My experience of a trial lesson was about 6 years ago in a Tomahawk and what put me off training in it was the handbrake lever used for the flaps.
It didn't fill me with a lot of confidence about the machines ability to get me into the air safely.
The C152 with electric flaps (or in Cessna speak ElectraFlaps) impressed me much more and I ended up doing the PPL on this.
Being an instructor now I much prefer the PA38 over the C152 for one reason it's the "wide body" of the mass market 2 seat trainer world
so much more comfortable for spending several hours in it.
Also, the view, especially straight ahead is as good as anything but the trim mechanism is pretty sh$t.
As regards to the age of the GA training fleet. I always tell my customers that the aircraft was flying before I was born, so it can't be that bad
FIS.