Cirrus SR22 vs Competitors: Which Is Right for You?

Cirrus describes the SR22 as the best-selling high-performance piston single, and most buyers shortlist it against the same few rivals: the Cessna 182 and 172, the Diamond DA40 NG and DA50 RG, the Beechcraft Bonanza G36 and the Piper M350. This guide compares them on the numbers the manufacturers publish, and on the things the spec sheets leave out.

Service coverage matters as much as the spec sheet: before you choose, check the Cirrus service center directory for authorized SR22 and Vision Jet centers near your home airport.

A note on the Cirrus figures. Cirrus sells two versions. The SR22 has a normally aspirated 310 hp Continental IO-550-N, cruises at up to 183 knots and is limited to 17,500 ft. The SR22T has a turbocharged 315 hp Continental TSIO-550-K, cruises at up to 213 knots and is approved to 25,000 ft. Cirrus's 2026 North America price list puts the SR22 at US$937,900 and the SR22T at US$1,069,900 in standard form; the fully equipped GTS versions are US$1,172,900 and US$1,304,900. Both seat up to five with the 60/40 FlexSeating rear bench, and both come with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and, on the 2026 G7+ models, Safe Return emergency autoland.

Cirrus SR22 vs Cessna 182

The Cessna 182 Skylane is the utility aircraft of this group. Textron lists a 145 knot maximum cruise, a 915 nm range, a 1,110 lb useful load, four seats and a 230 hp Lycoming IO-540. The SR22 is around 38 knots faster, carries more and flies further. The 182 answers with a high wing for ground visibility, fixed gear, simple systems and an all-metal airframe that any general aviation shop can work on.

Both aircraft use a Garmin glass cockpit. The 182 has the G1000 NXi with the GFC 700 autopilot, electronic stability protection and underspeed protection as standard. The SR22 has the Cirrus Perspective Touch+ by Garmin flight deck with the same autopilot family, plus CAPS and, on G7+ aircraft, Safe Return autoland.

Textron does not publish a Skylane list price on its website, so we do not quote one. The 182 is priced well below the SR22 and the gap pays for speed, the parachute and a more modern cabin. Choose the 182 for mixed utility flying, grass and gravel strips and the lowest-stress ownership. Choose the SR22 when most of your flying is cross-country and you want the parachute.

Cirrus SR22 vs Cessna 172

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the world's standard trainer, and that is the right way to think about it next to an SR22. Textron lists a 124 knot maximum cruise, a 640 nm range, an 878 lb useful load, four seats, a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 and a 14,000 ft service ceiling. The SR22 is about 60 knots faster and flies much further on a tank.

A 500 nm trip takes under three hours in an SR22 and over four in a 172. If that trip is a regular part of your flying, the Skyhawk is the wrong aircraft. If your flying is training, local trips and building hours, it is probably the right one.

The 172 is also where many pilots build the experience that insurers want before covering them in an SR22. Cirrus includes a three-day transition training package with every new SR22, and insurers typically ask for time in type on top of that. The SR22 is not a first aircraft for a brand-new student in most cases; the 172 is designed to be exactly that.

Cirrus SR22 vs Diamond DA40 NG

The Diamond DA40 NG is the economy option and, like the SR22, a composite airframe. Diamond lists a 154 knot cruise at 16,000 ft, a 934 nm range at 50 percent power (no reserves), an 897 lb useful load, four seats and a 16,400 ft maximum operating altitude. The engine is the 168 hp Austro Engine AE 300, a turbocharged diesel that burns Jet A-1 at a published 5.1 US gallons per hour at 60 percent power.

That fuel burn is the DA40 NG's argument. Jet fuel is available at airports where avgas is not, and in Europe it is usually cheaper. The DA40 NG is the only aircraft in this comparison that cannot burn avgas, which matters in parts of the world where Jet A-1 is scarce at small fields.

Against that, the SR22 is about 30 knots faster, carries roughly 450 lb more useful load, has the parachute and seats five. The DA40 NG has a big canopy with excellent visibility, a cabin pilots either love or find exposed, and a strong reputation in flight schools. Diamond does not publish a list price on its website. Choose the DA40 NG for training, touring on a budget and diesel fuel economy. Choose the SR22 for speed, load and CAPS.

Cirrus SR22 vs Diamond DA50 RG

The Diamond DA50 RG is the closest thing to a direct rival, a five-seat retractable-gear composite single with a diesel engine. Diamond lists a 181 knot maximum speed at 16,000 ft, a 750 nm range including a 30-minute reserve, a 1,232 lb useful load, five seats, a 20,000 ft maximum operating altitude and a 300 hp (takeoff) Continental CD-300 Jet A-1 engine burning about 9 US gallons per hour at long-range settings. The DA50 RG received EASA certification in 2020 and is a much newer design than the SR22.

