MotorTrend

2015 Volvo V60 T5 - Highway MPG

Miles To Date: 10,012
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When we took possession of our 2015 Volvo V60 wagon last spring , we predicted that it would become a staff favorite for summer vacation road trips. Indeed it did, with at least three journeys to the northwestern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, some 250 miles from our editorial offices in Royal Oak; plus sojurns to Chicago and Nashville. We also wondered if, during those trips, we would manage to match—or at least come close to—the EPA highway rating of 37 mpg. After all, our V60 is equipped with a fuel-efficient, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, not the optional turbo inline five-cylinder or the optional turbo inline six-cylinder. Neither of those engines manages to crack the 30-mpg barrier in the EPA's highway fuel efficiency tests, but our car is rated at 25/37/29 mpg (city/highway/combined).

So, how did we do? Let's have a look at this summer's logbook.

2297 miles, Memorial Day Weekend, road test editor Chris Nelson: "I did not average 37 mpg in the V60. I averaged 29 mpg, which is exactly what the EPA says the combined figure should be. About three-fourths of my driving was on the highway, and the rest was in the suburbs of Chicago. I'm thinking it'll take someone going 70 mph nonstop on a long stretch of road to get close to that highway number."

3874 miles, June 19-22, associate web editor Joey Capparella: "I drove from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, where I grew up among a multitude of Volvo station wagons . I saw 32 mpg on the trip down, with the cruise control set between 75 and 80 mph. I tried Eco+ mode on the way back, which made it possible to get about 35 to 36 mpg at 75 mph, so the EPA rating of 37 mpg isn't out of the ballpark. But it's not easy to get there for prolonged periods of time. The start/stop function, which should help you eke out a bit better fuel economy, doesn't work in hot weather, even if the A/C isn't running. I averaged 31 mpg overall." Not bad, Joey.

6440 miles, July 20-23, Joey Capparella again: "My parents and little brother came up to Michigan for a quick vacation to Traverse City, and we felt like a cool, hip European family piling into this stylish red 2015 Volvo V60 . Our overall average mileage for the trip, which I would estimate at a 60/40-split highway/city, was around 32 mpg. That's darn good for a wagon filled with four people and their stuff, and I was easily hitting above 35 mpg on the highway. The improvement over my road trip to Nashville, I think, is attributable to speed and temperature. This time I cruised at lower speeds—between 70 and 75 mph—and also ran the air conditioner a lot less. Northern Michigan is much nicer in the summer than Tennessee, to say the least."

7924 miles, August 7-10, associate web editor Jake Holmes: "I took the Volvo camping in Interlochen, Michigan. Great powertrain, with all the oomph I ever need in a car like this. It's easy to pass people on northern Michigan's many slow, two-lane roads, yet I averaged 30 mpg over 793 miles, which is pretty good for mixed, swift driving."

We found plenty more to like about the 2015 Volvo V60 than its fuel economy this summer, of course. As we predicted, it's a superb highway cruiser, and it garnered wide praise for its extremely comfortable front seats, a longtime Volvo strength, even if Holmes repeatedly warned that, come winter, we will regret not having heated front seats: "That leather is going to be cold in the winter." Live for today, Jake!

As for the rear quarters, the Capparella clan was impressed: "The rear seat isn't exactly expansive, but it's well-contoured and has nice soft leather," reported Joey Capparella. "My mom also liked the B-pillar-mounted air vents, which seem to provide airflow to the back much more effectively than traditional console-mounted rear vents."

After our summer of travel, not one person has said they wish we had chosen either the five- or six-cylinder engine. No one is calling the 2015 Volvo V60 a sport wagon, but it has more happy times going on in its chassis than we expected. "The ride and handling mix is right where it should be," said Holmes. "Not sporty, per se, but with that European feel of being in control yet still comfortable enough for passengers to nap in."

Said another editor after making the 50-mile trek home from our new editorial offices in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak: "I had one of my fastest drives home from Delemere Court last night: 45 minutes. This is such a great freeway car. It tracks beautifully, and it has enough body control to make it feel planted in those sections of the freeway where you might actually have a little fun: the 696 entrance ramp, the big sweeper from 696 to 275 southbound up and over the bridge, the long rightward curve from 275 to M-14, and the dramatic left from M-14 down into the Huron River Valley toward downtown Ann Arbor. There's enough power for quick merging, although only if you know how to use your right foot."

So, yes, we've had a good summer in our 2015 Volvo V60 .

