Buksi (post is a bit long)
I bought my first two cars new. The next two I got secondhand. I was a lot happier with what I did get secondhand, though you may want to factor in some refurbishment costs to get it to where you're happy with it.
First car, Mitsubishi Champ. 1500 cc bought from the dealership just outside my place as I needed transport to bring my newborn to and from the babysitters. Thought it was good at the time considering secondhand prices, but... Could'nt wait to get rid of it after three years. Useless brakes, high fuel consumption, single laminated windscreen (where it breaks into bits and somehow gets into the aircon vents) etc rant.
Second car, Ford Escort (1994 model bought at the motor show) 1800 cc very happy with performance and fuel consumption was much better than the Mitsu. However dealership and Ford Sales (spare parts is still under Ford so dealership could and was held to ransom) finally let the car go after 7 years of happy motoring. Spares started becoming a problem.
Third car, secondhand Saab 900T (2000 cc, full factory turbo, seen at the same motor show where I bought the Ford. Was relegated to the 'in your wildest dreams' category when looking at the price tag).Found by looking through secondhand car magazines and walking round the secondhand lots. Also checked with the dealership for service history - many can be quite cooperative. Though it was almost eight years old I kept it for another eight until I couldn't get comprehensive 1st party insurance. The wife wanted to let my son use it but by this time it had been modified from the standard 185 hp to 285 hp plus a lot of real go-faster mods. Sold to an enthusiast (lucky bastard) for around half of what I had paid for it 8 years before. Yes, the mods cost a lot but I did have the smile factor for almost 8 years. Still miss the car.
Traded sideways for a 4 year old (2006) Nissan X-Trail. Still have it and am extremely happy with it. 2500 cc 4WD not too big and also able to get through water as high as 40cm (Nissan specs) Fuel consumption was about what I was getting for the Saab. The 4WD system has apparently been pinched from a GT-R and was front wheel drive with proactive control for sending power to the back wheels as needed. User selectable unlike the Honda CRV I was also considering. Has been tested and am happy with the performance. One thing I am not so happy about is that everything is electronic - accelerator pedal is fly-by-wire as is the fuel injection system etc but aircraft have been using this for years so I guess this is where things are going.
My point - don't just look for a newish secondhand car; look for something with high specs and a good brand name. It could be a couple of years old but you'll get something which is a pleasure to drive. European cars lose their value extremely quickly in the secondhand market compared to Japanese cars but build quality and maintenance history are second to none. Maintenance costs are not as high as some people would have you believe. And the waiting list for servicing is a lot shorter. You'll also get bang for your buck if you go that route if you can get your wife to get over the secondhand stigma. It's a Thai thing.
Seen a Volvo wagon 4 years old 2000cc and very nicely appointed for just under 700,000 baht on the one2car website (which is where I found the Nissan). There are many others, search and you will be surprised at what you can find. Secondhand dealers are also willing to bring the price down just so they can make a sale. Strategy - find the car you're looking for and say you're looking for something a bit more upmarket but will consider the one you're looking at if the price is right. Having a Thai with you helps.(I *was* looking for a Toyota Land Cruiser or Prado and the Nissan was a little small but could be considered if the price was right.)
I got the price down by almost 20 percent.
My two baht worth.