Why the Cessna is such a badass plane (2019)
I think of planes as having a CAP Theorem like trade off between speed, safety, utility (can I take a family of 6), and price.  A used 172 is pretty safe but greatly lacks in other categories.  A Lancair 4P optimizes for speed, but greatly sacrifices safety.  a Pilatus maximizes all but price, yet it costs $3 million.  Bonanzas are pretty good on speed, and utility but a bit more expensive than most piston singles, decent used ones cost $350k+.I own a Mooney, which burns 10 GPH and does 160kts.  Fits two people just fine and three if you sacrifice fuel.  A good trade off over all.  Definitely think the 172 is the least badass plane with almost no upsides other than being a good trainer.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechcraft_Bonanzahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooney_M20https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancair_IVhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-12