Very good question. Here's my list...some from experience, and some from this forum.
- Check the mileage. If there is excessive miles, ask the dealer to knock off .50/mile.
- If this was a demo car, the warranty starts when the car is put in service. So if it has been on the lot for several months, your warranty may be a bit less than you expect. See if they will add an extended warranty at no cost.
- Check for small damage. After I took delivery of mine, I noticed what looks like someone closing the passenger door on a seatbelt buckle. There's a small dent and scrapped paint in the door jamb. Also, there is a barely noticeable scratch on the emergency brake as well as the clear plastic covering the gauges. Just take your time and look it over really good.
-12V battery check the voltage with the car off. The battery delivered with the car is not of very good quality and if it sat on a lot for awhile, may have been overly depleted. With everything off, you should read somewhere between 12.5 and 12.8. If it is around 12.0, its life is somewhere around half gone.
- Make sure all your accessories are present: A stack of Manuals, 2 keys, floor mats, air compressor with can of fix-a-flat attached, the 120V charging adapter, and a plastic tray in the center arm rest.
- Front License plate centering. Some dealers install a front license plate holder. Although there is a dimple in the bumper where these holes go, the dealers don't always do a good job with centering. If you don't intend to use the front license plate, ask your dealer to not put one on if it comes without one.
That's all I can think of.
Best Regards.