Hmmm, well the first option that comes to mind is a scout ship. If you're not looking to cart anything or anyone around, that is. I'm thinking maybe a Z-10 Seeker? It's a little older, but it's quick, and it's got a decent pulse cannon. The only problem is that it's not shielded, but that's pretty easy to modify with some aftermarket components. It's definitely doable.
It's got room for a pilot, and two passengers. It also has detachable cargo pods in case you do need to drag something around, but those'll take your travel speed down a lot when you're carrying them.
The hyperdrive could probably even be upgraded to a .5, but I really wouldn't recommend that for your first ship. I'd even be hesitant to send a newbie off with the Z-10's class 1, but as long as you had a decent pilot (or a really good droid), you should be fine.
You could look at some smell freighters, but this seems like it'd suit your purposes better.