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I completely agree with this post. The 3 M's are where it's at.
If anybody actually reads their Volvo owners manual, there are specific helpful hints to achievie the best fuel economy, and I trust the experts at Volvo to know better. They state that you don't have to drive slow to get good mpg, but get to your cruising speed in top gear as quickly and as safely as possible, then maintain the cruising speed as much as possible. This means rev through the gears while shifting at low rpm's as quickly as possible. For those of you who have the up arrow shift indicator on your 5-speed as I do, it will instruct you to shift at relatively low rpm's (< 2200), pushing the car while the engine is in the torque band of the rpm's. Do this while nearly flooring the pedal and you'll get to highway speed more quickly as well as saving fuel.
Like the truckers out on the open road, moving the vehicle while allowing momentum is key to saving fuel. Anticipating hills while bringing engine rpm's up before the climb to maintain engine rpm's is a big fuel saver. Keep the rpm's constant (as well as engine vacuum) but not necessarily the car's speed. Dropping the speed a few mph up hill, and letting the car's inertia carry it down the hills rather than the engine power helps, too (but don't let off the pedal!). As truckers do, the vehicle weight and momentum will work for you while at much higher speeds than 50 mph. On the open road you find the magic speed is somewhere between 65 and 75 mph, or speeds lower than when wind resistance and aerodynamics take any significant effect, but high enough to allow momentum to carry the car up a portion of the hills or along the flats.
The trucking folks lobbied for years to have the speed limits increased for just this reason, and these guys drive for a living and mpg is their major cost/expense factor to making a good living out of it, so I place faith in their ways of driving. Besides I've drivin across the US so many times keeping pace with them, I know it works. Drafting also works really well, which is something they also do, but I suggest that if you attempt to do that you better gain their respect for your driving skills before you try to do that, and driving 50 mph in a 70 zone will piss them off (as well as everybody else on the road), not to mention get run over in your Volvo and worsen the reputation they already have of people who drive Volvo's.
I would use Techron not STP, every 4th tank, and premimum gas. Your car will be much happier.
Keep the tires inflated on the high side but not over inflated for the load. Don't go to 40 lbs unless you have a lot of weight. I usually run the H rated tires at 36 psi unloaded for best MPG. If your running S rated tires, don't go over 32 psi.
My car has gotten the best ever mpg at 87 mph with a good load, 2 people, luggage and the dog, windows up/ A/C on cruising across West Texas on the flats, got 31 mpg. The windows down can significantly worsen fuel economy, especially for the poor aerodynamics of the 240.
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