My priority is to make my first $1M, then worry about the model year of my car.
As someone who remembers their first high-school vehicle too well, there's value in a level of reliability.
Seriously, it's not always just about spending the least.
Personally I'm a fan of finding a good deal on a used car, buying it, driving it for 1-2 years, and then selling it for the same amount I paid for it. Pretty much the only cost this way is a) insurance(which you can save a few extra bucks by getting only liability) b) gas c) 2-3 oil changes.
And since you are owning the car for a short period, you won't get hit by any costly repairs.
It's another case of doing more work to make more money. The question should be, "Is doing a better investment of time and effort than simply buying a newer car and keeping it longer?"
That job, it does reasonably well.