economy

There is no Volvo model sold in the US - ever - that will match the fuel economy of your Golf. The closest you will come (and it won't be very close!) will be a 240 or base model 850 (later called S70) with a *standard* shift. If you get one with an automatic you will be very unhappy with the fuel economy. Even with the standard, you will need to drive it gently and keep your tires inflated to the top of the normal range to get even decent fuel economy. Figure an average of about 28 at best, less if you do mostly city driving. I know how to drive for best MPG, and the best I've ever done with our 240 automatic is 26mpg... in mostly highway driving.

thanks for this I was thinking the same thing and have concluded that it is a trade off on long distance comfort. I had a Peugeot 504 diesel once and it was VERY comfortable You could sit in the back seat put the front seat back down and it turned into a couchette A very nice nights sleep was possible on cross country jaunts But sigh Peugeot is no more in North America I wonder if the overnight possibilities in a volvo wagon make up for the not so great fuel consumption? Its a tricky thing when all one wants is a decent effing diesel in North Americ without it being a cowboy truck...ah Europe How lucky you are

Michael

There is a car that offers the size and safety of a Volvo, but with much better fuel economy: the four cylinder Camry. At least for the models through '96, you can average 30+mpg with the

You won't find much at all in the way of diesel volvos here, they haven't been offered in over 20 years and were never very common, so running ones are rare and usually pretty tired.