My friend bought a Kenwood mp3 deck. I own one from about 4 years ago that's still kickin. Of course, his was a mid-range model, and mine was top of the line back then (got a $100 discount because I knew a guy who worked there! Woo!). Both are good sets and well worth the scratch.
Anyways, check out the the Kenwoods in the $130-$150 range. Look for a deck that has 50W RMS peak, and 20 or over watts of normal RMS power. Make sure it has a signal to noise ratio of over 100 db. Steer clear of sony. I have yet to find someone who will recommend Sony gear for any reason other than it looking cool.
Also, I'd say install the radio yourself. It is a very simple procedure. It just takes a little time and patience. If you order from crutchfield, they will send you free instructions for your car and I think they also send you the wiring harness. Installing the radio in your car is simple and can be broken down like this:
Take apart your dash. Typically involves taking out a few screws here and there, or prying out a piece of plastic that hides a few screws. Typically after a few screws are removed (don't lose them!) you will find a large chunk of plastic dash will lift off and can be placed elsewhere (beware of cables that attach to components, such as electronics, cigarette lighters and climate control). You will then proceed to remove the stock unit which may or may not be affixed to the dash with a few screws. Prepare to pry, pull and tug at it, since it's probably cemented in there with finger grease among other things. When you remove the stereo unit, you will typically find two things attached to the back of the unit. A cable for the antenna, and a plastic plug of some sort with about 16 wires in it (sometimes split into two clips). Leave them both intact and do NOT cut any wires.
Meanwhile, in your dining room or at your desk, take your wiring harness (made specifically for your car) and proceed to attach all the wires to your stereo wires. It is STRONGLY recommended that you get the harness since it will more than likely be a pain in the ass to connect the wires in your car to your stereo since the colors don't match and you can't make really good connections that way. It is strongly recommended that you solder the wires together, and then tape them together. I don't recommend crimping, since many things can go wrong and are oft times a pain in the ass. If you choose not to connect a specific wire (such as the dimmer wire which many people choose to not connect), then you must make sure that you have taped the wire up well so that no exposed wire is around. When installing my first stereo, one wire was covered up except for a tiny slit around the insulation (made so that you can pull the top off and have a bit of copper wire exposed). Well, I thought it was covered enough, but it actually shorted out the lights inside my car. So, I made the drive at 8PM with no lights in my car to get a new fuse.
So, now that your radio is all ready with the wire harness attached, it's on to preping the dash. Most Japanese cars use the DIN size radio size (thank the Germans for their DIN standardization of just about EVERYTHING), however, if you get one of those freak cars that are non-standardized, you'll need to get an adaptor for the in dash area, which are typically about $10. I've not actually installed one, but, I assume it's the same for installing most things into the dash: Just jam it in there until it fits. Same goes for the cage that comes with your radio (be sure to check how it fits with your radio. Getting the cage in and findings that you put it in upside will not make your day), you just need to flex it, and push it in until it locks into the hole. Pull the cables through and connect them to your completed radio and lock the radio into the cage.
You may want to test the radio to see if it works before you lock it up and screw everything back in.
I hope this was both edifying AND entertaining.
