I am very close to approaching the 500 miles (in 4 days of ownership) stipulated in the Owner's handbook for running the car in, though I shall be extending this for my own personal peace of mind to about 1000 miles to make sure everything is ok and well bedded in. HOw have other people got on with running in theirs? Did you go beyond the 500miles ?

So far so good with the car, the only thing to report is the tracking looks like it needs adjusting as it drifts to the left. Just a small thing, and Stratstones are looking at it Friday first thing.No Hassles booking it, which is a good sign so far.

Other than that it's a joy to drive, it feels big, bulky, meaty, powerful and has a real presence to it on the road.

I've taken family members for quick drives to show it off and everyone who has sat in it says how safe they feel in the car, it really must have a nice cossetting feeling about it. Great  L319 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB

My dealer told me not to bother breaking it in because it wasn't a high performance car and the factory does a little run in of the motor off the crate.

I hope you told him he was talking sh*t and then gave him a slap!

It may not be a Ferrari or an M5, but every engine needs running in, especially if you want to get the best performance and reliability out of it. Landrover only bench test them for less than 10 miles anyway, that's nothing.

I guess it's personal choice on how you want to treat your car. L319 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB

Every engine shoudl be broken in. We used to break in our race bikes on a dyno but the theory is the same. Take it easy and vary the RMP. Gradually increase speed over time. I usually do 500 miles then change oil and drive normally. After about 1000-1500 miles I start to beat on it It is also good to heat it up and let it cool down completely a lot during break in. 1 long trip to break the car in is not recommended. There are varying opinions on break in from babying it to break it in hard if you are going to drive it hard. Ultimately it is your vehicle and your choice but the factory recommends it for a reason...

While the engine is broken in from factory and can be thrashed from day one, it is all the cars compnents working together, that need respect in the early days to bed in. 500 miles should be right, then open the revs up more, 1000rpm every additional 100miles.

G 2010MY Land Rover Freelander 2 HSE
Santorini Black with Ebony Napoli Leather

Absolutely, it's everything from the engine, tyres, brakes, running gear, electrics, it's ALL getting broken in.

A car that is not broken in gently may still last the same number of years and miles as one that is cossetted, however it's the reliability, fuel economy and smoothness of it all that will suffer. Perhaps not a concern to those who will only keep the car a short term and intend to move it on after a year or so, therefore making it someone else's problem.

I've never had a brand new car myself before, so I have always been at other's people's mercy in terms of how the car was treated beforehand, this time however I plan to ensure my car is VERY well looked after. L319 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB