Earn your wings in an entry-level Piper PA-28 and a logical step-up may be a PA-32R. From the early 300-HP Lance to the late-model Saratoga II TC, these high-performance retrac singles are nicely supported (both in maintenance and aftermarket mods), plus pilots and passengers like them for load-hauling go-places travel.
Comparable-performing singles are the Beech 36 Bonanza and Cessna 210 Centurion, and some rightfully argue that the Bonanza handles better than the Piper and Cessna, while slightly winning the speed race. The Cessna 210 generally has better short-field performance and carries more than the Bonanza and Piper, but its landing gear system is more complex.