I have owned and operated a 2005 Cessna 182 (G1000) for 4 year and have about 650 hours in the plane and feel extremely confident but feel the Skylane is lacking speed. We live in Central Pa and are normal trips are to Upstate NY or Myrtle Beach SC where we own vacation homes for weekend trip. Due to are busy work schedule most of the time we can only due short weekend trip and feel the extra speed would be extremely useful also my wife loves the idea of a parachute because we due a lot of night IFR flying.I have a few hours in the SR20 and SR22 and was very impressed with how the Cirrus fly’s. I have a few question listed below to help decide what airplane to buy. We also debated purchasing a few other airplanes but always keep coming back to the Cirrus.
G1000 vs Avidyne? I am seeing a few good deals on Avidyne and like the idea of being able to upgrade GPS & Auto Pilot.
AC? I flew a rental SR22 with AC and was not impressed at all with it but I am not sure if something was wrong with the AC system on that airplane. I felt like it was just a fan with no cool air.
Did anyone else transition from a Skyalne and whats your thoughts?
I have owned several generations of Cirri. There is a reason you can get a deal on the avidyne models. Perspective will be very easy for you with G1000 experience. My wife loves the chute as well. She would rather fly in the cirrus than a turboprop. But I am working on that
It is reliable. Repairs can be expensive so keeping a service contract is recommended. But the truth is you won’t use the SC much.
I think for a G1000 user a Perspective plane would be a dirt simple transition avionics wise. But I think the Avidyne is simple to use and will not be difficult.
There is a considerable cost difference to step up to Perspective, in part because the planes are newer and have more features - along with he increased market acceptance of the G1000 based Perspectives.
The G2, which are all Avidyne equipped, represent one of the most best bargains in aviation. They are capable and a real nice price point.
It depends on your price point but a G2 will be Avidyne and a G3 can be found in both variations. Significant wing design with a G3, all good planes. Narrow your budget and then you can focus on what fits the bill:
G2- Avidyne
G3- Avidyne
G3-Perspective
All are Way different than a C182 and all have the same speed. It’s mainly the Avionics that change, features, etc.
The Engine, Speed, and Chute are the same!
BTW- My A/C works great so perhaps something wrong with the rental… Welcome to #Cirruslife
Nathan, as luck would have it, I was just through Palmyra yesterday!
I’m a long-time SR20G1/TN22G3 owner and live nearby, so if you want to get together to address your concerns & questions, let me know. My contact info is in the member directory.
Avidyne vs Garmin? That’s an almost religious debate. I went from a Garmin G3X panel to an updated full Avidyne panel and found the transition simple and a non-issue. Have flown the G1000 but prefer the Avidyne intuitive interface and ease of use. Having said that, most long time G1000 pilots prefer to transition into a Perspective plane for obvious reasons. It depends on your budget and mission. A G3 TKS Avidyne will be 75-100k less than a G3 Perspective FIKI airplane.
There are differences between the G2, G3 and G5-6 airframes. Because I fly mostly solo or solo+1 in the southeast and am based in Houston, I found the G3 TN TKS to be my sweet spot. But if you will carry 3 or more people regularly the extra useful load of the G5/6 airframes will be important. Your trips up north might move you towards FIKI. Speeds are all within a couple knots literally. In fact the fastest Cirri are the G1s or the clean wing airplanes. But even then it’s just a few knots.
We are all happy to answer any questions! You will be happy no matter what you pick.
Not sure what this refers to my friend. I’m on my second plane with the dual Avidyne PFD.MFD setup and I’ve had excellent service from Avidyne ( few small issues only) and been super happy with this setup. I’ve never spent the first dime on any of their protection plans and knock on wood have never needed them. If you’ve got the extra cash to buy the newer G1000 planes then by all means go for it. Those of us with budgets under $200k are happily out there flying our Avidyne aircraft around. As far as capability, I flew two approaches to minimums last week no problem.
