Tony, you're entitled to your opinion, but I think you're being too hard on these airplanes. Sure, both the 172 and PA28 are boring ... but they are also (relatively) economical and have undeniably excellent safety records. That's why they're so popular!
MLS
P.S. Please don't show this post to my wife, who would like nothing better than for us to purchase a C172. If I were a completely rational person, I would agree with her ... but of course, I'm not!