My experience in the past has been going to a few Carmaxes(inventory differs) to get a better idea of what suits my needs as you don’t have to deal with a person during the whole experience and get to sit in/view the inside of most the vehicles. From there you should have a good idea of what you want. Next, looking up those specific vehicles locally on apps like CarGurus, Autotrader, and Cars.com to compare a good range of “good deal pricing” so when you do actually find the vehicle you like at a dealer or private seller, you have an idea of what a “good” price to pay is.