As a 6'3"-er I can vouch for the 152 being too snug, although the Katana is suprisingly roomy; that being said still nothing like a 172 however for pure spreading-out room on those navs. 'Best trainer aircraft' type discussions ultimately lead to no clear winner.
The 172/152 are tried and tested aircraft which most non-exmilitary airline pilots will have trained on (citation required!).
The Diamond DA-20 is used by my training organisation (we have about 7) and is a nice aircraft to fly and very economical given it's cruise speed of 120ish knots... 22L/Hr!
The DA-42, also manufactured by Diamond, is the twin built on the same principles as the Katana. Lightweight, sleek, economical. It cruise slightly slower than your average twin but the flying costs are considerably lower in fuel terms. Also they are equipped with G1000 displays; so full glass cockpit, moving maps and FADEC (you decide if that's an advantage in training or not!).
In regards to your question around consistancy of a/c while training, I don't think it affects training massively. I was switched from 172 to Katana and back again and found it took only a flight or two to get to grips with the differences in feel/characteristics. Even the transition from yoke to stick is a background mental process. The only disadvantage is learning a new POH every time you switch!