Only my second car, the 2004 Honda Civic LX I purchased in 2010 turned out to be one of the best purchases of my life. At the time, it was in great condition, with only 40,000 miles on it. I found it on Craigslist, sold by a Russian guy, and I had to pay around $8,000. As for performance, it was everything I could have expected. Quiet and soft-running, the car didn't have any visible or audible issues. (I even had my mechanic father-in-law look at it.) The acceleration was pretty good and it seemed to brake just as well. Lastly, the gas mileage for this car is great; not only is it better for the environment, it's better for my wallet.

We purchased a Honda Civic primarily based on the reputation that Hondas will run forever. In the time we've owned the car, we've seen that to be true. There have been very minimal issues with how the car handles and runs, and for that, we are very grateful in the quality.