Sorry to break it to you Diana, but worn piston rings are definitely a wear-and-tear item. If an engine was abused during break-in, then down the road (like 50k miles down the road) it is likely to start burning oil which gets around the rings (which are not seated well).

You won't see the oil smoke, because there will be so little of it, and it will mostly occur during hard acceleration when your eyes are (hopefully) pointed forward. This occured on my Prelude SH - I beat on that engien good and hard early on in its life, and by the time it was over 100k miles, it was burning a quart or two between changes.

Using a heavier-weight oil may cut down on the consumption a little, but mostly the damage is done.

$4-$6k for a ring job is an absolute rip-off - that's several times the cost of a new engine, as has been pointed out! Find another garage and get another estimate closer to $1500. And I hate to have to suggest this, but bring a guy with you and have him do the talking - the automotive service industry is notorious for trying to rip off women with unnecessary work and outrages prices. The lies mechanics and service writers tell my wife are just shameful!

An engine rebuild will do wonders for your VX. And that will still be cheaper than getting a new crate engine and having it installed.