I have a 96 dx. Love it. When it was stock, it was getting 35 mpg. Not a problem in the world. The HVAC controls on the 96-98 are manual, and the 99-00 are vacuum. The part of the dash with the radio is different - the 99-00 has a double din opening, and the 96-98 is single din (makes a difference if you are looking to install a nav system or such, and swapping between is a major PITA). The front end is different, so the fenders, hood, headlights, and bumper are not the same, but you can swap all of them at once. It’s not like there is anything specifically to look for on them. Like any Honda, watch for rust on the rear quarter panels. And if it is going to be a stock daily driver, I would suggest finding one that doesn’t have a cold air intake, bomb muffler or any such minor mod - you just never know what a person that installs those things will do to the car - like beat the piss out of it. The good news, though, is that a stock d16 swap on those would run you about $300.
I highly recommend it. It makes a great daily driver. And $5K should get you a mint one.