Would you spend $50,000 used or $115,000 new?

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Taggg

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What would you do? Buy a used plane for $50,000 used and have repair expense, or buy a new Cessna 162 for $115,000 and not have to budget for ongoing repairs older planes have?
 
Depends on the $50K airplane and the mission. Some $50K airplanes aren't worth $5. Others do far far more than a Skycatcher will ever dream of doing.
 
Used. Which is exactly what I did. 50 year old 182 costs a lot less than brand new. I could total my plane and buy a new one without getting close to the cost of new.

It is a wing. It doesn't require fancy glass panels or autopilots to lull you to sleep. It requires a pilot. Fly the wing.

You're better off buying cheaper and sinking some of the money you save into AvGas so that you can hone your skills. A pilot who regularly flies on old bird is likely safer than one who rarely flies a new bird.
 
I just bought a 45 year old airplane for cheap.

So far it has been great, updated and capable.
 
How many years of maintenance would add up to $65,000 in repairs for the equivalent of a glorified CE152? (Assuming the buyer uses some judgment and picks a reasonably airworthy airplane to start with) And that 162 will still require maintenance as well which will be added to the maintenance cost over the years.

I wouldn't own a 162. It can't do what I need an airplane to do.
 
What kind of 50k plane? If it has four seats it is a no brainier, same if it is a nice Lsa


That 162 will have expensive repairs, you will just have a couple years before they start coming...
 
My vote is for 50K old plane, hell low ball them, in this economy offer 40K ;)
 
Used, the 162 will cost just as much as an equivalent older plane.

The old airplane maintenance myth is getting, well, old. The 76 172 takes no more maintenance per hour than do the 71, 98, or even 2010 I take care of. Besides you can maintain the 50k plane for most of the average pilots flying carrer for the price difference.
 
That's true of common types with parts available. Not types where the manufacturer and 3rd parties are dying.
 
Just throwing it out there, with interest rates low financing 80 percent of a new airplane that will do 70-80 percent of what my mission profile would be compared to a 182 that would take me to 90 percent and I have a feeling that repairs and maintenance would equal those monthly payments.

By the way, if you have been in a Skycatcher, you would not compare it to a 150.
 
Taggg said:
Just throwing it out there, with interest rates low financing 80 percent of a new airplane that will do 70-80 percent of what my mission profile would be compared to a 182 that would take me to 90 percent and I have a feeling that repairs and maintenance would equal those monthly payments.

By the way, if you have been in a Skycatcher, you would not compare it to a 150.
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Well a 182 will cost more than a 162 to take care of, but the propeller and engine are the big items there.
But it is a great example, however 50k might not be enough for. Good 182, and it's getting a good plane that counts, new or used.
 
That is my point, I had a 2003 172SP and with full fuel and three adults we were at capacity. Most of the time my wife and I fly some place for a long weekend. The 162 takes us to most places we went in the 172 with one fuel stop.

But, as I gain more experience I would like to go faster and farther. Eventually ending up with a true cross country 4 passenger airplane. But, that is another topic, another day.
 
It looks like ultimately, for me, the turbo 182 RG, would be my perfect plane.
 
Taggg said:
Just throwing it out there, with interest rates low financing 80 percent of a new airplane that will do 70-80 percent of what my mission profile would be compared to a 182 that would take me to 90 percent and I have a feeling that repairs and maintenance would equal those monthly payments.

By the way, if you have been in a Skycatcher, you would not compare it to a 150.
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I've flown the Skycatcher. I'll take that 150 any day over it.
 
Taggg said:
By the way, if you have been in a Skycatcher, you would not compare it to a 150.
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Yea, I guess that was a little unfair. I have yet to hear of the door falling off a 150 in flight.
 
Well, for one, you can spin the 150. ;) ;) ;)

But I'm sure that's not what Murph was thinking.
 
Why not consider a *nearly* new CT? I've seen nice ones with 200-300 hours for $80K. Good speed, capacity, distance, modern avionics, and a chute.
(isn't a C162 more like $150K?)
 
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Well, there are Skycatchers on the market with less than 100 hours or $100,000 and they are Cessna. CT, even though being an excellent aircraft, you wonder about dealer support down the road.

I do think the future of general aviation is light sport, with the cost of 100LL being what it is only the very dedicated will choose to fly large aircraft and spend the money to stay current if fuel continues its climb.
 
