Hey everyone! I’m picking up my new Outback Limited XT tomorrow, and I’m pretty excited. This is my first time with a Subaru boxer engine and a turbo, and I’ve only had about 30 minutes behind the wheel during the test drive. Is there anything I should keep in mind other than the usual service intervals? Any tips for breaking it in? Thanks in advance, Subaru fam!
Congrats! Just don’t go over 4k RPM for the first 1,000 miles. That’s pretty important for breaking it in.
Dolph said:
Congrats! Just don’t go over 4k RPM for the first 1,000 miles. That’s pretty important for breaking it in.
Got it! Thanks for the heads up.
Dolph said:
Congrats! Just don’t go over 4k RPM for the first 1,000 miles. That’s pretty important for breaking it in.
Why do you have to stay under 4k RPM?
Dolph said:
Congrats! Just don’t go over 4k RPM for the first 1,000 miles. That’s pretty important for breaking it in.
Why do you have to stay under 4k RPM?
It’s because the engine is still settling in, so to speak. It’s kind of like wearing in new shoes. I also like to change the oil early, around 3k miles, since the first oil has a bit of ground-down metal from the new engine. Might be overkill, but it gives me peace of mind.
Enjoy the new ride! It sounds like you’re already on the right track. I always do my oil changes about 500-1,000 miles earlier than recommended to keep that turbo happy.
When I got mine, I did ceramic tint, ceramic coating, and played around with the settings to get the dash and infotainment just how I wanted. Worth spending some time on that!
Something people forget to mention is the brakes. The AWD system in the Subaru relies heavily on the brakes. If one tire slips, the system applies the brakes on that tire and sends power to the one with more grip. So make sure to stay on top of brake maintenance, especially at around 30k-60k miles.
Definitely take some time to go through the owner’s manual. There are a bunch of little tips and features the salesman probably didn’t cover.
Darian said:
Definitely take some time to go through the owner’s manual. There are a bunch of little tips and features the salesman probably didn’t cover.
For sure, I’ll check it out when I have some time. But I’ll be using it right away tomorrow to go to work and maybe IKEA, so not sure I’ll get to read much before then!
@Hayden
Yeah, it took me a while to get through it all too. You’ll be fine for now!
Be ready for all the safety features and driving assists! There’s a lot of little things like the beeps when it detects a car in front of you, or the gentle nudge when you drift out of your lane. Then there’s the automatic panic braking if it thinks you’re getting too close to the car ahead—especially annoying when you’re trying to pass someone on a two-lane road and it won’t let you hit the gas! It’s quirky, but I love my Subarus. I’m on my 8th one now, been driving them since they had the spare tire on top of the engine.
Make sure you use that customer service appointment! They’ll help you set up your phone and answer all the random questions you might have.