I think in the end you can make a used higher mileage car work better for you as long as you keep up with maintenance and can do the work yourself. I know I have relatives that would pay the extra money to wake up every morning and know they will never have to pop the hood because their car is new. To think about it, some of them might not even know how to pop the hood. So the security of not having to worry about the car is worth it to them. (Not saying it is right, but ignorance is bliss I guess)
As this is a car forum I think 75 to 80% of the population here can do their own maintenance and work so this really takes away a huge amount of the costs associated with a higher mileage car. Also, we know the importance of maintenance.