Taggg said:
What would you do? Buy a used plane for $50,000 used and have repair expense, or buy a new Cessna 162 for $115,000 and not have to budget for ongoing repairs older planes have?
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You cannot buy a new 162 for $115,000. The base price is now $149,900. (Go here and click on Specifications: http://www.cessna.com/single-engine/skycatcher/skycatcher-pricing.html#)

By comparison, I count 13 used Cirrus 20 and 22 models on Barnstormers.com (all built on or after the year 2000) that have asking prices under $149,900. That is just one make; lots of other fine late make and model aircraft can be had for less than even $115,000.
 
The only thing I buy new is my food.
 
For $50k you can buy a nice RV-6 that burns 8 GPH of car gas and go 180 MPH.

For $150k you can buy a RV-10 that carries 4 at 200 MPH burning 12gph of car gas.

Why would you buy a spam can?
 
What is insurance like on those planes?
 
First off I wouldn't buy a 162 period, I would never buy a plane that has such limited capabilities for sooooo much money, also the fact it is made in China seals it's fate IMHO.


Keep in mind buying a used aircraft aint like buying a used car, planes have maintenance that must be preformed and documented, where as a car can go drive around until it grenades it's engine on 4 different size tires lol

And remember, the second you sign on the line that 162 is just another used airplane.
 
IMHO, the only reason to buy a LS is because you need to fly light sport. No comparison to certificated airplanesl
 
ejensen said:
IMHO, the only reason to buy a LS is because you need to fly light sport. No comparison to certificated airplanesl
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Flying a light lane is a heck of a lot more fun than a heavy spam can. They are more economical to fly, easy to land, more maneuverable, less complicated, and great for low and slow. I can fly any plane, if I am just going to go flying I'll take the LSA every time.
 
Tag, you haven't given us a good picture of what your mission requires yet. Sounds like you don't need a lot of room and you don't need IFR? If you're just concentrating on a 2 place you can still get a better deal than a C-162. As someone said earlier the CT is a good deal. Customer support? well they're the best selling LS around so I'd say they'll be around for awhile especially since they're coming out with a new 4 place. With your price range forget about a C-150. You've got plenty of Liberty XLs out there that will out run a C-162 and have an IFR panel to boot. You could get one of them for almost 3/4 the price of a C-162.

Some of the guys mentioned RVs. Don't know if experimentals are on your scope. As I've told people before, once you fly a homebuilt you'll never go back to production. If your looking for a 2 place you can't do much better than an RV6A,RV7A or a Glasair II. Half the price of a Skycatcher with more room, more range, more speed, IFR, aerobatic, and your maintenance costs will be less. Insurance on a homebuilt is slightly more than production but not a real factor. So yeah, to me it's a no brainer. LSAs are fun to fly but they can't compare to homebuilts.
 
One big consideration is that a $115k new airplane becomes about an $80k used airplane about the time you close the deal and make your first flight as an owner while a good used $50k airplane will probably still be worth close to $50k a year later.
 
The Glasair ii sportsman looks really nice! I have never, ever looked at home built until starting this thread. I had no idea they were that nice, fast economical. All my time has been in a 172.

The purpose of the discussion was comparing the cost of an older plane plus ongoing maintenance to an almost new plane with cost of finance. The Skycatcher was just a throw in because I had recently seen me on the ramp and sat in it and it was a nice little plane. A lot more roomy than a 150 and for what my wife and I do it would work, 300-400 knot weekend trips with one fuel stop, not a big hurry to get there.

But as I build time I will get my IFR, want a faster plane, go to more places. Kids are out of college, retirement on track, home almost paid for, won't feel guilty about spending more for a plane in a few years.

But that Gasair II really looks nice! Wow!

How do I meet these guys who build and fly these planes, surely they would not mind some help building or a pilot flying in the right seat when they go someplace that would normally be alone.
 
Taggg said:
The Glasair ii sportsman looks really nice! I have never, ever looked at home built until starting this thread. I had no idea they were that nice, fast economical. All my time has been in a 172.

The purpose of the discussion was comparing the cost of an older plane plus ongoing maintenance to an almost new plane with cost of finance. The Skycatcher was just a throw in because I had recently seen me on the ramp and sat in it and it was a nice little plane. A lot more roomy than a 150 and for what my wife and I do it would work, 300-400 knot weekend trips with one fuel stop, not a big hurry to get there.

But as I build time I will get my IFR, want a faster plane, go to more places. Kids are out of college, retirement on track, home almost paid for, won't feel guilty about spending more for a plane in a few years.

But that Gasair II really looks nice! Wow!

How do I meet these guys who build and fly these planes, surely they would not mind some help building or a pilot flying in the right seat when they go someplace that would normally be alone.
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Look up your local EAA chapter. It's as simple as that.
 
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