter if your block or turbo is solid.

Statistically speaking, you`ll need a lot more time before data cannot be released on how the engines faired overall

 

Compared to the 5 cylinder in ole days, this motor will naturally feel much smoother.

Even smoother, wow. I already find my 2.5T very smooth!

 

I think the drivetrain is the weakest part of a fantastic car. Considering I average 13.2mpg in mixed driving, Volvo's downsizing strategy was not worth it to me.

The engine lacks the charm and the effortless delivery of a V6 or V8 but is OK around town and cruising at 75mph as long as you don't mind the small tractor-like sound. I do mind but I accept it because the rest of the car is exceptional. Also, I don't believe that the Aisin gearbox is as seamless or quick-witted as the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed in the X5, Q7, etc.

The Polestar tune made a decent difference though giving a smoother more predictable power delivery.

Just my two cents.

 

I think the drivetrain is the weakest part of a fantastic car. Considering I average 13.2mpg in mixed driving, Volvo's downsizing strategy was not worth it to me.

The engine lacks the charm and the effortless delivery of a V6 or V8 but is OK around town and cruising at 75mph as long as you don't mind the small tractor-like sound. I do mind but I accept it because the rest of the car is exceptional. Also, I don't believe that the Aisin gearbox is as seamless or quick-witted as the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed in the X5, Q7, etc.

The Polestar tune made a decent difference though giving a smoother more predictable power delivery.

Just my two cents.

Wow, even worse mileage than the 3.2L. I just don't see why you'd buy an engine with less "positive feel", higher complexity/risk for expensive repairs, AND lower fuel economy. Oh, and to get the actual capability of the engine, you have to pay a ransom. No way would I consider a 2.0L SUV without hybrid, and really, I'd want the turbo, not the twin charged.

As I side note, I haven't really seen anything here I didn't glean from other threads...

 

The T8 is worth it to me, mainly due to tax reasons here. There is around 8000 euro in money off by government grants. Makes a D5 R-Design and T8 R-Design specced the same (bar extra bits you get on the T8 _anyway_) around the same money.

The 'hybrid' mode in the T8, default drive mode, lacks a clue full gearbox when you really want to get moving. Switching the drive mode to 'power' it's perfect. I see a polestar upgrade in my near future to avoid this.

But at 407bhp as it stands, or 427bhp after polestar it's a really great car. I love when I floor it I get the whine of the super charger and overtaking 4 or 5 cars in a row is a simple task. In my Audi A7 I'd be panicing near the end. A single gear change in the XC90 and I'm past them.

At idle the engine is a little noisey, but nothing crazy. You can't hear a thing inside the car. So do I care? No, I do not! I've been up and the motorway here around 100km each way and the drive was quite pleasurable. And I come from the V6 Diesel world of Audi , I don't think I'd return but time will tell.

_edit_

Forgot to mention that the T8 sees 60mpg real world on short trips < 50km if you have a full charge. On longer journeys 30mpg isn't unheard of. Depends on climate control and all the rest but after less than 1000km I'm pleased for the most part with the fuel efficiency. As an FYI the A7 V6 TDI would do around 40mpg absolute best case, but was typically 30-35mpg. And often it was 24-26mpg on commutes to work especially in winter months.

I can see the pre-conditioner in the T8 increasing year round fuel efficiency long term.

My 2c.

 

The Drive-E engine in some XC and S 60s have
- oil consumption issues, quite a few threads on that topic.
- a "clicking" sound followed by degradation of acceleration. One good thread in the S60 2015/2016 forum.

There is also a thread out there with people posting their miles and commenting on their Drive-E cars. Some folks have driven 40k+ (maybe more now, been a while since I read it) miles with no real issues.