Cirrus SR22 vs Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage
Head-to-head — specs, at a glance.
iCirrus SR22
The Cirrus SR22 is the best-selling GA aircraft in the world, a distinction it has held for over two decades. Introduced in 2001, it pairs a Continental IO-550-N (310 hp) with the composite airframe, CAPS parachute and Garmin glass cockpit that define the modern Cirrus. Total SR22/SR22T production exceeds 8,000 aircraft.
- +180 KTAS cruise with 804 nm range at 75% power; strong cross-country platform
- +CAPS whole-airframe parachute provides unmatched safety margin
- +Excellent parts availability and Cirrus-authorized service center network
- !CAPS repack every ~10 years is the single largest recurring maintenance cost
- !Composite damage requires specialized certified technicians; repair costs can be substantial
- !Fixed gear and low-wing design poorly suited to backcountry or rough-field operations
Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage
The Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage — sold since 2015 as the M350, and the airplane most people mean when they say "Piper Malibu" today — is the mainstream, still-in-production member of the PA-46 piston family. Piper replaced the original 310P Malibu's Continental TSIO-520-BE with a Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A in 1988, following the accidents documented on the 310P's own page, and the Mirage has been in continuous production ever since — by far the highest-volume PA-46 piston variant, against roughly 400 original 310Ps built across four years.
- +Only pressurized piston single in continuous production; genuine 1,000+ nm cross-country range
- +Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine well-supported; no equivalent defect history vs. Continental 310P predecessor
- +Six-seat cabin, FL250 capability, 213 KTAS cruise; purpose-built for business travel and IFR
- !Turbocharged, pressurized systems require PA-46-specialized mechanics—not a general-practice shop airplane
- !Single-engine reliability inherently lower than twin or turbine; cruise speed and range are different flights, not one combined spec
- !High acquisition and operating costs; 1,218 lb useful load leaves only ~500 lb for people + baggage at full fuel
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