I have flown the HR200 a few times, and I really like it. The visibility is superb, its controls are sensitive and it feels more 'fun' to fly than the C152 I usually train in. There are quite a few here in France (far outnumbering 152s- typically mercantalist), and the instructors seem to like them. Judging from their popularity as a trainer, I imagine that they can cope with fairly heavy landings too.
On the downside, being a tall fellow of 194cm (in the spirit of the HR200's metric ASI), the seats give me a sore back after half an hour, so I'm sticking with the 152.
Forgive me for my lack of technical knowledge and advice- as a student pilot, I know I'm not really qualified to judge one type over another.