I considered Bonanzas too when I was looking. The older models (pre-1960 or so) give you quite a lot of plane for the money - retract, 160+ kts, nice handling. I even bought a
a book [
amazon.com] that went thought the various models. They are indeed very nice planes and have a good reputation. They also have a very active and helpful type-specific web site at
BeechTalk. [
beechtalk.com], along with the American Bonanza Society. I also got a friend to take me up for a ride.
In the end, I decided to stay with Cessna for a few reasons particular to me. First off, I mostly like to sightsee while flying, so a high wing plane was more to my liking. The high wing is also useful in the rain. Second, I always preferred Cessna's over Pipers because I like two entry doors, and really dislike climbing in through the passenger side, stepping on the seat and then sliding over to the pilot seat. This is just a pet peeve and my issue, not an objective problem. Bo's have this issue too. Third, I found the cabin tighter than in a 182. I only flew an older (1950's) Bo. Newer ones may be better. It felt to me more like sitting in a Piper Cherokee or Arrow. Finally, maintenance and insurance were significantly higher for Bo's compared to Cessnas, even RG Cessnas. Still, if speed had been a priority for me, I would have likely looked harder at a Bonanza. I ended up spending a lot more than I intended on my 182, and if I had used that budget for a Bonanza, I would have probably gotten a nice plane too. BeechTalk has quite a few planes for sale.
In general, I found keeping an eye on the type club forums let me find the plane of my dreams. The nice ones do go very fast. Someone commits within hours of a good, fairly-priced plane showing up. Many planes don't even get to the open market. You also don't have much room to negotiate on price.
In my case, I happened to see the post as it was made. Within minutes there was a line behind me wanting the plane. I ended up committing sight unseen. I was going on an overseas trip so couldn't make a trip to inspect it. Fortunately, I was able to read many years worth of posts about the plane, as the previous owner had been an active member and posted about his upgrades and maintenance. I could tell what type of owner he was and that the plane was very well cared for. That allowed me to make a decision without first inspecting the plane. I still keep in touch with the previous owner.
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