I understand where you are coming from with boring, but there's cars which are boring to look at and cars which are boring to drive, one mans boring is another mans just right.

Looks don't bother me i like big lazy engines, there is nothing more frustrating to me than a car that needs to be thrashed or changing gears every few seconds to keep them going, and a car like some modern Diesels where below 2000rpm there's nothing, then at 2001rpm it comes alive are just horrible, and don't even mention these modern engines that stall if you look at them sideways.

If you want a Honda then search out a 2.0S type up to around 2005, these are as near bomp proof as you wil find, reasonably refined and economical but if you want to get up into VTEK revs they can really pick up their skirts, available in 3 or 5 door versions, the 5 door probably looks more boring in pure looks, my daughter still has her second of these she's covered around 100k miles in the 2 x 2004 S types she's had, never suffered a breakdown to date, and these cars have been thrashed above and way beyond and they just keep coming back for more, chain cam too so as long as its been serviced regularly should be all good.

Where you have to be careful in big engines in small cars is not to get into territory where the vehicle was too clever/electronic for its own good, or rather a nice vehicle to drive whilst in warranty (especially if someone else is picking up the tab) but wouldn't touch with a bargepole once out, simplest is always best, a cambelt change on a wrong choice might be 3/4 your purchase cost.