[san rensho]

All this "never let the motor warm up at idle' is the car manufacturers, all of them, requirement to comply with federally mandated MPG requirements. Obviously, an idling motor gets zero MPG, so to comply with the EPA, they say don't idle. But a motor at idle has essentially no load, and with a thermostat it will warm up quickly. Since the most motor wear occurs while its cold, a motor warming up with no load will definitely last longer than a motor that is cold and being driven.

I'm not saying idle the engine until it reaches operating temperatue, but letting the car idle for a few minutes before driving is much better than driving off within seconds of starting the car. Don't believe the hype of car companies.