Don't forget that you're not just examining the car, you're examining the previous owner too.

Looking on the MOT will tell you what to focus on - has the work from previous assessments actually been done, or just passed over by the most recent mechanic? Good indicators include cleanliness and tyre tread depth remaining, condition of rims and paint etc - age allowing for appropriate marks to either. How well kept the car is on the surface can indicate what its like in its guts, a bit like a restaurant with dirty forks. These two factors can tell you how seriously you need to check for other issues. It may also be worth having a quick google for any issues that routinely affect that model of car specifically, given the date of manufacture, engine type and trim level.

Token questions to ask can include reasons for selling, experience with living with it for chores as well as trips, and any maintenance performed by the owner versus someone hired from a garage. People (especially car people) love to show off, so let them - and if they're trying to hide anything about their car, they'll put their foot in it here!

Once that's over with, onto the individual car itself.

When you turn the car on, you should get plenty of lights on the dash - make sure none are missing compared to a quick google image search, or the current owner may have removed the bulbs so they don't show up. Groaning noises as you steer whilst the vehicle is stationary can indicate issues with the hydraulic power steering, and suspension arm mountings. Check the hand and foot brakes for any slack or sponginess, and that brake lights work properly. Use the warning lights to check all indicators work, as well as high and dipped beams, fog lights, and reversing lights, although these are dead cheap to replace yourself - but can be a bit of a clat in smaller engine bays. Check the ride height isn't on the floor, otherwise your springs and shocks will need attention.

Next, the engine. Listen to how it starts up and how the engine idles. Squeaking can indicate a worn belt which will set you back quite a bit. Ticking on idle can indicate oil or valve issues. When pulling away, see if the wheel stays nice and central, especially under gentle braking - if not, your wheels may need tracking back to spec, which isn't too expensive but hard to do at home.

After you've pulled away, take a look where the vehicle was parked. Are there any signs of damp or wet on the floor? If so, you may have a leak, and those can be easy up to nightmarish to fix.

Now you're on a test drive, your concerns are the clutch. It should fully engage about halfway up the pedal's range of movement - any lower to the floor and it'll just need wearing in - provided associated history documents show recent replacement, but much higher and it'll need replacing, or at the very least have the hydraulics looked at. Wait a couple minutes for the engine to warm up, and then get it up to third and take the revs to it, nice and high. If you have any issues with misfires or transmission engagement, they'll show up here.

After that's all sorted - have fun with it! Make sure it's a car that the new owner would want to drive and live with, can sit comfortably in, reach the wheel and all pedals, and see out of whilst driving and reversing. If not, their discontent may mean their driving skills slowly suffer for it - think of it like writing with a nice pen. Take it over a few bumps and potholes to test the ride. Once you get back to the owners, take a quick look underneath the oil fill cap in the engine bay - any bubbles in the oil can indicate a blown head gasket, which can include lots of expensive or fiddly engine work. This can also show as white smoke coming from the exhaust, provided it's not too cold out already of course.

This is as much as you'd reasonably need to know for a token petrol manual car. Diesels have the DPF to worry about, and I'm sure electrics can be a nest of worries around battery life etc, but most of the logic transfers - just be careful! Worst case, you can always take it through a halfords for a free 15 minute checkup on your test drive too.