Watch out for a few things
Make sure the mileage matches the interior. If the clocks say 60k miles but the interior looks shagged and worn, it's been clocked.

Put a hand on the bonnet, if it's warm, then it's been taken for a run before you arrived. People do this to hide cold start problems.

Whip the oil cap off the head. If there's white gunky stuff on it, walk away.

Keep an eye on the temp gauge when you test drive it. It wants to sit bang in the middle regardless of outside air temp. If it doesn't, it's either got a thermostat problem, or the 'stat's been removed to hide a serious overheating problem.
( Kroney, Thu 24 Jun 2010, 13:41, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Cheers
It's handy to know things like this.
(porkinator is a Rock n Roll nerd!, Thu 24 Jun 2010, 13:43, Reply)

Most importantly
tune out the guy's sales speil and trust in what you can see and feel. If the car feels wrong, walk. Sounds a bit zen, but you'll be amazed at what you can feel through the pedals and wheel. If it doesn't feel right, it isn't.

Oh, and find somewhere to drive in circles on full lock. If you hear a knocking noise, walk.
( Kroney, Thu 24 Jun 2010, 13:53, Reply)

Things to look for inside
are a shiny steering wheel, worn down rubbers on the pedals and a soggy driver's seat. All of these are signs of a high mileage car.

High mileage is not in itself necessarily a bad thing, if it's been regularly serviced. But if it's been clocked, it suggests the owner is not likely to have maintained the car well.

Outside, check for uneven tyre wear (a sign of tracking problems), spongy shock absorbers (bounce the corner of the car. It should come to rest at the first oscillation), and a blowing exhaust.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 24 Jun 2010, 13:46, Reply)