The 2.4i engine aren't the most fuel-efficient engine due to its 5-cylinders. 6 cylinder engine tend to be more 'breathable' in comparison to any smaller sized or lesser cylinders where they have to work harder, unless they are 'turbocharged'.

 

Probably comes down to transmission gearing and tuning, as well as a few other factors, such as 5 cylinders' inherent inefficiencies.

 

Why does my 4.0 L twin turbo Mercedes S560 with 470hp get 28mpg at 75mph. Yet my 2.0l Volvo with 316 hp is lucky to get 27-28mpg? In the summer on a dead flat road I have gotten 30.4 driving 460 miles. Seems crazy doesn’t it? BTW, the Mercedes gets the same 17-18mpg around town as the Volvo!

 

Why does my 4.0 L twin turbo Mercedes S560 with 470hp get 28mpg at 75mph. Yet my 2.0l Volvo with 316 hp is lucky to get 27-28mpg? In the summer on a dead flat road I have gotten 30.4 driving 460 miles. Seems crazy doesn’t it? BTW, the Mercedes gets the same 17-18mpg around town as the Volvo! Personally I think the Volvo engine works much harder than a V8 that loafs much of the time.

 

My 2008 2.4 auto averages 9.0L/100km. A bit less than my other V50, a T5 AWD auto that returns 9.2L.

Both mostly on highways.

 

Yeah, highway but I'm talking about City consumption...I can't believe how bad it is....you can get a 100 more HP for hardly any penalty....why is it so bad? Even my 2.5L VW 5 cylinder isn't that bad....it's unacceptable and as a result, I don't think I will be purchasing one of these even though I want to and I found a good deal on one

 

Peak power numbers are pretty meaningless when it comes to city driving, since you're never getting close to them. What you need to look at are the torque curves, and specifically the area under the curve. Early peaks and big, flat curves are going to be much better for this sort of use, and I'm betting the 2.4 doesn't produce its torque that way. Low-end torque and gearing (and stuff like parasitic drivetrain losses) are going to determine your city fuel consumption.

 

I am also looking to but a new to me car - the 09 V50 2.4 (for $3K) is one of my choices. Where can I find the torque curves for cars I am interested in to better match my driving preferences with the car?
THANKS

 

A reliable but somewhat agricultural 5 speed auto conceived in the early 2000s will never hold a light to a modern 8 speed auto that can dump you right in the power band or at practically idle whenever needed. The 5 speed auto also does not lock the torque converter in 1st or 2nd IIRC, so you're not just spinning the axles, you're spinning a whole bunch of transmission fluid around to do it. Lots of loss there.

I also have a 2.5 Golf and can weigh in on the VW comparison. That car has a 6 speed auto, and the extra .1 liter of displacement goes to making the same power as the Volvo 2.4, while taking regular gas with lower compression. It's also lighter. City figures are spread by at most 2 mpg between the two cars in reality, for me at least.

Finally about other cars - direct injection + modern transmissions help, so does turbocharging. If you're working with a lower displacement turbocharged motor, it will always consume less power while you're out of boost - which you would be on the highway, than a larger displacement, naturally aspirated motor. A larger displacement motor with direct injection and a transmission that can keep it at 1500 RPM on the highway might be enough to close the gap too.

 

That's the thing. I am not at all comparing this to a DI or turbo or any of that. In fact, I'm comparing it to a 3.5L Toyota RAV4 from the same year. How can an AWD SUV have a 100hp more and an entire 1.1L of deplanement more yet they get just about the same mileage in the city. I'm not even talking about highway where 6th gear would help. What gives?

 

My money is mostly on transmission.

The 6 speed also means you can gear it more for economy.
Not having any specs on the gearing of either, I'd still bet the gearing on the 5 speed is worse out of necessity, with less gears to go around. They might also have torque converter lockup on the lower gears, or more aggressive upshifting as mentioned.

 

Well hell. I pulled the trigger and bought it anyways! 2010 V50 2.4i with only 68,000 miles! Yes, it's been in a few cosmetic accidents and there are a few scuffs (no dings). Man, it's a totally different experience from my 2010 VW Jetta TDI. Way more solid and premium feeling. Mine has a "Premium" package and includes: 16 " alloy wheels, sunroof, power driver (memory) and passenger seat, Electronic Climate Control, heated front seats, steering-wheel audio controls, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth and an 8-speaker CD audio system with satellite radio. The original owner opted for leather seats as well as automatic tranny which were additional $3,000! Happy so far!

 

2010 V50 2.4i with only 68,000 miles!

You will love it! Its not as fast as a T5 but its not a slouch either. I have both - a 2.4 FWD and a T5 AWD, and I tend to use one or the other depending on weather conditions. The 2.4 is a little less fuel consuming but not that much as one would expected. But it needs regular where the T5 needs premium.

Have a good ride!

 

Thanks Wilson. The manual says 87 is okay but 91 recommended for best performance. My plan is to alternate since the gas prices here are really high!

 

Anecdotally I've found economy-wise 89 or so is justified on highway runs, regular is fine in the city. Around town I fill up with 87, because it seems to affect city mileage less, and the power demand is practically non-existent. Stop and go is such an inefficient pattern of driving that it seems to overshadow any impact octane would have.

Won't do any harm either way, but with a roughly quarterly 250+ mi highway drive I do, the higher octane more or less pays for itself in added efficiency - and (maybe placebo) perceived overtaking improvement.

 

Neat! So I'm better than you. While on the highway i can do about 12l/100km, in the city, winter, short distances i did 19.5l/100 km. But i like the sound of the engine , and rides it mostly to the rev limiter

 

If you are getting 19.5, something is seriously wrong 😆