First Volvo and not pleased with the mpgs it is registering.

With a mix of 60% highway and the rest city, EASY non-aggressive driving, the car is telling me we are averaging 16.4mpg. That's much worse than I was expecting and have read about. My fuel options are 89 or 93 octane. Volvo recommended is 91. I opted to use 93 for now during the break-in period.

I have 1/2 a tank now and will refill with 89 to see if anything changes. A little early to drag it back to the dealer. What's your opinion on the mpg performance??

 

That engine requires a minimum octane of 91, so I would stick with the 93.

 

Well it isn't getting better. My slow driving wife just drove the car from Houston to Dallas - All highway and it averaged 17.6 mpg. The car now has 1121 miles on the odometer. This is a HUGE disappointment. I'm guessing something is wrong with it.

Maybe the flowmeter/computer is really inaccurate. It also says that her "Average speed" is 22mph.

 

I drive a 2017 Inscription T8 Hybrid. I've owned three previous Volvos (98 S90, 2010 S80, 2013 S60) and used 93 octane in each. High test is more efficient than regular gas. Spend the extra money on the better gasoline. Buy it at Sams Club, BJs, or Costco to save on the price.

Your driving style is relatively conservative. Did you buy a 6000 lb vehicle with a 2-liter turbo/supercharged engine to get good gas mileage? I suspect your mileage is about as good as it will ever be. Get rid of the all season tires and get summer tires and winter tires so that you can enjoy the handling no matter what the season.

JR

 

I live in Houston. We don't have winter tires and summer tires. We just have tires. I didn't "buy a 6000 lb vehicle with a 2-liter turbo/supercharged engine to get good gas mileage." I bought it because my research and dealer info showed the car gets 25mpg on the highway and I was okay with that. If I wanted a safe vehicle that got 17 mpg on the highway, I'd just drive my F350 diesel that gets nearly 20. This 4 cylinder car shouldn't get worse than my significantly bigger and heavier truck.

 

OK, first the facts:
from
Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription MPG - Actual MPG from 15 Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription owners

filtering for only XC 90's with a 4 cylinder engine, T6

you are definitely at the lower end of the spectrum, but not so much that I (personally) would be worried.
My experience about 350,000 miles of Volvoing (98 S70, 05 S80, and most recently an 08 XC 70) is that Volvo ALWAYS under perform mileage wise. They also need the best gas you can get - and without meanig to be rude, a supercharged, turbocharged engine will require the good stuff and even at lower RPM that supercharger is packing those cylinders full of air AND gas. On most Volvos you can feather the pedal to reduce turbo use but that engine will not matter. Still, giving it lower octane gas will only cause the knock sensors to mess with the timeing which will result with less knocking - but reduced horsepower, requiring more pedal pressure and longer time in gear as you accelerate. you may feel you are barely giving it much because of the leisurely acceleration but you are still wasting fuel.

Having spent a lot of time in Houston traffic, and living in Dallas, i believe that these cities are heavy on the stop and go (especially Houston highways) and it does affect that milage getting 6000 lbs up to speed.
My guess is that with good gas and technique you may get 19-20 max out of it.

besides the general weight/horsepower remarks, I know of no one who buys a Volvo for their mileage. honestly, they aren't known for that. Of my three I'm happy if I hit 21. But usually less and the XC 70 is the worst. that all wheel drive takes a toll. Is your all wheel?