Originally Posted by
toolowtoofast
until you have a mission clearly defined, you should not make a decision on type. who's to say a Bonanza or Mooney is not the best for you? Or if you're going to go for a 182 with the O540 or O470, then why not a 206 with an O520? Or a 210? Fuel burn might be 60lph, but would you rather burn 60lph on a 1 hour flight, or 40lph on a 90 minute one?
Insurance costs low houred PPL's flying high performance retracts can be extremely high. Acceptable liability cover may not be available at any price untill you have 50 to 100 hrs time on type.
IMO for a comfortable reliable travelling machine you can't beat a good C 182. I personally favor the 1973 -1977 "P" versions. The Continental O-470R engine is smoother and a better performer than the later O-470U or Lycoming O-540 engine, you get the later style wide cabin and cuffed wing and high gross yet still have a relatively light airframe. Most have had the horrible Cessna radios replaced by modern avionics and the paint and interior redone.