Well.. it was a fuel pump this time. And a new battery, because my perfectly good battery was run down from all of the effor it put into trying to start the car. Anoter $515.68. I really should have just bought a new car.
As far as the pros/cons of new vs. used.... you can purchased warranties on them either way if you go through a dealer. I bought my car "as is" so I don't know how expensive that would have been. I do know it's the first car I bought from a dealer, and it's given me more problems than any of my other 7 cars I've owned. Those were all purchased "from some guy down the street" for around $500-$900 each.