If you buy a new car and resell it after 3 years, you can end up spending the same amount as you would do with a used car. You always run the risk of a bad accident ruining your investment but that's also what insurances are for. With a used car you run a higher risk of having unforeseen failures much earlier than you would want.

All in all I am still buying second hand cars but the investment into new cars is not what it seems at first.