Civics don't have higher insurance rates because they are known for racing, its because Civics are targeted the most by thieves. There are certain cars in certain colors that are usually broken into or stolen.
---------- Post added 2012-11-26 at 12:56 PM ----------
Well at the same time, your friends cars had to have a decent amount of work done to them to last that long. Honda's, Toyota's, Nissan's, Jeep's can all last very long, I'm talking like 250k+, but that doesn't mean people don't put any work into them.
It is good to look for lower mileage because there is less risk with the car needing repairs right away or just breaking down. Never buy a car from someone just because you know them personally or they seem nice, because when it comes down to it they just want to get the car off the lot.