That is super cheap for a 97 civic, and the miles are why. If they can prove it's had it's timing belt changed at 100 and 200 thousand miles, it's worth it. If they can prove they've taken care of it in general, it's worth it. If not...I dunno. 300,000 mile Civics are not uncommon. So this isn't necessarily a bad deal, it's just that ANY car with 200,000 miles....whether it's about to die or not depends on how well the car was cared for. Owner neglect or abuse is the single biggest problem with Hondas. (Speaking of which, my car needs an oil change.)