If you are on a budget then there are a lot of variables to consider buying a trainer and I think your best bet is to rent one for your first hundred hours. Then you will have an idea what you like what you don't like. You may even wish to get your instrument rating because only then are you able to know what avionics you feel comfortable using. There is a point after that when buying an airplane is not a bad idea especially if you are going to use it only for fun. Also, consider similar trainers made by Piper.
If I were in your shoes and wanted a used C172 for less than say, $70k I think I would get an early 80's C172 with 5-8k airframe hours, no damage history, an engine that was recently overhauled or replaced, with complete logbooks and some sort of gps- nav/comm- glideslope setup that has been replaced in the last ten or 15 years. Good luck finding this airplane but they are out there. This is the right time to be looking as people are cutting back on luxuries and selling things like their airplanes.
If you have the money and really want a good airplane, something you can grow with for many years, why not consider a new one? You could drive a hard bargain right now. A new 172SP would last you for years before you outgrow the power, size and equipment level; then you can trade it in on a Cirrus SR22 Turbo, Corvalis or Beech Baron!