Best Used Six Seaters

Whether looking to fly a growing family, your business associates, or your golf buddies, odds are good you will need to make some pretty big trade-offs between takeoff weight and fuel/range to make that happen. Perhaps it’s time to step up to a six-seater. Even if you have no intention of actually carrying yourself and five passengers, the additional space and power it offers will allow you to carry more, fly farther, and get there faster.

While cost is often the thing holding pilots back from making the step up, you might find that there are some surprisingly reasonable options to be had in the used market. FLYING offers some potential options to consider:

There have been a few variations on the recognizable Bonanza over the decades, but Beechcraft's most relevant model for our purposes is the A36. Based on the earlier Model 33, the A36 includes an additional 10 inches of fuselage, double doors for the aft cabin, and a healthy 285 hp Continental IO-520-B engine. Buyers who need a higher level of performance can also find a turbocharged version, the A36TC, which utilizes a Continental TSIO-520-UB with a tri-blade propeller and offers 300 hp. Those searching for late models will find what they are looking for in the G36, featuring updates like the inclusion of a standard Garmin G1000 suite.

Typical used price: $100,000-$375,000
Years produced: 1970-2005
Engine: Continental IO-520-B (285 hp)
MTOW: 3,600 pounds
Standard empty weight: 2,100 pounds
Useful load: 1,500 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 170 ktas
Max range: 765 nm

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If cargo space and ease of loading is a priority, it’s hard to beat the Cessna 206 Stationair. Referred to by some as a "flying SUV," the single-engine, fixed-gear aircraft offers a large clamshell door at the rear to accommodate bulk cargo. Given its favorable design for operators looking to maximize cargo space for the aircraft's size and performance, the 206 is popular among both light cargo and jump outfits. Older models were powered by a 285 hp Continental IO-520-A, while "later" models used the 300hp Continental IO-520-F through 1986. Following a 12-year hiatus, Cessna resumed production of the 206H in 1998 with a 300 hp Lycoming IO-540-AC1A, as well as a 300 hp turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A.

Typical used price: $100,000-$225,000
Years produced: 1964-86
Engine: Continental IO-520-F (300 hp)
MTOW: 3,600 pounds
Standard empty weight: 1,850 pounds
Useful load: 1,750 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 145 ktas
Max range: 730 nm

The Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six was, in many ways, the company's answer to the Cessna 206. Designed as an extended version of Piper's four-seat PA-28 Cherokee, the Six measures more than 4 feet longer and 7 inches wider. The Six made its first flight in 1963, and early models featured a 260 hp Lycoming O-540, though Piper soon introduced a 300 hp version in 1967. Although the aircraft is no longer in production, it did ultimately morph into the PA-32R Piper Lance—the first of the Piper Saratoga line—that continues production today.

Typical used price: $50,000-$175,000
Years produced: 1965-80
Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (300 hp)
MTOW: 3,400 pounds
Standard empty weight: 1,780 pounds
Useful load: 1,620 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 148 ktas
Max range: 700 nm

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Relatively affordable pressurized single engine six-seaters can be hard to come by, but those who need the capabilities offered by such a configuration should consider the Piper Malibu Mirage. Updated as the more powerful "Mirage" in 1988, the original Malibu had already been around since 1983 as the PA-46-210P. The Malibu Mirage included redesigned wings and offered a more powerful turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A with 350 hp. Still in production today, the most recent variation has been known as the Piper M350 since 2015. 

Typical used price: $250,000-$500,000
Years produced: 1988-2015
Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (350 hp)
MTOW: 4,300 pounds
Standard empty weight: 2,790 pounds
Useful load: 1,510 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 215 ktas
Max range: 980 nm

Although piston-twin aircraft are generally quite expensive to operate compared to piston singles, those looking for one will likely find themselves in a buyer's market. The B55 Baron may be a good point of entry for buyers who need a light twin. While the B55 does include six seats, it should be noted that the back two seats are usually only suitable for children. Many owners opt to remove the seats in favor of lightening the aircraft and allowing for additional storage space. Even so, for those whose missions require the capabilities of a light twin with the possibility to complete an occasional six-person flight, the B55 might be a good option. That said, those looking to seat six more comfortably and often might be better off going with the 58, which is still in production today as the G58.  

