Interestlingly, I am in a fairly similar postion as that of dmc. I look to be completing my PPL in mid summer. While earlier on I had looked into the concept of buying a plane to take my instruction in, when all was summarized I decided that renting and focusing on the task at hand - PPL - made the most sense. However, when completed, I can see that by having ones own plane (own outright, share or club) will really facilitate building hours, getting one's IFR, etc.
And likewise - for "efficiency" reasons, I am drawn to Mooneys - and have been since I was in school in the '70's. Same with the older V-tail Bonanzas. And as dmc points out - there are nice planes to ba had for <$50k. The challenge is finding one that minimizes the "money pit aspect" early one.
But as has been pointed out - an AA5 or PA-28 will cost less to maintain on aveage. Would one of those make more sense? One's budget is a personal matter. But one of my questions is: What will be the best value longer term Mooney or Bonanza, or AA5/Piper? To me - all else being equal (and it never is) I can see more value in a Mooney or Bonanza than AA5/Piper. Yes, maintenance cost will be more (esp for the Bonanza unfortunetly) but if one values (even if it is a matter of "liking the plane more) than it's worth the extra cost. Note - i have run some calculations on potnetial fuel savings over a year compared to a PA-28 180 - can help offset some of the increased costs.
Will also note - when buying something with a motor in it - one of my criteria is "I need to feel good when I look at it". How much is that worth (or will it cost me?) - time will tell.
I am not near in the market yet - just looking and learning at this time. While my flight school is basically C-172's, my CFI owns a Mooney J model with his dad/grandad. While I have not discussed this with him to any detail - need to focus on the task at hand - he may be a resouces down the road if I decide to pursue this option.
