My 940 wagon only gets around 20mpg sometimes 22 sometimes 18 on average 20mpg. My 740 used to get close to 30mpg on city roads. Does anyone know what the average mpg should be for a normally aspirated 940 wagon?
Thanks,
Gil

I'm asking the same qustions, just got my first Volvo, a '94 940 wagon w/112K. Mileage on freeway from point of purchase was 22mpg, current mileage in this avg 20-degree weather (mix of city and freeway driving) is 20mpg, includes short idling periods w/hood open for "research" purposes. I don't have any answers but I'm trying to run down possibilities as I have time. Runs just fine, slightly too-black soot out of tailpipe but plugs show normal. A work in progress! -- Larry C.

30? on a 740? in the city?? i have to ask for more details about this.

how did you determine that it was 30, and what city was it in, and how gently do you accelerate? also, manual or automatic?
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

Kenric,
I had (still have) a 1985 750GLE with a manual transmission+overdrive. The car was normally aspirated, and has 360,000 miles on it. I bought the 940 because the 740 was becoming less and less reliable. It needs a new engine wiring harness. The city I was driving in? Well more like the country-side. For two years I did a 40mile each way commute through the hills of northeastern CT. As far as acceleration, I have a heavy foot and enjoy driving on windy hilly roads. Before it's latest tune-up the 740 was getting about 25mpg, then I put a new in tank pump in, and a new fuel filter, and it went up to 30mpg. Don't ask me how....
-Gil

geez... are you sure about the numbers? maybe the tire size was off or something? 30... phew.

oh well... that's quite a contrast to my 15MPG. in NYC however. :)
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

Nah the tire size was correct. I always got good mileage with that car. Once I hit 330,000 miles it went up even more. A standard transmission always gives better mileage. 15 mpg you must have something that needs fixing. I looked at your web-site did you goto RIT?
-Gil

Nope, went to RPI. Nah, there's nothing I need to fix. You'd understand if you ever came to NYC and drove around frequently. :) Tons and tons of stop and go. My mother's car gets worse mileage than mine in the city since she has a BMW 525i... I6 engine. Her car has an 'average speed' calculator. After a tank of gas, she usually has an average speed of anywhere between 9-13 MPH. Which explains why she only gets about 12-14 MPG. And with fuel up at almost $2/gallon, yikes!

Both cars get good mileage when I drive them 170 miles on the NYS Thruway. 25 for the Volvo 740 and 26 for the 525i, both averaging around 70MPH. Unless it's in the winter, then I lose about 3-4 MPG.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

I've been noting the mileage on my 94 940 NA since I bought it January 1.
When I drove it the 100 miles or so from the place I purhased it, it was all highway and I got about 22 mpg...........kind of the same I get with my 93 945 NA. Then I changed, plugs and wires and inflated tires to the correct pressure and I got 15 mpg! Main difference= the 94 is kept outside and started and allowed to idle and heat up for 10 minutes on the extremely cold AM's we have been having and then my daughter drives it about 3 miles to school and back.

Engine temp. and driving speed play a huge part in gas mileage.
--
93 945 77K , 94 940 91K

i've never been the type to idle the car outside even on the extremely cold mornings because i feel i'm wasting fuel by not moving the car at all. if i just drive it nice and easily while it's cold, it'll eventually warm up just fine.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'

most car instruction manuals tell you not to leave idling, but to drive gently...i guess about getting the block warm and the oil presure up...

I bought a 94 940 sedan three days ago and drove it home from the purchase point. Gave it a 5W30 oil change, new NGK plugs and air filter just before hitting the highway. Engine has 137,000mi, runs very smoothly. Trans is the lockup version of the AW71. The trip home was all-highway, and at moderate speeds around 65MPH, in other words, a fuel economy run. Result was 30.1MPG (US gallons; equal to 36mi per Imperial gal. or 7.7L/100km.

Discovered after arriving home that JiffyLube (sorry, no other choice at the time) had ignored my tire pressure instructions and all 4 were at 25 psi instead of 35. This wouldn't make a huge difference, so I'd say that 30MPG is about tops for this car.
--
Bob (81-244GL B21F, 83-244DL B23F)

18-22 in city, 26-30 highway, 93 NA.
which is less than my 87 740GLE.
Very temp dependent. cold temp reduces numbers to the lower values.
The car is heavier, the gearing is different and the transmission is much sloppier than the ZF in the sedan.
Dr. Chip
Westchester County NY

My turbo gets similar milage to what you're getting. Your NA car should be doing much better.

Jeff Pierce
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'92 Mercedes 190E (my daily driver), '93 945 Turbo (a kickass family car), '53 Willys-Overland Pickup (my snow-plow truck/conversation piece)

Mine gets 24 -28 mpg