Welcome aboard!
Your statement of ” They seem to be the best mix of price, performance, cost of operation, and usable weight” is VERY accurate.
I believe the PA-28-180/181s are the best “does everything pretty well and won’t break the bank” airplanes in GA. Older (1980 or earlier) Cessna 172s which have been refitted with a 180 hp engine and a fixed-pitch prop are a close second.
The only downside to the PA-28 as a trainer/first airplane is that they’re almost too easy to fly. You can get away with being pretty lazy on the rudders.
In my experience, flying beats driving when the destination is more than a 2.5 hour drive away. There’s a lot of time spent to/from the airport, preflight, etc.
Of course, that doesn’t stop me from hopping over to the coast (about a 25 minute flight versus 1.5 hour drive) . I love flying over the beach and watching for whales. Fun way to introduce people to GA, too!
