I was looking around for an upgrade, and found that older Bonanzas also have pretty good performance for a decent price. I'm thinking about them if I upgrade my 172. A 1950's Bonanza, with 150kt speeds and retractable landing gear can be found for less than $30k. Maybe $40k nicely equipped. Not with a GTN750, but still a great performer and great cross country machine. It gives a 182 a good run for the money. The issue for me is that insurance is almost 3x the 172 insurance and annuals would run almost twice what they currently cost me.
Additionally, I would not want to tie down a nice retract. Too many birds around here that might want to build a nest in the wheel wells. That would add $300/month for a hangar around where I live. That would also be something I'd want if I had a bird like Jim's. Hail is a very real possibility in Central Texas.
I've seen Jim's plane, and would feel comfortable with it if I were in the market for a like new 172, However, at that price point, there are a few high performance options that would also be interesting. They would not be as nicely equipped, but they'd be much faster and have a much longer range than a 172.
Good luck with your search. Too bad you don't live nearby, or we could talk about some sort of arrangement with my current 172.
