Most people can't get near enough the pedals so I reckon you must be pretty tall.
I presume the 172 is a 180hp to compare like for like.
I always thought the elevator was much more powerfull in the 172 making it easy to hold the nosewheel off much longer. It also feels heavier on the 172 despite the servo tab on the "stablator" of the PA28.
I thought the 172 always flew better with some weight in the rear seat.
The 172 is a slightly more stable instrument aircraft whereas I found the PA28s curved instrument panel tended to make me want to turn left for the first few minutes of IMC. The soft pitch control calls for a very gentle touch when practicing partial panel.
Both are good aircraft but the 172 has a better short field capability and has more space. The SP models have a huge endurance, but the PA28 is probably prettier.
DO.