Should I buy 1996 Honda Accord?

It has like 200,000 miles on it, but it's $700. It's longevity and reliability is questionable at this point. But I want a cheap car with cheap repairs if needed. Is this good?

No - that "cheap" car will soon need a rebuilt engine + transmission… About $ 5000

Pay $500 cash, drive it till it dies.

Find an old person that has to give up their car. Usually it will be a well cared for car with low mileage.

Visit the assisted living/independent living homes in your area and inquire.

Anything that runs and is safe to drive is worth that price, but be prepared to spend some money here and there along the way.

Will it pass emissions? That generation is quite possibly the best of all the Honda's out there. I have a relative that owns one with just shy of half a million miles on it with no major problems ever.

I bought one with a bad head (bent valve due to timing belt failure) a few years back, put $300 and two afternoons into it and drove it for a year, then sold it to my buddy for $1200 and he put another 75,000 miles on it before parking it due to rust and bad bushings. If it doesn't leak/burn oil and/or coolant, it could be a good deal. Parts are really cheap.

Take a 30 minute test drive first. If it makes it, its probably worth $500+.

Assuming you live in my state where no smog exists.

In fact, Id wager they might sell for $500+ at dealer only auctions.

When I was a dealer, I remember having about a 20 year old civic, it had about 130k. I had to pay $1175 for it. That had to have been 20 years ago. There was a lot of demand for Hondas. I think I sold it for $1695.

I usually tried to make more on my cars but when you have to pay thru the teeth to buy them, you can't always mark them up as much as you like.

But, they usually sell fairly quickly if you don't jack up the price too high.

Sometimes a quick $500 is better than a slow $700.

All I can say that I have the same year with same mileage, probably more… Like 450000km .It runs very good. Well worth more than a $1000 to me.

No, $700 is a bit pricey, there are plenty cars like that that go for $420. If its clean, it should be worth $500 cash. If the timing belt or timing chain rips, that will total the engine like in three seconds.

Depends how much you spend on a new engine, transmission & various parts, if able to do the labor
or have somebody to do it, at what cost. Also will it pass a smog test? If not how much will that be?