That does not make it a very economical plane.
Actually, it does. It's a very inexpensive airplane to operate. It's requirements are low. It doesn't burn much fuel. Our profit margin on that airplane was substantially higher than any other, and we used it for all sorts of utility work, including a landing on volcanos, rough field work, hauling freight, passengers, just about anything. Great utility airplanes. The venerable 172 is hard to beat in terms of cost for the utility it provides, especially at the price they can be had.