Typical used price: $75,000-$175,000
Years produced: 1964-83
Engine: (2) Continental IO-470-L (260 hp)
MTOW: 5,100 pounds
Standard empty weight: 3,075 pounds
Useful load: 2,025 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 188 ktas
Max range: 830 nm

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The PA-34-200T Seneca II was introduced in 1975 in an effort to improve upon the earlier PA-34-200 Seneca's performance and handling characteristics. In addition to the addition of turbocharged, counterrotating Continental TSIO-350E/EB engines, the new model also included redesigned control surfaces. A feature those concerned with seating might appreciate is the optional inclusion of what Piper termed "club seating," meaning the two back-seat rows faced each other, with the middle row facing rearward and the back row facing forward. In addition to allowing passengers to converse more naturally, this also improves overall legroom in the back. 

Typical used price: $50,000-$150,000
Years produced: 1975-80
Engine: (2) Continental TSIO-360-E/EB (200 hp)
MTOW: 4,570 pounds
Standard empty weight: 2,840 pounds
Useful load: 1,730 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 167 ktas
Max range: 900 nm

The 310 was Cessna’s first postwar twin and followed the company’s first twin, the T-50, which served as an advanced trainer aircraft during World War II. Introduced in 1954, the 310 and 320 remained in production until 1980, by which time more than 6,000 were manufactured.  Early versions had five seats, but the 1962 310G introduced a sixth. Late variants included the 310R, introduced in 1975, which utilized 285 hp Continental IO-520-M/MB engines with standard three-blade propellers. The T310R served as a turbocharged version, with Continental TSIO-520-B or TSIO-520-BB engines. These two variants are by far the most common, making up more than a sixth of the total number of Cessna 310s produced. 

Typical used price: $75,000-$175,000
Years produced: 1975-80
Engine: (2) Continental TSIO-520 (285 hp)
MTOW: 5,500 pounds
Standard empty weight: 3,725 pounds
Useful load: 1,775 pounds
Cruise Speed (75 percent power): 223 ktas
Max range: 840 nm

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Turboprops generally offer pilots and operators greater power, performance, and efficiency over otherwise equivalent aircraft. A great example of these benefits is the Piper Meridian, which has been in production since 2000 and utilizes the Pratt & Whitney PT6A. The Meridian is a member of the same product family as the Malibu Mirage, with key changes including larger wings and tail surfaces, along with increased fuel capacity. Outside of these sorts of differences to accommodate its turboprop, the Meridian is otherwise quite similar to other Malibu models. As such, the Meridian is a popular step-up choice for piston pilots looking to transition to the higher performance offered by turboprops.

Typical used price: $650,000-$1.5 million
Years produced: 2002-15
Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (500 shp)
MTOW: 5,100 pounds
Standard empty weight: 3,400 pounds
Useful load: 1,700 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 260 ktas
Max range: 1,000 nm

Born out of a partnership between French light aircraft manufacturer SOCATA and the American Mooney Airplane Company, the TBM 700’s design was based on a Mooney prototype, the 301. The companies’ aim was to design and produce a single engine, high performance turboprop aircraft to serve both passenger and cargo missions. Introduced with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 engine, the TBM family is still in production today by Daher, other variants of the aircraft include the TBM 850, 900, 910, 930, 940, and 960. Variations of the original TBM 700 were manufactured until 2006, when attention shifted to the TBM 850.

