I bought a used Honda Civic back in 1993. It had no radio or air conditioning, but it got me from point A to B. I think it had about 100,000 miles on it when I got it, as it was about 5 years old.
Now this model was not a DX, didn't even have any letters after the Civic. It was your basic 2 door hatchback that looked small enough that all you had to do was put a penny in the back and it would go. It was so small you could fold a spare Civic in have and stick it in the glove compartment.
Now "Red", as I called it, had no power steering so that made driving interesting, especially in the snow. But let me tell you, that little beast could handle anything! I drove it over a hundred miles a day on a paper route (hey, I was in college) plus the regular running around that any college student/single parent did. This car took a beating and them some.

After a year it did need a new alternator, but after the way I treated it I can completely understand it. Unfortunately the starter went not too long after I replaced the alternator. Being short on funds and not knowing much about cars, I let some well meaning friends talk me into letting it go for a song. That was a great mistake.

I have been in the newer Civics, and I must say that they are very nice. They have the options like air, power steering and a radio that at one time were luxuries. My friend that has one loves it, and will probably keep it for at least 5 more years if she is smart.

I know am married to a guy that can fix about anything. (That was one of his pick up lines, and I really didn't believe it at first...but it is true!) He is a fan of American cars. Well, that is fine, because I do like them as well. However, if he was not car savvy I would stick to just Hondas, Mazdas and Nissans. Having owning all three, in addition to Dodges, Fords and Jeeps I found them much more reliable for some one that doesn't know much about cars.

If you want to spend about $13,000 (automatic) or $12,000 (standard) you can get a nice DX with AM/FM stereo, rear window wiper/washer, dual airbags, and with 16 valve engine. It is a nice package, but for over $10,000 I would prefer a four door.

I must admit that I prefer older cars that a "shady tree" mechanic like my husband can work on.