Honestly, I don't think you'll get a reliable car at $1500, even for a Honda. It starts getting better above $2000. I remember I bought a 93" Civic about 3-4 years ago for $2300 and it lasted me over a year with ZERO problems until the tranny gave out, and then I just picked up a used tranny at a junkyard for a few hundred and threw it in and it was perfect again.