Typical used Price: $750,000-$1.25 million
Years produced: 1990-2005
Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-64 (700 shp)
MTOW: 6,600 pounds
Standard empty weight: 4,100 pounds
Useful load: 2,500 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 290 ktas
Max range: 1,350 nm

Built for true power users, the King Air family is made up of workhorse twin turboprop aircraft that are often used as charter, cargo, medevac, and even military platforms. The C90 was introduced in 1971, following production of a few variants before it. This new version included a 4-foot-11 increased wingspan, 350 pounds greater MTOW, and upgraded engines. Later C90 variants continued until March 2021, when Beechcraft announced it would discontinue its C90GTx. Each new variant came with predictable reliability improvements and increased power and MTOWs. 

Typical used price: $300,000-$800,000
Years produced: 1971-2005
Engine: PT6A-21 (550 shp) or PTA6A-135 (750 shp flat rated to 550 shp) for the C90GT
MTOW: 10,100 pounds
Standard empty weight: 6,580 pounds
Useful load: 3,580 pounds
Cruise speed (75 percent power): 290 ktas
Max range: 1,350 nm

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The Citation Mustang was launched in 2002 and received its FAA type certification in 2006. Designed to be the industry’s first real personal jet, fewer than 500 were produced before Cessna discontinued the aircraft to shift its focus toward its Citation M2. Equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F turbofans, the jet seats six and allows for single-pilot operation. Given its relative simplicity for the jet world and oftentimes familiar G1000 cockpit, the Citation Mustang is an ideal platform for pilots looking to step up to a jet. Those looking for additional features should consider trying to find a High Sierra addition, which features premium avionics and synthetic vision.

Typical used price: $1 million-$2 million
Years produced: 2007-present
Engine: (2) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F (1,460 pounds of thrust each)
MTOW: 8,730 pounds
Standard empty weight: 5,600 pounds
Useful load: 3,130 pounds
Cruise speed: 340 ktas
Max range: 1,170 nm

Cessna’s second generation of its Citation jets came in the form of the CJ1. Like the Citation Mustang, the CJ1 is a single-pilot-approved light jet and features a standard Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package. Although it is slightly larger and can be configured for up to eight occupants, the plane seats six most comfortably. The CJ1 is powered by two Williams FJ44-1A engines that burn a combined 116 gph—rather efficient for the jet world.

Typical used price: $775,000-$1.75 million
Years produced: 1998-2005
Engine: (2) Williams/Rolls FJ44-1A (1,900 pounds of thrust each)
MTOW: 10,600 pounds
Standard empty weight: 6,770 pounds
Useful load: 3,830 pounds
Cruise speed: 377 ktas
Max range: 1,121 nm

Although its manufacturers, Eclipse Aviation, and later, Eclipse Aerospace, are both defunct, the Eclipse 500 is still a great little jet. The very light jet (VLJ) was only produced for less than two full years before production was shuttered, some 260 managed to hit the market. Also a single-pilot-certified jet, the Eclipse 500’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F engines burn fewer than 70 gph, making it one of the most operationally cost-efficient jets on the market. While its interior is not especially roomy, and its payload with max fuel clocks in at only around 500 pounds, it can be an excellent choice for those whose missions require the speed and capabilities of a jet. 

Typical used price: $600,000-$1 million
Years produced: 2006-08
Engine: (2) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F (900 pounds of thrust each)
MTOW: 5,950 pounds
Standard empty weight: 3,550 pounds
Useful load: 2,400 pounds
Cruise speed: 360 ktas
Max range: 1,125 nm

Still in production since it hit the market in late 2008, the Phenom 100 helped Embraer break beyond the regional jet market and into personal jets. The VLJ is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600s and can be configured to seat between four to seven passengers. Like other jets on this list, the Phenom 100 is single-pilot approved and can be a comfortable step-up for new jet pilots familiar with its G1000 suite. 

Typical used price: $1.75 million-$2.25 million
Years produced: 2007-present
Engine: (2) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617 (1,730 pounds of thrust each)
MTOW: 10,580 pounds
Standard empty weight: 7,195 pounds
Useful load: 3,385 pounds
Cruise speed: 380 ktas
Max range: 1,178 nm