Here are my personal suggestions on a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a used car from a 3rd party:
1.) given the current state of fuel prices and popularity of these older, highly fuel efficient cars, there has been a resurgence in demand which has driven prices up significantly, even for less than reliable versions of the cars. This may mean that at thier current price point you could get into one of the newer civics which will be more reliable and have readily available repair parts for cheaper (dealerships only supply repair parts for 10 years after a vehicle is released, after that repair part availability falls solely on the aftermarket). So, don't just consider the initial cost of the vehicle, think about what its going to cost to service it over its useful life as well.
2.) If you are buying a used car and its not from a dealership who can certify the vehicle, ask the seller for a maintenence log. Having one of these shows you that the seller was meticulous about maintaining the vehicle and has performed all the service at the proper intervals.
3.) Get a carfax.com/autocheck.com history report off the VIN. It will tell you if the car has been crashed/totalled/flooded and repaired.
4.) There are companies that will come out and do a full mechanical inspection on a car for you for a fee when buying a used car. They will check all the normal wear items like CV joints, transmission, engine, brakes, etc as well as take fluid from all the major components and run tests on it to see whether there are signs of bearing failures, trace materials that indicate lack of servicing or impending failures. You should most definitly use this service if you are buying from a 3rd party and want to make sure you are not getting scammed. A good example of a mail in oil test can be found here:
Titan Laboratories: Oil, Coolant, Fuel & Industrial Fluids Analysis
An example of the mobile used car inspection companies:
http://www.autopi.com/