The four-seat, four-cylinder, tricycle fixed-gear singles are in large part the basis for general aviation flying. There are a lot of them out there. They fly a big percentage of the general aviation hours, and one of them is often a first airplane with many pilots satisfied with them as the only airplane they will ever own. (And, yes, pre-1968 Cessna 172/Skyhawks had six-cylinder engines, but the horsepower was 145, close to many of the four-cylinder engines.)
There is a misconception that these airplanes are for first-time owners and relatively new pilots only. They are great for that, but they are also great for an experienced pilot who wants to have an airplane and fly it without busting the budget.
