The 2023 Cessna 182 Skylane. Classic four-seater, modern avionics. Still a great buy.
Why 182
Four real seats with luggage. Actually useful load. 172 struggles with four adults. 182 handles it.
High wing for easy loading and sightseeing. Fixed gear simplicity. Reliable IO-540 engine.
Performance
Cruise around 140 knots. Not fast but not slow. Range 900+ miles with reserves.
Ceiling 18,000 feet. Gets above most weather. Non-pressurized so oxygen needed above 12,500.
Short field capable. Gets into smaller strips than similar payload aircraft.
2023 Updates
Garmin G1000 NXi standard. Modern glass cockpit. Moving maps, synthetic vision, traffic.
Build quality improved. Textron invested in manufacturing. Fit and finish better than 2010s models.
Pricing
New ones run around $600k equipped. Not cheap. But holds value well. 30-year-old 182s still worth something.
Operating costs reasonable. 14 gallons per hour cruise. Annuals maybe $2-3k if nothing major.
Who Buys New
Flight schools wanting modern fleets. Wealthy hobbyists who want warranty coverage. Corporate flight departments for training.
Most 182 buyers go used. 1980s models with modern avionics retrofitted. Same capability, fraction of the price.
Verdict
Still the benchmark four-seat single. Nothing else combines capability, simplicity, and reliability quite the same way.
