maybe this is old news ... but you can get an SR20 new for $349K. New 172 (160hp) is $364.

Sheesh...

With the exact same equipment (avionics)?

I appear to have jumped the gun. Cessna no longer publishes a price list (that I can find) so I was looking at a dealer listed plane. The $364K sky hawk has a/c, synthetic vision, etc that would push a comparably equipped SR20 to at least $410.

Still, I'm impressed how much the delta has narrowed, at least percentage wise.

And I think its 180hp with a G1000

I'd rather have the 172.

Agree.

I'd rather have the Cirrus over the 172. The way I read the website it sounded like the Cirrus came with autopilot, so for $350 you get an aircraft that is faster than the Cessna by 35 knots, carries more weight, further, with glass and CAP. It's not a Bonanza but still a fairly useful IFR plane. I guess I am biased, but I would also rather have a Cherokee than a 172. The only thing I like about Cessnas is that the wing keeps the sun and rain out of the cockpit when it is parked. Point it towards the north and you don't need a canopy cover or a windshield screen.

For what mission ?

I would take the Cirrus all day long.

and we are off ,,,,

Who cares? In what universe is a single-engine, piston-powered, four-seat (three usable), 130kt airplane worth more than a used Baron plus 50,000 gallons of avgas? I just bought a house for less.

Dunno, but the planes here are 110 and 150kts

I'd rather have my late-model A36 with a G500, synthetic vision, WAAS, 6 seats, traffic, and a bunch of money in the bank.