2004 Mazda 3, $0 (gift from my parents). I've never paid for a car, and didn't see myself 'needlessly' paying more than 20k for a car, ever. My Model S is $75k more than my last car ($72k if you count its current $3k value).
I've been a long time fan of Tesla (early investor) but have always been so focused on saving money that I never considered it realistic within the next 5-10 years. I wanted to be patient and wait for the Model 3, but with a 1+ year timeline, I couldn't count on my current car lasting until Model 3 delivery. My next car likely would have been a used Honda Civic, but I decided that I couldn't stand the thought of supporting the oil industry. I checked out the BMW i3, Chevy Volt & Bolt online, but I would have been settling on a car that I considered outside of my price range and unattractive, just to tide me over until I bought a Tesla.
I went in to a Tesla store to ask about $40-50k CPOs, but took a test drive and dropped my deposit after trying autopilot.
I've never been more pleased with a purchase in my life, and I have not even taken delivery yet. To me Tesla encapsulates several of my ideals- it is a symbol of progress, the future, and a conscientious lifestyle with no compromises.