I can understand why people are comparing the 172/182 to the 197, since one is a newer version of the other...
...but actually they're different cars in the real world.
My friend Ian has just bought an Audi TT 3.2 V6, hard-top (proper version). He said that he won't sell his MX5 (2-3k) because he LOVES the rawness and feel of it.
That doesn't mean to say that his TT doesn't handle... and doesn't grip. He enjoys driving it, but it's a difference experience.
In a way, there's a similar difference between the 172/182 and the 197.
Had they both been sold side-by-side, people would choose one or the other based on preference. Unfortunately there isn't that choice...
I'd still have a 197 though, it's nice (in a different way).