I think your getting your hopes up awfully high for a $2000 first car. When I went looking for my first car it didn't really matter what it looked like, I couldn't have cared less what drivetrain it had and horse power certainly didn't matter.
I wanted a car I didn't have to dump lots of money into and a car that let me get from point A to point B. So I found a 1988 Integra for $700 and it was great. Ran great for a year and a half and sold it for $300 when I bought my next car.
What's the point in going out and finding some high horse power car in RWD if the only way you can afford one is that it's beat to crap and nearly 30 years old?