The new Nissan Sentra GXE probably fits the bill perfectly. I drove one 150 miles recently. The 1.8 L engine has a lot of pep, it's fairly quiet, comfortable, the interior looks and feels classy, the factory CD player sounds pretty good (for factory), and it handles very nicely.
Also look at the Civic, and lastly, a Corolla. The Civic and Corolla will be more expensive. LOTS and LOTS of people just love their Civics, myself included. I've had an '85 Wagon, an '89 LX, and currently a '92 LX. The Corolla is probably the most expensive, but most comfortable/quiet of these three.
From personal experience, and from what others have said, I will warn you that Toyota Service departments are terrible. I've had much better experiences getting my Hondas serviced.
Good Luck!