Early 90s Nissan Sentra
I had a 92 Nissan Sentra Classic (which was made in Mexico and used the previous generation parts) for a while. Although it got rusty after a while, it was a great, reliable car. However, I would not recommend getting the "Classic" as parts were rare, therefore expensive (due to being made in Mexico). However, the regular early-90s Sentras would be a pretty good choice.
Not terribly fast, but stil able to do highway passes and get around town nicely. Also, I found that mine was good on gas (as one would expect from a I-4 import).
Early 90's Honda Civic
I can vouche for Civics as well, but you may find them a bit more expensive than Sentras of the same years and trim levels. I own a '98 Civic Si, and am rather fond of it. Again, good on gas, reliable, blah blah blah.
A word of caution, however, about Civics or comparable imports: Avoid ones that have the bee-in-the-can "performance muffler" or bodykits, and all that other stuff. By now you have likely noticed how a majority (not all, but a majority) of people that have these "performance parts" drive. They bag the crap out of their cars. This means less time before you have to do major work on your would-be car.