I thought the RL community might be able to help me with this question.... I've finally made up my mind to go with the Volvo XC90 for my wife and the kids and I have a quick question regarding turbo I5 engines versus normally aspriated engines.

First off, I live in Denver and I head up to the mountains most weekends. I currently have a 300+ hp Expedition and my wife is tired of driving this monster around town and the 30 gallon gas tank hurts at each fill up. We're about to pull the trigger on the new Volvo and my mind was set on the V8 version until the sales rep told me that the 2.5T motor will pull as strong in the high altitude.

Here are the specs:

2.5T: 208 hp 280 lb-ft torque
V8: 4.4L 311 hp 325 lb-ft @ 3900 rpm

I know cars lose about 20%+ in the altitude but I can't believe that 2.5T will pull as well as the V8 in the altitude. Can anyone shed any light on this claim?

Thanks- JH

 

go with the turbo 5, your not racing the thing, probably not towing much either, what do you need the V8 for.

of course a turbo diesel would be ideal for torque and economy, but those europeans think we americans dont know the benefits of diesel.... well i dont think most americans do actually. Which is too bad cause the modern 4, 6, 8, 10 cylinder diesels ROCK!

 

Take them both for a test drive at altitude and see what happens... I owned a Volvo GLT 242 years ago and it was a dog in the mountains. A turbo needs air, and if it is thin, it will affect performance, at least it did mine.

 

Hi JH,

I've owned all manners of Volvo Turbos and in altitude, they just kick butt. No joke. Forced induction does wonders to compensate for thin air and will suffer less power loss than an NA engine of the SAME size (obviously a big diff in displacement here). So will it perform comensurate to the XC's 8 in altitude? I doubt it, but it may be acceptable for you (and wifey) and the price delta is pretty significant if that's a concern.

If you are considering budget, are not towing (or towning mildly) and are concerned with MPGs, I'd get the T5. FWIW, my brother has one AND we tow my Trackmeister (~3400lbs) with ZERO issues, and we do have to climb a 4500' mtn pass on occasion. But if dollars and MPG be damned, I'd personally get the v8 -- built by Yamaha and from all accounts I've read is a superb engine. Still, a test drive at altitude really IS the answer here. BTW, if you get the V8, I'd love to hear your impressions here ...include a pic with your P-car so as to avoid "OT" sins

Edward

 

Get the turbo -- like Edward mentions, the turbo will help get back what you lose at altitude.

The V-8 may be nice for towing, but otherwise, get the Turbo...

 

Get the turbo, I've driven an '06 XJ-8 and a XC-70 from Denver to Aspen and the Volvo was definetely better at altitude than the Jag.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback. I just found out that the T5 turbocharged motor has been discontinued and is replaced with a 3.2 V6. This is the second engine that Volvo has ditched in the last 4 years. The 2.5T replaced the T6 which was their twin turbo motor.

At this point, I'm leaning toward the V8 since they haven't replaced this motor yet and it's built by Yamaha. Would you be concerned about servicing a T5 since they discountinued it? I know they got rid of the T6 because it was shredding transmissions and they couldn't get the twin turbos to work in unison correctly but does anyone know why they got rid of the T5?

Thanks- JH

 

Mercedes is bringing their GL in a Diesel next year. The 3.2CDI I think it makes about 400 LBS of torque.

Not to cloud the waters but it would offer good fuel economy more space and good perfomance.

 

Hi JH,

The T5 was their tried-and-true bread-and-butter engine since 93. Like our flat six has evolved through the years, the T5 has enjoyed refinements on top of a solid platform.

My guess the reason for ditching it is that it was simply time to move on. Volvo of late has been somewhat low on power when compared to many of today's modern offerings. Yet Volvo had justified charging Volvo prices regardless of so-so performance with their reputation of solid build quality and safety ...features that are now more common in even the more mundane of vehicles. So now they have to compete with higher HP engines to fill out the entire "package" if you will. It's a win for us consumers, if you ask me.

So should you opt for the T5, I doubt that you'd have any problem getting parts or service given their long run and large production numbers ...witness their venerable 4-banger from the 70s in Turbo or NA form; those suckers still occupy the road in significant quantities. Only time will tell about the 8. Yamaha certainly knows what they're doing (remember 220HP SHO Taurus from decades ago ) and this engine by all accounts seems to be a winner.

Edward