There are good groups and bad groups, just as there are good aircraft and bad aircraft.
We started our group from scratch, and spent 6 months doing research and looking around before we bought an aircraft. It's well run and if you fly more than a couple of hours each month it works out cheaper than renting. Not to mention that you don't have to abide by excessively anal club rules, can go anywhere you want, whenever you want, stay away for extended periods etc. Group aircraft are usually much more loved than rented and often fitted with far better kit.
If you're a big bloke I'd stay away from the likes of 152/PA38 which are simply too small for anything useful in terms of weight carriage. We bought a Cessna 177 which has nice sharp handling, a good turn of speed, gets in and out of the short strips and can carry loads of weight. If you're serious about flying as a long-term hobby, buy into something with some forethought which you won't quickly grow out of. The higher-powered PA28s aren't so bad, although pretty brick-like and unresponsive to fly.