Immediately after bringing home the new S60 on Monday I set off on my annual holiday whirlwind tour of eastern New England. That amounts to ~600mi of mostly highway driving and enough hours to get a good feel for the car. Temperatures were in the mid-30s to low 40s with some rain. Traffic conditions were generally good on the mostly 65mph-posted interstates.
I chose to "just drive it" in order to let the engine see a variety of loads and speeds during its first few hundred miles. Do you really need to do that anymore? Who knows. Volvo doesn't even provide break-in guidance with this engine, leading me to suspect that manufacturing technologies and processes have rendered that sort of thing obsolete. But this way I don't have to wonder.
FE potential does appear to be there. The trip computer claims that I got 34.9mpg for the first 440mi tank, and 34.0mpg while fighting some headwinds on the way back. That's below the 37mpg rating, but seems acceptable for the conditions and the way I was driving it. The only cause for doubt is the 32.4mpg calculated FE for that first tank, which would indicate a pretty large over-report. Since that second fill-up was at at a different gas station in a different state from the first I'm going to wait and see how it averages-out. Volvo trip computers are typically accurate to within a couple of percent vs. the pump.
It's possible to keep steady-state FE north of 40mpg at 60mph with a very light foot, although doing so is tricky if you just put the car in drive. The iFCD heads south in a big hurry if you get into it. Pushing the ECO+ button really helps with that. The accelerator pedal becomes less sensitive (and very precise) and the transmission becomes much more aggressive about holding 8th gear. (Without ECO+ activated it'll drop down readily to build more power.) The change in feel makes this is the first Volvo in my experience to feel as though it "wants" to be driven economically and rewards the effort. This thing could be a lot of fun. :D
Just as a car I have mostly good things to say. It has probably 40% more power than I'll ever use, and it comes on smoothly and easily. (I might find myself yearning for that 3-cylinder.) The drive line feels sharp and connected. I have no complaints about ride quality despite 17" wheels and low-profile rubber.
On the inside, the seats and driving position are great for my leggy 6'2" frame. The materials and switchgear have a nice feel to them, too. I also like that the leather upholstery has a grippy matte surface instead of the almost shiny, slippery coating that can cause one to move around over the course of a drive. Trunk space isn't huge, but it is augmented by a wide pass-through via the 60/40 split rear seat. (I was pleased to get a collapsed 36" dog kennel in there with the seats up.)
The most frequently used controls (climate, volume, etc.) are laid out nicely. However, my one gripe so far is the Sensus Connect infotainment system. It's just too damn complicated and menu-driven. The interface is a rotary knob (either the one on the stack or the one on the steering wheel) which is used to scroll through options. In my opinion that results in far too many seconds spent looking at the screen instead of the road. However, I should say that the system
does have an extensive list of voice commands that I have yet to explore. Getting used to that paradigm may solve the problem.
So far I'm really happy with the car. It's what I wanted: Volvo comfort and ergonomics (minus the infotainment, maybe) without as much of the fat that used to come with it. The real question is just how far the FE potential goes. Some driver re-education may be required on that front.
A few miscellaneous shots:
A 4-cylinder engine is a welcome sight in my garage.
I was amused to find that the "plastic" engine cover is actually a squishy foam rubber, presumably to reduce noise.
The interior is a nice place to be.
Seats are standard Volvo fare. Comfortable, supportive, and adjustable for just about anyone.
Climate controls are intuitive, and you do get a button for each of the top-level infotainment functions. (And yes, that is an "internet" button near top-right. This thing has full connectivity that can be fed either by an optional data plan or by tethering your existing smartphone.)
Menus are where the infotainment system begins to slide down-hill. If you aren't using voice commands, you have to use one of the scroll wheels to do just about anything.
It has apps. Lots of them.
