Most financially wise people I have met will drive an older vehicle simply because it avoids a lifetime of being chained to a car payment in an effort to keep up with the Joneses and always have "a new car". Even those that buy a new vehicle off the lot will keep it for 10+ years vs trading it in every couple of years.
I've always bought my vehicles new, but I tend to keep them a while; since my first car in 1973, I've owned a 1984, a 1993, and am now driving a 2006, with no plans to replace it anytime soon. One financial adviser I spoke to said you should "drive your car into the ground;" meaning do regular service like oil changes and such, but don't buy another as long as what you're driving is still reliable.
I figure the day to start saving for your next car is the day you buy a new car; that way, by the time you're in the market for one again, you can pay cash. (Making car payments
to yourself isn't as painful as making them to a dealer, bank, or finance company.)