I upgraded to a SR22 NA from a 182 in 2016. The AC is a must for me and it works very well in the Cirrus, so if I were you I’d find another one to demo.
The 182 is a great plane, but you’ll travel much more comfortably and more often in the Cirrus. We also added FIKI and while I don’t go looking for ice I safely make 3-4 trips each year that I wouldn’t have made in the 182.
Note: I did decide I wanted to move to a G5 because of useful load. On average a 182 will carry about 200 lbs more useful load than your average G3. G5-182 comparison is about the same or slightly in favor of the Cirrus.
Since you’re already in a G1000 you’ll love the Perspective system…but the Avidyne isn’t chopped liver either. If you opt for the G5 or higher then your choice is made for you.
Good luck…oh…and I also was pleased that my 182 held its value very nicely for trade in. The guys at Lone Mountain were very helpful on all that.
Message if you have questions…happy to share my pleasant experience in the same transition.
There is a chance the rental Cirrus you experienced didn’t actually have AC. The ECS with and without AC look and feel the same, I think. Without AC, it just blows ambient or heated air depending on where the knob is positioned. My AC is awesome.
I transitioned from a 182 to SR22 (both G1000) and couldn’t be happier. It’s faster enough to matter, the chute opens up night flying, and from a pax comfort perspective it’s night and day.
Owned an NA SR22 2014 G2 without AC with Avidyne and purchased a 2017 NA SR22 with AC and Perspective. Loved the G2 love the G6 even more. If you plan to upgrade to the new generation Avidyne (upgrade from G430’s) and the Avidyne autopilot is excellent and very intuitive. Of course, you can upgrade to Garmin as well.
First, Avidyne was very reliable, however as Jim points out if you know the G1000 then you don’t have to learn new avionics. Now that I know the Perspective it is fine. The AC is great can’t believe I lived without it. Have a friend with a Skylane and its slow, no parachute, no TKS or FIKI, not as comfortable, but flys fine.
Hope this helps. If you decide on a Cirrus, Join COPA quick it will help you a lot in your final purchase decision and transition.
Moved up from a 182 to an G2 with AC, live in upstate NY. Avidyne is a solid platform, easy to learn, with excellent support in my experience. While 170 knots seems more fun that 140 knots, airtime for those 2-300 mile flights not much different. The chute makes it a safer airplane, transformed my wife into a frequent flier.
If there is an advantage to the 182 it will be service. Anybody can fix it and you can almost get any part at Home Depot. A Cirrus can, sometimes, be a buggy airplane, and proximity to a Cirrus Service Center is a big factor.
AC is nice, but is one more maintenance item. I bought mine used from a COPA member about 10 years ago, and he had installed a Keith System. If I had it to do over, living in the northeast, I would skip the AC and take the useful load.
As a previous poster said, it might be a fan only - no a/c.
On my keith a/c (installed in 2005), I get a 30 degree drop. Not as good as a car a/c with a 50 degree drop. Here is a picture taken last year on an 85 degree day. A/C putting out 55 degrees.
So if you are not seeing a 30 degree drop, something is wrong.
This will become one of the big advantages of the Avidyne airplanes. You can upgrade them which is not possible on a Perspective plane. Why? The Perspective avionics are in the type certificate. If they are removed, the plane is no longer air worthy. Only Cirrus can provide an upgrade. Right now, they would rather sell you a new plane.
Of course right now they are fine to fly without any upgrade needed. But in 10 to 15 years, it could be a problem. I expect the price premium on Perspectives planes over Avidyne planes to drop to zero in that timeframe.
I’d suggest joining COPA now, before, you decide. The member’s side is very active and there is a lot of information there. This same question was asked on the member side just a few months ago. The $65 price is small compared to the cost of a Cirrus and can easily pay for itself with the information already there. Cirrus has been very aggressive about upgrading and refining the SR2x and there are a lot of options even in the same model year.