Speed is close: 181 knots for the DA50 RG against 183 for the SR22 and 213 for the SR22T. Range favours Cirrus, around 1,169 nm for the SR22 and 1,021 nm for the SR22T on Cirrus's range map at 55 percent power against 750 nm for the Diamond. The DA50 RG has retractable gear, a diesel engine on cheaper fuel and a wide, tall cabin. The SR22 has fixed gear, an avgas engine, CAPS, a far larger fleet and, as a result, a denser network of service centers and type-experienced instructors.

Diamond does not publish a DA50 RG list price online. For long non-stop legs, the Cirrus range advantage is the deciding number. For shorter legs where fuel cost and type of fuel matter more, the DA50 RG makes a strong case.

Cirrus SR22 vs Beechcraft Bonanza G36

The Bonanza G36 is the six-seat retractable with the longest history in this group; the Bonanza line has been in production since 1947 and Textron says more than 18,000 have been delivered. That history is now closing. In November 2025 Textron Aviation said it will end production of the Bonanza G36 and the Baron G58 once current orders are fulfilled, citing its product investment plan, and the aircraft were removed from the company website. Textron says it will keep supplying parts and engineering support for the fleet.

Because Textron no longer publishes G36 specifications, we do not quote cruise, range or useful load figures for it. In broad terms the G36 cruises a little below the SR22, flies about the same distance as a Cessna 182, has a 300 hp Continental IO-550 and the Garmin G1000 NXi, and carries six people in a club-seating cabin with a large rear door. Its all-metal construction and retractable gear mean different maintenance from a composite fixed-gear Cirrus, and the Bonanza has a large, experienced owner community and plenty of independent shops.

For a buyer in 2026 the practical comparison is a new SR22 against a late-model pre-owned G36. The Bonanza's sixth seat and rear cargo door are real advantages for families and cargo. The SR22 has CAPS, newer avionics, a factory warranty and a manufacturer still building the type.

Cirrus SR22 vs Piper M350

The Piper M350 sits a class above. Piper lists a 213 knot maximum cruise, a 1,343 nm maximum range, a 25,000 ft maximum approved altitude, 120 US gallons of usable fuel and a turbocharged 350 hp Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A. Piper's spec sheet gives a 1,308 lb useful load and six seats. The M350 is pressurized, with an emergency descent mode that engages automatically on loss of cabin pressure, and it is the only pressurized piston single in current production.

Cruise speed matches the SR22T at 213 knots and the M350 has more range. The difference is the cabin. In an SR22T above 12,500 ft everyone is on oxygen from the built-in system. In the M350 the cabin stays low while the aircraft flies in the mid-twenties, which is what makes a four-hour flight above weather comfortable for passengers.

Pressurization adds systems, inspections and cost, and the M350 is heavier and larger on the ramp. Piper does not publish a list price online. Choose the M350 for regular long legs with passengers at high altitude. Choose the SR22 or SR22T for a simpler aircraft with the parachute and a far larger service network.

Comparison table

Specification	Cirrus SR22	Cirrus SR22T	Cessna 182	Cessna 172	Diamond DA40 NG	Diamond DA50 RG	Bonanza G36	Piper M350
Max cruise speed	183 ktas	213 ktas	145 ktas	124 ktas	154 ktas	181 ktas	Not published	213 ktas
Max range	1,169 nm	1,021 nm	915 nm	640 nm	934 nm	750 nm	Not published	1,343 nm
Useful load	1,348 lb	1,238 lb	1,110 lb	878 lb	897 lb	1,232 lb	Not published	1,308 lb
Engine	Continental IO-550-N, 310 hp	Continental TSIO-550-K, 315 hp turbo	Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5, 230 hp	Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 hp	Austro AE 300 diesel, 168 hp	Continental CD-300 diesel, 300 hp	Continental IO-550, 300 hp	Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 hp turbo
Fuel	Avgas	Avgas	Avgas	Avgas	Jet A-1	Jet A-1	Avgas	Avgas
Seats	5	5	4	4	4	5	6	6
Max altitude	17,500 ft	25,000 ft	18,100 ft	14,000 ft	16,400 ft	20,000 ft	Not published	25,000 ft, pressurized
Landing gear	Fixed	Fixed	Fixed	Fixed	Fixed	Retractable	Retractable	Retractable
Airframe parachute	CAPS standard	CAPS standard	No	No	No	No	No	No
2026 base price (US)	US$937,900	US$1,069,900	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Production ending	Not published

Source: manufacturer specifications and price lists on cirrusaircraft.com, txtav.com (Cessna and Beechcraft), diamondaircraft.com and piper.com, October 2026. Range figures use each manufacturer's own conditions, so they are not strictly like for like: Cirrus and Diamond DA40 NG quote maximum range at reduced power, Diamond quotes the DA50 RG with a 30-minute reserve. Bonanza G36 figures are no longer published by Textron, which announced in November 2025 that production will end once current orders are fulfilled.

