Hey, then get a Nikon D90 first hand.
I was (sort of) in your shoes a few months before, trying to decide if I should buy new or second hand. I kept looking at the BnS section for months, if not a year. In the end, for the novice and worry wart that I am, I got a new one.
I reckon it's not worth it to worry over whether the camera is faulty if my shots are lousy. If it's a new camera, when my shots are lousy, I know there can only be one factor. But if it's second hand, I'll start to wonder if it could be something in there that's spoilt, or if the seller had been dishonest etc.
Like you, I read tons of reviews and research on the cameras for a year or two without touching the real thing. I tried in vain to decide if I should get a Canon or Nikon, and if it's either brand, exactly which model I should get.
Earlier on, I'd tried a friend's D200 and it was too heavy to give me any joy in using it.
I finally mustered my courage to go down to the stores to try holding the camera.
Ahh! That decided the brand. It's the ergonomics that mattered then.
Then the model. I decided based on the weight, and how new it was. As it turned out, D90 was newest compared to D60, and I was alright with D90's weight, so I settled for it.
Oh oh, get a friend or someone who knows about DSLRs, even if it's a bit, to go down with you.