I vote 1 year old used, 20k miles and save $8-10k. Credit unions will finance as new and be pretty competitive if you shop around; otherwise 0% on a brand new car if the payment schedule is reasonable for your budget.
How about a Mitsu Endevor? I love those things. Is an SUV a must? Lots of actual cars have great safety ratings, will get better gas mileage and easier to deal with on a daily basis. My wife drives an 06 VW Jetta and I love that damn car. Or maybe a lancer ralliart sportback?
