Plane & Pilot 2017 Buyer’s Guide: Single-Engine Piston Planes

Newcomers, upgrades, and old favorites: 20 piston singles for 2017.

Plane & Pilot

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 08:13 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The piston single market offers a diverse array of aircraft, from utility to high-performance luxury models, with many receiving substantial updates.
Advanced Garmin avionics, such as the G1000 NXi and G3000, are a standard feature across many new and updated models, enhancing safety and functionality.
The Cirrus SR22 G6 maintains its position as the best-selling piston single, distinguished by its performance, whole-airplane recovery parachute, and cutting-edge avionics suite.
The featured aircraft span various niches, including pressurized high-altitude planes, premium retractable-gear cruisers, and versatile fixed-gear options for personal travel or training.

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Diamond DA40

Like every plane in the Diamond lineup, the 180 hp Lycoming-powered DA40 is hard to classify. In many ways, the four-seater with a lot of glass and decent forward speed, around 135 to 140 knots, is a competitor to the Cirrus SR20, but it’s a different experience. The all-composite cruiser features three doors, two in front and a big one in back. With its high-aspect-ratio wing, the DA40 is a great climber, and with its Garmin G1000 cockpit, it’s a terrific cross-country and IFR machine for pilots who don’t need higher performance or the long missions that faster planes can accommodate more easily. The DA40 also boasts one of the best safety records in the segment. Plus, with a 660-pound full-fuel payload, the DA40 is an impressive hauler for a small plane, making it a utilitarian choice for a regional cruiser or business transportation solution.

Niche: Fixed-gear personal

Base Price: $389,900

Competitors: Cirrus SR20, Tecnam P2010, Cessna 182 Skylane

Read our Diamond DA40 pilot report.

Diamond DA40 Specifications

Learn more at Diamond Aircraft.