I've flown 152s and latterly PA-28s and the main difference I noticed was not the wing position (other than cosmetically) or cabin room (ergonomic) or fuel system (procedural) but the handling responsiveness -- the Warrier still feels, to me, like flying a 747 without hydaulics, whereas I can rotate a 152 with my fingertip!
So what I want to know is, does the 172 handle like the 152 or is it a flying bathtub more like the PA-28s?
By the way, those who think PA-28s are easier to land, generally yes, but, I'm ashamed to report, not necessarily: recently, 30 days since last flying, I managed to make one do a slightly dodgy landing resulting in a highly irregular roll-out -- nothing is 100% fool-proof!