I bought my civic brand new in 02 and have had it ever since. I have been very happy with it. It has almost 170K miles on it already and I haven't had to do any major work to it. I always get it serviced at a Honda dealership according to the recommended schedule. It gets great gas mileage and is very reliable. It has good interior & trunk space for a small car. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a reliable, fuel efficient vehicle.
I have a 5 speed, and I love my car. My only complaints are that on my particular model they used plastic material for the parts in the clutch, so it squeaks. It also is loud when I'm turning despite my power steering being fine and fluids at appropriate levels. Otherwise I am beyond satisfied.