Engine Performance problem
2000 Suzuki Vitara 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic 73000 miles

I bought my 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara about a year ago and I love it and want to keep it for as long as I can. When I first bought it, it already had about 72000 miles on it, but I quickly updated it with all of service packages.

Since I've owned the car I've tried to consistently check the fluids, including the oil, but I may have slipped a time or two. That has me worried too because when I checked it a week ago, it was down about half a quart.

I know some engine wear is normal, especially for a car with 73000 on it, but I'm still concerned. I immediately called my dealer and they changed the oil plus did a complete inspection to see if any oil was leaking from some hidden place. They also did a compression test.

Nothing turned up. So can rings go bad even if the compression shows good? Is this just normal oil burning, in your opinion, and might I just have to get the engine overhauled someday to get it back to a no burning state?