I was just hoping for some advice as to the best way to treat my new car when it's maiden voyage will be 600 miles on the freeway broken up into 3 parts in 2 days. I know you're supposed to vary the RPM's during break in but there's only so much to do on a freeway.

Thanks

 

Use different gears? Drive like a grandma for a while?

 

As you drive vary your speed up and down the range, 45 to legal limit when on the interstate,

For grins take some on and off ramps, a little tour of an area you have always wanted to see.

Good luck and enjoy your MINI. 600 on the first drive will be a great time.

 

Why is it necessary to take the freeway? I avoid 4 lanes like the plague and I don't care if it takes me a little longer to get to where I'm going. The ride is much more enjoyable because I'm usually on the road by myself with no one to interfere with my enthusiastic driving habits. I also don't have to be on the constant lookout for phone toting drones pounding the pavement "driving".

Trust me, there are plenty of other ways to get around besides the super highways and the varied RPM's will come naturally.

 

I gather you want to carefully break in your new MINI, congratulations on this effort. I would say observe the 4500rpm limit, try to vary your engine speeds between 2500 and 4500rpm, speed doesn't have to vary much as the gearing allows overlapping roads speeds, I wouldn't suggest driving 45mph on the interstate unless you want to get punted a 100 yards by a Caddy CTS driver on his cell phone. If you want to run thriugh the gears ever so often get off at an exit then right back on. This will help vary things and dodge breakin boredom.

 

Just get in it and drive it home.

It'll "learn" your driving habits best that way.

It needs little else.

 

Vary your speed. Drive 70 for 10 miles and then back it down to 55 for another 10 miles, then 60....ect. You can also get off the highway and take a few back roads (find some curvy ones!!!). Enjoy the drive home!!!

 

I think a combination of "all the above" will suit me just find. I appreciate the feedback. However, not taking some sort of highway while driving up California is next to impossible. Even highway 1 doesn't vary much until you get past San Luis Obispo. I also will have another 8000 miles to vary the RPM's after that.

Thanks again

 

Even driving up the 5 will allow you to vary your speed greatly if you stay in the right lane and pass the slow pokes and semis when you catch up to them. When slowing down you should leave your car in gear to let the engine do some of the braking. Helps with the break in.

 

Take lots of little stops. Buy a soda here, a bag of chips there. Pause at every rest stop or vista point. Make a game out of stopping frequently. Then zoom to the next...

 

Being a former Californian (Westlake Village & Bay Area) I suggest taking PCH...lots of places to stop...beautiful scenery for great photo-op's. That would be a dream drive in a brand new MINI. Good Luck!!!

 

The PCH will definitely be part of my journey

 

I'm jealous. Miss the coast...a lot...especially when it's hotter than the hinges of hell and I could hardly get to work downtown this morning because of the Idol kids all over the streets waiting to get their wristbands. WTH! I thought that show was cancelled.

 

wha wha what???? I own a CTS and I take offense to that...

LOL, just kidding I do drive my CTS quite briskly when given a chance though.

I was wondering this same question as the OP. I don't have a mini yet but I'll have a 200 mile trip to bring it home when I get it next year. Not quite as bad as the OP, but still a drive. I'll try to stop every 30 min. or so and hopefully that'll do it.

 

Drive it like you stole it. Seriously... Let it warm up, then beat on it. You will get a better ring seal, and performance and mileage in the future.

 

Use The "PCH" and enjoy the drive. Three days for 600 miles will give you way then more then enough time to go the best route in the whole wide world. Your car will be perfect by the tome you get home.

 

So what day was or is your MINI going to be ready for pick-up?

Just waiting the call from NW MINI in Tacoma for ours - hoping by Tuesday the 20th..........




Just a couple days after we gets ours, will be heading out on at least a 600 mile round trip between west and east borders of Washington State. That should get the break-in party started........ Might just have to take some of the advice and hit those scenic out-of-the-way mountain passes etc.

Expect to burn at least 10 gallons less fuel than the same trip would burn in our diesel truck, which gets 20MPG at best.

 

I took my 2009 MINI Cooper S off the lot in Denver and drove it back home to Tucson (taking a few detours along the way).

What is it, keep the revs under 4500 for the first 1000 miles?
Well, I did that until I hit whatever that magic number of miles is. Then, on US-180 somewhere between Carlsbad and El Paso, there was a nice stretch of open road with good pavement, low traffic, and extremely good visibility … the new car felt really solid at 125. (did that twice until I saw a dot of another car on the horizon)

Oh, and about 10 minutes later I got a ticket for doing 84 in a 70. Just glad he didn't see me a little earlier!

 

GOT MINI YET ???