So far so good. The dealer experience was a nightmare so I'll need to let that bad taste wear off a bit before I can start enjoying the car. We got a carbon gray basic model (with added bluetooth that we did not want but paid for), automatic.

I'm glad this forum is here. Have a question about the breaking in period.

Does this sound about right?
- For about 600 miles.
- Not push the car too much (it already has 200 miles on it so I have no idea about how the car was treated for those miles).
- Don't use the cruise control much.
- Vary driving between city and highway.

We'll be going from the west coast to Colorado soon. Would it be better to try to get our 600 miles in before we leave?

I guess I'm a little worried about this whole "break in" thing - like somehow I'll ruin the car for life or something!

Any tips would be appreciated. I really like the car - a bit bigger than I like coming from a 1998 Subaru Impreza L Wagon. But I don't like the direction Subaru is going with their body styles so they lost my business. Plus, I don't really need the AWD anymore.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and hello!

 

That's right about break in. Only I would go easy on the car for much longer, say 20,000 miles according to the studies I'm reading. And change the oil a lot, use regular mineral oil. After 20,000, switch to synthetic oil.

 

20,000 to break in?!? That would take the average person 16 months to go that many miles.

ETinCA, don't listen to jsinton in this case. You don't have to worry about "taking it easy" on the engine after about the first 500 miles. The rings are fully seated by then. Modern engines are fully broken-in in about 5,000 miles. But that's to fully loosen up the engine and get the best fuel mileage.

Enjoy your car with no worries. Drive as you normally would, you won't hurt anything.

Also, you can switch to synthetic oil as soon as your first oil change if you want. That's what I do with my cars.

 

For the first 500/600 miles avoid going at one set speed for too long of a time and don't push the rpms above 5,000. Otherwise, enjoy it.

Change the oil at 3,500 miles mark to remove any filings from the manufacture/break-in period.

That is the advice I have always been told for new cars (different brands)