Like all others said before, Vulture is what you're looking for in that price range if you're going for combat. That will leave you with some extra cash to maybe get a second ship for trading to switch when you get bored of blasting up ships. It's very maneuverable and fun to fly, you'll probably like it.
What I'll add is, look at the two new ships, Courier and Scout. They are a bit cheaper and also great fun to fly. Altho not as much firepower as Vulture, but pretty decent combat ships. Also Scout can jump some decent distances (unlike Vulture) because of it's big fuel tank, which makes it great if you're looking for a good system to play in.