Originally Posted by
Northernhibee
A franchise dealership will usually cost a bit more - the manufacturer will dictate to what standard the car has to be prepared to, and will more often than not require their warranty to be used.
I don't pay too much attention to list prices in magazines. I'd rather pay a bit more for a car I know is well prepared and has been well looked after than pay the "list price" for something that hasn't. Check for little things like if bolts under the bonnet have been broken open (a sign that the bonnet or parts may have been changed), if there's dates on the windows/headlights etc. for dates of manufacture then make sure that they're not after the date of registration because that will mean they've been changed, possibly from an accident.
I do buy privately myself but that's because I know what to look for, can fix most things and if I can't then I'll likely know someone who can. If you're not confident of that then buying from the trade is a good idea, as long as you keep your wits about you and know to what standard a car has been prepared.