Well, I almost bought a used Diamond DA20 before I really started thinking about permit aircraft as well, but it turned out to need too much maintenance directly after purchasing, so it got above my budget and the deal was off. And currently I'm renting a SportStar RTC, which is also fun to fly.
For a purchase I like the running cost perspective of a Rotax 912. These planes have a good enough performance for me, and I can rent a 4 seater when necessary. When I took lessons in a C172 it was fun to take my wife along when going on an international navigation flight, but now i don't need the 3rd seat for that anymore
And in the meantime I've come to prefer the low wing planes for their visibility in a turn. I do find it more of a hassle to climb in/out of, but as my wife put it nicely: "what do you do more often: climb in/out of it, or make turns with it?" Gotta love such a woman!
So currently I'm open for any tri-gear bubble canopy low wing 2 seater with a 912 up front and a stick between my legs, and there are many aircraft that fit this description. And the cheaper to buy, the better. Why spend 60k euro if 30k also brings me pleasure in the air? I don't need a glass cockpit, I can buy a tablet for the ease of navigation. All steam gauges is fine. I do want a 8.33 radio and mode S transponder, and a roomy cockpit with good useful load in the 250kg area. I don't need 130kts, 90 will do fine for me. Anything more than this package would simply be a bonus.
But it seems like I'm hijacking this thread, although it is kind off on topic for this being a cost of ownership thread. Value for money is usually something these topic starters want, and so do I