On Jul 20, 7:40 pm, Tuno wrote:
New to powered flight. It's a jungle out there.

Seeking the short list of the most popular 4-seat single engine
aircraft made in the last ~20 years. What are the best options?

(Used, fixed gear.)

::tuno

Tough question, but the short list of fixed gear 4 seaters would look
something like:

Cessna 172
Cessna 182
Piper Warrior/Archer/Dakota
Beech Sundowner
Socata Tobago/Tampico
Diamond DA-40
Cirrus SR-20 & SR-22

If you really want to take 4 people and luggage somewhere, then you
wouldprobably also want to look at fixed gear 6 seaters like:

Cessna 206
Piper Cherokee Six

The best options really depend on how many people will typically be in
the plane, how much stuff you want to take along, budget, and personal
preferences on things like high vs. low wing. If your budget is lower,
then you are probably looking at older used Cessnas or Pipers.
Diamonds and Cirrus' haven't been on the market very long so the used
ones are still fairly expensive. I'd recommend finding places to rent
a Cessna 172 and a Piper Warrior or Archer (comparable 4 seaters that
are easy to rent), and taking a flight in each to try them out. These
should be easy to find for rent and they will give you an idea of what
they are like. If you decide those aren't big enough, then find a
Cessna 182 to rent (also fairly easy to find for rental). If the 182
isn't big enough, then find someone who owns a Cherokee Six or 206 and
at least sit in it to see how much bigger they are (not as easy to
find these for rent). Not sure if this helps...

Eric