Narrowing it down... Comanche?

Hello, Folks:

You may remember my posting of 3 Jan, titled "Resource for choosing a
plane?" ]. I got quite a
bit of help & pointers from this group (along with a few requisite wise-ass
remarks!), for which I'm very grateful.

Since then, I've done a bit of homework. I've bought & read Clarke's _The
Illustrated Buyer's Guide to Used Airplanes_, 6th ed.; Ellis' _Buying and
Owning Your Own Airplane_, 3rd ed.; and Wanttaja's _Airplane Ownership_.
I've also been reading every GA magazine I can find, as well as print &
online versions of "Trade-A-Plane," "Aero Trader," etc. Oh, yeah--been
keeping up on this board, too.

My conclusion? Well, still written in Jell-O--but, the best bang/$ model
meeting my requirements appears to be...: Piper Comanche (PA-24-xxx)
[deliberately holding off on engine for the moment].

So, once again, I'd like to solicit some thoughts from the group. Following
are some of my thoughts--I'd love to have any opinions (especially
difference-of-opinion), corrections, or additions you may have.

- I ended up eliminating all fixed gear/fixed prop models I saw because few
could meet my speed & useful load requirements, especially at my high
altitude (Colorado Springs). The hardest one for me to get away from was
the Grumman-American Tiger (AA-5B) [has the speed & load, but marginal climb
and a narrow cabin discouraged me; I got my PP ticket in these and have a
soft spot for 'em], followed closely by the Piper Cherokee 180
(PA-28-180/181) line [marginal speed, marginal climb--but certainly appears
to be the "sweet spot" on the used market, and I have several hours in
these, too]. Can anyone prove me wrong on these, especially on my
climb-at-altitude concern?

- Several fixed gear/cs prop models fit the bill. I like the numbers of
the Piper Cherokee 235 (PA-28-235/236) line and the Piper Cherokee Six
(PA-32-260/300/301) line. Ultimately, the bang/buck thing has me leaning to
the Comanche. Comments on that position?

- Other retracts caught my eye, besides the Comanche. I like the PA-28R
"Arrow" line as much as the fixed-gear Cherokees, and the same goes for the
PA-32R versions of the "Six" line. Bang/buck again. One extremely sexy
(albeit somewhat pricier) retract alternative is the EADS/Socata Trinidad
(TB-20)--if I can't find a Comanche (assuming that's my final target) for
the right price, I may set my sights on a Trinidad.
-- Many of the planes I eliminated in this category were due to cost,
either acquisition or operating (typically both). I like the numbers of the
Beech 33, 35, and 36 series, but serious bucks to buy and own (and, in my
book, that throw-over control and backward configuration fall into the
"weird" category I'm trying to avoid). What about the Beech 24 series?
Couldn't find much on them....
-- Money also an issue on the Rockwell/Commanders and the Diamonds.
-- One obvious contender I bypassed here is the Mooneys. I'm ready for
contrary opinions here, but my reading seems to indicate that early models
will be claustrophobic, at best; the "middle" models (the M20J) start
getting better but have marginal useful loads; and the "later" models have
all you could want but are big bucks....
-- Two other marques that have intrigued me are Meyers and Navion--but,
I can't find any significant info on either one. Is that a sign that
they're too rare for serious consideration (since I deliberately want to
stay "mainstream" my first time out)? Opinions on these?

So, Comanche is leading the pack. Reading my list above, I seem to be
prejudiced in favor of Pipers--I don't know if that's a reflection of me or
of how well those models seem to fit my needs & preferences. Do I have
blinders on?

Among the Comanches: after toying with the idea of the 400, I calmed down.
The 180s seem like a steal, but the useful load is marginal and I worry
about the climb-at-altitude. So, I'm down to the 250/260/260B/260C
decision--but I'm holding off on that for the moment.

Before I burn too many brain bytes or go too far down the rabbit hole, I'm
hoping for either confirmation or contradiction of my thought processes
here. If you've read this far, you must have at least SOME opinions to
share...! Thanks for any help or advice you have to give.
--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring, "Twilight
Zone"
(my email is spam-proofed; read the address and make the appropriate change
to contact me)