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 aircraft market offers a diverse range of options, from advanced pressurized models like the Piper M350 to versatile trainers such as the Piper Archer and Tecnam P2010.
Many leading aircraft feature significant updates, prominently integrating advanced avionics like Garmin's G1000 NXi and G3000 suites for enhanced safety and functionality.
Key models highlighted include the perennial best-seller Cirrus SR22 G6 (with its recovery parachute), the high-performance Cessna TTx, and updated Mooney M20 Acclaim/Ovation Ultra models known for speed and comfort.
Despite relatively low overall sales, the industry continues to innovate, offering various niches catering to pilots seeking premium personal transport, utility, or modern training platforms.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.