1000+ miles
 

I have a little over 1000 miles now. I drive a lot of miles for work so I drive pretty conservatively most of the time anyways to save gas, so I don't step on the gas pedal too hard and usually upshift way before 4K rpm.

After following the rules for "break-in" has anybody's driving habits actually changed?

I didn't exactly follow the "rules" to begin with...

I'm over 1000 and I've still only taken it over 4k twice, each time shifting around 5k. Haven't come close to red line.

This is my first performance car, so I think I'm just used to driving cars really easy.

I take mine over 4k fairly often, usually not much, I'm just used to shifting at over 4k from my other cars so it just happens.

I red-line it occasionally getting on the highway and take it above 4k pretty consistently if I find myself a windy road.

At least once per outing for anything other than "to the grocery store" I'm getting mine above 4K. I just can't help myself, it's so easy to bump off the redline without getting into an "arrest me now" scenario that I just have to do it.

That was one of the single driving forces behind me buying the 86. "Legally" at the limits, yea baby!

I've been used to driving cars real easy for the past 7 years or so (once gas prices started going up... I remember when everyone was freaking out when it reached $2/gallon). I always shifted ~3k. Did the same on my BRZ until I hit about 1200. Now I'm shifting at about 4-5k and go to 6k if I find myself on a windy road, still trying to get a feel for the car. Need to test the limits to figure out when it will actually start sliding.

Normal driving I shift between 3-4k RPM. Usually once or twice a day I take it to 6k RPM in 1st and 2nd.

I've only just crossed 100 miles and I've touched 6k >.<

For the most part anything around 3 - 5k seems to be enough for the day to day stuff, even keeping up with crazy traffic.

at around 800 miles I started doing 4gear sprints to redline starting from 70mph.

Id do this about twice a week.

I only made it to 6 or 700 doing the 4k break in. Now I redline it daily. But since my commute is mostly highway I still average a decent MPG.

I have to advise all of you not to redline the car until you finish the break in period!

I've noticed in my own FR-S, the noise from the engine starts getting louder as the weeks go on. I drove it for 3 weeks below 4K rpms and only yesterday did I complete the break in period.

I noticed a big change in the engine note as the weeks went on. It's a hard wait but its worth it. I also knew someone who bought a 2009 STI brand new and he noticed a major difference in power output once it was fully broken in. This same person is also going to win the Scion Tuner Challenge so I respect their advice.

Now that the break in is over, I've had it up to 7K and man does it scream! Way louder then I expected.

bneale

Pretty much what Dadhawk said. I'll rev it up to a good 5k or so at least once on my way to or from work. Then when I'm just driving for pleasure and I see a good place for it I'll surely wring it out to 7k just once and then a couple 5k jaunts. But for getting groceries or any short ride, I take it easy. I always felt it wasn't good to drive a car hard over short distances.

I kept under 4k for over 500 miles. Since then I have had it up over 6k once, and over 5k a couple of times; mostly just getting up to speed on and entrance ramp. The car now has more than 950 miles on it and it seems to want to rev way easier than when I got the car. Perhaps it is making more power, but I really have not pushed it yet even though it has seen higher revs a couple of times so it is difficult to tell. It is more difficult now to keep it under 4k as it really wants to rev fast, even with fairly mundane acceleration/loading. I am planning to change the oil for the first time next week.