under 70 for the first month?

[debos]

i picked up my prius about a week ago and upon delivery, the salesman who helped my said to keep it under 70 mph for the first month. i know that there should be some kind of break-in period, but i was wondering if anyone could offer some feedback or their own insight...

[Bill Merchant]

Modern cars, and the Prius in particular, don't need much break in time since they are so well machined at the factory. Still, it's a good idea not to push too hard until things have had a chance to settle in together. Vary the speed you drive and don't do sustained 70 mph runs. Be gentle on the brakes and avoid panic stops (always a good idea). I believe Toyota recommends a 600 mile break in period, which may be longer or shorter than a month, depending on your driving. Since you have no direct control over the ICE speed, just avoid sustained freeway driving. Enjoy the back roads while you get to know how to drive your car.

[debos]

thanks for the info. so far ive put about 500 miles on the car (i have a 45 mile commute to work and 20 mile commute to school) and its driven fairly well. ive tried to maintain speeds under 70 and for the most part i vary between 55-70. because of my commutes, should i expect any less performance or less efficiency?

[Bill Merchant]

I think you'll be fine. Now you can concentrate on enjoying the drive and the good milage instead of worrying about babying the car. Just remember high speed acceleration and cruising kills mpg, as does racing up to a stop and jamming the brakes. Congratulations on your new car!