Buying used car from dealership - newbie

[pipersing]

I am looking to buy a ‘new’ used car; first time doing this on my own since divorcing last year.

Embarrassed to admit I don’t really know what I’m doing. Test drive booked for this afternoon but don’t know how to navigate negotiating a deal.
probably part exchange with my old Fiat and probably a cash purchase as I’m worried about taking it out on finance.

how do I approach this and how do I see past the sales guy’s patter?! What questions should i
ve asking?

I usually buy my cars from either the big, well-known car supermarkets, or sites like Cazoo. I've always been very satisfied with my purchase. If there is a problem with the car I don't expect them to fix it, but I know they will just take it back and let me choose a different one. Check their Ts&Cs before you buy.

I decide what sort of car I want: size, gearbox, doors, etc and have a good look at the specs on line for the features I like. I go and have a test drive at a main dealer when I've whittled my choice down to one or two. Afterwards I tell them where I'm looking to buy from to give them the chance to make me a good offer. It's also informative if they dismiss such outlets. One main dealer was so good and helpful that I did actually buy from him, but usually I look at the the sites and supermarkets to see what's available and at what price before I start the interaction.

If I don't get a good part-exchange offer I use somewhere like We Buy Any Car dot com and have always been happy with the price, bearing in mind the convenience. But you have to accept or decline their offer on the spot - no going away and thinking about it - so have a check around online what cars like yours are being sold for. You also have to factor in getting back from their depot and getting to the new car, although some will deliver.

Look up the value of your Fiat on We Buy Any Car to give yourself an idea of its value. The important figure to have in your head is the price to change. That is the gap between what they will offer to buy the Fiat for and what they want for the new car. There will be some room for negotiation so if the price to change is £15,000 you can possibly get that reduced to £14000 if you try hard. Don’t make a ridiculously low offer there isn’t as much profit as people think in used car sales. Ask about the warranty and take a good look at it for exclusions. Check things like how worn the tyres are and ask how many miles are left in them. Check MOT and how long is left in it and do a HPI check to ensure there is no outstanding finance. Don’t be afraid to walk away if you aren’t happy, there are lots of cars but only one of you.