Breaking in Is Hard to Do: First 600 Miles in the 2019 Genesis G70

Breaking up may be hard to do, but breaking in a 2019 Genesis G70 for the first 600 miles will leave you as blue as the Mallorca Blue paint on our long-term G70 test car. Genesis’ break-in procedure recommends taking it easy for the first 600 miles, so racking up the break-in miles on our recently purchased G70 was a tease. This car is a riot to drive, with its twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V-6 expelling 365 horsepower like the crack of whip. I put the break-in miles on our car, and 601 miles couldn’t come soon enough.

Related: We Bought a Genesis G70: Here’s What We Paid

There’s a cloud of mystery around new car break-in periods and whether they’re still required or how to successfully do so with a new car, but it’s not really a mystery because the owner’s manual will show what the automaker recommends. Some cars may not recommend a break-in at all, but our 2019 Genesis G70’s owner’s manual says to follow a few typical guidelines to do it right: “By following a few simple precautions for the first 600 miles (1,000 km), you may add to the performance, economy and life of your vehicle.” The manual goes on to stipulate that during the break-in period:

• Do not race the engine.
• While driving, keep your engine speed between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm.
• Avoid maintaining a single speed for long periods of time, either fast or slow. Varying engine speed is needed to properly break in the engine.
• Avoid hard stops, except in emergencies, to allow the brakes to seat properly.
• Do not use launch control, if equipped, during the break-in process.

Leaving the dealership with 38 miles on the odometer and a full tank of gas, I was determined to break 600 miles in 12 days to get past this imaginary fun-goalie and experience the fully caffeinated version of the G70 before returning it to the office. The G70 was my main transportation over a 2018-19 holiday road show that included three Christmases, daycare drop-off and pickup, two play dates, a trip out of state for New Year’s, and a blur of excursions to get wrapping paper, tape, last-minute gift cards (and perhaps an unhealthy amount of coffee).

The first temptation to say “Eff it” to the break-in literally happened on the way home from the dealership. A 2017-or-newer BMW 540i xDrive weaved through traffic to tail the G70. Maybe the driver was in a hurry, maybe he wanted to check out the G70 or maybe he was just being a BMW driver. Who knows. I resisted the urge.

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I spent the remaining 600 miles reacclimating to the car we named our Best of 2019, gaining more appreciation for how much of a sports sedan it really is in 3.3T form even when driven at three-tenths its capabilities — and without the optional summer tires and Sport trim. Handling is sharp, steering is precise and the G70 feels planted even on the all-season, skinnier tires of the non-Sport trim. The G70 makes you feel like you’re driving something sporty even when the car isn’t driven hard.

That’s why the break-in was so painful. As a family hauler, it’s a little small to work as the primary car for child-seat-carrying, Christmas-gift-hauling and people-carrying duties. The G70 is much more entertaining after 600 miles — with Sport mode engaged, blasting away from stoplights and letting the car rip up to its 6,500-rpm redline.

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