Volvo V50 Gas Mileage

The Volvo V50 is a station wagon that’s well worth a look for sport-loving families … especially those that enjoy those treks to the mountains in the winter time. The V50’s gas mileage figures are very respectable, even more so when equipped with all wheel drive (AWD). As an alternative to the ubiquitous gas guzzling SUV, the V50 has plenty to offer.

Volvo V50s sold in America are fitted with either naturally-aspirated or turbocharged five cylinder engines. The 2.4i’s engine puts out 168 horsepower (HP) and 170 foot pounds of torque, while the turbo in the T5 and T5 AWD puts out 227 HP and 236 foot pounds of torque. All models are fitted with a five-speed Geartronic transmission.

The V50 is not currently available with a diesel engine in the USA. Abroad, however, the V50 is fitted with a range of highly economical common rail direct injection diesel power plants. As a point of comparison, lets salivate over the specifications and fuel consumption statistics for the manual transmission-equipped diesels currently available in the V50 in the United Kingdom:

• 1.6 liter four cylinder – 109 HP / 240 foot pounds of torque. 44.8 urban / 65.7 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 37.3 city / 54.7 highway in US miles per gallon)
• 2.0 liter four cylinder – 136 HP / 320 foot pounds of torque. 37.2 urban / 58.9 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 31 city / 49 highway in US miles per gallon)
• 2.4 liter five cylinder – 180 HP / 350 foot pounds of torque. 34 urban / 55.4 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 28.3 city / 46.1 highway in US miles per gallon)

Volvo V50 Gas Mileage – 2005-2010

Note: the EPA tweaked their testing procedure, starting with the 2008 model year, with the end result being that the 2008 MPG estimates are now lower than previous years. As always, YMMV.

– by Daniel Gray