^ Thanks for the 2011 update, btw-what car is that (that would be helpful to know)?

fyi - Ford Explorer (4th generation) break-in procedure below since I think it was asked about earlier (and it gives some perspective on another major US automakers approach):

BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the
moving parts a chance to break in.
Drive your new vehicle at least 500 miles (800 km) before towing a
trailer. For more detailed information about towing a trailer, refer to
Trailer towing in the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter.
Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils since
these additives may prevent piston ring seating.

 

It's a Mazda3 s Sport.

 

Fun car, cool

 

When we installed a new motor in a car built to be raced, it was broken in the exact same way we wanted to run it, as hard as possible...

I distinctly remember a car we put on the dyno - literally drove it from the service area to the dyno area (same parking lot), let it idle for a bit, put in a baseline tune, did a few partial throttle runs to see what a/f readings were looking like, then started out at 15 psi boost... made 325 whp... made a few changes, made a few more hp at that boost, and later that same day, at 26 psi boost, made just over 500 whp... the engine officially had zero miles on it, though if you would have looked at the odometer, we probably put 50 miles on it that day on the dyno...

that motor outlasted the car it was in and was sold, never consumed any oil or anything...

the more pressure you get in the cylinder, the better the chances the rings get broken in properly...

ps - it was a 2 liter...

 

The remaining limitations, in this case, seem to be pretty much what they have been for decades....though, granted, the general 4000-4500 RPM limitation and the cautions against hard acceleration/braking seem to be gone.

 

nothing about dont brake too hard? Dont redline the car? interesting. Im sure those are still on the Lexus manuals

 

Exactly the point (regarding engine break-in today, pre-delivery to dealership) and now we better understand it thanks to other CL posters.

Break-in today for consumer involves tires and brake pads more than anything else for first few miles, as I mentioned earlier.

 

where is that in the manuals? i've got mine right here.

regardless, i still think it's just cya by car companies. unless someone buy's a car and drives 500 miles on an interstate with hardly any stops, they're going to be varying their speed, and what do they mean by 'frequently' anyway?

 

Page 6 (Introduction section), of the 2007 Owners Manual for Ford Explorer (boilerplate).

Regardless I've always driven the cars normally or same as usual for duration of my ownership experience (without any engine problems). And normally I don't drone for hundreds of miles at the same steady speed.

 

Common sense should prevail. Just read the owners manual for break-in guidelines and follow them. They warranty the car so you can't go wrong.

I agree with two points brought up here. The guidelines seem to apply more to brakes and tires, and in many repsects they are a bit of CYA for the manufacturer.

 

More on-topic from OP's standpoint:

Regarding Mercedes and the ML350, yes you will find Mercedes service to be very good (I've had mostly good dealings with Mercedes service departments over the last 15 years), almost as good as Lexus service. If you have a decent Mercedes salesperson, he can line you up with one of the better service advisors and you can stick with him/her through the entire warranty period.

The ML350 is quick in its class, for example C&D recorded 0-60 in low 7's, not bad for 3.5L in 4800 pound SUV.

Quality and reliability is average at best for the current gen ML. (Generalizations about Mercedes brand reliability are not all that helpful because each model is very different) The latest designs such as the 08-11 C-class are proving to be more reliable than most Benz's probably as a result of more durability testing prior to release.

 

The OP had me laughing...funny story, though I am sorry to hear of your experience.

FWIW, I've driven a few HEMI-equipped cars and found them to be pretty weak as well. A few years ago I actually raced a Hemi Ram 4 door in a GX and also smoked him, so it has been done!

 

In my experience the Hemi doesnt mean much. BTW the "hemi" engine design is ancient. It made a splash back in the day and it really only means something to the older drivers who remember all of the hype from back in the day. They are huge gas guzzling motors that lose their breath at insanely low rpm relative to todays motors.
the term hemi is purely marketing hype. In my V8 I want to hear words like direct injected and variable valve timing

 

But of course! After all, it was a Toyota! Haha!

I agree with ya! I still like the oldies and even looking at the newbies. I was most sour over the lack of care or assistance.

No, if I was brilliant, I'd buy a bicycle. But thanks for the vote of confidence! At least Nissan just "sounds" like it's falling apart after some miles.

All it meant was hemispherical intake and exhaust ports if I'm not mistaken. I didn't buy it for the Hemi, just thought the V8 would be nice. It wasn't. It was actually dissapointing. I was comparing it to my GX and it was falling flat in all areas. Shame, I still really like some Chrylser products. Guess I'll stick with enjoying watching others drive them for me.

 

What experience with the Hemi is that exactly? I am only familiar the Hemi in the Ram trucks, but I think the one in the Jeep and other cars is similar. The truck version may be tuned for better low end torque if anything. It is still a pushrod V8 with a hemispherical combustion chamber, but it does have two spark plugs per cylinder, variable cam timing (as apposed to variable valve timing) and does have the multi-displacement system(MDS) which turns off four cylinders during highway crusing, which allows the trucks to get over 20mpgs consistently. It also has a red-line of about 5800-6000 RPMs, but with tuners guys can bump that up probably 500-800 rpm more with no problems.

In general (and again I can only talk about trucks) it has been very reliable. It is the automatic transmissions that tend to be the most problematic. It is certainly not the most advanced V8 on the market, but it is certainly very different and much improved from the Hemis of the old muscle car era.

Here is a page from Allpar.com if anyone was interested (which on this site is probably not very many people):

http://www.allpar.com/mopar/new-mopar-hemi.html