What the spec sheets leave out

Operating cost. We do not quote hourly figures because no manufacturer publishes them and the numbers depend on fuel price, hours flown, insurance and where the aircraft lives. In general the turbocharged SR22T and the pressurized M350 cost the most to run, the 172 and the diesel DA40 NG the least, and the SR22 sits between them. Ask an owner's group for real figures: the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) is the best source for Cirrus costs and its members are open about them.

CAPS. The parachute is the SR22's defining feature and it carries scheduled costs. The parachute and rocket are overhauled every 10 years and the line cutters are replaced every 6 years. One authorized center, Avias Aircraft Services in Georgia, advertised CAPS replacement at US$19,800 for G2, G3 and G5 aircraft in October 2026. Our CAPS guide covers what the work involves and who does it.

Fleet size. Cirrus delivered its 10,000th SR Series aircraft in July 2024, and that fleet size is why there are more Cirrus-trained instructors, more authorized service centers and more pre-owned examples on the market than for any rival here. Diamond and Piper fleets are smaller, which does not make the aircraft worse but does make type-specific support thinner outside their home markets.

Maintaining an SR22 involves the same annual inspections and engine care as any high-performance single, plus the composite structure checks and CAPS schedule above. For a full breakdown of intervals and costs, see our Cirrus Maintenance Guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which aircraft is fastest, the Cirrus SR22 or its rivals?

The Piper M350 and the Cirrus SR22T share the top spot at a published 213 knots maximum cruise. The normally aspirated SR22 is listed at 183 knots and the Diamond DA50 RG at 181 knots. The Cessna 172 is the slowest at 124 knots. Figures are from the manufacturers' current specifications.

How much does a new Cirrus SR22 cost in 2026?

Cirrus's 2026 North America price list gives US$937,900 for the SR22 and US$1,069,900 for the SR22T in standard form. The GTS versions, which add flight into known icing, air conditioning and the premium packages, are US$1,172,900 for the SR22 and US$1,304,900 for the SR22T. Pre-owned prices vary by generation and hours; check current listings rather than relying on published ranges.

What makes the Cirrus parachute system different?

The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is a whole-aircraft parachute fitted as standard to every SR20, SR22 and SR22T. It lowers the entire aircraft and its occupants to the ground when continued flight is not possible. None of the aircraft compared here offers an equivalent as standard. CAPS needs a parachute and rocket overhaul every 10 years and line cutter replacement every 6 years.

Which aircraft is cheapest to operate?

Manufacturers do not publish hourly costs, so any figure is an estimate. The Cessna 172, with a 180 hp engine, and the Diamond DA40 NG, which Diamond rates at 5.1 US gallons of Jet A-1 per hour at 60 percent power, are the two low-cost options. The turbocharged SR22T and the pressurized Piper M350 are the most expensive to run.

Is the Cirrus SR22 suitable for a beginner pilot?

Cirrus includes a three-day transition training package with every new SR22, and insurers usually want prior experience and time in type before covering a low-hour pilot in a 310 hp aircraft. Many owners learn in a Cessna 172 or Diamond DA40 and move up. The Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) runs type-specific training that insurers recognise.

Which aircraft is best for a family of six?

Only the Bonanza G36 and the Piper M350 have six seats; the SR22 and DA50 RG seat five and the others four. Textron announced in November 2025 that G36 production will end once current orders are fulfilled, so a six-seat Bonanza will mean a late-model pre-owned aircraft. The M350 is pressurized and still in production.

How does the SR22 compare with the Diamond DA50 RG on range?

Cirrus's range map gives about 1,169 nm for the SR22 and 1,021 nm for the SR22T at 55 percent power. Diamond lists 750 nm for the DA50 RG including a 30-minute reserve. The conditions differ, but the Cirrus advantage on long legs is clear. The DA50 RG burns Jet A-1 at about 9 US gallons per hour at long-range settings, which is its counter-argument on shorter trips.

Is the Beechcraft Bonanza G36 still in production?

Not for much longer. In November 2025 Textron Aviation said it will end production of the Bonanza G36 and Baron G58 once all current orders are fulfilled, and it removed both models from its website. Textron says it will continue parts and engineering support for the existing fleet.

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