A high percentage of Cirrus owners upgrade to newer Cirrus models and that has notoriously created a brisk market for used Cirrus SR pistons and Vision Jets. Now Cirrus Aircraft has created Cirrus Next, a factory preowned program that’s intended to streamline the process of trading in and buying a different Cirrus. Following the lead of the automotive industry that’s been successful with so-called certified preowned vehicles, there have been numerous certified preowned aircraft programs that have come and gone over the years. The general idea behind a factory preowned program is buying a turnkey used aircraft that meets a higher standard than what you might find on the mainstream used aircraft market. And yes, they’re almost always priced at a premium.
With the Cirrus Next program and a concierge approach, Cirrus directly handles the trade-in process of the old model, handling its valuation (“fair and transparent values,” it says), the logistics, and paperwork chores, which eliminates having to list the plane on the used market. Cirrus says this eliminates a sales broker and the chore of showing the airplane to perspective buyers. When upgrading, you’ll get a model that’s at the top of the food chain because of the factory refurbishment process. In the world of late-model Cirrus planes, this means the latest avionics capability and close attention to maintenance, with every Next model including a detailed service and inspection record verified by Cirrus technicians. Cirrus also coordinates delivery and transition training. Cirrus says for buyers upgrading to a new model, the Next program eliminates gaps in ownership because it manages the logistics and timing of the swap.
Over the years, Cirrus has maintained a partnership with both Lone Mountain Aircraft and Aerista, two used aircraft dealers that specialize in buying and selling above-average used Cirrus models, and their inventory is searchable on the Cirrus website. The market for used Cirrus models remains strong. At press time, Aerista was listing a 2016 SR22T G5 GTS with 1,215 total hours on the airframe and engine and with a recently completed annual inspection for $624,900. The Cirrus Next listing showed a 2019 Vision Jet G2 Elite model with 1,050 hours total time for $2.6 million.
