If you have browsed the market for used piston aircraft lately, you might have noticed a lot of Cirrus SR-series aircraft for sale. And if you have ever wanted to own a Cirrus but could not quite make economic sense of the purchase, it might be time for another look.

The SR22, long an object of desire for private pilots, has been on the market for 25 years, giving depreciation plenty of time to chip away at prices. Some of the oldest examples—the first-generation, or G1 models built from around 2001 to 2003—are now priced at or near the level of other high-performance piston singles. Indeed, I have seen Beechcraft Bonanzas closer to 50 years old priced higher than early SR22s.

Perennial Favorite

Some pilots will say the comparison is like apples versus oranges because Cirrus people and Bonanza people are not the same. After talking with many prospective aircraft owners over the years, though, I believe that almost every high-performance single buyer has cross-shopped the SR series at some point. For those with the SR at the top of their wish lists, the chances of finding your budgetary sweet spot are improving. Based on current asking prices, the sleek, composite aircraft could be more affordable now than ever.

Knowing the seven generations of SR22s and what each iteration represents is important for anyone planning to buy one, as prices range from $200,000 or so to more than $1 million. For this market snapshot, I am not considering the G7 models, which arguably are in a market by themselves, in which the factory-new aircraft compete with the used. Because of the long waiting period for a new Cirrus G7+, many shoppers opt for a used G7, which is available right away and only a year or two old.

Wide Price Range

The following examples cover G1 through G6 versions of the naturally aspirated SR22s models and represent typical pricing. To keep things simpler, I do not focus on the turbonormalized versions available during the G2 era or the SR22T introduced during the third generation. There are plenty of turbocharged models available, though, for pilots who prefer them.

What this group of airplanes shows is that a broad range of aircraft buyers can find comfortable entry points to Cirrus ownership in the current market.

Cirrus SR22 G1 [Credit: R3 Aviation]

2002 SR22 G1

These early models are where Cirrus intersects pricewise with the wider GA market. One notable detail with the G1 is the switch to Avidyne Entegra avionics in 2003 from more traditional six-pack instrumentation with a large MFD in earlier models. While the SR22 has been around for a quarter century, it is still young in the world of used light aircraft. This means shoppers can expect fewer age-related problems in general than if they were considering other models that could date back to the 1960s or earlier. Still as with any used airplane, no matter how recent, a pre-buy inspection is a must. The good news is that finding mechanics familiar with the SR22 is fairly easy.

Cirrus SR22 G2 [Credit: Doubleday Aviation]

2007 SR22 GTS G2

The second generation kicked off in 2004 and set the pattern for development and frequent updates that continues at Cirrus to this day. These models continued with Avidyne Entegra panels and added optional TKS ice protection and satellite weather and terrain alerting systems. G2 models also set the standard for regular upgrades of exterior paint schemes and interior styling.

Cirrus SR22 G3 [Credit: Doubleday Aviation]

2010 SR22 G3

Cirrus unveiled the third-generation SR22 in 2007. The biggest news by far was the switch to Garmin avionics. For many pilots, the difference might not be especially noticeable, but among Cirrus aficionados the arrival of the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin flight deck marked a seismic-style shift. To be sure, the new avionics were a near-perfect fit for the aircraft’s mission of making flight operations more intuitive and seamless. Price differences between G3 and earlier models are attributable in part to the appeal of the Garmin system.

Cirrus SR22 G5 [Credit: Aerista]

2014 SR22 G5

Small but significant changes marked 2013’s G5 introduction. New features including USB power ports, wireless connectivity through Flight Stream, and an angle-of-attack indicator boosted safety and convenience. A 200-pound increase in useful load and the addition of a fifth seat gave pilots and passengers more flexibility in trip planning.

Cirrus SR22 G6 [Credit: Aerista]

2022 SR22 G6

Cirrus rolled out the sixth generation SR in 2017 with a range of refinements that continued the company’s theme of making its airplanes more like cars in terms of accessibility and ease of use. Changes were more evolutionary than revolutionary and included a Cirrus Perspective+ flight deck with improved processing speeds, Spectra LED lights, and Cirrus IQ, which lets owners connect to monitor their aircraft’s data through their phones. Aerodynamic tweaks cut drag and improved efficiency.

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