I was looking at other posts, and someone mentioned, “needing to drive more than 2 miles,” before making a decision about a used car. Is there any distance or length of time necessary to really get a feel for the car?
More then 2 miles…DEFINITLY.
You need to take it on the highway or at least highway speeds.
You also have to get the engine up to operating temps. There are some things that could be wrong with the vehicle that start showing up when the engine is hot. You also need to get it hot just to check out the heating system and maybe even AC.
When I bought my 4runner I drove it almost 20 miles.
Agree…think of the things you normally do, as commuting etc. and drive accordingly. Def. highway speeds and a bumpy road can reveal a lot.
Far enough to take it to a trusted mechanic and pay them to check it over if it passes your original muster.
You have to bring it up to normal operating temperature so you can check the heater operation and also to see whether the temperature gauge keeps on going. You also have to get up to highway speed to test for wheel shake and alignment. After that you take it to your mechanic for a check-up like the previous guy said.
Some transmissions work really well until you warm them up. Some run better then. Try to run it cold until it warms up.
As long as the seller will let you!