ORIGINAL: bentframe

make sure the suspension is good....worn control arms will squeak, tie rod ends will clunk when you hit bumps, cv joints will click during low speed turns (if you're on the gas), open up the oil cap to look for signs of oil sludge (this is especially important with the 1.8Ts)...do the same for the power steering fluid, as well as the coolant. sometimes people top them off or refill them with regular fluids and that can cause big problems including sludge issues....test the cruise control, the switches are known to fail (typically it's an easy fix, a good way to knock a few bucks off the price ). make sure the sunroof is fully functional as well as windows (check each door's switch individually)..listen on the freeway for a humming/grinding sound for failing wheel bearings..oh, and leave the radio OFF during the test drive, test the speakers before or after driving....also consider the mileage on the timing belt, they need to be done every 60-90k miles....search the forums, there are TONS of threads on all this stuff...