Right up my street!
If you want reliability then Audi is a good start. If you do less than 150 miles a week then petrol is a great start. DO NOT BUY FROM FACEBOOK OR PRIVATE SALE ON AUTOTRADER. You have been warned! They are mostly scams and you will NOT get a fair deal as there are so many scams and illicit vehicles for sale that pass all regular checks. These days they can rewind mileage so easily and even sell stolen cars that look perfect in every way that even dealers get caught out.
If the car doesn't have 2 keys, it's a no. Excuses make no difference here. 2 keys or look elsewhere. This is a financial and insurance safety issue.
The car cannot be more than 8 years old.
Lowest mileage (2500 a year can be genuine but loaer is extremely sus.)
Check the oil. Need a paper towel and pull the dipstick twice to check oil isn't extremely black and a golden colour is ideal. If that's any metal in it (black specks) walk away immediately. If the oil has a chocolate appearance, run away. Coolant has leaked into crank case and probably has a warped head. New engine required.
Start the engine and ask seller to rev engine to 3000 rpm for 15-20 seconds while you watch exhaust for emissions. White smoke means engine damage and oil is ending combustion cycle and burning. Worn piston rings and engine overhaul due.
If it's diesel, clouds of black smoke and unburned fuel are the equivalent.
There should be ZERO visible emissions, except a little water on cold petrol engines.
Check service history, go online to carcheck.co.uk and oay for the full report. Well worth the small charge. Get the vin number and the V5C to check service and MOT history on gov.uk
Look for FAILURES. Anything mechanical needs caution as that tells you what has been fixed.
Ask when timing belt was last changed. Usual replacement is 120,000 miles and costs around £700. Try get something under 55,000 miles. MOT history will tell you if that's genuine mileage.
Make sure you get a car made after Sept 2017 to benefit from Euro 6 compliant engines and emissions.
Avoid EV that is over 3 years old. Batteries cost thousands to replace.
Tyres. 5mm minimum tread and brand must match opposite side
2 front same brand
2 back same brand
Can be different brands between 2 pairs. This is where your rubber hits the road and keeps you safe in hairy situations.
Brake disks. Feel them. If there's a pronounced lip at rim edge thwn they need replacing. Anything more than a minor lip like a coin edge is suspect. Asj when the disks were last replaced and ask for invoice to inspect. Ask what pressure the tyres need and go with thwm to check at a garage. Only £1 or less. If any are well below pressure, there's a slow puncture you'll be dealing with. Negotiate £180 off to get new matching set. Never have any special puncture fluid added to tyres.
Finally, tradecentre.co.uk has good cars and you may get a good deal on px. You'll be surprised what you can afford.
Do not let salespeople railroad you into a same day purchase. Try get a bank loan rather than car finance, so you own the vehicle. Lots of sound advice in there in not telling you. Car finance costs you 17% more than bank loan on purchase. That means the price you see is not the price you pay in the end. Usually 25% on top over 5 years. Bank loans are a low as 6% on total price you pay over same period. Car finance owns the car until oaid in full, but dealership may iffer buyback for replacement after 24 months for another car. That's HP.
YOU MAY want to look at long term leasing too. Costs more but they sort everything including insurance (£1200 annually /£6k 5 years) CMS they service vehicle and replace tyres, brakes, etc.