Not too many responses to your question yet Thatcher. I don't recall you mentioning any budget limitations but within the rough ballpark of Cessna Twin total cost of ownership, options that come to mind for faster include:

Aerostar 700, Meridian, MU2, Cheyenne, Conquest I and Turbo Commander. Of those, I feel that a Meridian is hard to beat for bang-for-the-buck, especially for shorter missions. A TBM and Pilatus both cost quite a bit more to own & operate compared to C421.

What do you mean by more space? Are you comparing to A36 or to twin Cessnas? In terms of cabin space, it doesn't get much better than C421. A Conquest II has more space than 421 but now you're talking a LOT more $$.

There has to be some point of diminishing returns.

Even "new" stuff breaks.

I haven't had time to watch the video, what's his insurance number?

414A has an entirely different wing than a 340 or the 414 or the 421. It really likes being up high where is might actually be faster than a 340 or about even. Never flown a 340. What's the cruise speed at 65% at FL220? 414A with winglets will do about 215knots.

$8000-9000

Not too many responses to your question yet Thatcher. I don't recall you mentioning any budget limitations but within the rough ballpark of Cessna Twin total cost of ownership, options that come to mind for faster include:

Aerostar 700, Meridian, MU2, Cheyenne, Conquest I and Turbo Commander. Of those, I feel that a Meridian is hard to beat for bang-for-the-buck, especially for shorter missions. A TBM and Pilatus both cost quite a bit more to own & operate compared to C421.

What do you mean by more space? Are you comparing to A36 or to twin Cessnas? In terms of cabin space, it doesn't get much better than C421. A Conquest II has more space than 421 but now you're talking a LOT more $$.

That may be reasonable in a few years but it's really low for a new owner with low multi time.

I only have 225 hours of multi ( most of that in the last year). With $350k hull, I payed $7,700.00 last year and will pay about $7,000.00 this year. I was able to get a quote with my plane based on a hard surface runway instead of my grass strip and it was $4,800.00, so I am being penalized about $2,000.00 for the privilege of having the plane at home. I guess I can live with that.

Thatcher, I think you're looking at the best options for that price and mission. You're not going to get anything with more speed at that budget, except for perhaps an Aerostar 700 but you will give up a lot of cabin space and the A* cannot comfortably sit 6.

A C421 is really your best fit. A C340 while nice too you will find is best for 4-5 total. Most C340 drivers only have 4-5 seats installed as it makes it much easier for cabin entry. I had the aft left seat removed when I flew one and found it much more reasonable with only 5 seats. The C421 can very comfortably seat 6 and do your mission perfectly. Most flight plan for 200-210kts but they are capable of faster if you run them higher and a little harder.

That's a great point Tom. I will say though, we operated a C90 for a few years and the thing was damn reliable... reliably expensive but reliable. The maintenance events were eye watering but I can only think of one unscheduled issue. I just wonder if some of the savings of a 421 over a C90 goes away if you put a dollar value on the time to shuttle the thing around to various shops dealing with the myriad of things mentioned in the thread. For the record I just love the 421C !

Adam for 100 to 150 hours a year annuals and oil changes every 35 hours is about the extent of the MX trips. There is always the occasional event that comes up once in awhile.
The C90B was a work horse, but the MX bills were huge and eye watering.

They did run that plane "hard and put it to bed wet".

Six with luggage is doable but tight in a 340, and that's with less-than-FAA-standard people. Loading up is a trick, as the last seat has to be pulled forward to get in the door, then you can slide it back once the door closes. You can be up against the zero-fuel-weight, so you would want to seek a lighter plane. With a full load, I'll get about 2.75hr max legs with reserves (~500nm). I'd say it's good for occasional traveling with a family of 6, and certainly more roomy for adults than an A36. But if carrying 6 is the primary mission, you want a bigger cabin.

After all of the cost analysis it still really comes down to whether you want to fly a pressurized twin or not.

From the thousands of pages I have read over the years the happiest Twin Cessna Drivers are the ones that say, "I don't know, I just want to fly it."

I only have 225 hours of multi ( most of that in the last year). With $350k hull, I payed $7,700.00 last year and will pay about $7,000.00 this year. I was able to get a quote with my plane based on a hard surface runway instead of my grass strip and it was $4,800.00, so I am being penalized about $2,000.00 for the privilege of having the plane at home. I guess I can live with that.