TB view restricted???
This plane has an amazingly good view.
Well guys you can't have it both ways. If you are looking for a plane which can be kicked about by club renters then you better buy a Cessna, or possibly a PA28.
It's no good getting a TB because it's a classy aircraft. It's the sort of plane which you can take a girlfriend up in and she won't sniff at the antiquated look. But I appreciate that for the majority of hardened GA pilots this is not a factor
The business about parts is a myth. I know a man who spends 7000 quid a year on (guess what) a C150! The whole thing is worth maybe 2x to 3x that. That is about 4x my annual maintenance bill on the TB20. If you get a plane that is old enough, and has been treated badly enough, it will cost you dearly to keep it afloat. A TB will suffer more than a C172 if everybody who gets in kicks the dash with size 20 boots. Horses for courses.
Re performance - look in the POH. Feel is nothing to do with this. The hard data is in the POH. If the plane doesn't meet the POH perf then get it fixed.
Of course a C172 will get airborne is less distance. It has about half the wing loading. The price you pay is the ride in turbulence, cruise speed / fuel flow rate, etc. Again, horses for courses.