Basic concept.

91 and older Civics have a cable type trans. When you push the clutch, it pulls on a cable attached to it to release the clutch.

92 and newer Civics have hydro type tranaxles. When you push the clutch, you push in a piston on the clutch master cylinder, which pushes hydrolic fluid through a tube to the clutch slave cylinder, who's piston helps release the clutch.

As mentioned, neither is really better, but hydrolic is the more common style. In cable systems, the cable can stretch and require adjustment. In hydro systems, the master and slave cylinders can wear out or blow and require replacement, and the fluid needs to be flushed... along with the squishiness inherent to rubber hydrolic lines (in certain parts of certain models.)

I prefer cable due to simplicity, myself.