I mean, USUALLY sure. There are exceptions to some extent and I've been lucky in this regard [0], but in general I'd say the problem is people just don't care. I -do- tend to shop on overall depreciation/resale value and try to order my cars in a way that while I completely intend to drive it into the ground, I will avoid any creature features that don't help with long term value or are too rich for my blood. [1]

Also while GP is somewhat overstating their case, that depreciation hit is gonna happen if you pay cash anyway. It's not 'hedging against inflation' so much as 'minimizing interest paid on depreciation'.

I will also say there are cases where perhaps it could make some level of sense. I'm kinda an odd duck and fell into this boat; My 10 year old car with age and a bad^bad oil change gets 18-24MPG for a good part of the year now, and only takes 91+. I switched to a Hybrid and the gas savings alone covers the majority of my payment.

[0] 3 of the 4 new cars I've bought fell into this range. The first was a Saturn I flew to Texas to grab, it had no A/C so I got it for a steal. The second was A car I bought 10 years ago with ~10% down was only 'underwater' for about 6 months of a 72 month loan. The latest was the start of this year, but I'm confident that even after things subside it will still hold value fairly well.

[1] Special infotainment systems, upgraded audio and remote start come to mind. People don't particularly shop for most infotainment systems on used cars. Upgraded audio is likely better handled by a trustworthy local shop if you really want it. Remote start just seems overpriced by most manufacturers, and IMO for most people (barring a medical need for the climate to be in a certain state immediately) another sign of society's environmental disregard.