ORIGINAL: gaRCfield
It sounds like you guys don't suggest the smaller planes, and to be honest I don't really want a small plane. I'm gonna play with setups in my civic and plan a way to get a bigger plane stuffed in there. Maybe even try someone elses (fit) at Jackson.
Smaller aircraft don't present as well and tend to be more 'fidgety' in the air. Will anybody at your club be willing to buddy box you on a large airplane? You'll feel the difference immediately. A large airplane is not always
the way to go; especially for those starting out and/or those on limited budgets.
I guarantee that you can fit at least a 120 sized airplane in that Civic. Get creative. I've fit a 33%'er in a Ford Focus.