I have to say even by the mid/late 90s I would often do the math and based in interest rates being higher on a used car, you could dive a new car for about the same cost as a decent used one even though the price was thousands lower on the used car.

It was that point where you can afford to not drive a beater any more and think well, I will get something with low miles and 3-5 years old and the payment is just or at lease almost as high as a brand new car.

That should of told us what was coming but we were all so stupid back then. Cash for clunkers was the death nail but it was already dying.