A lot of the discussions focus on safe cross country travel that is useful no matter what plane you buy. There are numerous members that are still active on the forum even though they have moved on to turbines or LSAs. In my case, I’m currently renting Cessna 172s. Yet, the information on this site has already changed my flying for the better and safer. I was procrastinating (over a year) on finishing the FOI exam, but after one member’s post finished it off in two weeks, along with the AGI and IGI test.
Enjoy making your decision. Both the Cessna 182 and the Cirrus are great planes and any day we get to fly is a great day.
Hi Nathan:
I’ve owned and leased all of the 2002 -2008 172SP/182T products. The 182 is a great plane.
I believe your G1000 is non-waas correct and you prob have the KAP140 Autopilot. I bought a 2005 SR22 G2 with Avidyne R9, AC etc. 3 years / 450 hours ago and haven’t looked back. I love the Cessna and Piper Aircraft I’ve owned, but the Cirrus is in a different class. The Cirrus is a true cross country aircraft. I’ve had great service and reliability from my avionics. The Avidyne DFC 90/100 is a much better AP than the KAP140 (no comparison). Best of luck with the decision making process! Plane shopping is fun. Best regards,
I bought a 2011 T182T with AC to get my PPL in. The plan was to add a parachute to the plane to make the wife happy. Little did I know that you couldn’t add the chute if you have the electric AC in the 182. My reasoning was that the 182 was a better platform to learn in. Maybe a little more forgiving than a Cirrus. I always planned to get a Cirrus at some point. The G-1000 was a must since I think it’s the most common system out there. I wanted to learn on something that was at least similar to what I would be flying in a Cirrus. Turns out that this worked out well for me. The Cessna held it value very well. I actually sold it for more than I bought it for. So I got to learn in the Cessna and then bought a G-6. Now that I have the G-6 I couldn’t be happier. The speed is noticeably faster. The plane handles great. I can’t say for sure if I would have felt that way 2 years ago with less time under my belt but it sure seems easy enough now. They are both great planes but the Cirrus wins on so many levels. It go faster, hauls more and does it with much better ergonomics. The layout is much more logical and that make flying easier. Which makes it safer. One for instance. My 182 had an electronic checklist but I never used it because it wasn’t convient to use. Entering flight plans took a lot of time. Even a simple direct to was a lot of twisting and turning. Things just make sense and have a nice flow to them. You aren’t reaching down to the floor or over in your passengers lap to switch tanks or lower the flaps. My wife doesn’t freeze to death while I am worried that my shoes are going to catch on fire because the only heat comes out of the front floor vent. She also likes the yaw damper. Says it makes a big difference in the back. Long story short, in my opinion, they are both great planes but the Cirrus is by far better. You will use it to go more places and do it in more comfort than you will in the 182. Be safe and enjoy the ride whichever one you choose.
I know this is an older thread but I’m looking into a future upgrade from a 172 and the 182 turbo or a SR22 is on the wish list.
No doubt that the SR22 is faster, have the parachute etc. but as is also noted in the previous posts I believe the 182 will maintain it’s value better than a SR22.
Speculation: [ON]. A hint might come with access to the average age of 182 and SR22 buyers. For some, Cirrus are still unproven newfangled plastic planes. Also, the flight school training market.
A 182 Can’t be compared to a SR22 on many levels as it’s a completely different aircraft: i.e composite, low wing, speed, avionics, CAPS, etc.
If you are looking at a comfortable X-C aircraft with speed, the SR22 wins. About the only thing a C182 May have over some models of Cirri is UL. But that’s also mitigated with the G5-G6. Useless you really need to have a high wing, not sure where a C182 has an advantage. Value? If this is a concern, then buy a Fully depreciated SR22 which is any G1-G3. The G5 are almost there but can still come down some. The G3 is perhaps the latest you can have fully depreciated so there is not much to lose if you decide to sell. Of course I’m bias because that why I have, however, it’s what I have because I see it as a great value. Best of luck
