I think I would buy slightly used, but yes, in the circumstance you’ve described, I wouldn’t fault anyone for buying new. My parents do that. My mom is still driving the same 2003 Mazda Tribute she bought new 13 years ago.

This sounds like something similar to my Miata. In which case, it turned out to be a simple pebble wedging itself firmly in the brake caliper assembly. It took about 20 minutes to jack up the car, realize that I should’ve used the breaker bar on the lugs BEFORE jacking up the car, lower the car, break the lug nuts…