Hello all,
I appreciate your input for my Nissan Versa oil change schedule a couple of months ago but unfortunately my car got hit and was totaled. I am thinking of getting a new Nissan Altima. How should I break-in the car properly? I am thinking of getting an oil change right after driving the car from the dealer and a few more oil changes until the car reaches 5000 miles. The car uses 0W-20 but I feel like it is too think and is it ok if I put 5W30 dexos1 gen2 oil into the QR25DE engine? Also thinking of keeping the engine below 3000RPM before 5000 miles and avoid hard braking. Is it bad if I drive the car on 100 mile highway trip everyday during the break-in period? Should I change the CVT fluid or other fluid/parts earlier than the manufacturer's suggestion?
Thank you and have a good day.

Drive it sensibly for the first 500 miles or so. No wide open throttle starts. No heavy braking. Your are also breaking in the transmission and other drive components besides the engine.

I like to change the factory oil at around the 1k mark. That choice is up to you.

Enjoy your new Altima

No sense in changing oil when getting home from dealership. On a new car I typically change the oil around 3,000 miles for first OCI. I then follow manufacturers recommended OCI.

As far as break-in just read the manual when you get the car. The manual will tell you if anything special is required.

Isnt that there will be many metal shavings in the factory fill? I think it would be better to change it out as soon as possible?

Maybe a bit off-topic, but I would like to hear all of your opinion. The Nissan Altima is my first choice as the Versa served me well (I was lucky I did not got seriously injured) but I am open to other options. How does Altima compare to other competitors such as Camry, Accord, Legacy or Optima? I like the design of Altima and Accord but the 2018 Accord is using turbocharged engines and I am concerned with the reliability. Optima sounds a good deal given that there will be a 60000 mile full warranty. Do not know much about the Toyotas. I appreciate the input and have a good one.

the manual will guide you.

I think typically it also says you should just drive normally but also at a variety of speeds. Lugging or driving at too low rpm is not advised.

I wouldn't baby the car under 3000rpm all the time with the belief thst that is helpful. You should give it the beans like half or 75% throttle every so often and go through the gears, for example on onramps or passing. This is only like 10 seconds of higher output.
The concern is you shouldnt straight up race or autox where you have minutes of full throttle at a time

You think 0w20 is too thick?

A car manufactured to modern tolerances should be effectively broken in by the time you drive it home. Just in case there were some rough edges when it left the factory drive at legal speeds and don't treat a stop light like a drag strip Christmas tree. Most important (like you use the forum and aren't aware of this) don't beat on it when it's cold.

Claud.

Ok I understand. I am not a fan or racing or beating the car and thank you for your suggestion.

First, I misread your post thinking you already had the Altima.

Cars are so much alike these days. They are appliances that get you around. Your choice depends on your budget and needs. Pretty much all brands are now assembled by machines and robots. No more Monday and Friday goofs. In the end it’s the car that fits your needs but also fits you as a driver. Your above choices are excellent and I would add Mazda to the mix. They have come a long ways since their breakup with Ford.

I apologize it was a typo I mean too thin. I know many cars spec 0W20 now but with the same engine code, a couple of years ago they spec 5W30 or even higher... Just concerned if 0W20 provide adequate protection in summer. Thank you.

Yes I agree with you. One of the point getting the Altima is that it looks very nice to me. But I am not a car guy and just would like to hear more suggestions. I will also look at the Mazda website. Actually I have thought of getting the Ford but some friends told me that Ford is no longer as good as it was and Japanese cars are more reliable in general. What do you think? Thank you so much.

I think it is Ford Fusion for the mid-size car? But the fuel economy is not very competitve.

I wouldn't change the oil earlier than 3-5K miles, nor the CVT fluid before 20-30K miles. On a different note, how do you like those seats in the Altima? So comfortable IMO.

That's basically what I do with any new vehicle I've bought. They all run strong and don't use any oil. IMO, if the engine is babied too much when new the rings won't seat very well.