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

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Key Takeaways:

The market for piston singles offers a diverse range of aircraft, from newly updated models and all-new Part 23-certificated designs, encompassing everything from 120-knot taildraggers to pressurized six-place screamers.
Modern piston singles are characterized by significant advancements in avionics, with many featuring sophisticated Garmin G1000 NXi or G3000 touch-controlled suites that enhance safety and user experience.
The Cirrus SR22 G6 remains the best-selling piston single, known for its updated avionics and whole-airplane parachute, while competitors like the Piper M350, Cessna TTx, and Mooney Acclaim Ultra offer specialized features such as pressurization, higher speeds, or improved cabin comfort.
Enduring classic models, including the Beechcraft G36 Bonanza, Piper Archer, and Cessna 182 Skylane, continue to be produced and updated, balancing their proven reliability with modern technology for various personal and training niches.

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Cessna TâTx

There’s one natural competitor to the industry-leading SR22, the Cessna TTx, a product that was conceived, developed and hatched around the same time as the SR22, but suffered a series of unfortunate events early in its production life that limited its success. Today’s Cessna TTx is a compelling alternative to the Cirrus, with better forward speed (around 20 knots better), a more advanced cockpit, with the Garmin G3000 touch-controlled suite, a more satisfying hand-flying experience and certificated spin worthiness. The TTx is in many ways the Bonanza for the next generation, an airplane that’s fast, comfortable and technologically advanced, but with a true sidestick, fixed gear for ease of operation and lower insurance rates, and the most advanced cockpit in light GA. Like the SR22, the TTx is an expensive airplane, with typical prices with all the bells and whistles hitting $750,000.

Niche: Premium fixed-gear

Base Price: $689,000

Competitors: Cirrus SR22, Piper Matrix, Mooney Acclaim Ultra

Read our Cessna TTx pilot report.

Cessna TTx Specifications

Learn more at Cessna.