SR22T vs DA42-VI vs DA62 for regular European business flying

I would really appreciate some advice and guidance from the more experienced pilots, instructors, owners and operators here, particularly from anyone who has first-hand experience with more than one of these aircraft.

After a fairly detailed analysis of the mission, operating environment, ownership costs and the type of aircraft the future owner is actually looking for, the shortlist has effectively come down to the Cirrus SR22T, Diamond DA42-VI and Diamond DA62.

Of course, we are still open to other suggestions, but they would realistically need to fit the same general mission and aircraft class that the future owner has already decided to focus on. In other words, this is not an open-ended search for any aircraft capable of covering the distance, but rather an attempt to choose the most suitable aircraft within a relatively clearly defined category.

I know these are not aircraft that are usually placed side by side. We are comparing a high-performance single with two twins, so I am fully aware that discussions like this can quickly turn into personal preference, brand loyalty or simply defending one’s favourite aircraft.

That is not really what I am looking for. I am genuinely trying to make the most informed and objective decision possible, and first-hand experience from people who have actually flown, owned, instructed on or operated these aircraft would be extremely valuable.

One reason why all three ended up on the same shortlist is that, despite their very different concepts, their acquisition prices are relatively close in our case. Depending on specification and equipment, we are looking at roughly €1.2–1.4 million, so purchase price alone does not separate them enough to make the decision obvious.

The company I work for is considering purchasing an aircraft primarily for regular business travel, and I would likely be employed as its primary pilot. The typical mission would consist of relatively short European sectors, roughly 120 to 350 NM, including some routes over mountainous or otherwise less forgiving terrain.

My own experience is still fairly limited, at around 150 hours total time. I am currently completing the theoretical part of my ATPL training, and the intention would be to complete my IR training on whichever aircraft is ultimately selected. For that reason, real-world experience and first-hand information are especially important to me.

Safety is the overriding priority.

That is also what makes this comparison difficult. The SR22T has CAPS, while the DA42 and DA62 provide the redundancy of a second engine. At the same time, I do not believe the discussion can simply be reduced to “parachute versus two engines”. There are circumstances in which neither guarantees a positive outcome, and terrain, weather, icing, pilot workload, engine-out performance and proficiency can completely change the equation.

The Diamond side also raises some questions for me regarding the Austro engine installation and its electronic engine management. There have been reported in-flight engine failures, electronic/FADEC-related events and subsequent airworthiness actions affecting Austro-powered aircraft over the years. I am not suggesting that this makes the DA42 or DA62 inherently unsafe — clearly it does not — but when safety is the primary reason for considering a twin in the first place, I think the actual reliability history of the engines, FADEC and associated systems deserves to be part of the discussion. I would therefore be very interested to hear from owners and operators about what these issues look like in real-world service today, rather than relying on isolated reports or internet anecdotes.

I recently met someone who works in Diamond’s aircraft production and is also a pilot. What I found particularly interesting was that even he said that, if he were in my position, he would not be certain whether he would buy a Diamond or a Cirrus. Not because he considers Diamond a poor aircraft, but because in his view Cirrus is considerably further ahead in avionics, systems integration and the overall technological package.

That comment stayed with me, because from the outside the DA42 and DA62 are extremely attractive for this mission. Jet A-1 is a major advantage, especially when looking at ownership over the next 10–15 years. The increasingly uncertain long-term availability and practicality of Avgas in parts of Europe is difficult to ignore when making a purchase of this size today.

There is also a secondary commercial consideration. When the aircraft is not required for company flights, it would ideally generate some utilisation rather than simply remain in the hangar.

With the SR22T, there could potentially be an opportunity to use it for IR or advanced training and possibly air-transfer work. The DA42 seems even more straightforward in that respect because of its obvious value for ME/IR training. The DA62, on the other hand, is probably the most attractive of the three purely as a business and private transport aircraft, but I struggle to see an equally convincing way of commercially utilising it when it is not required by the owner.

So the question is not really which aircraft is “best” in isolation, but which one makes the most sense for this particular combination of missions.

If you were choosing today between an SR22T, DA42-VI and DA62 for regular 120–350 NM European business flying, with safety as the overriding priority but operating economics, IFR capability, fuel availability and secondary utilisation still relevant, which one would you choose — and why?

I would particularly appreciate comments from people who have actually flown, instructed on, maintained or operated more than one of them. First-hand experience, especially regarding real-world reliability, engine management systems, IFR operations and actual ownership experience, is exactly what I am looking for.

Thank you in advance for any advice or experience you are willing to share.