Cirrus Sf50 vs Diamond Aircraft Da62 vs Piper M500
The Diamond Aircraft DA62 and Piper M500 sit in different categories despite similar personal and business-mission overlap. The DA62 is a modern, piston-powered light twin, optimized for efficiency, redundancy, and lower operating costs, often favored for family travel, owner-flown business use, and training where twin-engine capability matters. The M500 is a pressurized, single-engine turboprop, positioned as a higher-performance step-up aircraft with greater speed and altitude capability, better suited to longer, higher-altitude trips and more time-sensitive travel. In range, the DA62 typically offers solid cross-country capability on piston fuel flows, but the M500 generally provides a longer usable range profile at higher cruise speeds and flight levels, especially when operating in the mid-to-high teens or above due to pressurization and turboprop performance. For passenger capacity, both are commonly configured around five to seven seats depending on interior layout, but the DA62 is often used with six to seven seats including a third row, while the M500 is more commonly a five-to-six-seat cabin with generous space and baggage flexibility.
| Spec | Diamond Aircraft DA62 | Piper M500 |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 |
| DOC / nm | $ 1.18 | $ 3.11 |
| Total Seats | 5 | 6 |
| Flight Rules | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Diamond Aircraft | Piper |
| Aircraft Name | DA62 | M500 |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 1283 | 1000 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.24 | $ 0.78 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | — |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | VERIFIED |
| Useful Load (lbs) | 1565 | 1698 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 3 | 4 |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 225 | $ 579 |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 190 | 260 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $1,290,000 | $2,122,600 |
| Min Crew | — | 1 |
| Cabin | ||
| Cockpit | 2 | 2 |
| Total Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Max Cabin Seats | 5 | — |
| Standard Cabin Seats | 3 | 4 |
| Lavatory | — | No |
| Min Crew | — | 1 |
| Galley Location | — | MID |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | 5.5 |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | Refreshment Centre |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | 12600 |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | 8244 |
| Engine | ||
| FADEC | Yes | No |
| Model | AE330 | PT6A-42A |
| Fuel Type | Diesel / Jet Fuel | — |
| TBO (hrs) | 1800 | 3600 |
| Horsepower | 180 | 500 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | — |
| No. of Engines | 2 | 1 |
| Usable Fuel (gal) | 86 | — |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 89 | 170 |
| Flat Rating | — | ISA + 55 |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length (ft) | 30.1 | 29.6 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 47.8 | 43.2 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 9.3 | 11.3 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | — | 4.1 |
| Cabin Height (ft) | — | 4 |
| Cabin Length (ft) | — | 12.3 |
| Cabin Volume (cu. ft) | — | 165 |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | — | 20 |