I probably drive it harder that I should, but I don't think it really matters. A good guideline would be to drive it hard at least once a week, which means bringing it up to red line a few times, not mashing the pedal into the ground. As for the red line argument, I read somewhere that the red line is the end of the "safe" speed range for the engine. You don't want to pamper it all the time, those old lady cars suffer from the build-up.

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1983 240D 3.0T 4-speed manual, now sold

1989 Subaru GL Wagon 5-speed Touring Edition