I was in the same dilema when i started flying about 3 months ago. I purchased the Hobbico trainer plane
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXK971 and took it to the field i wanted to join. I got a instructer to take me up on a buddy cord and I was flying solo on my 3rd flight. I got very bored with the plane and decided i needed a new and better looking plane. So i convinced my wife to let me go to the LHS and i purchased a Sig Rascal 40 and took it home and put it together that weekend. The following weekend I show back up at the air strip and ask one of the guys there to take it up for me and make sure its trimmed out and ect. THe plane flew great and so i took it myself for the first flight, this thing flew better than a trainer but still was very forgiving like a trainer plane. It was much more fun to fly nad did loops, rolls, hammerheads, ect with so much more ease. Honestly i think the so called trainer planes are harder to fly except for landing purpose maybe. I would really look into the Sig Rascal 40 or the p51 PTS as a new plane as it will take you into more things and look better than the trainer planes will.
Philip