Overview

Body style4-door hatchback

Accommodation5-passenger

ConstructionSteel unibody

Base price (with dest. )$38,775

As tested$40,825

Powertrain

Engine16-valve DOHC turbocharged I-4

Displacement2.0 liters (120 cu in)

Power240 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque258 lb-ft @ 1500-4800 rpm

Transmission8-speed automatic

DriveFront-wheel

EPA Fuel Economy25/37/29 (city/hwy/combined)

Chassis

SteeringElectrically assisted

Lock-to-lock2.6 turns

Turning circle37.1 ft

Suspension, FrontStrut-type, coil springs

Suspension, RearMultilink, coil springs

Brakes F/RVented discs/discs

Wheels18-inch aluminum

TiresContinental ContiProContact

Tire size235/40R-18 95H

Measurements

Headroom F/R38.7/37.6 in

Legroom F/R41.9/33.5 in

Shoulder room F/R57.0/55.2 in

Wheelbase109.3 in

Track F/R62.1/62.0 in

L x W x H182.5 x 73.4 x 58.4 in

Passenger capacity92.0 cu ft

Cargo capacity43.8 cu ft

Weight3527 lb

Weight dist. F/R61.0/39.0%

Fuel capacity17.8 gal

Est. fuel range520 miles

Fuel grade87 octane (regular unleaded)

Equipment

standard equipmentLeather-trimmed seatsAuto-dimming rearview mirrorPower-folding exterior mirrorsKeyless entry and ignition17-inch aluminum wheelsRoof railsRearview cameraGrocery-bag holderHalogen headlightsLED running lights12-volt power outletCruise controlHill-start assistBluetooth audio and phone connectivityAuxiliary audio jackUSB portPower sunroofPower front seatsPower-folding rear head restraintsSiriusXM satellite radio w/6-month trial subscription

Options

Flamenco Red metallic paint- $550Sport package- $1500Paddle shiftersDynamic chassisBeechwood leather-trimmed sport interior18-inch aluminum wheels

Joe DeMatio

I landed a job at the then-fledgling Automobile Magazine by answering a blind ad in the Ann Arbor News for an “editorial assistant at a national magazine.” I knew that both Automobile Magazine and Car and Driver were based in Ann Arbor, and I knew the story of how David E. Davis, Jr., had left Car and Driver to found Automobile Magazine with, as he liked to say, “Rupert Murdoch’s money.” So I dearly hoped, as I carefully composed my cover letter and printed it out on 100% cotton stock, that I was applying to one of Ann Arbor’s two automotive enthusiast magazines rather than to Mathematical Reviews magazine, which was also (and still is) based in Ann Arbor. After all, I had barely passed rudimentary calculus at the University of Michigan.

My cover letter was not as carefully composed as I thought, as it contained a typo, so the managing editor at the time threw it into the reject pile. Only after interviewing an assortment of poorly dressed and groomed losers did she, out of desperation, fish my resume out of the pile and call me in for an interview and a battery of quite difficult editing, proofreading, and typing tests. Yes, I took a typing test to get my job at Automobile Magazine, so when people ask me the inevitable question, “How did you get that incredibly cool job?” I can honestly answer, “through a classified ad in the newspaper, and because I took typing in high school.”

Fast-forward a couple of decades, and I’ve had a variety of positions at Automobile Magazine: editorial assistant (in which role I answered Jean Lindamood’s reader mail, including to inmates on death row); copy editor; associate editor; and senior editor. I also was the editor of our annual Buying & Leasing Guide for many years, which allowed me to spout off powertrain specs on virtually every car on the market. Along the way I learned to drive (I mean really drive, not what you learn in drivers training); to write and edit to the high standard that has been Automobile’s raison d’etre since Vol. 1, Issue 1; and to produce a monthly magazine, with all that entails.

And the cars. Yes, the cars. I’ve driven them all, I’ve written about many of them, and I’ve edited others’ writing on the rest. Well, I missed the Ferrari Enzo and the Porsche Carrera GT, but I’ve driven every Lamborghini since the Countach, every mid-engine Ferrari since the 355, and, most recently, the Bugatti Veyron, which was even better than I had hoped. Having access to so much hot metal surely is hazardous to one’s driver’s license, no? Yes, indeed, it is. I’ve spent more than my share of time at the side of the road having conversations with police officers, and I’ve begged and groveled for mercy in front of many traffic court magistrates. Funny thing is, I’ve had more speeding tickets in workaday vehicles like minivans, economy cars, and family sedans than I have had in exotics.

If I had to pinpoint two cars that have meant the most to me during my time at Automobile Magazine, it would be the Porsche 911, in all its series and iterations, partly because a 964-chassis was the first car I ever drove cross-country; and the Mazda Miata, a car that fits me physically and philosophically and which has been around since I stuffed that cover letter and resume into an envelope.

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