Hi

Couldn't help throwing in my 2 cents...

Old habits die hard I Guess. I am a certified auto
technician, having just recently sold a sucessful shop
(Jellyn Automotive,Klamath Falls, Or.), in February, to write software full-time. Our experience at the shop over
the years with various makes/models is as follows:

The little Hondas like you are looking at are generally
a pretty reliable car, especially if it has the 1.5L or
1.8L engine. Stay away from the auto transmission in these
due to a lack of power. Most of the Hondas that we serviced
were in for power accessory problems such as sticky windows,
inop seats,etc., and most of these were traced to defective
ground systems in one form or another. Overall, if you can
find one with less than 100k on the clock that hasn't been
abused and has been maintained, you're probably OK. A warning - parts for these (especially engine & electronics),
can get pricey pretty quick.....

If looking into American brands, I would recommend a GM product, and in particular perhaps a Saturn - We had much better cooperation with the factory and dealers on GM products than any other make. Rarely saw a Saturn for anything beyond routine maintenance. In my professional opinion, Ford simply does not show that type of quality and commitment. We were always working on Fords for some reason. Don't misunderstand me, GM isn't infallable - simply seems to be of a higher quality.

I hope that I've given some useful information.