Originally Posted by wstar

Another thing to keep in mind on this, a lot of people seem to be checking in and saying "I just checked my oil for the first time at 2K (or whatever low number) miles and it's low". That doesn't necessarily mean anything about oil consumption if this is the first time you've looked at your dipstick on the factory fill. For all you know, it was filled slightly low at the factory. To measure consumption, you need to have a baseline from you checking the dipstick yourself at an earlier mileage, and you need to check the dipstick under roughly identical conditions both times in terms of how hot or cold the engine is when you shut it off, and how long you wait to check. Personally I like to get the engine fully warmed up (180+ oil temps, preferably 200), then shut it down and wait about 10 full minutes to check the level.